EarlyBird in South Staffordshire: reflections on an innovative model of interagency working to deliver an intervention for families of preschool children with autistic spectrum disorder

In this article three education and health services professionals, Julia Halpin, Sally Pitt and Emma Dodd, describe and reflect upon the way in which a small group of professionals from health and education services worked in collaboration to meet the need to inform and empower parents of preschool children with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Julia and Sally, both clinical nurse specialists, and Emma, an educational psychologist, outline the background to the project in terms of demographics, epidemiology and service needs, and explain the way in which the interagency project was initiated as a ‘bottom‐up’ response, reflecting on the advantages and disadvantages of this way of working. The team piloted an innovative evaluation method which is offered as a tool that could usefully be developed further.     

Communication for Development: A Personal Experience with Implications for Development Policy

Abstract

Purpose: Communication for Development (C4D) is a new academic discipline and profession for addressing human dimension concerns in development, such as local participation, integration and capacity building, which are the main issues limiting aid effectiveness. However, my experience in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa and where a multitude of international development experts attempt to bring about change have, perhaps, never heard about C4D. When the concept was explained, these officials felt C4D was precisely what Malawi and developing countries, need. It left me feeling that the success rate of poverty-reduction programming could be greater if C4D education was provided for development decision-makers and field staff, especially agricultural extension workers.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper is a critical review of the literature on the role of agricultural extension education in development, focusing on how C4D can strengthen extension performance.

Findings: The study found that development policymakers in Malawi, governmental, nongovernmental, bilateral and multilateral, support the C4D idea once they become knowledgeable about it.

Practical implications: Therefore, the practical implication is that educating policymakers about C4D will increase donor investments in pilot C4D projects, a strengthening of agricultural extension systems, and success of poverty-reduction programs.

Originality/value: It is hoped that readers will find the C4D strategy stimulating, the author's experience enlightening, and the C4D proposal an innovative way of improving aid effectiveness.     

Rethinking Natural Environment Practice: Implications from Examining Various Interpretations and Approaches

Early intervention professionals have implemented natural environment practices for over a decade, despite the continued debate on how to interpret and implement this practice. This article reviews several theoretical frameworks for understanding natural environment practice, and also summarizes different approaches for implementation. The authors present a model for rethinking and redefining natural environment practice in the context of recent approaches.     

Teacher Control over Interagency Collaboration: A Roadblock for Effective Transitioning of Youth with Disabilities

Poor post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities have consistently been reported internationally. Interagency collaboration between school systems and post-school services is critical and key to improving post-school life for these youth. An initial Queensland study that benchmarked the teacher practice of 104 transition teachers and associated personnel indicated that interagency collaboration practices had the lowest levels of implementation. These results were the motivation behind a second study which investigated the hypothesis that lack of teacher control over interagency collaboration practice formed a roadblock for effective transitioning of youth with disabilities. Results generally confirmed the hypothesis and provide further understanding about the multi-faceted nature of interagency collaboration and the stakeholders involved in this process. Three interconnected actions are proposed to bypass identified roadblocks. If these actions are put in place, schools should improve their connections with post-school services, teachers should enhance their practice, and students should achieve improved post-school outcomes.     

The Changing Landscape of Early Childhood Education: Implications for Policy and Practice

Early childhood education is changing rapidly due to the dynamic nature of positive and negative trends affecting the profession. In this article, the changing landscape of early childhood education is discussed and analyzed. Both the positive and negative forces contributing to the changing landscape are examined. The focus of this discussion includes changing demographics, changes in early childhood curriculum and instruction, increased focus on accountability, advances in research that inform early childhood education, influences affecting teacher preparation and professional development, and global trends affecting early education and care. We relate these trends to the need for holistic systems-thinking, integrated curricula, child-centered pedagogical standards, deeper commitment to social justice and a corresponding moral vision capable of inspiring educational policy, practice and research in the midst of a competitive global economy and the commodification of early childhood programs and curricula. By discussing practical examples and research findings to illustrate current positive and negative trends, this paper serves as a meaningful resource for all stakeholders. Taking recent dynamics into account, we provide a vision for evaluating change and analyzing major trends. Both implications and responses to the changes in the early childhood landscape are discussed.     

