Unequal education,poverty and low growth—A theoretical framework for rural education of China

This paper constructs an intertemporal substitution educational model based on endogenous growth theory and examines the rural education, farmer income and rural economic growth problems in China. It shows that the households originally with the same economic endowment but different education endowment take different growth routes, the income difference between low- and high-income families can be enlarged as they take different educational growth routes, and the low-income family has the chance to get into the “poverty trap”. In the mean time, urban and rural, developed and underdeveloped rural areas, as they take the different education growth routes the difference of economic growth tend to be expanded for the flow of high-quality labor and different industrialization, and they also have the risk of “poverty trap”. The key to solve this problem is the active public policies that promote the equal education, rational income and equilibrium development.     

Seeing one another as “other”

In this paper, the authors discuss two complementary life history research projects investigating prospective teachers' identities in relation to their race and social class. Drawing on the experiences of one student from each study, they show how both whites and students of color primarily thought about one another as “others”—people who fundamentally differed from one another and whom they understood through preconceived ideas about a group. The authors draw on a Bakhtinian notion of how a “surplus of sight” enables one to develop understandings of an “other” and also of oneself.     

Literacy's verb: Exploring what literacy is and what literacy does

This article considers contemporary policy claims about “what literacy is” and “what literacy does.” First, the article reviews in-depth the ways in which development discourses define literacy, and the claims made in development discourses about the “consequences” of literacy for economic and political development. I then draw on 24 months of ethnographic research in Brazil with 41 highly impoverished literacy students from four literacy programs in two cities in order to demonstrate that there is no predictable “impact” of literacy on development. Instead, I show that the opportunities afforded by literacy depend greatly on the types of literacy and the types of literacy programs made available to students, as well as students’ cultural understandings of literacy and the social, political, and economic contexts within which they attempt to assert new literacy practices. The article concludes that we should not consider literacy as an actor with some “impact”; instead, we should examine how people use literacy in ways that are conditioned by social and cultural forces.     

Exploring gender roles’ effects of Turkish women teachers on their teaching practices

The purpose of this study is to investigate how gender roles of women teachers affect their practices in the classrooms. Participants in the study were 75 female teachers working in elementary schools in Adana, Turkey. Findings indicated that gender roles of women teachers have important effects on their educational practices. Women teachers explained how their gender roles affect their profession mostly in terms of “also being a mother” in both positive and negative directions. The main points in teachers’ explanations were “being a mother and a spouse”, “stress”, “close relationships with students and parents” and “lack of authority and issues of confidence”.     

“You have to get hit a couple of times”: The role of conflict in learning how to “be” a skateboarder

By examining the role of conflict in learning how to “be” a skateboarder at a skate park in the United States, this article illustrates how conflicts constitute key aspects of learning and teaching within communities of practice. Specifically, this article demonstrates how the practices of “snaking” and “heckling” are used by a group of skateboarders to learn and teach spatially appropriate behavior as well as social and ideological norms regarding class and gender. In doing so, this article builds upon and critiques the concept of community of practice used within many sociocultural theories of learning.     

Developing argumentation ability as a way to promote technological literacy

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of three instructional methods on students’ technological literacy (TL) and argumentation ability. Participants were 285 seventh grade Israeli boys and girls (12–13-year-old) who studied in 18 technology classes in four junior high schools. The three teaching methods were: (a) teaching technology by exposing students to structured argumentation (SA); (b) teaching technology by encouraging students to explain their reasoning in an unstructured way (UA), without explicit guidance regarding “what is a good argument” and “how to construct it”; (c) teaching technology in a “traditional” way, with no emphasis on argumentation (NA). Results indicate that the SA group significantly outperformed the other two groups regarding knowledge of technology, but no significant differences were found between the three groups on knowledge about technology. The SA group also outperformed the other two groups in argumentation.     

卢梭的教育意图

卢梭的《社会契约论》和《爱弥儿》之间似乎存在某种矛盾和紧张关系。《社会契约论》以"社会"为取向,否定人的"自然状态";《爱弥儿》以"个人"为取向,强调"自然教育"。然而根据卢梭本人的教育意图,二者实际上是一以贯之的。卢梭的"社会契约论"表面上是对"自然状态"的否定,其实是对"自然状态"的模仿:以"道法自然"的方式建立公民社会。并且,卢梭在《社会契约论》中着重阐述了对一般公民的教育(大众教育)。《爱弥儿》并非《社会契约论》的对立面,它阐述的是对公民社会的立法家的教育(精英教育)。正因为立法家对于社会的作用高于一般公民,所以《爱弥儿》的重要性高于《社会契约论》。     

