Social network analysis of international student mobility: uncovering the rise of regional hubs

Research on the patterns of international student mobility and the dynamics shaping these patterns has been dominated by studies reflecting a Western orientation, discourse, and understanding. Considering political, economic, cultural, historical, and ecological factors, this study argues that international student mobility is not only an issue of the economically developed, politically stable, and academically advanced Western world but also one that involves countries with different economic, political, and academic characteristics. Taking into account various theoretical orientations, this study argues that political, economic, cultural, and historical factors have led to the emergence of non-traditional destinations for international students; these countries are labeled as emergent regional hubs. In order to empirically test this, a social network analysis was conducted on a worldwide dataset representing 229 countries. The findings evidenced the strong position of traditional destinations for international students. However, the results also suggest the rise of several regional hubs, which are undergoing internationalization processes in different forms and with different rationales. The mobility patterns in emerging regional hubs deviate from those in traditional destinations, which fundamentally change the nature of internationalization in this context.     

Special educators in inclusive education programmes: reframing their work as teacher leadership

Special education teachers are finding themselves in increasingly complex and demanding contexts of practice. Many are considering leaving the field or have already done so. These conditions suggest a decline in the appeal of professional practice as a special education teacher, with potentially deleterious short‐ and long‐term effects on the lives of students with disabilities. Special education teachers identified as highly effective in serving students with low incidence disabilities in inclusive education settings were convened to understand better their realities of practice in inclusive education settings and to identify supports for such practice. Findings support and expand those presented in Bright Futures for Exceptional Learners () a report published by the US Council for Exceptional Children. In addition to corroborating the complexity of practice, the special educators articulated a sophisticated understanding of how their schools and districts function organizationally and politically. This understanding resulted in access to and utilization of a wide array of resources for students. It is posited that the work of special educators in inclusive education settings is appropriately viewed as teacher leadership. Recommendations are offered for engaging local conversations that result in support for special educators in their central role as leaders of inclusive education.     

Instructor Humor as a Moderator of Instructors’ Inappropriate Conversations and Instructional Dissent

This study (N?=?326) was conducted to examine the associations among instructor humor, inappropriate conversations, and instructional dissent. First, results showed students are more likely to employ rhetorical dissent when they perceive their instructors as humorous in the classroom. Second, using expectancy violations theory as a guide, results also indicated that students’ perceptions of instructor-relevant humor moderated the relationships between enactment of inappropriate conversations and students’ expressive and vengeful dissent. These findings support the importance of employing relevant humor in course instruction, especially when instructors engage in inappropriate conversations in the college classroom.     

Students as political actors? Similarities and differences across six European nations

Drawing on data from students, higher education staff and policymakers from six European countries, this article argues that it remains a relatively common assumption that students should be politically engaged. However, while students articulated a strong interest in a wide range of political issues, those working in higher education and influencing higher education policy tended to believe that students were considerably less politically active than their predecessors. Moreover, while staff and policy influencers typically conceived of political engagement in terms of collective action, articulated through common reference to the absence of a ‘student movement’ or unified student voice, students’ narratives tended not to valorise ‘student movements’ in the same way and many categorised as ‘political’ action they had taken alone and/or with a small number of other students. Alongside these broad commonalities across Europe, the article also evidences some key differences between nation-states, institutions and disciplines. In this way, it contributes to the comparative literature on young people’s political engagement specifically, as well as wider debates about the ways in which higher education students are understood.     

Becoming world-wise: an educational perspective on the rhetorical curriculum

In this paper I discuss some aspects of recent scholarship on rhetoric and the curriculum, making a distinction between approaches that use insight from rhetoric to analyse formal and informal curricula and approaches that develop programmatic suggestions for the conduct of education. In the paper I deploy an educational perspective which I distinguish from a perspective that sees education mainly as a process of the socialization of individuals into existing social, cultural and political ways of doing and being. I focus on three aspects of the discussion: the conceptions of education that are being used in the discussion and, more specifically, the way in which the rhetorical approach is connected to the ideas of paideia and Bildung; the particular understanding of language in the rhetorical approach to the curriculum; and the question whether the rhetorical curriculum should be understood in terms of empowerment or in terms of emancipation. I argue for a more consistent and more radical adoption of insights from rhetorical scholarship in order to make the rhetorical curriculum more educational and more politically aware. I capture this with the idea of becoming ‘world-wise’ as an alternative for the idea that the rhetorical curriculum should contribute to making students ‘symbol-wise’.     

