Educational research networks in Latin America

During the last ten years research papers of good quality on Latin American education have risen from almost nothing to more than 100 a year, and the original three or four research centres have multiplied ten times. Diffusion has improved through regional distribution of journals and through opportunities for personal exchange, though this is handicapped by salary levels and poor communications. Networks, of which ten years ago there were only five, are expanding, and may be identified under sponsoring organizations or by topics. Many reasons for the high level of activity may be advanced, which include the key role played by journals, pay off from previous graduate training, facilities such as the use of computers, higher standards of librarianship and new sources of funding. Knowledge from previous research is also being put to use, and improvement programs are receiving support from research, but the danger exists that research may be transformed into an elite exercise.

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Zusammenfassung Während des letzten Jahrzehnts ist die Anzahl von Forschungsarbeiten guter Qualität über das Bildungswesen in Lateinamerika fast aus dem Nichts auf über 100 pro Jahr gestiegen, und die ursprünglich drei oder vier Forschungszentren haben sich verzehnfacht. Die Verbreitung hat sich durch regional zirkulierende Zeitschriften und durch Gelegenheiten zu persönlichem Austausch verbessert, obwohl dieser durch noch niedrige Gehälter und unzureichende Kommunikationsmittel behindert Netzwerke — vor 10 Jahren gab es nur fünf — haben sich vermehrt und können nach Förderorganisationen oder nach Themen klassifiziert werden. Für die Vielfalt der jetzigen Aktivitäten können verschiedene Gründe angeführt werden, u.a. die Schlüsselrolle der Zeitschriften, die Früchte früherer Universitätsausbildung, neue Möglichkeiten wie Gebrauch von Computern, höheres Bibliothekarsniveau und neue Finanzierungsquellen. Ausserdem werden durch frühere Forschung erworbene Kenntnisse angewandt und Verbesserungsprogramme durch Forschung unterstützt. Allerdings besteht die Gefahr, dass die Forschung einen elitären Charakter annehmen könnte.

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Résumé Au cours de ces dix dernières années, les articles sérieux concernant la recherche dans le domaine de l'éducation en Amérique latine, sont passés d'un nombre infime à une quantité depassant la centaine chaque année, et les trois ou quatre centres de recherche qui existaient à l'origine se sont multipliés par dix. La diffusion s'est améliorée grâce à la distribution régionale des publications spécialisées, et aux opportunités d'échanges personnels, bien que le handicap des bas salaires et des communications difficiles soit considérable. Les réseaux d'information qui, il y a dix ans, n'étaient qu'au nombre de cinq, se développent et peuvent être classés d'après les organisations qui les prennent en charge ou d'après leurs sujets d'enquête. On peut avancer de nombreuses suggestions pour expliquer ce haut niveau d'activité, entre autres le rôle-clef joué par les publications spécialisées, l'amortissement de la formation antérieure des enseignants, des facilités telles que l'usage des ordinateurs, un niveau plus élevé des bibliothécaires, et de nouvelles sources d'investissement. Les expériences de la recherche précédente sont aussi utilisées et les programmes d'amélioration reçoivent une aide de la recherche, mais le danger subsiste que cette recherche soit transformée en un exercice d'entraînement de l'élite.

     

Educational Neuromyths Among Teachers in Latin America

Neuroscientific knowledge has undeniably gained interest among educators worldwide. However, not all “brain facts” believed by teachers are supported by science. This study sought to evaluate the belief in these so‐called neuromyths among 3,451 Latin American teachers. We found that, consistent with prior research among teachers in other geographic areas, teachers in Latin America hold major misconceptions about neuroscience, especially as it relates to factual information about its structure and functioning. Differences across South American nations were observed with moderate and slight effect sizes for general knowledge of the brain and neuromyths, respectively. Teachers working in higher education had slightly superior performance. Teachers at all levels who reported knowing more about the brain, however, were more likely to believe invalid assertions known as neuromyths. These results shed light on trends in the field of education, hoping to encourage the development of strategies aimed at correcting the use of science as it relates to education. The implications regarding teaching practice, policy, and teacher training are discussed.     

