Networks as Agents of Innovation: Teacher Networking in the Context of Vocational and Professional Higher Education Reforms

The effective implementation of educational reform is an issue that confronts both those that plan and sponsor those reforms and those that are affected by them. This article discusses networking processes in the context of reform in vocational and professional higher education. When exploring failures in educational change processes, issues associated with facilitating the adoption, adaptation and implementation of educational change have not been sufficiently addressed. Here, we use the concept of social innovation, which is relatively new in innovation research, to explain the mechanisms that facilitate educational reform, and emphasise the relationship between interaction and the perception of change. In this paper, we examine how networking among teachers is related to their perception of educational change and how the effective implementation of educational reforms can be influenced by such networking. By differentiating the various types of networks we explore the relationship between networking and educational change. The article is based on the findings of a quantitative survey of 228 Estonian teachers in vocational and professional higher educational schools administered in 2010.     

A conversation of teachers: In search of professional identity

The authors describe teacher professional identity as lived experience in the context of educational change. Adopting activity theory and its genesis in cultural historical theory (Stetsenko &; Arievitch, 2004) as a framework, the article discusses the way teachers see themselves as professionals and how they compose their identities in schools, the educational space, which is their workplace. Activity theory is utilised as the broad theoretical lens and the design type and methodology are discussed accordingly. The school and the classroom are activity systems (Engeström, 1991), and social and semiotic ecosystems (Lemke, 1995). It is therefore in the tensions within the activity system that we capture and represent a constructed teacher conversation, composed of the voices of three social actors on an imaginary social stage, which is the empirical text of the article. Main findings speak to multiple roles, struggling voice and forging professional identity in the changing educational landscape.     

Education as habitus transformations

Unlike a conventional reading of Bourdieu, this article focuses on his work with regard to the transformation of social structure. In the context of a rereading, from an educational theory perspective, the article proposes an approach that allows for the linking of empirically informed social theory, on the one hand, and biography research oriented to educational theory, on the other. Education, here, is generally conceived of as habitus transformation. For reconstructing the societal conditions of the possibility of education one needs to go beyond the habitus theory and its focus on actors and groups of actors. From the perspective of a theory of practice as proposed by Bourdieu, the concept that comes to mind is that of social field, largely neglected in the theory-of-education discourse. Based on a combination of biography analysis and discourse analysis is, then, presented as a perspective for a relational theory of education. The article aims to outline an empirical reconstruction of transformation processes between habitus and field.     

The comparative ethnography of educational projects: youth and adult literacy programmes in Brazil

This article elaborates the concept of educational projects, a term that signifies consistent constellations of institutions, financial resources, social actors, ideologies, theories of knowledge and attendant pedagogies that shape local cultural practices of schooling. The article demonstrates the utility of the concept of educational projects for comparative and international educational studies by examining competing educational projects in Brazilian literacy programmes for youth and adults. In conclusion, the article argues that the concept of educational projects provides a theoretically rich comparative tool for the field of comparative and international education.     

Using actor-network theory to understand the process of information systems curriculum innovation

In this article I will note that Information Systems is a socio-technical discipline that is subject to rapid change and argue that changes in Information Systems curriculum can best be thought of as innovations and considered through the lens of innovation theory. In a socio-technical area like this where the contributions of both human actors (including academics, students and employers) and non-human actors (such as computers, programming languages and university infrastructure) must be taken into account, this article proposes the use of actor-network theory as a means of understanding more of the innovation process. The adoption of the programming language Visual Basic by an Australian university in the 1990s is used as an example of how actor-network theory can identify and explain some of the important issues in curriculum change.     

How (German) foundations shape the concept of education: Towards an understanding of their use of discourses

In this article I examine how foundations use the concept of education and how they try to shape its definition and implementation. In accordance with Steven Lukes’ notion, I argue that changes in social fields are mainly triggered by normative and semantic shifts. By drawing on techniques of discourse analysis, I explore the use of discursive strategies and the discursive interpretations of education, as both its definition and its operationalization have consequences on the identification of educational needs and outcomes. It is shown that foundations regard the use of education as an opportunity to influence values, traditions, and future generations. Furthermore, foundations take part in debates on education in order to increase social influence, to be accepted as legitimate actors in education, and to be perceived as competent and indispensable players in defining educational goals.     