Differences between experts’ and students’ conceptual images of the mathematical structure of Taylor series convergence

Taylor series convergence is a complicated mathematical structure which incorporates multiple concepts. Therefore, it can be very difficult for students to initially comprehend. How might students make sense of this structure? How might experts make sense of this structure? To answer these questions, an exploratory study was conducted using experts and students who responded to a variety of interview tasks related to Taylor series convergence. An initial analysis revealed that many patterns of their reasoning were based upon certain elements and actions performed on elements from the underlying mathematical structure of Taylor series. A corresponding framework was created to better identify these elements and how they were being used. Some of the elements included using particular values for the independent variable, working with terms, partial sums, sequences, and remainders. Experts and students both focused on particular elements of Taylor series, but the experts demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of their reasoning by evoking more conceptual images and more readily moving between images of different elements to best respond to the current task. Instead of moving between images as dictated by tasks, students might fixate on “surface level” features of Taylor series and fail to focus on more relevant features that would allow them to more appropriately engage the task. Furthermore, how experts used their images, supports the idea that they were guided by formal theory, whereas students were still attempting to construct their understanding.     

美国残疾学生转换服务法规与转换模式的研究——美国保证残疾中学生向学校后过渡对我国的启示

通过解读美国有关残疾学生转换服务的法规,并探究美国如何进行转换服务模式的研究,可以了解美国如何让残疾学生从中学生活过渡到成年生活的一些成功经验和做法。这对消除我国目前存在的残疾人受教育"边缘化"的现象以及解决残疾人就业问题具有重要的借鉴意义。     

A piece of resistance: exploring behaviour assessment and political subjectification in a Swedish upper secondary school

In 2007, students at a Swedish Upper Secondary School engaged in a series of protests and demonstrations against the implementation of a written assessment of student conduct. This article explores the motivations and manifestations of this resistance, mainly by analysing debate articles and web material from the student union that organized the protests, but also by drawing on news articles, policy documents and interview material in order to grasp how this resistance was received by advocates of the conduct assessment. Making use of Mouffe’s and Rancière’s theories on political dissent, as well as Foucauldian power perspectives, the article discusses the students’ resistance in relation to political subjectification, concluding that it serves as an important manifestation of individual as well as collective engagement in school democracy, and personal student integrity.     

History as narrative: the nature and quality of historical understanding for students with LD

In this study, we examine the nature and quality of students' comprehension of history. Specifically, we explore whether cognitive-psychological theories developed to capture the comprehension of narrative text can be used to capture the comprehension of history. Participants were 36 students with learning disabilities who had taken part in an earlier study designed to investigate the effects of an interactive instructional intervention in history. The results of the original study supported the effectiveness of the intervention in terms of amount recalled. The results of the present study reveal that historical understanding can be characterized as the construction of meaning through the creation of a causal network of events. The study of history within a causal network framework has implications for understanding the nature and quality of students' learning of history, and for potentially identifying sources of failure in learning.     

Adolescent understandings of disability labels and social stigma in school

Frequent discussion in the field of disability research focuses knowledge on rehabilitation for students with disabilities. However, lacking is a focus on student identity development in the face of a highly stigmatizing and stigmatized label. Semi-structured interviews with four freshman males labeled with high incidence disabilities were conducted. The aim of the study was a student-centered discussion of disability knowledge and awareness of stigma. This student-centered discussion is presented in contrast to a body of literature critiqued as stories that are told about people with disabilities by nondisabled researchers and practitioners. Instead, this paper frames students with disabilities as the experts on their own identity. All students were aware of the stigma of their disability label, though each negotiated this stigma differently. The young men conceptualized disability in differing ways. Results suggest students’ deep knowledge, of, and conscious behaviors to avoid disability stigma.     

A Foucaultian critique of learning disability discourses: personal narratives and science

In this article, I present a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of two discourses in learning disabilities (LD) – the academic research literature on emotions of students labeled as LD and retrospective autobiographies from adults labeled as LD writing about their emotions as students. Drawing mainly on Foucaultian explanations of power, I investigate how these two discourses differentially position persons labeled as LD as human subjects. I raise research and theoretical concerns to further interpret power as discursively and historically situated and point out opportunities for resisting ways the dominant positivist, scientific discourse positions students labeled as LD.     

The relationship between school belonging,sibling aggression and bullying involvement: implications for students with and without disabilities

Bullying is grounded in the interactions between an individual and complex social–ecological systems. Therefore, bullying involvement is not just confined to the classroom or school. Recent research suggests that sibling aggression may be a predictor for peer-level aggression. These findings may be more relevant for students with disabilities because studies suggest that students with disabilities are disproportionately involved in the bullying dynamic. Therefore, this study explored the intersection between sibling aggression and school belonging on bullying, victimisation and fighting for 14,508 students, including 1183 students with disabilities and 13,325 students without disabilities in grades 6 through 12. As hypothesised, students with disabilities reported higher levels of victimisation, bullying and fighting. Additionally, high levels of school belonging partially buffered fighting and bullying behaviours for students with and without disabilities. These findings demonstrate the importance of establishing an inclusive and safe environment for school-aged youth.     

