The Norden Associations and international efforts to change history education, 1919–1970: international organisations,education, and hegemonic nationalism

During the interwar period, a number of organisations started to look into education as part of an attempt to understand how nationalism was fuelled through education and to what extent it had forced the outbreak of the Great War. In response to nationalism and a perceived need for reformation of national narratives, the school subjects of history and geography became the primary suspects as advocates of chauvinism and militarism. In 1919, associations for the promotion of understanding and cooperation between the Scandinavian countries – the Norden Associations [föreningarna Norden] – began investigating history textbooks. This revision of textbooks was expanded in the 1930s to explore, assess, and develop the entire teaching of history in the Nordic countries. The Norden Associations converged on many levels with the disparate international movements for educational change. This article presents the Norden Associations as part of a process of hegemonic isomorphism in which cultural hegemony set the institutional boundaries within which the organisations could work in order to attain legitimacy. The article demonstrates how an organisation with a specific political agenda, and with only limited international objectives came to be – not only a part of – but, to some extent, an organisational role model for loftier efforts aimed at global and cosmopolitan history teachings.     

Scaling-up aid to education: Is absorptive capacity a constraint?

“Absorptive capacity” is a frequently used term amongst development practitioners in education. It is adopted by some as a reason for caution over scaling up aid. Others are of the view that absorptive capacity is an excuse by some donors for not delivering on their Education for All financing commitments. Drawing on interviews with representatives from NGOs, development agencies and international consultants, the paper highlights that there are a variety of ways in which the term is understood. Overall, it finds that absorptive capacity should not be seen as a reason for not increasing aid. Rather there is a need to unpack the concept to ensure that bottlenecks can be identified and addressed. In breaking “absorptive capacity” down into component parts, it then becomes possible to identify alternative strategies that donors and national governments need to address to ensure that increased aid reaches schools and improves educational outcomes.     

British bi-lateral assistance to education: How much,to whom,and why?

This paper describes the magnitude of British bi-lateral support for educational development and develops an analysis of recent patterns of disbursement.¹ Educational assistance was given to 111 countries between 1989 and 1991. Sub-Saharan African countries received more than other regions and most of the disbursement for education that was classified by sector was directed towards higher education. Amongst major recipient countries more educational assistance per capita tends to be given to countries with relatively greater Gross National Products per Capita and Human Development Indices, smaller populations, higher Gross Enrolment Ratios and smaller gender disparities in enrolments at primary level, and those which spend a greater proportion of GNP on education. The paper explores possible reasons for what is observed and the tensions between over-arching assistance policy and actual disbursement patterns. Concluding remarks draw together some of the main observations and suggest issues for further consideration.     

Concepts and practices of education and adult education: obstacles to lifelong education and lifelong learning?

Over the last half century, in varying degrees and under various names, there has been much interest in learning throughout life for everybody. Although what has been written has stressed its necessity and feasibility, little has been achieved. As is common to all things educational, it has lagged behind the times. Little considered and highly resistant among the obstacles to it are the current concepts, institutions and practices of education. The widespread, systematic study of education in the 19th century grew out of the need to train teachers required by the introduction of universal primary schooling. Concentration by teacher trainers on this task, and their struggle to establish their subject as a coherent discipline to be taught in institutions of higher education was such that the prevailing view of education came to be restricted not merely mainly, as hitherto, but only, to the upbringing of children and young people. Rejecting this view of necessity, adult educationalists have sought for their own field academic recognition as a discipline, emphasizing their differences from initial education. Study of current educational writings from many countries shows that the reconciliation of these two positions, necessary to lifelong education, has not gone very far. Consideration of what might be done to create a process and a habit of lifelong learning for all on the basis of current practice and theory of initial education and adult education, of which lifelong education can only be a contributory element, will require fundamental changes in both. There are few signs so far of the political will and the sense of urgency that will apparently be required.     

Alliance performance to integrate higher education： Smarter partners with shared values and capacity building

Demands by internal and external accreditation groups, whether governmental or professional, has resulted in education providers being more aware of partnership paradigms that develop institutional quality for mutual benefit. The focus of this article is to examine current research on educational partnerships in South-East Asia, identify purposes of academic alliances and report on collective goals, expectations and principles that academics have in relation to cross-institutional relationships. A three-round Delphi technique was used to examine the pros and cons of partnerships, how partnerships could be made more successful and to identify specific actions that individual academics could undertake to develop smarter partnerships. A conceptual framework of alliance performance is suggested and the management of a partnership is addressed in relation to shared values, capacity building and the role of an alliance manager.     

Too cool for school? Musicians as partners in education

This article addresses the distinctive role that artists play in education. Although there has been a growing body of research internationally into artists involved in teaching and learning processes, the practice of artists in education in Ireland has developed in an uneven and sometimes disjointed manner. The field of ‘arts in education’ and issues surrounding its policy and practice in Ireland are investigated here. This article takes music as a focus in examining musicians' engagement in educational partnerships. Discussions around the role of artists in educational settings, successful partnerships and professional development are presented. Interviews carried out with a purposive sample of eight musicians are thematically analysed to provide meaningful insight into these debates drawn from actual practice. In this way, the article contributes to developing research into arts in education and, more specifically, music in education. In doing so, it hopes to underpin future policy, practice and stimulate further research in this area.     

