Engaging Gypsy and Traveller pupils in secondary education in Wales: tensions and dilemmas of addressing difference

Despite decades of research and policy, we are still some way in the U.K. from ameliorating barriers for Gypsy and Traveller pupils. A complex set of factors exist which influence young people’s engagement with secondary education. This interpretive-deductive study, which draws upon ‘tensions and dilemmas of difference’, presents Gypsy/Traveller learners’ perceptions and those of their parents and teachers about the barriers encountered. Findings around ‘intra-cultural conflict’ demonstrate significant tensions between and within cultures that are profound for young people during this stage of education. Resilient, supportive mothers and strong bonds with teachers and children from the mainstream community, appeared essential in helping young people to manage criticism and resist pressure to conform to cultural norms. However, a fundamental shift in societal attitude is required and critical thought paid to inclusive education, or young learners who remain in education may end up on the periphery of both societies.     

Modelling inclusive special needs education: insights from Dutch secondary schools

Inclusive special needs education is prominent on the international education agenda. Research on the characteristics of inclusive education for students with special needs and schools providing this is scarce, however. Our aim in the present study was therefore to further theory-building with regard to inclusive special needs education. On the basis of the relevant literature, we identified three core aspects of inclusivity: the learning environment, the guidance provided by teachers and the general care structure. With the help of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses conducted on data obtained from school professionals in 79 secondary schools in the Netherlands, we were able to identify 12 underlying characteristics for a conceptual framework to further research on the inclusive nature of schools and education. Multilevel structural equation modelling of the judgments of school professionals at the level of the school also showed that the inclusive special needs education in at least secondary schools can be characterised by two main factors: (1) learning environment and (2) guidance and care. The analyses showed considerable agreement on the important aspects of inclusivity for schools and thus how differences between schools can be explained. The results further showed the work of the care coordinator – which includes cooperation with external partners and teachers with mentoring roles – to be the clearest indicator of the extent of the inclusive special needs education within schools. This finding is interpreted as suggesting that the recommended teaching practices and student care for adequate included special needs education have not yet been integrated into teachers’ thinking and acting. Follow-up research drawing upon the developed framework is therefore called for to not only more generally validate the framework but also determine if the situation in school has changed, now that the policy and practices for inclusive education have become more familiar.     

Teachers of learners with ASD in mainstream schools and classrooms in Spain: attitudes towards inclusive education

This study analyses the attitudes of teachers in Spain towards the inclusion of learners with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream education settings and their relationship with the perceived benefits of inclusion. The ex post facto prospective design included 180 teachers from 14 schools. Data were collected using a questionnaire on teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education and a second questionnaire on the benefits of inclusion developed for the specific purposes of this study. The results show teachers' positive attitudes towards inclusion as well as the benefits perceived. This study demonstrates the fundamental role of teachers' previous experience. Implications for inclusive cultures and practices in schools are discussed.     

The de-facto privatization of secondary education in Egypt: a study of private tutoring in technical and general schools

Most secondary school students in Egypt enrol in private tutoring in almost all subjects throughout the school year. A large proportion of students have stopped attending school altogether due to their reliance on tutoring. This study of how educational markets are perpetuated at school level finds that in the technical track catering to the working classes, the market is forced upon students through physical and verbal intimidation by teachers receiving below subsistence wages. In the more middle class general secondary track, pressure to enrol in tutoring is less direct and the market is promoted as a necessity for competitive exam readiness, despite its unclear dividends. The result has been a de-facto privatization of secondary education facilitated by a state that has determined the material conditions of teachers, failed to prevent related abuse and corruption, and reduced its investment in education to the point that the market has effectively emptied out and displaced public schooling.     

