Assessment policy in post-apartheid South Africa: challenges for improving education quality and learning

The South African education system has witnessed significant changes since 1994 when the democratically elected government began the process of dismantling the inherited apartheid order. The primary focus of the transformation process was to address the twin imperative of equity and quality in education, particularly for the historically marginalised black population. A key aspect of this transformation process remains the development of alternative assessment policies. This paper reviews the changes focusing on the stated rationale as well as their underlying assumptions and implications for practice. It argues that the changes have in many respects addressed the most obvious effects of the previous apartheid systems. However, it notes that, notwithstanding the policy intentions, assessment policy since 1994 has favoured a measurement focused-approach in the classroom, which has hindered a shift towards an assessment for learning approach. This, it argues, is partly fuelled by the abiding belief in and commitment to classroom testing and examinations as well as external national assessments as the key criterion for reforming learning and teaching practices in the classroom.     

Neoliberal versus social justice reforms in education policy and practice: discourses,politics and disability rights in education

This article uses critical discourse analysis in order to discuss the equity and social justice implications of an envisaged education reform agenda in Cyprus, as articulated by two consultation reports commissioned by the World Bank. The reports highlight, inter alia, the imperative to improve teaching and enhance accountability regimes with regard to students’ learning. Selected extracts from these documents are analyzed in order to highlight the absence of a social justice discourse in the rhetoric of educational reforms, despite the alleged centrality of a social justice discourse in official policy. The reports fail to include issues of social justice and learner diversity in discussing the necessity to strengthen the existing teacher policy framework and to mobilize structural educational reforms. This omission is indicative of the neoliberal imperatives that drive the envisaged education policy reforms as well as the low priority attributed to issues of equity and learner diversity, with particular reference to students designated as having special educational needs and/or disabilities.     

英国教师职前培养的教育实习及其启示

教育实习在师范生成长的过程中起着关键作用,然而,我国的教育实习却存在着几点明显的不足。本文在分析英国“伙伴关系”式的教育实习模式及特点的基础上,提出了搞好我国教育实习的几点建议。     

The idealism of education policies and the realities in schools: the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa

Inclusive education as a global movement emerged over the past 30 years to ensure quality mainstream education for all learners. Since 1994 the newly democratic South Africa also had expectations as well as the political will to change education by adjusting legislation and policies. However, the vision of a truly inclusive education system in South Africa has been difficult to achieve and results regarding the implementation of inclusive education remain questionable. There has been a growing realisation that the advent of democracy was not in itself a sufficient condition for the elimination of historical and structural inequalities in education with as recurring theme the dissonance between the government's socio-political imperative for change and economic realities. This article focuses on the development of policy and guidelines on inclusive education in dynamic interaction with the complexity of realities in South African schools with a special focus on the policy recommendations regarding the development of full-service schools. The constant comparative analysis of the two phased case study of a full-service school in a rural town revealed interesting results illustrating the complexities regarding the implementation of inclusive education and the challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between the idealism of policies and the realities in schools.     

高师本科小学教育专业实践教学探索

小学教育专业实践教学包括教学技能训练、教材教法研究、模拟教学、教育见习、教育实习等内容.为了巩固小学教育专业学生的专业思想,强化理论与实践的结合,我们在学生实践能力的培养方面进行了有益的探索,初步形成了一个有别于传统师范并更具特色的实践教学模式.     

Empathy,teaching dispositions,social justice and teacher education

ABSTRACT

Considerable attention over the past several years has been given to empathy as a desirable teacher disposition. Situating empathy in a slice of the research on dispositions, the author identifies and explores several problems surrounding empathy related to expectations, definitions, measurement, inferential accuracy, and the realization of social justice. An argument is made for listening to learn as an alternative to empathy as a teaching disposition and virtue.     

现代教育理念与大学英语教学实践

近年来，众多的现代教育理论，特别是人本主义、认知主义和建构主义三大教育理论影响着我国教育领域的教学改革。随着多媒体计算机和因特网教育应用的飞速发展，现代教育理论正愈来愈显示出其强大的生命力，并在世界范围内日益扩大其影响。将现代教育理论与教学实践相结合，开创新时期的教育教学模式是时代赋予每一位教师的职责。     

探索与实施“顶岗实习支教”模式促进农村中小学师资更新

师范生顶岗实习支教,即将师范学生实习时间延长为半年,以全职教师的身份深入贫困地区偏远山区薄弱学校完成教学实习和该岗位的教学任务,并以此为手段切实解决农村教师队伍数量不够、质量不高这一长期制约农村基础教育发展的根本问题,同时也有效改变长期以来师范生教学临床技能不强的局面。从当前农村教育的现状与问题入手,对顶岗实习支教的基本理念、实施背景、实践价值、以及存在的诸种问题进行了分析,并提出相关建议。     

中欧教育实习现状及改革趋势探索

教育实习是师范生专业成长道路上的一个重要环节,我国教师教育的实习体制尚待完善,在实习规划和管理、指导等方面存在诸多问题,直接影响了教育实习效果和师范生专业技能的培养。相比之下,欧洲各国的教育实习方式均有独到之处,在实习计划的设置和过程管理、评估以及与中小学的合作模式方面,有许多改革和创新方法可供我国教师教育研究者借鉴。     

Social Work Practice and the Propietary Movement

ABSTRACT

Changes in funding patterns and privatization of health and human services within government are prompting new forms of management and organizational structures creating challenges for service delivery and the education of social work managers. The profession's ability to provide leadership and respond to such rapidly changing environmental trends is grounded in the capability of field education to bridge the university and practice communities and provide flexible, innovative combinations of service programming and research partnerships. This article provides a framework for the development and operation of a unique type of field demonstration project. The article focuses on the methodology used to develop and operate the field projects in order to encourage replication among other schools of social work.     

