Responding to diversity: the challenge of expanding basic education for young people in the south

This article explores the extent to which and how non-formal education (NFE) contributes to the development of a more diversified basic education system and thus to the achievement of EFA. It outlines the current nature of NFE, the frameworks provided by the EFA movement, and the evolution of reflection, policies and practices in NFE in relation to basic education as a whole. Based on significant developments in various countries across the South, the article also discusses some key challenges that ministries of education and their partners need to face in moving towards relevant and equitable diversity in education. The article posits that, despite the many problems faced by NFE, there is justification for building on its experiences and integrating these within a larger policy and systems framework that responds more effectively to needs and circumstances of children and young people.

我国中小学校需要兼容式管理

兼容式管理反映了教育价值观的多元化倾向。本文阐述了兼容式管理的基本内涵和研究意义 ,分析了中、小学校在办学思路、领导机制、教师管理、教学管理和学生教育等方面 ,采取兼容式管理的主要内容 ,目的在于能够为学校管理工作提供一种多维视角。     

高职院校学生管理工作中的理论与实践

文章基于作者自身在学生工作第一线的实践资料总结,发挥学科优势,应用管理学相关理论,首先对学生管理的研究对象从仿生学的角度进行界定,然后分析教育管理学中学生管理的两个层次,并将高职院校的学生管理界定在“成事”管理的层面。文章主体部分从管理学角度分析了高校学生工作中的强制和引导的矛盾、表扬和批评的矛盾、管理创新和发扬传统的矛盾。并结合实际工作对它们进行了实证研究。最后文章对辅导员考评机制的完善提出了自己的见解。     

浅谈高职院校教学管理体系的构建

教学管理体系作为高职院校教学工作的枢纽,是学校顺利进行教学活动和完成教学过程的重要组成部分。本文在介绍高职院校教学管理的内涵和教学管理体系的基本构成的基础上,提出高职院校的教学管理体系构建的一些建议,指出要建立符合新时期需要的高职人才培养模式;完善教学管理规章制度;建立全面细致的教学质量监控体系;打造高素质的教师队伍;完善教学质量评估体系。     

浅谈高校后勤管理中人本理论的应用

通过对人本理论的剖析,针对当前高校后勤的社会化大势及后勤管理的薄弱环节,分析在后勤管理中应用人本理论的重要性及要明确处理好的几个关系;探讨在个人需要、激励、用人和决策等方面如何更好地调动和发挥个人的主动性、积极性和创造性,营造一支人性化的有凝聚力和活力的后勤集体。     

Addressing diversity in US teacher preparation programs: A survey of elementary and secondary programs’ priorities and challenges from across the United States of America

Data gathered from 142 public university elementary and secondary teacher preparation programs across the United States (representing the preparation of approximately 23,000–30,000 new teachers annually), indicated that race/ethnicity was the most emphasized diversity topic followed by special needs, language diversity, economic (social class), gender, and sexual orientation. The majority of programs addressed diversity topics across program classes. States were similar in the priority assigned to various diversity topics, with the exception of California, which placed greater emphasis upon language diversity but less upon special needs as compared to other states. In addition, there appeared to be little to no relationship between the faculty demographics (gender and race) and the priorities placed upon gender and racial diversity in programs. The project also surveyed program coordinators’ assessments of the various challenges to the inclusion of diversity topics. Finally, the data suggested that possible relationships might exist between faculty attitudes/knowledge regarding diversity topics and student attitudes.     