Teachers' views on citizenship education in secondary education in The Netherlands

In 2005 the Dutch Minister of Education proposed making it compulsory for all schools in The Netherlands to stimulate active citizenship and social integration. Teachers must give these educational goals a tangible form in their practice. What are the teachers' views on citizenship education? Concepts of citizenship education and the teacher's role in it may differ widely, and very different perspectives on values and value development are possible. This article addresses how teachers view citizenship education. We present the results of a survey conducted among a representative sample of Dutch secondary schools. The results show that teachers make clear choices in the importance they attach to certain values. Teachers want students to acquire skills to analyse, communicate and reflect on values, and they want to stimulate the development of certain values. The chosen values relate to different types of citizenship. School level, school subject and the age of the teachers make a difference to the importance teachers attach to different values.     

Gender-inclusive game-based learning in secondary education

Boys show a stronger preference for digital entertainment games than girls. For this reason, it may be that game-based learning is more acceptable to boys than to girls. Yet game-based learning might improve the performance of both boys and girls, depending upon the instructional design. In a quasi-experimental study with a secret-trail game, effects were examined on students' subject-matter knowledge. Analysis of covariance revealed that both boys and girls of the game intervention group showed a higher test performance, compared to students of the control group. However, different game activities mediated this effect of the secret-trail game on performance: girls seemed to profit more from searching the Internet to complete assignments and boys from competing with others. The performance of both boys and girls was negatively influenced by technical problems. The results are discussed within the framework of gender-inclusive game design.     

Implicit knowledge of general upper secondary school in a bridge-building project

Bridge-building activities are practiced widely in the education systems of Europe. They are meant to bridge transitions between lower and upper secondary school and form a mandatory part of the youth guidance system in Denmark. By giving pupils the opportunity to experience the different educational context of upper secondary school, bridge-building activities are meant to facilitate their decision-making on educational paths, but also to attract more and new groups of pupils. However, the premises of the inherent differences of educational contexts and of pupils’ lacking knowledge of upper secondary education can be questioned. In this ethnographic case study of a bridge-building project in a rural area in Denmark, we analyse the implicit knowledge of the general upper secondary school, as it is practiced in a bridge-building project, and how it is experienced by the pupils on the background of their prior knowledge. The analysis is theoretically informed by especially the code concepts of Basil Bernstein.     

The history of secondary education in History of Education

History of Education has published a steady stream of papers on the history of secondary education over the first 40 years of its existence. This corpus of research has been generated in the context of renewed interest in the history of secondary education that has been stimulated by developments in social and historical inquiry as well as by the contemporary onset of intensive reform of secondary education in many countries. History of Education has made a distinguished contribution to this new literature, especially in relation to an understanding of the secondary school curriculum, elite forms of secondary education, and increasingly in relation to secondary education for girls and secondary education policy. Some other key themes and topics have been generally less to the fore and require further detailed investigation.     

Preparing for inclusive education: the pre-course experiences of prospective secondary school teachers on a UK-based training course

Progress towards inclusive education has been linked to the professional development of teachers, including their initial training. This study explores the range and nature of the experiences that students bring to a one-year Post Graduate Certificate in Education course for prospective secondary teachers in England. The data was gathered through questionnaires given to the whole cohort. There was a high response rate although a consequence of this approach was a reliance on self-reports. The analysis illustrates the diversity of experiences across the cohort that may impact on beliefs and attitudes of the individuals. If planning of teacher development is to be effective, providers need information of this type to inform their planning and delivery.     

Peer acceptance of students with and without inclusion experience towards students with special needs in unisex schools of Tehran

This study assessed the level of peer acceptance towards students with disabilities in schools of Tehran, Iran (schools are all unisex in this country). The sample included 502 elementary school students in grades three through five (9–11 years old) who had a classmate with hearing impairment or physical disability (motor disability), and 120 boys and girls from schools without inclusive classrooms. Peer acceptance was measured through the use of the translated version of the Acceptance Scale developed by Voeltz (1980 Voeltz, L.M. 1980. Children's attitudes toward handicapped peers. American Journal of Mental Deficiency 84, no. 5: 455–464.[PubMed] , [Google Scholar]) which proved to be highly reliable (α = .83). The following factors were taken into consideration: (1) type of school, (2) nature of disability, and (3) gender. The findings with regard to the overall comparison between the two types of schools indicated that there was a significant difference between the two in favour of schools with inclusive classrooms (z = ?7.24, p < .001). The between-school comparison tests considering the type of disability and gender indicated that both of these factors do play a significant role in the degree to which his/her peers accept a student with disability. Nature of possible factors impacting the obtained differences in the results is discussed. The inclusion is young in this country and lots have to be done in this area; the outcomes from this study help provide a stronger research base which is vital for informed planning and expansion of future inclusive education efforts in the country.     

