Understandings of gender and education in the political and cultural context: the case of Afghan students in an MA (education) programme

Globally, gender differences in education have been an area of policy concern, research, and development partnerships. The international agenda of gender equality has been adopted by national governments even in countries, such as Afghanistan, where predominant views are clearly at variance with this agenda. Attempts to analyse such conditions must be based on examination of gender and education in the broader political and cultural context. Gender issues have been a central theme in an EU-funded Master's programme in Educational Research and Development for Afghan students at Nangarhar University, conducted during 2008–2010. This article analyses the political and cultural context of gender in Afghanistan, which constitutes the framework for the Afghan students' understandings of gender and education. These are examined as expressed in texts produced by the students and in group interviews. On the basis of our analysis, the following tension is clear: the students are aware of the international agenda of gender equality in education, but at the same time they are concerned about problems in the practical application of this agenda in their own society and relate these concerns to their interpretations of principles of Islam and Afghan cultural traditions.     

The implied PhD student of interdisciplinary research projects within monodisciplinary structures

While the literature concerning doctoral students has looked at institutional setup and socialisation of students within higher education structures and across disciplinary boundaries, so far, little attention has been given to the socialisation of PhD students in the intersections between strategic interdisciplinary research projects and monodisciplinary institutional structures, which is the aim of this article. The study is based on interviews with 32 PhD students and principal investigators affiliated with five research projects in the Excellence Programme for Interdisciplinary Research at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. In analysing this empirical material, the analytical concept of the ‘implied student’ has worked as a sensitising concept, highlighting the expectations of PhD students, principal investigators, the institutions, the educational system, and the encounter between them. In the interviews, the PhD students emphasise the conundrum of having to fit into a confined disciplinary role, while simultaneously being expected to cross boundaries and deliver on predefined goals in the interdisciplinary research projects. The findings show that students cope with these expectations by limiting the scope for improvisation and experimentation; in other words, suppressing what MacLure points towards as education’s ‘other’. This calls for greater attention to be paid to the accumulation of expectations heaped upon such PhD students and how this affects the education of the future generation of researchers.     

The intersection of environmental and sustainability education,and character education: An instrumental case study

Although fostering values is promoted within environmental and sustainability education (ESE) and a shift in values is seen as essential for a sustainable future, recent international findings indicate that this aspect of ESE is being neglected. Previous research has shown there to be common ground between ESE and the field of character education (CE), a form of values education. Bringing together these two strands of theory and practice has the potential to be fruitful in terms of strengthening current, and introducing new, practices in both fields, particularly through drawing on existing evidence-based strategies within CE to inform ESE. While there has been some work in this regard, this has been almost exclusively theoretical and there has been little research regarding the practice of such integration. This paper details an instrumental case study exploring an existing case of where ESE and CE come together in practice. A study was conducted at a Scottish, independent, all-ages, holistic education-oriented school, exploring how ESE is carried out. Data were gathered via teacher interviews, school observations, field notes and document analysis. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: the school as a sustainable organism; holistic learning; fostering a connectedness with nature; and nurturing the whole person. The data were then analysed from a CE perspective revealing multiple points of ESE–CE intersection, e.g. school climate/ethos, role-modelling and service-learning. The findings reveal commonalities between ESE and CE and provide examples of integrated ESE–CE practice, demonstrating potential for collaboration or shared ESE–CE practice. Avenues for further research are suggested.     

基于项目运作模式的大学生暑期社会实践探索

社会实践是大学生受教育、长才干、做贡献的有效载体,大学生暑期社会实践是高校育人的重要内容,通过项目化运作新模式既可以为提升社会实践效果提供一条新的途径,也可以为教师课堂教育有效延伸提供一种值得探讨的新尝试。近年来,成都大学暑期社会实践以项目运作的模式在不断探索中,建立了与新形势相适应的社会实践的组织管理、内容形式、评价方式,使社会实践活动更加富有生机和活力,更加具有实效性。     

Problems of Interdisciplinarity: Evidence‐Based and/or Artist‐Led Research?

Art education as a distinct academic discipline is relatively recent and closely related to the growth of specialist teacher qualification programmes in university education departments. Opportunities for art teachers to engage in research were first provided in advanced diploma courses and specialist masters programmes set up in university education departments. Later these were followed by specialist doctoral degrees. Since the majority of such programmes are located in education departments, research training has tended to be social science based. Recently there has been a flurry of publications by art and art education specialists devoted to explaining and extolling the idea of art practice as an alternative paradigm. This article analyses and discusses this development and the status of research in the specialist field, drawing on the author's recent experience of carrying out two systematic reviews of studies in art education. It examines strengths and weaknesses in the two research paradigms and suggests ways forward for improving training in art education research.     