科学的教育政策:教育践行科学发展观的支柱

教育事业的发展需要教育政策的支持,树立科学的教育发展观,首要任务是制定科学的教育政策,这是由教育政策的基本属性决定的:一方面,科学的教育政策以科学发展观为价值取向,受教育发展规律的指导,具有教育理论的特征;另一方面,科学的教育政策作为教育践行科学发展观的支柱,促进教育事业的全面、协调和可持续发展,又具有教育实践的特征。科学的教育政策是将教育理论通过复杂、合理的构建,并系统地作用于教育实践的桥梁。教育理论与教育实践发生作用的过程也是科学的教育政策系统运行的过程、完善的过程、发展的过程。     

建国初期的职工业余教育:背景、方针及实践

建国初期是工农教育体系确立与发展时期,加强工人的业余教育是加强人民民主专政政权及当时国家重视重工业发展这一经济建设指向等的客观要求。党和政府在充实完善学校教育的同时,同等重视职工业余教育计划的制定,这既是业余教育正规化的有益尝试,也是教育普及与提高相结合方针的具体实践。这一做法在当时不仅极大地节约了人力、物力和财力,而且为提高工人参与生产的积极性和创造性做出了一定贡献。不过,不可忽视的是高度的计划性与冲破此计划的群众力量之间极具戏剧性的矛盾,其根源在于当时综合国力较弱情势下以错误的质量提升为目标的“正规化”思想。     

提升医院职工及患者餐饮满意度的实践与探索

饮食对于医院职工和患者而言,是体现医院满意度的重要组成部分。文章从规范食堂制度管理、加强食品安全管理、改进餐饮服务品质等方面,具体阐述了提升医院职工及患者满意度的主要做法,让医院职工和患者有了更好的就餐体验,针对不同人群提供个性化服务,在良好的环境中享受卫生、安全与美味,医院就餐率和满意度得到了持续提升。     

德国FH:为职业实践而进行科学教育

以FH为代表的德国高等职业教育经过30多年的发展已经取得了举世瞩目的成就,形成了较为科学的办学思路和较为成熟的教育教学模式.作者在对德国FH实地考察的基础上,对其办学理念、办学体制、教育教学模式与方法进行了述评,并就我国高职教育的发展提出了一些对策和建议.     

Towards Competent Systems in Early Childhood Education and Care. Implications for Policy and Practice

The close connection between the quality of provision for young children and professionaliation of the field has long been supported by international research. That the two are inseparable aspects of one picture is beginning to become accepted at European policy level, as evident in recent high level EU policy documents. This article explores the reciprocal relationship between quality and professionalisation, drawing on the findings of the study on ‘competence requirements in early childhood education and care’ (CoRe), jointly conducted by the University of East London and the University of Gent, and funded by the European Commission. Based on a review of literature in several European languages and data from a 15-country survey and seven in-depth case studies, CoRe has identified systemic conditions for a professionalisation of the entire early childhood system, beyond the formal qualification levels of individual practitioners. The article argues for a critical and systemic reconceptualisation of professional practice in a competent system.     

开展科技服务 营造工程氛围

讨论了如何逐步开展对外科技服务,营造校内工程氛围,贴近工程实际办学进行的探讨努力,及其对教育教学改革、师资培养和提高育人质量的促进作用。     

Redesigning for Collaboration within Higher Education Institutions: An Exploration into the Developmental Process

As a result of both the external pressures and the known benefits of collaboration, many higher education institutions are trying to create learning communities, service and community-based learning, and interdisciplinary research and teaching. However, over 50% of collaborations fail. There has been virtually no research on how to enable higher education institutions to conduct collaborative work. This article focuses on examining how institutions moved from a culture that supports individual work to the ones that facilitate collaborative work. A three-stage model emerged. The first stage, building commitment, contains four contextual elements—values, external pressure, learning and networks. Here the institution uses ideas/information from a variety of sources to convince members of the campus of the need to conduct collaborative work. In the second stage, commitment, senior executives demonstrate support and re-examine the mission of the campus and leadership emerges within the network. The third phase is called sustaining and includes the development of structures, networks, and rewards to support the collaborations.     

