Toward a Critical Hermeneutical Approach in Human Rights Education: Transformative Possibilities and the Challenges of Implementation

The present paper examines the implementation of a particular human rights education approach—known as “critical hermeneutical” approach—in the context of two Greek-Cypriot classrooms. The study investigates whether and how an intervention grounded in this approach offers transformative possibilities to students and what kind of challenges it may pose for teachers who implement it. The implications for teacher training and teacher education are discussed.     

Deconstructing “child development knowledge” and “teacher preparation”

This article examines how the terms child development knowledge and teacher preparation have come to be understood in ways that place limits on how we think about children and the preparation of teachers. It begins by illustrating some of the differences between modernism and postmodernism. It then considers why a universal practice premised on a universal theory of development is problematic. Rather than passing on a codified body of knowledge in teacher education, a dialogic model of teaching—and of teacher education—calls attention to the “inherently polysemous” nature of human existence. There are many ways of understanding how children develop and learn, many ways to teach, and a range of curricular options. “Reflective practioners” learn to think deeply about the implications of their choices and may be more likely to tailor their practice to the diverse needs of children in a multicultural society.     

The Religious Education Association in Our Global Reality

The article identifies international cases—from the United States, Europe, and the United Nations—of an emergent interface of religion, education, and security. This is manifest in the uses of religion in education to counter religious extremism, the notional “counter terrorist classroom.” To avoid an over-association of extremism with religion, the article provides some historical reminders that the post-Enlightenment centuries were marked by political extremism, particularly in the phenomenon that came to be known as totalitarianism. In freedom-espousing doctrines on all sides—Communist, Fascist, and Nazi as well as democratic—education here too was an invariant adjunct of political and security processes. All regarded religion too as contributory or contrary to such freedom. What is new now is the global use of religion in education for political and of late security purpose. Using Isaiah Berlin's (2002) “two concepts of liberty,” I argue that evidence of—often subtle, often explicit—security uses of religion in education mark in new ways a connection of the political with the religious. Although such moves are in intention benign, I conclude that political and security interventions and justifications for religion in education will inevitably shift the aims and purposes of religious education to the aims and purposes of political and security interest.     

War,education and state formation: problems of territorial and political integration in the United States, 1848–1912

Abstract

After the Civil War (1861–1865), the United States faced a problem of “reconstruction” similar to that confronted by other nations at the time and familiar to the US since at least the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). The problem was one of territorial and political (re)integration: how to take territories that had only recently been operating under “foreign” governance and integrate them into an expanded nation-state on common structural terms. This paper considers the significance of education in that process of state (re)formation after the Civil War, with particular attention to its role in federal territories of the US West. Specifically, this paper analyses the role that education-based restrictions on citizenship, voting rights and office-holding played in constructing formal state power in the cases of five western territories: Hawaii, Indian Territory, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. A focus on the significance of education in these cases both advances and challenges literature on the “hidden” and decentralised structure of national policy-making in the US. It adds to that literature by illuminating how education served as an indirect tool of national policy in the West, effectively shaping the structure of power in other policy domains. At the same time, by focusing on the US West, the present analysis challenges the idea that national governance in the US was particularly “decentralised” or “hidden”. It highlights instead: (1) the role of colonial racialism in shaping national responsibility and authority for education in the US; and (2) the significance of education as both an alternative and a corollary to war in establishing US colonial power.     

Betwixt and Between: Working Through the Aesthetic in Philosophy of Education: George F. Kneller Lecture,Conference of the American Educational Studies Association Savannah,Georgia, October 30, 2008

At a time when both philosophy of education and the arts are under threat within education, this article inquires into interdisciplinarity as one way of approaching the disciplines of philosophy of education and aesthetics. The article offers a retrospective autobiographical intellectual history and phenomenology of the author's own learning and scholarship within Higher Education in three main areas—philosophy of literature education, women's studies, and philosophy of music education, areas paralleling the three periods of her academic career. One sub-theme of this narrative about the balancing act of working in literature and music through philosophy of education is the author's ongoing resistance to professionalization or disciplinary academic control—of literature, philosophy, and music—while being a critical student of educational theory and practice in these areas—philosophy, literature and music within philosophy of education—of thus being “betwixt and between.” Two other themes comprising the article's subtext are “praxis” and “embodiment.” The double entendre of the phrase “working through” entails, first, using the arts of literature and music to practise philosophy of education; and secondly, embracing the psychological, ethical, and spiritual introspection that comes with critical engagement of the arts and its discourses. In short, the article aims to reprise some burning philosophical educational questions that have preoccupied its author over the years, questions deemed especially pertinent to the current increasingly diverse membership in the discipline of educational studies.     

Contemporary education policies in Southeast Asia: common philosophical underpinnings and practices

This article examines the various education policies in Southeast Asian countries, highlighting the underlining philosophies and current practices in the region. The conceptual framework of the presentation includes key concepts such as access and equity, unity and identity, quality and relevance, efficiency and effectiveness. Each of these key concepts will be analysed using a framework consisting of key questions, guiding philosophies, policy options as well as issues and challenges. The article reviews policies relating to questions such as “who get access to what kinds of education?”, “how to widen access?”, “how to ensure success?”, “what kinds of education for a multicultural society?”, “how to promote national integration and social cohesion through education?”, “how to improve quality of education?”, “how to manage and administer the school delivery system?”. It draws examples from different countries in the SEA region to illustrate the issues and challenges in formulating and implementing contemporary education policies.     