The integration of pedagogical aspects in environmental management systems in selected South African primary schools

ABSTRACT

Environmental management systems implemented in schools are regarded by many as a mechanism for the integration of environmental matters in all the operational functions of the school. The links, however, between environmental management and curriculum practice have not been adequately addressed in the literature. This article reports on the results of a project aimed at integrating pedagogical aspects in environmental management systems in 60 primary Kanyimba, Richter and Raath The integration of pedagogical aspects schools in four provinces of the Republic of South Africa over a period of two years. A baseline survey and post-baseline surveys assessed the integration of pedagogical aspects in environmental management systems. The data were evaluated with the aid of Cohen's effects sizes. The results show that primary schools in this case study had succeeded in developing environmental management structures as part of the overall school management system. The pedagogical aspects, however, were not successfully synchronised with the environmental management systems. The study identified an unrealised potential to link environmental management systems to curriculum practice and suggests opening a two-way conversation between environmental management systems and actual delivery of instructional content. It is suggested that existing learning connections that are present in neighbourhoods, such as outdoor classrooms, be harnessed to assist in the development of values and attitudes of teachers and learners.     

美国中小学的信息技术教育及其基本经验

美国是世界上信息技术教育最为发达的国家之一.本文介绍了美国中小学信息技术教育的状况及其基本经验,为我国目前在中小学加快普及信息技术教育提供参考和借鉴.     

论可持续发展教育对中学地理教师的挑战

学校课程中的地理课承担了可持续发展教育的主要内容 ,可持续发展教育纳入中学地理教育中对传统型地理教学来讲是新鲜、活跃、刺激的 ,对地理教育工作者 ,特别是中学地理教师来说意味着机遇 ,也意味着挑战 ,中学地理教师应尽快地调整教育、教学观念 ,更新知识 ,采用新的教学方法 ,转变角色 ,应对挑战     

Racial and ethnic diversity in schools: The case of English Canada

In recent decades, schools located in English Canada have experienced important demographic changes in their student population. This article examines the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity in these schools, through the discourses of those who spend the most time with the students: teachers and principals. Here, the concept of discourse is understood as a way of framing the world; it is far more than a simple tool for communicating with others. Since education operates under provincial and territorial jurisdiction in Canada, these discourses are examined in the context of provincial school policies that specifically address the issue of diversity among students. Using qualitative data collected in a national study completed in 2007, the analysis shows how teachers and/or principals make sense of this changed reality in their schools and its impact on their daily work.     

英国教育行动区计划改造薄弱学校的实践与启示

改进薄弱学校、促进教育均衡发展业已成为世界许多国家教育改革与发展的一项重要任务。英国教育行动区计划改造薄弱学校的实践在较短的时间内获得了一定的成效和社会认可,教育行动区的理念和行动设计值得我们借鉴。     

试论中丹合作办学中的教学管理

中外合作办学作为高等教育国际化的形式,对于引进国外优质教育资源,吸收国外高校先进的教育理念与一流的办学经验,促进高校在人才培养模式、教学改革等方面具有积极作用。本文以常州工学院与丹麦VIA大学学院合作举办学前教育专业本科教育项目为例,阐述了教学管理在对外合作办学中的作用、教学管理的原则与教学管理的优化策略。     

高校扩招与教学管理制度的改革

通过对现行教学管理制度的简要分析,结合高校扩招以及社会形势的发展对高等教育带来的影响,依据教学规律及青少年大学生身心发育状况,在高校教学管理中,提出创建性的设想,实行核心课程制,限选、任选制,教考分离考试制,并进行课程体系设置、师资队伍的配套建设,从而推动整个教改的有效运行。     

A new approach to increasing diversity in engineering at the example of women in engineering

A new initiative to incorporate diversity issues into the common engineering curriculum at the University of Wollongong (UoW) in Australia is outlined and the effect on student awareness quantified. The diversity issues were illustrated in the example of women in engineering, seeing that the numbers of women in engineering have dropped drastically over the last five years at UoW. However, the methodology applied can be adjusted to any diversity group to suit the needs of the institution performing the activity. The method is based on the hypothesis that raising awareness and understanding across the entire student body will be a first step to change. The approach is different to the traditional recruitment and marketing approach of convincing women to try engineering with little follow up support and subsequently often low retention. The initiative involves a diversity lecture delivered to all fourth year engineering students as part of a compulsory management subject. It is anticipated that with the current approach all students are made aware of the problems that women expect to face in the engineering profession. This awareness is hoped to bring about some of the required change in culture and prepare women to draw on available support. The strategy does not exclude men, but includes them as instruments for positive change through an understanding of the benefits of a gender-balanced and diverse work environment on everyone. The initiative is popular with students who through their feedback are requesting more such activities, in particular in early years of engineering education.     