美国教育政策循证研究的理论与实践:对中国的启示

文章对2002-2017年间美国教育和政策研究领域中12种有代表性的学术期刊的研究论文类型和发表要求进行了可视化分析,基于美国教育政策领域中循证研究兴起的背景、证据类型和证据链检验标准,提出我国教育政策制定和研究过程中应重视循证研究理念,提高教育决策质量;加强教育政策智库建设,保证高质量的政策证据;政策类学术期刊重视循证研究,提升教育研究的科学性和权威性。     

欧盟一体化进程中区域经济协调发展的实践、政策及其启示

随着欧盟成员国的不断增加,欧盟内部不同国家之间、同一国家不同地区之间的发展差距进一步显现,区域发展不平衡是欧盟一体化中亟待解决的一个重要问题。欧盟的区域协调政策是世界上最典型,也是最成功的,它通过财政转移支付的方式对经济落后的成员国和地区进行援助,推进区域经济的协调发展,取得了明显的经济社会效果。欧盟在一体化进程中促进区域经济协调发展的经验表明:效率与公平的协调是实现区域经济协调发展的基本目标,区域经济协调发展的管理体系是实现区域经济协调发展的组织保证,完善政策体系是实现区域经济协调发展的机制保证,政府服务意识和服务水平是实现区域经济协调发展的主体保证,制度创新是区域协调发展的动力保障。欧盟促进区域经济协调发展的实践和政策对我国区域经济协调发展有重要的启示。     

Home and Career Development: A Life History of Elia Hill Swann, 1878–1961, with Implications for Counseling

This study is based on a life history of a woman born in 1878 who, at the age of eighteen, left her farm home in an isolated rural area to make a life in an urban career. Her life history parallels and extends our understanding of the experience of modern day women who leave home for careers in distant areas. It is also an example of the experience of women of a rural diaspora. The results identify ways that home and memories of home can support women's career development over the lifespan. The qualitative data analyzed in this study leads to recognition of how home can support the launching as well as reinventing of a career by providing a source of strength for women who are far from home. In addition, a woman's home and reminiscence of home can provide a source of comfort and support during times of emotional or financial hardship. Women who are from outside the mainstream American urban/suburban culture, such as women whose homes are in rural or non-European American areas, need to be prepared for difficulties that can arise while becoming acculturated in a commercial, consumer culture. Finally, implications for counseling are discussed.     

Examining the State-Trait Composition of Social-Emotional Learning Constructs: Implications for Practice,Policy, and Evaluation

Abstract

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is gaining prominence in education practice and policy. Research shows that SEL can be improved by short-term, targeted interventions and longer-term strategies to improve school contextual factors. However, little is known about how much of the variance in SEL constructs is stable over time versus specific to a given time/context. The present study examines the stability of academic achievement relative to four SEL domains (growth mindset, self-efficacy, social awareness, and self-management). While the rank ordering of math and reading skills are highly stable over time, the four SEL domains seem to be more strongly influenced by contextual factors. Implications for school accountability systems and intervention approaches are discussed.     

感受美国大众化的高等教育

美国社区大学教育体系具有其独特的发展历史和社会功能。依据作者在美国密苏里州社区大学访问讲学的所见、所闻，及相关的资料，简单介绍美国社区大学体系的性质，讨论美国社区大学教育体系的优越之处及对我国在建设和发展高等教育方面的启示。     

韩国现代化发展历程对中国现代化的借鉴意义

韩国的现代化发展经历了开始、高潮和平稳三个阶段,积累了一定的经验和教训,针对我国现代化发展的问题也有一定的借鉴意义,本文从政府与市场的关系、政府和企业的关系、出口贸易和国际市场的关系、生产和科研的关系等四个方面总结出了韩国现代化发展历程对中国现代化的借鉴意义。     

职工思想政治工作的一般程序与方法

本文从明确职工思想政治工作特点、任务、要求 ;对职工思想基础的调查分析 ;职工思想政治工作内容、方法的选择 ;职工思想政治工作的实施等四个方面 ,阐述职工思想政治工作的一般程序和方法 ,探索、加强和改进职工思想政治工作的新机制、新渠道、新方式     

高校图书馆服务于大学生自主学习与互动整合的探索与实践

近年来,自主学习与互动整合的学研方式成为大学生的主流学习方式,高校图书馆服务工作也随之进行了探索与实践。通过对高校图书馆软硬件设施和人力资源重新进行评估,提高对高校图书馆实体环境、虚拟环境和服务团队的认知,确立高校图书馆与大学生的关系即是引导与合作的关系,由此开创高校图书馆服务于大学生自主学习与互动整合的新思路。