Harmony and disharmony in an educational reform concert: towards a Parsons’ inspired dynamic model of tuning

In large-scale educational reforms, many actors play their roles. The diversity of contributions and lack of harmonization prove to be frequently found to cause educational reform failures. Many explanations for these failures focus on differences between the actors and on differences in their contributions to the reform process. In this article, we examine the effects of these differences and emphasize on the need to harmonize these contributions to the reform process. Contributions by several actors to a large-scale curriculum reform undertaken in the Netherlands in the 1990s are mapped for this purpose. This curriculum reform is part of a larger educational reform aimed to introduce a constructivist approach. Education is conceptualised as a social system, and educational reform as the manner in which this social system adapts to immanent and emmanent changes. The actors in the education system are distributed across functional subsystems. In the present analyses, teacher acting within a particular subsystem stands central. The results show adequate exchange and harmonization of the contributions from the different subsystems to be a necessary condition for successful educational reform. To achieve a good exchange and harmonization, the use of an Educational Impact Assessment is recommended.     

How education for sustainable development is implemented in Germany: Looking through the lens of educational governance theory

The United Nations (UN) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aimed to integrate the principles, values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning around the world. The authors of this article address the implementation process of ESD in Germany during the UN Decade (2005–2014). By undertaking a meta-analysis of the findings of four related sub-studies they carried out during a three-year project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the authors contribute to the understanding of the process of transferring the concept of ESD within a multi-level education system. They investigated this process at two levels – the federal state (a sub-national entity in Germany) and the communal level. Drawing on educational governance theory, the authors unveil principles, norms, rules and procedures in the coordination of action within constellations of heterogeneous actors contributing to the implementation of ESD in their social entities. The outcome of the meta-analysis describes an emerging governance regime in ESD, taking into consideration the following features impacting the coordination of action being carried out by the actors involved: (1) the understanding of the normative concept of ESD as content of negotiation; (2) the perceived opportunity for actors to gain and increase appreciation within the field of ESD as an incentive for and driver of engagement; and (3) the dynamic quality of the set-up, rules and principles of the coordination of action, which renders these subject to situative changes. In the final part of the paper, the findings are discussed from the perspectives of the theory of transfer and the current empirical basis of ESD policy and governance.     

Learning in the Age of Networked Intelligence

The article presents ten theoretically substantiated ‘theses’ on future education and learning, highlighting emerging trends that will shape educational systems. The focus is on the impact of innovation economy and knowledge society on learning. Specifically, the article elaborates the changing dynamics of production models since the first industrial revolution, arguing that in the last few years we have been in the midst of a globalisation process that is qualitatively different from the earlier ones. This new model has consequences, for example, for skill demands and their regional distribution. More fundamentally, this ‘third globalisation’ makes innovation the key source of economic value, pushing educational systems from adaptive towards creative learning models. In implementing such creative pedagogies, traditional models of innovation become inadequate. The article therefore describes recent developments in innovation research and outlines a new theoretical view on innovation which connects innovation with social change and learning. This ‘downstream’ innovation model highlights the active and creative role of user communities in making innovations real. As the economic and social importance of ‘downstream’ innovation is becoming increasingly visible, educational institutions and learning activity will change. Policymakers will have to answer the question: Why will we need education in the future?     

教育创新刍论

教育创新是以培养人的创新精神和创新能力为基础的价值取向。教育观念的创新是教育创新的关键,其核心应为教育价值取向的创新和人才培养观念的创新。教育内容和方法的创新是教育创新的途径,教育内容要体现自然科学和人文社会科学的新成果。教育方法创新要随着教育内容的变化而变化。创新型教师是教育创新的根本所在,只有创新型教师才能实施创新教育,培养创新型人才。     