Child-centred education and the promise of democratic learning: Pedagogic messages in rural Indian primary schools

Global and national agendas to achieve universal primary education and improve the ‘quality’ of school provision in developing countries have identified the need to reform classroom pedagogy. Since the 1990s, child-centred ideas in particular have been utilised in teacher-training programmes and school reforms across many parts of Africa and Asia with the intention of creating more child-friendly, democratic learning environments. Analysing episodes from classroom observations conducted in a rural Indian primary school, this paper reveals the tensions experienced by one teacher in handing over greater classroom control to pupils. It provides insight into the complex processes of pedagogic interaction, and sheds light on some of the possibilities and conditions for achieving child-centred pedagogic change in such development contexts.     

Predicting acceptance of diversity in pre-kindergarten classrooms

This study examined classroom-level contributors to an acceptance of diversity in publicly supported pre-kindergarten classrooms across 11 states. Classroom composition, process quality, and teacher characteristics were examined as predictors of diversity-promoting practices as measured by the ECERS-R, acceptance of diversity construct. Findings reveal that emotional climate, bilingual classrooms, family poverty levels within classrooms, and Latino teacher ethnicity are predictive of diversity-promoting classrooms; while classroom-level ethnic sameness to teacher prohibits diversity-promoting practices in pre-kindergarten classrooms.     

The policy and management of information technology in Jordanian schools

During the past two decades the introduction of personal computers has been a major innovation in the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan. This new technology continues to offer an exciting challenge to educationalists. This paper reviews the developments of Information Technology (IT) in Jordanian public schools in the period 1984–1998. My contention is that the highly centralised nature of the Jordanian educational system and the comprehensive policy of the Directorate of Educational Computing (DEC) have made the introduction of computers in schools less difficult.     

The dynamics and intricacy of budgeting in secondary schools in Lesotho: Case studies of three high schools

Abstract

This paper reports on the qualitative study that used in-depth interviews and document reviews on financial management practices in their schools. The participants were school principals of the case study schools. The findings of the study highlighted problems regarding the implementation of the policy – despite the Manual for Principals of Secondary Schools on financial planning and organisation, there are still problems regarding the collection and recording of school fees, budgeting, as well as a lack of administrative support. Findings further suggest that during the process of budgeting, power relations surface where principals play a dominant role in decision making regarding both departmental budgets and the school's main budget. Findings also suggest that lack of policies on the use of fees affects issues of budgeting in these schools. Moreover, most school principals are not provided with sufficient capacity building on financial matters, which cripples them in performing the budgetary tasks. The implications of the study are that there should be adequate capacity building of the principals in regards to budgeting and systems should be put in place regarding policies on how the school fees are to be used.     

The aims of special education schools and units in Kenya: a survey of headteachers

The paper reports a questionnaire survey of headteachers of special schools and special units in Kenya, focusing in particular on their educational aims. The study is located in the broader context of special educational provision and developments in Africa. These include the colonial legacy, the influence of indigenous and traditional concepts of education and disability, and national policies engaging with issues of curriculum and inclusion. The aims the headteachers said were important were wide-ranging and included conventional academic achievement, personal and social development and citizenship, alongside skills of personal care and the control of difficult behaviour. However, the relative emphasis given to different aims suggests that the importance of traditional aims of special education in terms of control, containment and care still outweigh those of a broad and balanced educational provision. Surprisingly, there was relatively little emphasis on the importance of preparation for employment. The analysis suggests that although there have been rapid developments in the provision for special educational needs in Kenya, there remains a gap between the ambitions of national policy and actual provision at school level.