Costs of education in India

An attempt is made in this paper to present an empirical analysis of costs of education in India. Besides making his own fresh analysis in this paper, the author draws on the studies conducted and estimates made earlier by the author himself and by others on costs and related aspects of education in India, on the basis of which certain valuable inferences, conclusions and policy implications relating to a variety of dimensions of the problem are made, such as importance of costs in educational planning, the complementary role between private and institutional costs, the nature of production process in the educational system, regional variations in the costs of education, the relationship between cost of education and economic development, etc. The paper ends with a few major suggestions on the problem.     

教育政策研究中的性别意识探析

教育政策贯穿整个教育管理活动,每一种教育管理行为的发生都来源于一定的教育政策。近年来,在教育政策研究的基本环节中,＂人＂的主体不断增强。对＂人＂的关怀往往是基于对抽象化的人的分析,在话语中缺少了一个重要的人类学现实——人的性别存在。女性主义教育思潮与社会性别理论的兴起,丰富了教育政策的理论基础和研究视角,在教育政策研究中纳入性别意识,能够使教育政策研究更加贴切于＂人＂的存在,更富有＂人性＂。     

Integration and special education research in Norway

During the past two decades Norwegian research in special education has slowly been established as a field of its own. In this chapter special education research in Norway is examined in the context of special education policy for compulsory school age. Three different domains of special education research are discussed: its domain, its epistemology, and the development of institutions of special education research. Not unexpectedly, the connection between formulation of educational policy and the realization of that policy is a big problem.     

Modern foreign language education for learners with additional support needs in Scotland

The face of Modern Foreign Language education (MFL) in Scotland is changing. A major policy shift in Scottish education in 2012 set out the aspiration that all students up to the end of third level education in Scottish schools would have the opportunity to learn not one but two languages, in addition to their mother tongue. Over the last 20 years, there has been, concurrently, an undertaking by the Scottish government, in a series of policy documents, committing to provision that will ensure that students with additional support needs (ASN) receive equality of access to a broad and balanced education. This paper draws upon policy documents and published research in the area to review the extent to which the vision of language learning of all has been made available to students with ASN and the documented benefits associated with MFL education for those with ASN. Drawing upon case studies of inclusive MFL pedagogies, it identifies successful strategies that can be deployed by teachers. It then considers some of the mechanisms by which the current gaps in provision have arisen and proposes possible remedial steps, drawing on both an analysis of policy and case studies of effective practice.     

The Pursuit of School Effectiveness and Educational Quality in Hong Kong

This article briefly describes the Hong Kong education system, discusses the policies and efforts for education quality and school improvement, and reviews the development of school effectiveness research in Hong Kong. Hong Kong people have shown their strong commitment to educational reform for better societal development in the coming decades. A number of important policies have been issued to improve educational practice and school management. Even though some drawbacks and difficulties have inevitably been encountered in policy formulation and implementation, numerous good opportunities have been created for policy-makers, school practitioners, and educational researchers to conduct educational innovation, school improvement, and school effectiveness research. The ongoing education experiments, reform experiences, improvement practices, and effectiveness studies at both the system and school levels may not only benefit Hong Kong people but also make a contribution to international concern for school effectiveness and improvement.     

Accountability and Relevance in Educational Research

Educational research has been criticised recently for being poorly conceived, self-indulgent and of little practical use. These allegations are discussed via an overview of the various functions of educational research: the production of knowledge about education, the formulation of educational policy, the promotion of improvements in educational practice, the promotion of radical change in society. The responsibilities of educational researchers are then discussed: proper attention to the functions of educational research, accountability for monies spent, recognition of responsibility for their activities. The pressures exerted by external funding bodies and the distorting effects of the research assessment exercise in the UK affect our sense of priorities here.     

