Can the Barriers be Breached? Mature Women's Access to Higher Education

In the current climate of change and expansion in higher education, a danger exists that mature women students will not be given equitable access because the fundamental barriers to their full participation are not acknowledged. As a result, adequate support and academic facilities, such as childcare, woman‐friendly courses, teaching and assessment methods, sympathetic timetables and counselling services, are not provided for them. This paper examines the barriers that mature women wishing to enter higher education have to overcome, and suggests solutions that would facilitate the dismantling of these.     

The Emergence of Trans-Regional Educational Exchange Schemes (TREES) in Europe,North America,and the Asia-Pacific Region

This article demonstrates that salient aspects of globalization have led to the emergence of trans-regional educational exchange schemes (TREES) in higher education. What sets these schemes apart from others is the proliferation of international university organizations that "go beyond region" and infiltrate other parts of the globe despite policy barriers. This article illustrates how the current globalizing efforts to establish regionalized free trade zones, as evidenced in such organizations as the European Union (EU), the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Zone (APEC) have led to processes of internationalization in which national governments, higher education institutions, and other international university organizations vie for position. It concludes with a discussion of selected strategies and issues as these affect the development of international university co-operation as a whole and the impact they may have on higher education in the future.     

论基础教育学校场域中的文化屏障

文化屏障是一种强调不同文化之间的异质性的障碍。目前,在我国基础教育学校场域中有三大文化屏障:阶层文化部屏障,区域文化部屏障,文化冲突性文化屏障。这三大文化屏障错综复杂地交织在一起,严重阻碍了我国基础教育的和谐、均衡发展。为了消除文化屏障对我国基础教育和谐发展的负面效应,我们应从社会制度上、结构上、政策上等方面采取积极有效的措施。     

成人高等教育推行学分制的障碍及对策

随着教育教学改革的不断深化，成人高等教育推行学分制已是大势所趋，但在实际推行过程中却障碍重重，举步维艰。因此，必须采取切实有效的措施，如端正办学思想、优化教学资源配置、建立相互沟通衔接的教育体系，实行先试点后推广等，积极推进成人高教学分制的稳步实施。     

An endless desert walk: Perspectives of education from the San in Botswana

The San tribe in Botswana has historically been oppressed as they have struggled to maintain their culture and livelihood in the face of change. This article presents a portion of a multiple case study of access to education in Botswana, examining access to education for the San, a minority tribe with little access to formal schooling. The findings indicate that the San face barriers to educational access such as language differences, the inconvenient location of formal schools, the impact of tribal resettlement, and cultural differences. The barriers experienced by the San imply the need for educational reforms to better include this group in formal education.     

当代大学生就业心理障碍及其引导策略研究

随着社会的不断发展以及高等教育体制的深入改革,大学毕业生就业形势越来越严峻,导致很多大学生或多或少都存在一定的就业心理障碍问题,比如矛盾心理、攀比心理、自负自卑心理、从众心理等。这影响着大学生以后的良好发展,学校、家庭方面都应给予重视。文章就从当代大学生就业心理障碍的现状出发,分析其产生的原因,并针对问题结合实际提出相应的引导对策,以期培养出大学生健康良好的就业心理。     

Special and inclusive education in the Eastern Caribbean: policy practice and provision

The countries of the Eastern Caribbean have for more than a decade been committed to the implementation of a common educational reform strategy. At the heart of this strategy has been the policy of 'education for all', which includes establishing educational support services for children with special educational needs. In the past, many disabled children and children with learning difficulties have been excluded from the education system in these countries. For many more children, attendance at school has not given meaningful access to educational opportunities. This article discusses research carried out by the authors and reports on the implementation of the Reform Strategy and on the barriers to inclusive education that persist in the region.     