An investigation into written comments on assignments: do students find them usable?

Students’ response to the feedback they receive on written assignments is an important but relatively under‐researched aspect of teaching and learning. This paper presents an analysis of over 3000 written comments made on 106 assignments in three course modules in a Technology faculty, and also the results of telephone interviews with 43 of the students whose commented assignment had been analysed. The interviews explored how usable students found the comments, including their response to specific comments that their tutor had made on the assignment. When the results from the interviews were matched to the types of comment found in the analysis, it became apparent that students find some types of comment considerably more usable. These findings are discussed in the light of the current state of assessment practice, and possible future avenues for research in this area are suggested.     

Writing the Practice/Practise the Writing: Writing challenges and pedagogies for creative practice supervisors and researchers

Abstract

There is now an increasing body of knowledge on creative practice-based doctorates especially in Australia and the United Kingdom. A particular focus in recent years has been on the written examinable component or exegesis, and a number of studies have provided important information about change and stability in the form and nature of the exegesis and its relationship to the creative project. However, we still know relatively little about the pedagogical practices that supervisors use to support these students’ development as scholarly writers, nor of how supervisors view ‘writing’ in relation to the creative practice components of the degree endeavour. This paper draws on data from a recent study of supervision in creative practice higher research degrees and it highlights the transformative nature of writing for the development of creative practice research scholars in the context of competing discourses on research writing. In contrast to institutional silencing of writing, the study relates numerous examples of effective writing-rich supervisory pedagogies illustrating how successful supervisors work with their students to bring their creative projects into articulation.     

New Curricular Material for Science Classes: How Do Students Evaluate It?

Living in an unpredictable and ever changing society demands from its’ citizens the development of complex competencies that challenges school, education and curriculum. PARSEL, a pan-European Project related to science education, emerges as a contribution to curricular development as it proposes a set of teaching-learning materials (modules) in order to make science classes more popular and relevant in the eyes of the students and as such to increase their interest with school science. The goal of this study was to understand how students evaluate those innovative modules. This paper presents data concerning 134 secondary students, collected through interviews, questionnaires and written documents. A quantitative analysis of the data collected through questionnaires was complemented by a qualitative analysis of the data collected by interviews and written documents. Results show that understanding the relationship between science and daily life, participating in practical activities based on problem solving and developing critical thinking and reasoning were the issues most valued by students.     

The Construction and Evaluation of Simulations to Assess Professional Interviewing Skills

Courses preparing students for interviews commonly held in organisations often form part of the curriculum of senior secondary, higher, university, and in‐service education. In these courses, students are prepared for their future work practice. Assessment of student performance after attending such a course requires a different assessment method from the traditional written examination. In this article we describe the construction and evaluation of simulations. The results of an investigation into their quality show that they are reliable in terms of measures of internal consistency and inter‐rater reliability. However, it turned out that a student's score is highly dependent on the content of the interview. We found support for the simulations’ construct and content validity. Although the simulation is not an efficient instrument, its benefits are high: students are stimulated to do their best in practising for the interviews, and weaknesses in students’ performances will be detected so that remedial teaching can be offered.     

Investigating invisible writing practices in the engineering curriculum using practice architectures

ABSTRACT

Writing practices are seen to be essential for professional engineers, yet many engineering students and academics struggle with written communication, despite years of interventions to improve student writing. Much has been written about the importance of getting engineering students to write, but there has been a little investigation of engineering academics’ perceptions of writing practices in the curriculum, and the extent to which these practices are visible to their students and to the academics. This paper draws on research from an ongoing study into the invisibility of writing practices in the engineering curriculum using a practice architectures lens. The paper uses examples from the sites of practice of two participants in the study to argue that prevailing practices in engineering education constrain more than enable the development and practice of writing in the engineering curriculum.     

Using screen capture feedback to improve academic performance

Feedback is an effective instructional practice for improving achievement. The importance of feedback has been understood by teachers for many years, yet recent research has elevated its status. One characteristic of effective feedback is personalized comments, which assist students in understanding their performance. Most research analyzes the effects of written feedback. Some current studies have examined the effects of alternative delivery methods, such as audio. One new approach for creating and delivering feedback is through screen capture technology. A case study was conducted to examine the effects of this method on the academic performance of 36 undergraduate students in a teacher education course. Results showed that screen capture feedback is effective for guiding corrections on a writing assignment. Students also reported that feedback was useful for knowing what they were doing right or wrong and that they would prefer more feedback of this type.     