Some challenges for educational research in Latin America

Founding director of the Centro de Estudios Educativos (Centre for Educational Studies) in Mexico City and of the Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios Educativos(Latin American Journal of Educational Studies). He was in charge of the National Programme of Educational Research of the National Council for Science and Technology. He now carries out research at the Regional Centre for Adult Education and Functional Literacy for Latin America. His recent publications include: La política de alfabetización de seis países latinoamericanos, Participatory Research: A New Research Paradigm?and Elementos para una propuesta orientada a elevar la calidad: La enseñanza tutorial.     

从区域性国际公共产品视野看拉丁美洲区域教育合作

区域性教育公共产品正在成为研究区域教育合作的一个新视角。区域性教育公共产品的优势在于,能更直接反映某区域不同类型国家的需求,从而使机制和制度更切合该地区稳定和发展的需要。本文研究了区域性教育公共产品的一般理论,并以过去几十年来由美洲开发银行提供资金或主导的区域教育项目为例,分析了区域教育合作的主要发展趋势。     

Family,Classroom, and School Effects on Childrens Educational Outcomes in Latin America

This study, which is based on a longer report by Willms and Somers (2000), employs hierarchical linear regression models to examine the relationships between 3 schooling outcomes (language and mathematics achievement, and time to complete primary schooling) and family background, as well as various school policies and practices. The analyses employ data from the Primer Estudio Internacional Comparativo (PEIC ; UNESCO, 1998), which includes data for 13 Latin American countries, with samples of approximately 100 schools in each country, and 40 grades 3 and 4 pupils sampled in each school. The study finds that the relationship between schooling outcomes and family background varies among countries. The most successful country, Cuba, has uniformly effective schools, and relatively small inequities along social class lines and between the sexes. Across all countries, the most effective schools tend to be those with: high levels of school resources; classrooms which are not multigrade, and where students are not grouped by ability; classrooms where children are tested frequently; classrooms and schools with a high level of parental involvement; and classrooms that have a positive classroom climate, especially with respect to classroom discipline. The article concludes with a discussion about how we might improve capability to monitor school performance in low-income countries.     

拉丁美洲教育公平指标的发展及启示

教育指标是近年来国内外教育研究的热点问题之一,而教育公平指标的研究是其中非常重要的一个组成部分,开发科学合理的教育公平指标体系是深入了解和有效解决教育不公平的关键。作为经济和文化都相对落后的发展中国家,近年来,拉丁美洲国家开始不断致力于教育公平指标的开发和研制。深入了解和反思拉丁美洲教育公平指标的发展进程以及发展教育公平指标过程中面临的挑战,可以给我国的教育公平指标研究提供经验和启迪。     

问题与对策:拉美地区近10年教育发展回眸

本文在概述拉丁美洲和加勒比地区20世纪最后10年教育发展的现状和总体特征的基础上，分别对该地区等教育和普通基础教育的成就、具有共性的困难和各国为此采取的政策及其成效作了详细的介绍和分析。     

Educating cities in Latin America

This article considers the development of educating cities from a political perspective, illustrating in detail the diversity of organisations and individuals involved and the challenges they are facing. Bearing in mind that educating cities were established from the 1990s onwards in Europe and spread to other continents from there, the purpose of this article is to demonstrate how this proposal was adopted in Latin America. After discussing the basic aims of educating cities, the paper focuses on the Latin American experience, giving examples of existing projects within the educating cities initiative. The authors are particularly interested in the contrast between the political intentions of educating cities on the one hand and the social, economic, political and cultural world on the other hand. They observe that in this context there is a danger of the individual being forgotten, which contradicts the actual intention of the educating city concept. They also discuss the problem of who should carry out the realisation of educating cities and how the various stakeholders might coordinate their actions. Contemplating new directions at the end of their paper, the authors sum up a number of guidelines and offer recommendations for action in developing educating cities.     

Higher Education in Latin America

This article presents an analysis of, and proposals for, international co-operation in higher education. It focuses on Latin American higher education, its current situation, and the expected transformation of the goals of higher education in the context of international co-operation. Education in the Twenty-First Century must be part of the world economic order. As such, it must attend to human necessities. One of the most important goals of the Twenty-First Century should be the building of a new kind of solidarity among human beings, one in which higher education systems will play an important role. The author describes the challenges that globalization poses to Latin American higher education.