Playing with Fire,or the Stuffing of Dead Animals: Freire,Dewey, and the Dilemma of Social Studies Reform

In his proposal for a social studies both more critical and more participatory, Neumann's (2008) politically adaptive strategy of invoking standards for critical thinking poses troubling concerns for democratic-minded educators familiar with the trajectory of reforms. Neumann's outright dismissal of critical pedagogy ironically underscores how the political nature of educational knowledge itself mitigates the possibility of a more critical orientation. A reexamination of the Dewey-Lippmann debates points to the pivotal roles of dissent, dialogue and critical agency in democracy, and to the conclusion that, despite recent criticisms, critical pedagogy represented by Freire best meets Neumann's goal of a more “holistic approach to democratic health” (332).     

A Politically Liberal Conception of Formal Education in a Developing Democracy

As discussed by John Rawls, in a well-ordered society, a public political culture’s wide educational role bears the primary responsibility for developing reasonable individuals for the stability of a politically liberal society. Rawlsian scholars have also focused on the stability and enhancement of developed liberal democratic societies by means of those societies’ education systems. In this sense, one thing that is common to Rawlsian scholars’ and Rawls’s own understanding of the role of education appears to be a concern over the stability of a politically liberal society since it is highly dependent on the character of its citizens. Also, it is usually believed that a politically liberal account of education can be implemented in a developed politically liberal society. In contrast, this study discusses the possibility of implementing a politically liberal account of education in a developing liberal society that may become a developed liberal democracy under an overlapping consensus.     

Students with Learning Disabilities: An Update on Norwegian Educational Policy,Practice, and Research

A politically initiated shift in the conceptualization of learning disabilities (LD) is outlined, followed by an account of the consequences of the new perspective for the recognition of and services to LD students. The organization of the support system is described, including a survey of the services delivered and working methods. As another approach to examining the status of LD in Norway, a sampling of current research describes problems studied, methods of assessment, and intervention measures used. Some comments on the future situation for students with LD conclude the article.     

Attitudes towards inclusion in higher education in a Portuguese university

In this article, we present data concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education (HE) at a Portuguese university. This research is part of a wider project designed to understand the trajectories and experiences of students with disabilities at the University of Algarve. This exploratory study raises questions about inclusion and discusses this concept based on the perspectives of academic and non-academic staff. A qualitative approach was used to provide an informative exploration of attitudes towards inclusive education and recommendations for promoting best practices therein. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. We found positive perceptions of university staff members about the inclusion of the students with disabilities. However, more effort is needed to provide these students with opportunities to continue their academic career in HE and to promote inclusion, personal development and participation in social and economic life. Although inclusive education is on political and educational agendas, the perception of disabilities as deficits prevails. The findings of this study, therefore, reveal that changes must be implemented to effectively adopt the social and educational model of disability.     

‘I Wish the School Had a Better Understanding of the Diagnosis’: parent perspectives on educational needs of students with sex chromosome aneuploidies

Students with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) are at increased risk for learning disabilities and often require individualized supports in the school setting. Parents of students with rare disorders such as SCAs possess a unique understanding of their child’s educational experiences and play a crucial role in the development of successful school support plans. This international survey study aimed to inductively capture parent perspectives on educational needs and supports for students with SCAs. Parents of youth with SCAs ages 5-21 years (n = 305) provided free-text responses to open-ended questions about their child’s education. Qualitative content analysis using a bioecological systems framework resulted in three overarching themes. Overall, parents identified multiple factors related to the SCA diagnosis that act as barriers to learning, a strong need for school-based social and emotional supports, and elusive or incomplete educational support plans. Based on these findings, we recommend developing robust family-school partnerships, increased collaboration between the school and the child’s medical team, and acknowledgement of the significant role the genetic condition plays in the educational experiences of students with SCAs. Specific suggestions for school support plans for students with SCAs are explored, such as providing school-based behavioral health supports and explicit teaching of executive function strategies.     

阅读文化经典活动对加强大学生思想政治教育作用的探索

大学生作为未来社会的栋梁,其思想倾向对高校教育改革具有重要的指导作用。高校图书馆是学校对大学生进行思想政治教育的重要阵地,肩负着传承文化和育人的重要使命。切实加强和改进大学生思想政治教育,应充分发挥图书馆的育人功能,把大学生培养成中国特色社会主义事业的建设者和接班人。郑州大学图书馆在开展阅读经典活动中探索出了一条加强和改进大学生思想政治教育的新途径,效果显著。     

浅论加强新疆地区研究生思想政治教育工作的意义

新疆作为我国边疆欠发达地区,需要大量的政治合格、品德高尚、专业基础扎实、知识面宽、有创新能力、综合索质全面提升的、适应社会发展的高层次人才。要使广大研究生成长为中国特色社会主义事业的合格建设者和可靠接班人,不仅要大力提高他们的科学文化素质,更要大力提高他们的思想政治素质。在新的历史背景下,改进和加强新疆地区研究生思想政治教育工作,把研究生培养成政治合格、品德高尚的高素质创新人才,是为新疆地区经济建设和发展提供合格人才的必然要求,是保证少数民族地区和谐稳定发展的必然要求,是推进我区高校思想政治教育改革的必然要求。