Theory in the flesh: Toward an endarkened epistemology

In her article "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: Examining an endarkened feminist epistemology in educational research and leadership," Professor Dillard delineates a set of proposals for the study of educational inequity. Professor Wright in his response, "An endarkened feminist epistemology? Identity, difference and the politics of representation in educational research," comments on Professor Dillard's proposals and furthers her analysis by an integration of the cultural studies literature. The author enjoins this conversation in this article by reviewing the proposals by feminists of Color to further social justice in solidarity with Professor Dillard's analysis. In particular, feminists of Color are examined, expanding the definition of "data" to include artistic production such as poetry, personal reflections, and autobiographical essays. The integration of spirituality as it relates to secular teaching is another innovation proposed by various writers. Feminists of Color have also chosen to construct theory and a political agenda for achieving social justice rather than only engaging in intellectual debates that deconstruct existing paradigms. Professor Dillard is part of a cadre of feminist writers who advocate radical changes in the academy to eradicate educational inequity.     

The mathematics problem: the construction of a market-led education discourse in the Republic of Ireland

Educational change in the neoliberal state is permeated by the effects of forces from outside the field of education itself. The process of governmentality welcomes, indeed demands, the participation of those non-state actors valorised by neoliberalism as well as government agencies dedicated to the advancement of such groups. Inevitably, the concerns of such organisations become central to how the state sees education. This article traces the assembly of national and international agents from industry, business and special interest groups around the concept of ‘knowledge economy’. It treats this assemblage as an apparatus (dispositif), examining how the construction of an economic problem is brought to bear on the demand for educational change, and how this construction of the problem is used to shape public opinion in order to prepare the public for a radical change of direction. Confining itself to the reform of mathematics education introduced in the Republic of Ireland in 2010, this article traces the emergence of a mathematics discourse focused on market-led education. It interrogates the construction of ‘the mathematics problem’ or ‘crisis in maths’ and argues that the discourse of the present construction is economic in nature, centring as it does on human capital production and market-led reform.     

Humanisation in Russian Education: a transition between state determinism and individualism

This article is concerned with the development of humanisation in contemporary Russian education where it is regarded as a key factor influencing social change in the country. The authors draw on the proceedings of a seminar held in Moscow in 1994 concerned with the future of Russian education. Through an analysis of past Russian educational development and related psychological theory an argument is developed which suggests that present trends owe more than may be expected to the past. The concept of mediation is a central concern of the authors. They argue that the present discussion in Russia is overly individualistic and takes no account of processes of mediation in pedagogic formulations which render them incomplete and vulnerable to exploitation.     

Uncovering influence through Social Network Analysis: the role of schools in Education for Sustainable Development

Abstract

This paper examines the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Germany and explores the possibilities of Social Network Analysis (SNA) for uncovering influential actors in educational policy innovation processes. From the theoretical perspective, an actor’s influence is inferred from its relative position within issue-specific information flows and the trust placed in its capacities and expertise, instead of relying on an actor’s openly expressed role and policy preferences. Drawing on techniques from quantitative SNA enables to analyse the social interactions as well as the frequency and type of information exchange amongst actors in a particular issue area. Empirically, I focus my attention on the educational innovation of ESD, which has been initiated at the global level, but is mainly put into practice at the national or regional level. Data for the study come from mixed mode interviews with a standardised questionnaire. The interviews were conducted and analysed using egocentric and complete SNA. I find, amongst others results, that NGOs and governmental actors occupy significantly more central, prestigious and influential network positions than schools in the course of implementing ESD in Germany. Furthermore, school representatives exhibit few and weak relations, and mostly share links with other formal education actors.     

Gender Inequality in Education: accounting for women's subordination

This article is an attempt to apply a systematic use of theory to gender inequalities in education. It expands on the tenets of liberal, radical, and socialist feminist perspectives to account for differential gender outcomes in terms of educational access, attainment, and field of study choices. The State emerges as a key actor regulating and promoting educational processes and outcomes, and the perspective that most accurately captures the State's practices is socialist feminism. There has been a recent convergence in feminist thought toward the meshing of ideological and material elements in the explanation of women's subordination, bringing closer than ever the radical and socialist feminist perspectives. These perspectives detect severe limits in the State's ability to improve women's conditions while groups outside the State, particularly women‐run organizations, are identified as the most likely sources of significant educational change and thus social change, in the interests of women.     