闽台高等职业教育交流合作的历史沿革与基本模式

从1987年开始,两岸高等职业教育交流合作经历了了解初探期、互动交流期、紧密合作期三个发展阶段,闽台高等职业教育交流合作可以归纳为浅层互访交流模式、中层互动参与模式、深层联动合作模式,双方交流合作存在动力足但动机有所差异、尚有较多障碍、有待持续推进、成效尚须观察等问题。     

Barriers to learning online experienced by students with a mental health disability

Online education is widely regarded as increasing accessibility to higher education to individuals with disadvantage and disability, including those with a mental health disability. However, the learning challenges these students experience within the online learning environment are not well understood. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand the barriers to learning that these students face in this environment. A qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 students revealed three major learning barriers: (a) impact of impairment, (b) personal and situational circumstances, and (c) learning environment. These barriers were found to have wide-ranging consequences for the students’ ability to fully engage in study and their overall wellbeing. The findings lend insight into the low retention rates for this cohort of students and the learning barriers that need to be addressed by online education providers to better enhance the educational experience of these students.     

New patterns in higher education cross-cultural learning: The case of a postgraduate english instruction program in China

This paper explores new patterns of learning across cultures in higher education through a case study of a cohort of international graduate students at a university in Chinese mainland. North University (NU) has hosted international students in its Chinese language and culture programs for decades. However, between 2008 and 2010, a new Master’s degree program for international students was established. This attracted 75 graduate students from different disciplinary backgrounds, from 21 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. English is the common language to both students and faculty, but a foreign language to all. This program marks a significant shift for China’s higher education as it reaches out to the world. The paper describes this cohort’s lived experiences in China, including academic, linguistic and sociocultural learning. It analyzes the challenges such programs pose for the Chinese higher education system, explores how these challenges have become opportunities for growth and how barriers have been overcome. It also discusses the implications of this case for the upgrading of higher education quality in China.     

Higher education for deaf students: research priorities in the new millennium

A review of research on deaf students in higher education reveals a significant body of knowledge about the barriers these students face in gaining access to information in the classroom. Much less is known about the potential solutions to these problems. In addition, there is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of such support services as interpreting, note taking, real-time captioning, and tutoring, particularly with regard to their impact on academic achievement. This article summarizes relevant research and suggests directions for educational researchers interested in enhancing academic success and the retention of deaf students in higher education programs.     

Barriers to and strategies for parental involvement in the education of children with disabilities in primary schools in Bahir Dar City Administration,Ethiopia

This study explores barriers to and strategies for parental involvement (PI) in the education of children with disabilities, using a qualitative case study design. Using the purposive sampling technique, five parents and five teachers were selected for interviews. Data obtained through semi-structured interviews have been analysed thematically. The findings demonstrated that PI was hindered by various barriers related to parents (including parents’ low level of education, income and negative attitudes), schools (such as principals’ and teachers’ negative attitudes, the lack of invitations given to parents, and the lack of a welcoming environment) and children (including their unwillingness to pass school invitations on to their parents). In addition, the study identified strategies to increase PI, including effective communication and partnership, training, a welcoming environment, sending invitations, and establishing and utilising resource centres and individual education plans. Overall, the study highlighted the barriers to PI and tactics to increase PI. It is apparent that educative programmes should be designed by schools and other relevant bodies to address the barriers to PI.     

Social Class Barriers of the Massification of Higher Education in Taiwan

In recent years, the rapid growth of higher education in Taiwan has led to an essential shift from education for the elite to the massification of higher education. Although this massification is making higher education more accessible, one of the main concerns is whether opportunities for higher education are the same among all social classes in Taiwan. The focus of this article is therefore on social class barriers to higher education in Taiwan. In the article, secondary data analysis is employed. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the current dual policy of tuition fees has resulted in a situation in which social class barriers still remain, although the massification of higher education has provided more opportunities for students from families with different levels of income.     

Preparing school principals in the Chilean scenario: lessons from Australia,England and the United States

In this paper will be analysed three different educational contexts for preparing school principals such as Australia, England and the United States. This study analyses the professional development of academic leadership in the countries previously mentioned in order to apply the successful aspects to the Chilean education system, a system greatly need of improvement. The main finding of this study is that school administrator development is unproductive when the administrators themselves are not given the power to make decisions such as selecting teaching staff and managing finances. In this context, legal and bureaucratic structures in Chile act as barriers in consolidating and practicing these new ideas and recommendations.     