Proposing a center on aging and well-being: Research,education, and practice considerations

ABSTRACT

This environmental scan aimed to discover research interests and educational needs of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students to inspire research, education, and practice in the development of a center on aging and well-being for older adults. The scan consisted of a search of university faculty and researchers regarding research on aging; a survey of graduate students and faculty about interests in aging research and needs of undergraduate students; and key informant interviews. Results offer a conceptualization based on the pillars of research, education, and practice. An inventory of researchers with various levels of expertise and interested in aging was created. Participants offered their perceptions of strengths, as well as challenges and strategies for success. These results will be a catalyst for planning and successful development of a center on aging and well-being. This article addresses a gap in the literature and will assist others undertaking a similar initiative in various geographical and cultural contexts.     

Motivations and influences in Chinese international doctoral students’ decision for STEM study abroad

Despite China’s recent remarkable performance in high-quality research, the number of students going abroad to pursue doctoral degrees in STEM fields has been rising rapidly. This study investigates the motivations of Chinese international doctoral students (CIDS) in STEM fields for undertaking a PhD abroad, and the external factors influencing this major life decision. Based on in-depth interviews with 35 CIDS from seven universities in four Australian states, the findings show that for the current generation, enriching life experiences and self-cultivation emerged as most prominent personal motivations. The choice to study abroad, though ultimately a personal decision, was influenced by a range of factors and particularly long-term cooperation between host and home institutions. Both academic and personal reputation of supervisors played important roles in the selection of host institutions. This study may be of value to supervisors and higher education policy-makers, at institutional and government levels in all countries, whether “home” or “host”, invested in sustainable international doctoral education.     

Students’ perceptions of written feedback in teacher education: ideally feedback is a continuing two-way communication that encourages progress

A small but growing body of research has investigated students’ perceptions of written feedback in higher education but little attention has been brought to bear on students’ emotional responses to feedback. This paper investigates students’ perceptions of written feedback with particular emphasis on their emotional responses within a teacher education programme in a regional Australian university. Online questionnaires were used to gather qualitative data from cohorts of distance students and on-campus students. The study found that students’ emotions strongly mediated their perceptions of written feedback. The paper concludes that in order to accommodate students’ emotional responses, effective written feedback should be aligned with pedagogies which specifically include the development of rich dialogue within the teaching and learning context.     

师范生教育实践能力培养研究

在追求教师专业化发展的国际背景下,教师教育实践能力水平受到了前所未有的重视.通过对中国高师院校师范生教育实践能力的内涵和构成进行分析,并对当前中国师范生教育实践能力培养现状进行研究的基础上,提出现有高师院校教育实践课程存在的诸如教育类课程设置时间少教学质量不高、实践类课程的实施未达到预期效果、教育实践能力培养脱离中小学教育教学实际和师范生自主训练动机不强、意识淡薄等制约师范生实践教学能力的培养的问题,并针对以上存在的问题,提出完善教育类课程设置、建立分散延续“一贯制”的教育实践能力培养模式和在教育实践能力培养中寻求中小学的帮助等建议和策略.     

The delicate dance: the assessment implications of awarding students vocational qualifications within university degrees

This paper explores the implications for assessment of embedding qualifications from the vocational education and training (VET) sector within university qualifications. As VET qualifications are now all competency based, assessment in the two sectors is quite different, since universities have generally eschewed competency‐based training and assessment. A general discussion of the issues is followed by the results of a small‐scale research study carried out in the VET discipline area itself, with participants drawn from the AVTEC list of VET teacher‐educators. Telephone interviews were conducted with nine Australian university academics involved with such qualifications; and data were extracted from a broader study of students who had undertaken the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training embedded within degrees and graduate diplomas in VET at one of these universities. It is clear that there are many assessment challenges involved with the practice of embedding, which have not yet been systematically addressed.     

Teaching and learning across disciplines: student and staff experiences in a newly modularised system

Within modular degrees it is sometimes possible for students to broaden their education by taking modules from outside their main programme of study. This is one significant aspect of modular degrees which has not been studied. In an effort to better understand this issue, the research reported in this paper explored the experiences: (1) of students taking modules from outside their programme of study and; (2) of staff teaching modules with significant numbers of students from other programmes. In total, 820 undergraduate students responded to an on-line survey; 12 academic staff members participated in interviews. The survey focused on students’ reasons for choosing the module, their experiences of assessment and their perceptions of workload. Interviews with academic staff focused on the influence of non-programme students on teaching and assessment practices. The discussion addresses the implications of student choice and classroom diversity for teaching and assessment in modular systems.