Harambee: Working Together to Engender Change in Communities of Color

Working with communities of color to find solutions to the problems they face is a complex and challenging task. The “It Takes a Village” concept and the Transtheoretical Model of Change (Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente 1994) were used by the authors of this article in their work to empower clients of color to effect change in their communities. The narratives by these authors, European-American and African-American practitioners and educators, incorporate accounts of advocacy and social justice initiatives as they describe their interactions with grassroots organizations, such as educational and faith-based institutions, within communities of color.     

Using research to promote equity within education systems: Possibilities and barriers

This article provides an evaluative account of its authors’ involvement in three major national improvement initiatives. Set in the context of three of the countries that make up the UK, these developments were focused in particular on the promotion of educational equity. Unusually, the analysis provided compares evidence collected from an insider perspective with data generated through independent evaluations. In so doing, it considers how research and researchers can contribute to system change by using research evidence to influence policy-makers and practitioners at all levels of the system. The article argues that this requires the coming together of different perspectives in a process of social learning and knowledge creation within particular settings. This means that researchers have to overcome a number of barriers related to social, cultural and political factors. They therefore have to develop skills in creating collaborative partnerships that span boundaries between actors who have different types of professional experience. It is argued that researchers also need to mobilise support in dealing with the pressures that this involves. The article concludes with the presentation of a strategic framework that can be used to think about how school systems can be helped to make better use of research knowledge.     

Teenagers in cyberspace: an investigation of language use and language change in internet chatrooms

This article reports on a small‐scale investigation into the use of Internet chatrooms by teenage girls. Based on interview and observational data, it illustrates how the use of popular electronic communication is resulting in linguistic innovation within new, virtual social networks in a way that reflects more wide‐reaching changes in the communication landscape. The paper suggests that teenagers and young people are in the vanguard of these processes of change as they fluently exploit the possibilities of digital technology, radically changing the face of literacy. The study looks at teenagers’ perceptions of chatroom encounters and their learning about new ways of social and linguistic interaction. Observations of teenagers online show how rapid written conversations which combine features of face‐to‐face talk with explorations in interactive writing and the exchange of additional digital information, such as image files and web addresses, are enabling these young people to develop sophisticated and marketable skills. These innovations are contrasted with recent media and educational criticism of the language use associated with new technology. This tension between change and conservatism is explored by applying Bourdieu’s concept of ‘linguistic capital’.     

PROGENIES IN EDUCATION: THE EVOLUTION OF INTERNET TEACHING

Technological advances create tension between what traditional educational systems offer and what new online teaching methods can offer. External pressures are being exerted on traditional educational systems forcing change on time-honored scholastic practices. As a result, progenies, the natural offspring of technology innovations and traditional education practices, are reshaping education. The initial driving force of any developing technology is the innovation of product. The innovation of product is the search for a dominant design. The desired features of a technology are defined in this search process. The authors conclude that a dominant design in online teaching platforms has emerged and has thus created an implicit understanding of the performance requirements to be met by the product. Educational organizations now must shift their focus from innovative online product development to a standardization of the product with a concurrent increase in process innovation and development. Schools with online teaching and learning programs are not seeking to define their distinct brand of distance education; rather they are seeking ways in which to improve their processes of delivery. Thus a shift must occur from an emphasis on product innovation to process innovation. This article develops the concept that an increase in process design, a responsibility of individual educators, is the next step toward the development, implementation, and refinement of collaborative learning, learning communities, and individual learning strategies that facilitate student achievement.     

Determinants of educational exclusion: Poor urban girls' experiences in- and out-of-school in Kenya

The educational challenges girls face are often explained by economics. However, gender norms and identities, constructed historically but subject to change, also play a crucial role. In Kenya, little attention has been paid to the negative social constructions that keep girls from attaining the education they want. This article analyses the role of social construction among girls who are in and out of two secondary schools in Nairobi province, Kenya. Data were obtained from interviews with adolescent girls attending the schools, female dropouts previously affiliated with those two schools, and teachers at the schools. All the challenges that girls faced in attempting to secure secondary education were linked to social construction; they were deeply rooted in gender roles as defined by the cultural context and reinforced by socialisation. Based on the results, the authors hold that women must lead community efforts toward changes that will enhance their daughters’ educational opportunities.