“明清以来的地方意识与国家认同”学术研讨会述评

地方研究已是学界显学,本次研讨会则旨在从国家建构的维度,考察地方意识与国家认同的关系,着力从历史人类学、社会史、政治史、思想史、知识分子研究等方向展开跨领域对话,试图透过迥异的研究路径和研究议题,共同探讨现代中国的国家建构与国家认同之历史过程。与会学者主要探讨了何处是“地方”、谁之“地方”、何种“中国”、何以“中国”等议题。首先,“地方”的意涵和所指是多样化的,不仅指行政区域,也指地理和文化空间,是从乡村、县、省到南方、北方、东北、西北等地域的动态概念。其次,参与并建构地方意识与国家认同的历史主体是多元的,故国家的知识精英和制度文化、地方的宗教专家和社团组织,以及中国边缘和外部世界所想象的“中国”也是多元的。最后,与会学者从地方与国家关系、种族/民族、赋役制度、礼仪宗教、战争、工业资本主义等多重视角,热烈地讨论了多样化“地方”背后的同一性,以及中国何时、如何成为民族国家等问题。这些多元性非但不会妨碍我们理解“中国”,而且是理解的前提和开端。     

英国院校研究发展与演变的逻辑:从“平等”到“质量”

与美国相比,院校研究在英国的发展是迟缓的。从历史渊源来看,英国早期的"院校研究"活动包括"校史研究"和"政府报告"。但其"真正意义上"的院校研究起源于英国政府决定推行高等教育大众化的政策过程(1963—1987)。在此期间,院校研究主要是促进"教育平等"的政策研究和大学内部教学法改进研究。20世纪80年代后期,英国政府与大学之间的关系发生了重大变化,"质量评估运动"和"问责"促成了院校研究在英国高校内部地位的确立。院校研究的旨趣也从关注"平等"转向"质量"。院校研究在英国发展的历程和经验,对于其他欧洲国家甚至对中国院校研究的推进,都具有启发和借鉴意义。     

在做什么,抑或知道在做什么——教师的前提性反思的危机与重建

"在做什么",是在常识、熟知、甚至自明的范围中对行为的考虑与回答。一般而言,这种考虑和回答能促使教师不断地提高自己的业务能力,反思自己行为的实效;但它并不引起教师对自己行为本身更多的反思。熟知、常识和自明并不等同于真知与明晓,却往往包含着"无知"。"知道在做什么",是对自我行为本身的一种艰苦地思索,是为了真正的知道和正当地行为,表现为对熟知、流行、常识的教师行为观念的批判与反思。这是一种教师的前提性反思。它意味着教师必须具有清醒的自我批判意识,反省自己行为所隐含的"无意识的前提",理性地抵制自己成为一个积极的、无思的共谋者。但是,教师教育对效率、手段、专门化以及科学化教育理论的过度强调使其出现了危机:前提性反思变得既不必要又无可能。重建教师前提性反思,教师需要做好一种知识的准备,即在学习和教育教学实践中努力探寻并赢得关于人、幸福以及教育的整体性知识。基于此,教师教育亦是一种通识教育。     

理智抑或狂热:上海家庭妇女参与工业生产研究(1958—1962)简

1958~1962年间,上海家庭妇女参与工业生产的景象盛行一时。1958年,随着跃进热潮的持续升温,城市工业生产呈现“以钢为纲”的急进之势,然而计划编制内的劳动力资源逐渐无法满足骤然膨胀的用工需求。在此情境下,上海市地方政府灵活运用家庭妇女填补用工缺口。然而在实际运行中,城市基层与上级政策关系错综复杂,相向与相悖并存。不同参与者演绎出跃进主题的“复调”与“跑调”。     

Welfare Reform: Can Higher Education Reduce the Feminization of Poverty?

In this paper we address what is meant by feminization of poverty. We also provide a very brief historical review of poor women, their children, and their need for financial assistance. Furthermore we identify some of the obstacles women face while trying to become self-sufficient and how women attempt to overcome these obstacles while relying on government aid. A strategy used by some of these women on welfare is to attend college and earn a degree. We show how this group of women now faces a major obstacle with a recent reform in the welfare system. Finally, we offer some suggestions as to how policies and practices of institutions of higher education can help female students on welfare, thereby reducing the feminization of poverty in the United States.     

“Strategy redundancy” and its impact on the effectiveness of technology-enhanced instruction: A case study

In this study, eight teachers and three college students involved in a graduate-level Internet course developed skill in using Internet tools and authoring webware materials. The course followed a traditional classroom-based format, but was supported by a webware package developed by the instructor (http://www.sover.net/~milcasa/503). A case study research methodology was utilized to investigate how the implementation of a “strategy redundancy” device, which consisted of the instructor's use of five teaching strategies and their mirroring in five of the features of the webware package, affected the participants′ learning outcomes. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from seven sources. A causal relationship was found between the “strategy redundancy” device and the effectiveness of the course. The need to emphasize the “quality” of the teaching/ learning experience, vis-à-vis the “cost savings” value of technology tools, and the need to conciliate constructivist and instructivist learning were highlighted.     