‘EDUCATION AFTER AUSCHWITZ”— PERSPECTIVES FROM GERMANY

This article reports on questions of “education after Auschwitz” in Germany. It focuses on the open questions that addressing the Shoah in education raises—vis‐a‐vis the sequence of generations after 1945, political issues, moral philosophy, and Christian‐Jewish relationships. The point is not to spread skepticism or to discourage educators, but to point out the challenges which an “education after Auschwitz” must address.     

Revisioning Philosophy of Education Instruction in Competency-Based B. Ed. Programs

This article concerns the relationship between classroom assessments that are aligned with “competencies-based” teaching in Teacher Education programs on the one hand, and on the other hand, the challenge of offering authentic “philosophy of education,” “education theory,” or “education foundations” courses for student–teachers who are enrolled in a professional degree and on the way towards certification. Briefly, administrative and accreditation concerns with developing and demonstrating core “competencies” when teaching is considered strictly as a “profession” do not align with more ancient understandings of teaching as a “way of life”—especially when that life is led in some relation to philosophy, or “the pursuit of wisdom.” This article examines the disjunction between these two conceptualizations of teaching; it encourages readers to think about how this disjunction problematizes their pedagogy as “philosophers of education.”     

REDEFINING BUREAU EFFECTIVENESS

As central agencies for Jewish education face the year 2000, they must address both their past shortcomings, considering theme challenges for the future, and past successes which will require redefinition and reinvestment of human and financial resources for the future. The bureau movement would be well served in adopting Rav Kook's aphorism — “The Old Should be Renewed and the New Invested with Holiness” — as its motto.     

SHOULD JEWISH SUPPLEMENTARY RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS BE LIKE THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

Whether the Jewish supplementary school should be operated as if it were a public school depends on the goals of Jewish education. “In terms of ultimate goals, however, Jewish education is now at a crossroads.”¹ While all Jewish educators would probably agree with Harold Schulweis' statement that “it is our sacred task to create Jews,”² educators are not in agreement over what type of Jews we are to create and how we are to create them. Jewish educators can be divided into two groups. One group wants to create “educated, thinking Jews” — goal #1—while the other desires to shape children into “feeling Jews” —goal #2.     

Deparochializing Education: Globalization,regionalization, and the formation of an ASEAN education space1

Research on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has hitherto attracted scholarly attention and debate by both regional and international scholars working in area studies, such as international relations and Asia-Pacific/Southeast Asia studies. Confined to area studies, scholarly research on ASEAN is limiting because the parameters of research are invariably locked into issues related to economics, politics, security, and trade development in and around the region. Notably, education has been an under-researched topic. On the cusp of its 40th anniversary ASEAN envisages the formation of an ASEAN identity and socio-cultural community. As a point of departure from area studies, this paper engages in “regionalist thinking” about ASEAN, education and identity making. This “regionalist thinking” is, however, only thinkable and imaginable with reference to the “global,” because as a region ASEAN, whether perceived in geographical or in spatial terms, is part of the global sphere in which it is embedded. I argue in this paper that while historically education and schooling are directly related to the imaginaries of nation building and national identity making, the call for the creation of an ASEAN identity and the formation of a socio-cultural community requires that nation states in the region deparochialize education and redesign pedagogies that “teach and learn beyond the nation.”     

Public-Private Dynamics in Higher Education in the Western Balkans

The article analyzes the public-private dynamics in the context of eight Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia). This article examines whether and to what extent these governments “level the playing field” between private and public higher education providers, not in the sense that they have equal chances to succeed, but that they all play by the same set of rules and are able to compete fairly. The article first addresses the emergence of a private higher education sector and the access of this sector to public resources. Next, it discusses the extent of “privatization” of public higher education institutions and whether these are prompted to be more market oriented. We find that the boundaries between the public and private sectors are blurred and the relations aggravated while each of the sectors is faced with its own set of challenges to legitimacy and long-term financial sustainability.     

Using Institutional Selection Factors to Develop Recruiting Profiles: Marketing Small,Private Colleges and Universities to Prospective Student Athletes

This paper discusses two important concepts—internationalization and the international marketing of higher education—and how they influence international students' choice of Canadian universities. The paper is based on two studies: one on 140 East Asian international graduate students who enrolled at two large Ontario universities in the academic year 2003–2004, and the other on 95 international undergraduate students who enrolled at an Ontario university in academic year 2005–2006. The research findings show that market segmentation determines the applicability of internationalization and/or marketing of higher education. Activities related to the internationalization of education play a critical role in influencing the research-oriented students' choice of a Canadian graduate school. Marketing activities have a direct impact on graduate students' choice in professional programs. “Twinning” or “incountry” programs—a blend of internationalization and international marketing approach—have a strong influence on undergraduate students' choice to come to Canada.     