Exploring students’ epistemological knowledge of models and modelling in science: results from a teaching/learning experience on climate change

The scientific community has been debating climate change for over two decades. In the light of certain arguments put forward by the aforesaid community, the EU has recommended a set of innovative reforms to science teaching such as incorporating environmental issues into the scientific curriculum, thereby helping to make schools a place of civic education. However, despite these European recommendations, relatively little emphasis is still given to climate change within science curricula. Climate change, although potentially engaging for students, is a complex topic that poses conceptual difficulties and emotional barriers, as well as epistemological challenges. Whilst the conceptual and emotional barriers have already been the object of several studies, students’ reactions to the epistemological issues raised by climate changes have so far been rarely explored in science education research and thus are the main focus of this paper. This paper describes a study concerning the implementation of teaching materials designed to focus on the epistemological role of ‘models and the game of modelling’ in science and particularly when dealing with climate change. The materials were implemented in a course of 15 hours (five 3-hour lessons) for a class of Italian secondary-school students (grade 11; 16–17 years old). The purpose of the study is to investigate students’ reactions to the epistemological dimension of the materials, and to explore if and how the material enabled them to develop their epistemological knowledge on models.     

荷兰高等教育入学政策变革及其启示

荷兰政府近期从发展学生资助系统、开展信息运动、扩大"未被充分代表"群体的入学率、排除教育系统结构障碍等几个方面对高等教育入学政策进行了一系列重大变革,这无疑是提高高等教育入学率、加快高等教育普及化进程的有效举措。     

Strategies for Designing Engaging Online Kinesiology Courses Based on the Community of Inquiry Model

Technology integration has become an ever-present phenomenon in institutions of higher education. This has led to an increase in online learning experiences that make higher education accessible to those who previously experienced barriers, such as having full-time jobs. One issue that affects online education is the challenge of engaging the learner in meaningful learning experiences that they subsequently use once they are in their careers. This article uses the Community of Inquiry (CoI) theoretical model to explain how instructors can increase student engagement in online kinesiology courses. By focusing on the CoI constructs of teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence, instructors can design engaging online classes that can help to positively influence each student’s experience with online education.     

欧洲高等教育一体化进程及面临的挑战

1999年6月,欧洲29个国家负责高等教育的部长共同签署了旨在建成"欧洲高等教育区"的博洛尼亚宣言,启动了欧洲高等教育一体化进程.几年来,宣言提出的各项建设目标均取得了一定进展,但同时在高等教育一体化进程方面也存在不少问题,如观念转变的冲突、对改革走向的疑虑、组织领导的无力,及经费保障的欠缺等.针对这些问题,签字国部长高峰会及欧盟委员会均已表示关注,并正在逐步加以协调解决.     

‘Voice’ is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

This article provides a children's rights critique of the concept of ‘pupil voice’. The analysis is founded on Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which gives children the right to have their views given due weight in all matters affecting them. Drawing on research conducted on behalf of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, the article assesses some of the barriers to the meaningful and effective implementation of the right within education. It is argued that the phrases which are commonly used as abbreviations for Article 12, such as ‘pupil voice’, have the potential to diminish its impact as they provide an imperfect summary of the full extent of the obligation. The article proposes a new model, which has four key elements, for conceptualising Article 12— Voice, Audience and Influence.     

Tuition fees and the challenge of making higher education a popular commodity in South Africa

The funding of higher education in South Africa has in the recent past been a subject of animated debate. This debate has ranged from the adequacy of government funding of higher education, the suitability of the funding framework, to protestations against frequent tuition fee increases. At present, the debate is mainly about “free” higher education. Unlike most African countries, South Africa has an established history of cost sharing. But, for a while now, students, especially Black students, have been demanding tuition free higher education even though the country has a student financial aid scheme to support talented but poor students. The demands for tuition free higher education suggest, among others, the possible existence of financial barriers to higher educational opportunities. This paper is a sequel to the debate on free higher education in South Africa. It seeks, in the main, to understand and examine the rationale and drivers for the students’ demand for “free” higher education. What are the financial barriers to higher educational opportunities that the current funding architecture has failed to address? Secondly, why are students demanding free higher education when there is a scheme to support talented but poor students? Is cost sharing inconsistent with the country’s post-apartheid transformation policy in higher education? Finally, is “free” higher education the panacea to the access and participation challenges facing Black students?