School building design for feeding programmes and community outreach: Insights from Ghana and South Africa

This article investigates how school building design can support primary school feeding programmes in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore it argues for schools to become community “development hubs”; incorporating both local access to education and also to programmes for nutrition, ICT, health education and other services, outside of school hours. It reviews the literature on school feeding programmes. Data from field research on schools in Ghana and South Africa is used to identify the key design issues for schools delivering feeding programmes. It considers how national education policies can affect school planning and building priorities. The article concludes by calling for the evolution of a new school design model, in which the school site becomes a “development hub”, supporting children” education, associated support activities including school feeding, and importantly also, integrated community development outreach activities.     

《齐物论》释义

《齐物论》以“齐”为主题,从逻辑上说,其中包含“齐物”论与齐“物论”二重涵义。“齐物”论指向世界万物,后者虽呈现千差万别的形态,但从“齐物”论的角度看,则最终可以分而齐之或不齐而齐。齐“物论”之“物论”直接所指,涉及关于“物”的不同观点,但在宽泛意义上则关乎一切是非之辩,“齐”广义论域中的“物论”,意味着消解是非的分辨和是非论争。总起来,“齐物论”以“齐”为视域,既要求超越存在之域的分别,也试图消解观念之域的是非之辩。就哲学的层面而言,扬弃“道术为天下裂”的形态、通过以道观之达到统一的存在,这一进路无疑不无所见的。然而,从现实的形态看,世界既呈现关联和统一之维,又内含多样性和差异性,所谓“物之不齐,物之情也”。以否定和拒斥的立场对待“分”与“别”,在逻辑上很难避免对存在的抽象理解,与之相涉的分而齐之,也容易疏离于真实、具体的存在,引向思辨意义上的形而上学。在庄子的齐物之论中,以道观之与抽象齐之二重取向交错而并存,呈现了多方面的理论意蕴。     

新型城镇化与“胡焕庸线”的突破可能性

“胡焕庸线”从1935年提出至今已有80年。迄今为止,我国人口分布不平衡的格局并未发生很大变化。在新的历史条件下,一些影响人口分布的关键因素正面临着从量变到质变的转化。其中,自然条件对“胡焕庸线”突破的可能性影响不大,而经济技术条件加速变化和社会政策的战略要求可能会改变“胡焕庸线”的固有格局。在这一进程中,新型城镇化既是实现“胡焕庸线”突破的目标,即实现人口分布在空间上相对均衡、产业在区域间发展均衡、公共服务城乡均等化,同时新型城镇化也是“胡焕庸线”可能突破的重要动力。以新疆为例的分析,佐证了西部地区通过新型城镇化突破“胡焕庸线”的可能性。为此,有关方面应积极搭建人口流动通道,逐步实现人口分布在空间上的均衡;应加大产业发展力度,逐步实现产业在区域上的均衡;应推进公共服务一体化,逐 实现区域宜居水平的平衡。     

Telling and retelling about self and “others”: How pre-service teachers (re)interpret privilege and disadvantage in one college classroom

This paper examines how a group of mostly white, (upper) middle class pre-service teachers expressed resistance in one multicultural education course. We analyze how these students re-evaluated their educational autobiographies upon comparing their educational “story” with that of an “other” of a different race and social class whom they had interviewed. Findings reveal that despite variation in students’ incoming ideological dispositions, they all rationalized inequality by clinging to moral evaluations of their own achievements and that of others like and unlike them. Teacher-educators have wrangled insufficiently with the moral logic that rationalizes unearned privilege, accounting, in part, for the kinds of resistance these students demonstrated.     

“Free Primary Education” in Lesotho and the disadvantages of the highlands

This article explores the effects of national policies associated with “Education for All” on a disadvantaged region, the highlands of Lesotho. Since 2000 a programme of “Free Primary Education” has improved the position of the highlands in access to primary schooling; nevertheless, highland primary schools compare poorly with those in the lowlands on various indicators of pupils’ outcomes and school resources. They are also found to have relatively difficult relations with local communities. The paper reflects critically on the management of the “Free Primary Education” initiative and the implications for educational opportunity and for community empowerment in the highlands region.     

“童”与“军”之悖论——民国童子军发展历程探析

20世纪初,英人贝登堡创办了Boy Scout这一儿童组织,并强调"非军事化"的发展原则。民国时期,Boy Scout在传入中国后不仅被译作"童子军",其发展也自始至终存在着"童"与"军"的悖论。指出这一悖论,是为了更好地理解童子军训练本身的教育价值;对悖论何以产生的分析,又能进一步呈现童子军在中国的独特发展历程。     

Internal and external factors shaping educational beliefs of high school teachers of “sacred” subjects to girls

This research investigated pedagogical beliefs of teachers of “sacred” school subjects, curricular topics that the school community deems culturally valued, unassailable and inviolate. Two hundred and fifty-five teachers of girls only who taught sacred or secular subjects in Jewish modern religious high schools responded to questionnaires focusing on the discipline, on students and their learning and on the teacher role and 15 were interviewed. Results reflected systematic differences between teachers of sacred and secular subjects caused by multiple factors, some internal and some external to the underlying discipline. Variation among different sacred subjects was contingent mainly on external factors.