在医学高职高专院校体育教育中开展“医体结合”的探讨

在医学高职高专院校的体育教学中,把医学教育与体育教育相结合,二者虽分属于两个不同的学科,但它们有个共同点,那就是“为人的健康服务”。强化体育教学中的“医体结合”对广大的医药护学生来说非常实用。现阶段,如何能够在体育教学中将医学与体育相结合,充分发挥体育在医学教育中的重要作用,积极开展“医体结合”是医学高职高专院校体育教学改革研究所面临的新挑战。     

The Significance of Physical Education Content: “Sending the Message” in Physical Education Teacher Education

Mind-body dualism has likely influenced how many view human beings and their behavior—mind (i.e., thinking) is elevated over body (i.e., performing)—even in Physical Education Teacher Education. The problem is that such a perspective makes physical education content (i.e., dance, games, play, and sport) subsidiary to more “intellectual” or “academic” content. This article invites Physical Education Teacher Education faculty to consider how to effectively “send the message” to future physical educators that physical education content is valuable and respectable and in many ways epitomizes intelligent human behavior. Specifically, Physical Education Teacher Education faculty are invited to (a) challenge traditional definitions of intelligence and introduce alternative definitions, (b) participate regularly in their own playgrounds, (c) provide a sufficient dose of activity courses in their curricula, (d) teach activity courses, (e) establish a performance-oriented culture, and (f) administer performance and/or game play evaluations.     

Can “Some College” Help Reduce Future Earnings Inequality?

This article addresses the policy debate over “college for all” versus “college for some” in the United States and analyzes the relationship between “some college” (as a formal education attainment category) and earnings. Our evidence confirms—using data from the American Community Survey (ACS), the Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID), and the Survey on Income and Program Participation (SIPP)—that more (postsecondary) education, on average, is associated with higher median earnings. However, there is emerging evidence that a proportion of workers who have attained lower levels of education (i.e., “some college”) earn more than those who have attained higher levels of education (bachelor's degree).

We focus particular attention on the subset of Americans who fall into the U.S. Census official category entitled “some college.” This is a heterogeneous group who have alternate educational credentials but who have not acquired a formal associate or bachelor's degree. Instead of an unequivocal focus on “college for all” or even “community college for all,” we argue that educators and policymakers should consider “some college” as a viable pathway to future labor market success. In sum, we conclude that some types of “some college” could lead to a reduction in earnings inequality.     

“互联网+”背景下开展数学建模活动的几点思考

现代社会的发展日新月异,越来越呈现出网络化、智能化的特点。内涵式发展是当前我国高等教育发展的核心理念,走内涵式发展道路是中国特色社会主义高等教育发展的必然趋势。互联网触角的不断延伸对传统的教育模式提出了挑战,也为新时代的教学改革指明了方向。根据高校数学建模活动的现状,分析了目前高校数学建模活动中存在的一些问题,对在“互联网+”背景下如何有效开展数学建模活动进行了探讨。指出应通过数学建模培训、竞赛,引导学生树立起“组网”“用网”和“入网”意识,让学生自觉地构建自己的知识网络和能力体系,将个人的发展积极融入整个社会网络中去。     

Contra Aquam Remigare*: Reimagining Humanistic Paideia Through Comparative-Historical Analysis of Education

This article attempts a reading of Andreas M. Kazamias’s work and method as a persistent and firmly grounded attempt to “go against the tide” of an empirical/instrumentalist comparative education and toward a “modernist episteme.” Kazamias has been explicitly critical of the social-scientific-cum-positivist comparative education, while at the same time acknowledging the limitations of the traditional historical-philosophical-humanistic approach. His “revisionist” comparative-historical analysis seeks to combine history with social science toward an “anthropocentric” comparative education, “concerned with the great problems—political, social but also ethical—which ‘mankind’ faces.” Consistent with his rejection of instrumental/“techno-scientific” approaches to comparative education, Kazamias argues for a promethean humanistic education (i.e., paideia, liberal education, culture générale, bildung) cultivating the soul and the mind, aiming at both the Platonic/Socratic psyche and the Aristotelian phronesis.     

The politics of education and the misrecognition of Wales

Abstract

This paper examines the positioning of the Welsh education system within contemporary policy debate and analysis. It begins by outlining some of the ways in which education policy and provision in Wales differs from that of its neighbour, England, and then goes on to critique how these differences have been represented in both the media and by members of the educational research community. Indeed, the paper argues that these representations constitute a form of misrecognition. It is tempting to counter this misrecognition with assertions of the superiority of the ‘Welsh way’—and certainly pronouncements of a ‘crisis’ in Welsh education appear to be as much politically-driven as evidence-based. However, such an approach would underplay the very real challenges that face Wales—challenges which are both like and unlike those facing England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The paper concludes that we need a serious engagement with national divergences across the four nations of the UK—as well as elsewhere. The case of Wales highlights the need to undertake not only comparative analysis but also relational analysis if we are to enhance our understanding of the changing politics of education.