A dangerous idea? Freedom,children and the capability approach to education

This article begins by observing how education is currently appreciated primarily for its utility value, a view informed by utilitarianism and neoclassical economic theory. A critique of that framing is offered and an alternative way of valuing education informed by a Capabilities Approach is presented. In doing so, I also observe that while key proponents of the Capabilities Approach promote the idea of freedom, they deny it to children and some young people. The argument they present is that in the hands of children, freedom destroys their capabilities because they lack capacity for good judgment and therefore should only make minor decisions. The focus should be on adulthood because only at that stage can we exercise good judgment and exercise freedom properly. I explain why this view limits the application of Capabilities Approach, why it is problematic and offer a way of overcoming that constraint.     

What drives failed policy at the World Bank? An inside account of new aid modalities to higher education: context,blame, and infallibility

This article analyses recent World Bank interventions aimed at improving higher education and local research capacity in low-income countries. Our empirical entry point is a critical analysis of the Development and Innovation Grant (DIG) scheme the Bank rolled out in Cambodia (2010–2015), a virtual carbon copy export of its Academic Initiative Fund in Bangladesh. Offering a rare insider perspective, we argue that the DIG scheme ultimately failed because the Bank so glaringly misunderstood the Cambodian context. We use this case to contemplate the deeper flaws in how the Bank ‘thinks’, highlighting how the world’s most powerful development institution manages to maintain faith in its own infallibility despite failure.     

Family background, entry selectivity and opportunities to learn: What matters in primary teacher education? An international comparison of fifteen countries

First findings of IEA’s “Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M)” had revealed differences in the demographic background, opportunities to learn (OTL), and outcomes of teacher education between student teachers from different countries. Two hypotheses are examined: OTL and teacher background are significant predictors of mathematics content knowledge (MCK) and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK) as outcomes. OTL effects are partly mediated by differential student teacher intake. Data from multi-level models support our hypotheses with respect to gender, high-school achievement, motivation, OTL in mathematics and the mediating effect of student teacher intake. Background affects only MCK but not MPCK.     

Learning from all? The World Bank,aid agencies and the construction of hegemony in education for development

This paper explores the nature and quality of the participation that characterises the Bank's consultations with external actors and examines the extent to which the Bank is responsive to such feedback when it comes to defining its policy preferences and strategies in the education domain. It draws on a case study of the participatory process that was organised around the definition of the last World Bank Education Strategy (WBES2020) and focuses on the participation of three European aid agencies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Department for International Development of the UK. This paper acknowledges that a significant effort was made to promote the inclusiveness and transparency of the participatory process, yet it concludes that the conditions for promoting quality participation and substantive policy change were not provided. Furthermore, the way international aid agencies produce and use knowledge limits their role and influence in the context of the Bank's consultations. Hence, by not contesting the Bank's policy ideas substantially, the agencies contribute inadvertently to reproducing the Bank's predominance in the education for development field.     

First Chance,Second Chance or Last Chance? Resistance and response to education

This article reports findings from two studies, both of which used resistance theory to explain students' response to education. One study focused on an inner-city primary school characterised by high student opposition to both teachers and schooling. The other study examined how students, previously considered failures in mainstream education, responded to a 'second chance' programme aimed at providing access to tertiary education. Each study considered the relationship between students, teachers and the curriculum, and how this relationship was produced, negotiated and transformed within the everyday culture and language of the students. The first study identified conditions which led students to reach a decisive moment in their lives where a free, and arguably final, choice was made to reject school and education more generally. The second study identified factors in students' lives, both educational and personal, which led either to the educational access they desired or further frustration and failure. In reporting these findings, this paper will explore the theoretical and empirical common ground, and also the tension, between each study, thus offering a deeper understanding of student response to education along a broad educational continuum.     

Pupils as partners in education decision‐making: responding to the legislation in England and Ireland

Enabling pupils with special educational needs to participate more fully in the assessment, planning and evaluation of their own learning has become a principle enshrined within the legislation of many countries in recent years. Educational policy in both England and the Republic of Ireland has recognised the desirability of increased pupil involvement, and this is reflected in policy documents and in legislation which highlights the requirement of schools to take greater account of the views of pupils. This paper documents the approaches to increased pupil involvement in decision‐making adopted in England and Ireland and provides an overview of the key challenges that face policy‐makers and educators in ensuring meaningful participation for children and young people with special educational needs.     

What works,for whom,and in what circumstances? Towards a critical realist understanding of learning in international and comparative education

The article explores the potential for a critical realist approach to researching learning in international and comparative education (ICE) with a particular focus on the emerging post-2015 education and development agenda. It provides a critique of existing empiricist and interpretivist approaches to researching learning. It is suggested that whilst both have strengths, they are based on an ontologically reductionist view of learning with implications for research, policy and practice. As a ‘third’ research approach critical realism has the potential to build on the strengths whilst avoiding the pitfalls of both empiricism and interpretivism. Such an approach it is argued needs to start from an ontologically inclusive and laminated view of learning. Further, it is suggested that comparative research should focus on the development of theories of learning that are able to explain the natural and social structures and causal mechanisms that give rise to and inhibit learning at different scales and levels and in different contexts. The development of theory ought to embrace epistemological pluralism drawing critically on, cross-cultural, inter-disciplinary and mixed methods enquiry and making use of abductive and retroductive forms of inference. In this way it is argued it becomes possible to move beyond the dominant ‘what works’ agenda favoured by empiricists to critically consider what works, for who and under what circumstances.     

A Brief Introduction to TESOL——an international education association

Mission TESOL's inission is to develop the expertise of its meinbers and others involved in teaching English to speakers ofother languages to help thegn foster effective communication indiverse settings while respecting individuals" language rights.To this end, TESOL articulates and advances standards forprofessional preparation and employment, continuing educa