Enhancing peer acceptance of children with learning difficulties: classroom goal orientation and effects of a storytelling programme with drama techniques

Peer acceptance is an important facilitator for the success of inclusive education. The aim of the current study is twofold: (1) to examine how classroom goal orientation is associated with children’s acceptance of peers with learning difficulties; and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of a storytelling programme with drama techniques on children’s acceptance of peers with learning difficulties. The participants were 86 Grade 3 students from a Hong Kong primary school, randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 45) and a control group (n = 41). The findings indicated that the more the students perceived that their classroom was performance-approach oriented, the less they would accept their peers with learning difficulties in doing things together. After the intervention, the students in the experimental condition, compared to their counterparts in the control group, were more likely to render financial assistance and have affective acceptance to their peers with learning difficulties.     

论“通识”与“通识教育”

通识在本体论与认识论层面 ,是对常识、对科学的超越 ,在人生观与价值观层面 ,通识是对人的生命本然、终极目的与理想等意义世界的观照。在物质化与科技化的今天 ,人类需要特别关注通识。然而 ,达至通识之境并非自然自发过程 ,而是一个自为自觉过程。人类的通识 ,需要教育的参与、引导、培育和建构     

航空与航天通识教育之我见

结合航空与航天通识教育,对高校学生现阶段知识结构所面临的问题进行了探讨,归纳航空与航天通识教育的内容、意义和目的;分析了现有《航空航天技术概论》作为通识教材存在的问题,提出了航空与航天教材完善与改革的建议。     

英国普通中学的职业指导

职业指导是中学生实现从学校向就业或更高层次学校顺利过渡的桥梁。在英国的普通中学，职业指导开展得相当普遍。本试从职业指导的法律依据、师资要求、年级计划和基本方法诸方面对英国普通中学的职业指导予以探讨。     

高职、中职教育异同辨

高职、中职教育同为职业技术教育,二者在办学层次、人才培养规格、课程内容和毕业胜任的岗位等方向迥然有别,应各自办出特色、健康发展。     

哲学品格与通识教育

哲学的内在品格与通识教育具有内在一致性。哲学教育必须面向通识教育,在注重哲学知识讲授与接受同时,更注重人的道德教育、思维能力与理想人格的培育。     

中职语文教学中的审美教育分析

改革开放以来,我国的经济建设取得了重大发展成果。产业结构更加的科学、合理,高新技术产业逐渐成为经济发展的领跑者。中职作为培养技术型人才的重要场所,在当前经济发展背景下,已经逐渐走出了教育的低谷,焕发出第二次青春。但是,我们也不难发现,教师在教育过程中,对学生的专业基础以及实践能力培养格外关注,但是,在学生的审美教育中,却是有所忽视。这对于学生综合素质的提升造成了一定的阻碍。本文重点探索中职语文教学中的审美教育。     

以市场为导向 探索通专结合的高职教育人才培养模式

为了解决高职教育人才培养中存在的过强的专业化、过高的功利倾向、过弱的文化熏陶等问题，高职教育应主动适应市场变化，把握社会对人才需求的动向，引入通识教育，探索走通专结合的道路，培养学生“做人”、“做事”两方面的能力，成为新世纪高素养、高技艺和谐发展的新人。     

我国中职院校学前教育的发展情况

学前教育是终身教育的基础,是我国教育体系中必不可少的组成部分。随着我国社会经济的快速发展,人们对中职院校学前教育专业的关注也越来越高,我国政府及有关部门提出,要大力发展中职院校学前教育专业的建设,培养大学生的综合能力和素质。本文着重从我国中职院校学前教育专业课程开设的依据,目前发展中面临的问题进行研究,并提出几点建议。