Preservice Teachers' Perspectives on Their Preparation for Social Justice Teaching

This study investigates preservice teachers' perspectives on their preparation to use social justice teaching in rural schools, how they implemented the concept in their classrooms, and the challenges they faced. The findings suggest that even though coursework may have prepared the participants to integrate social justice principles and practices into teaching, participants faced significant institutional factors that constrained their efforts to integrate culturally relevant practices in their teaching.     

实践教学中创新创业教育体系构建

建立创新型国家,必须依托高校培养大批创新创业人才,高校的创新创业教育必须以实践教学为中心进行创新。应该从教育理念构建、教学体系构建、管理体系构建三个方面来构建创新创业教育体系,才能培养具有创新创业能力的复合型人才。     

Student teachers' views on national education: the need for greater alignment between policy and praxis

This study examines student teachers' views on their country and on National Education (NE), with the aim of promoting teachers' understanding of the need for NE. A 40-item survey was administered to 1,650 student teachers, to assess their sense of belonging, protective attitude, perceived right, ethnic tolerance and community and political involvement, as well as their perceptions of the importance and learning outcomes of NE. Significant differences were observed between the genders and between the various programme groups in terms of the student teachers' responses, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive approach to NE in initial teacher education.     

Teaching practices prior and subsequent to 1998 in Turkey: Gazi University Vocational Education Faculty case

This study aimed to compare teaching practice before and after 1998 in Turkey. Participants were 10 academics from the Department of Educational Sciences, Vocational Education Faculty, Gazi University and nine vocational high school cooperating teachers. Semi‐structured interviews were analysed by using content analysis. The most significant findings were that the preparation, practice, observation, counselling and evaluation processes were more efficient before 1998 due to the smaller number of preservice teachers. After 1998, the cooperating teachers were legally included in the process and took more responsibility. A new model which combines the positive aspects of both practices is suggested in the article.     

体育教师教育课程实践性教学的困境及对策

体育教学论是高师体育教育专业的教师教育课程,其实践性教学的实施对教与学都有着重要的意义.本文针对体育教学论课程教学普遍存在的问题,阐述了体育教学论课程实践性教学的必要性,分析体育教学论课堂实践性教学面临的困境,探讨解决问题的对策和具体措施,意在使体育教学论体现出师范性、实践性、理论性三者的融合与统一,提高体育教育专业学生的专业实践能力,缩短学生毕业后对基础体育教育的适应期,高质量实现高师体育教育专业的培养目标.     

Teaching Shabanu: the challenges of using world literature in the US social studies classroom

This paper discusses inclusion of global literature in social studies curricula, especially in teaching about women of the world. It analyses the attraction of, and difficulties with, a popular work of young adult fiction, Shabanu, often taught in US middle‐school social studies and humanities classrooms. It uses the framework of post‐colonial, feminist theorizing and critical, post‐structuralist considerations in history and literature to analyse the novel. It draws on several sources: my experiences in incorporating the book into a teacher‐education course in social studies education; interviews with teachers and teacher educators; testimonials about the book available on the Internet, including the reactions of Muslim groups in the USA; and interviews with Pakistani‐American students about their reactions to the book.     

教学理论与实践关系研究20年:从定位到联盟

我国 8 0年代的教学理论界处在复苏与发展的初期 ,引进译介国外教学理论 ,探讨教学本质、教学价值、教学规律、教学内容、教学原则与方法等基本理论问题。而教学实践领域重点在进行教改实验 ,探索突破传统教学的方法与途径 ,并未真正认识到从教学理论的指导中解决实际问题。各自尚处在发展与探索阶段。90年代 ,随着教育理论的丰富 ,对教学理论脱离教学实际的问题开始反省。与此同时 ,实践工作者呼唤科学有效的理论指导、解决实际问题。在双方的共同努力下 ,教学实验蓬勃发展 ,在教改实验过程中 ,理论被检验、修正、发展 ,实践中的问题被解决 ,教学质量得以提高 ,最终促成了二者的联盟     

教育科学的理论与实践逻辑——关于布迪厄\

教师实践逻辑是在实践场域内,源自教师实体性个体与关系、时间性经验与情感的长期积累而生成的自在逻辑。教师的实践逻辑虽然内隐性强,但它真实存在于教师的实践之中,探寻价值巨大。在现象学哲学观指引下,教师实践逻辑是可认识的。在认识教师实践逻辑时,需要尊重教师体验,尊重实践现象,回归实践情景,强调整体与联系性,用“还原的方式”去重构教师实践的实践关系。     

"三个代表"重要思想教育教学的实践性探讨

“三个代表”重要思想所具有的时代性和实践性特征,以及社会实践本身的特点决定了我们在对大学生进行“三个代表”重要思想的教育教学中,既要重视搞好课堂教育教学,更要重视搞好大学生的社会实践调研活动。只有这样,才能增强“三个代表”重要思想教育教学的实际效果。     

Social justice intents in policy: an analysis of capability for and through education

Primarily developed as an alternative to narrow measures of well-being such as utility and resources, Amartya Sen’s capability approach places strong emphasis on people’s substantive opportunities. As a broad normative framework, the capability approach has become a valuable tool for understanding and evaluating social arrangements (e.g. education policies and development programmes) in terms of individuals’ effective freedoms to achieve valuable beings and doings. This paper explores the recent emergence of ‘capability’ in Australian education policy, specifically in the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper. We explore capability as a framing device and reveal how its various meanings are at odds with the scholarly literature, specifically Sen’s conception of capability and its implications for social justice in and through education. The analysis shows that the social justice intent of a capability approach appears to be overtaken in the White Paper by an emphasis on outcomes, performance and functionings that seek to serve the nation’s economic interests more than the interests of students, especially the disadvantaged.