Discourse analysis as theory,method, and epistemology in studies of education policy

ABSTRACT

Discourse has featured in studies of educational policy as an analytic and methodological tool, theoretical frame, realm of implication, and even a foundational definition of educational policy itself (e.g.) Despite the centrality of discourse as a frame for exploring educational policy and its implications, the ways that discourse is defined or operationalized in educational policy research are often left implicit which can lead to murky relations to larger onto-epistemological questions of how we construct findings from data as well as the nature of policy. In this interpretive analysis, we synthesize a corpus of 37 peer-reviewed journal articles that bring together educational policy and analyses of discourse from varying theoretical and methodological perspectives in order to better understand the breadth and scope of how discourse is defined and operationalized in studies of educational policy, including in ways that are sometimes incommensurate with authors' stated theoretical and methodological positions. After first laying the theoretical groundwork for analyses of discourse in the field of educational policy, we then illustrate how discourse analysis is used differently, and sometimes inconsistently, within contested paradigmatic landscapes. We conclude with an argument for discussions across theoretical frameworks and methodological paradigms about how the concept of discourse lends itself to different epistemological vantage points on educational policy.     

In search of ‘time-tested truths’: historical perspectives on educational administration

This article has a dual purpose. The first is to pay tribute to the work of Richard Selleck and Geoffrey Sherington; the second to argue that historians of education can make substantial contributions to current and future educational policy and practice by identifying what Ravitch has called ‘time-tested truths’. The nature and purpose of historical study are examined with particular reference to education and to making maps of the past. Examples are provided of the application of historical perspectives to contemporary education issues in 1985 and 1996. The final section draws upon an analysis by leading historians in the USA of the failures of school reform, and a research project into the establishment, nature and likely fate of the Department for Education and Employment in the UK. The basic conclusion is that the development of the field of educational administration requires both specialist historical studies and those informed by a broader understanding of educational and human perspectives.     

Critical Race Studies in Education: Examining a Decade of Research on U.S. Schools

In this article, the authors critically synthesize how Critical Race Theory (CRT) as an emerging field of inquiry has been used as a tool of critique and analysis in K-12 education research. The authors point out that CRT has been used as a framework for examining: persistent racial inequities in education, qualitative research methods, pedagogy and practice, the schooling experiences of marginalized students of color, and the efficacy of race-conscious education policy. The authors explore how these studies have changed the nature of education research and stress the need for further research that critically interrogates race and racism in education.Marvin Lynn is an Assistant Professor of Department of Curriculum & Instruction in University of Maryland, College Park. He completed his B.S., at DePaul University, Chicago, IL, M.A. at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY and Ph.D. at University of California, Los Angeles. He has published articles in the area of Critical Race Theory and education and critical race pedagogy. He has also written a number of articles that explore the work and lives of Black male teachers.Laurence Parker is Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies in University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He completed his B.A., at Earlham College, Richmond, IN, M.A. and Ph.D. in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His current research examines Critical Race Theory and its connection to educational research, policy and practice in the k-12 and post-secondary settings. His research also examines social justice perspectives in educational administration, leadership and policy, particularly with respect to race and social class     

Bridging Cultures and Traditions in the Reconceptualisation of Comparative and International Education

If the field of comparative education is to be reconceptualised in ways that articulate and demonstrate its continued relevance for the 21st century, it is argued that its history and traditions deserve both celebration and challenge. The field's multi-disciplinary origins and nature, for example, position it well for further advancement in a future in which the socio-cultural analysis of global trends and developments will require concerted attention. On the other hand, some fundamental, and long-evident, characteristics require critical re-consideration. In the light of this, the article focuses upon ways in which bridges can be built or strengthened across disciplinary boundaries and between theoretical and applied studies, policy and practice, micro and macro levels of analysis and studies of the North and the South. Implications of this are considered for all engaged in comparative and international research and related educational policy and practice.     

Participatory practices in policy-making: Negotiating democratic outcomes or manoeuvring for compliance?

This article explores the nature of participatory practices in policy-making in basic education and their impact on the directions and outcomes of policy. Drawing on theoretical developments in policy studies, the focus is on non-formal education as a policy challenge for EFA. Data are presented from a recent field study undertaken in Uganda of the process to establish a policy framework for basic education for disadvantaged children. A multi-dimensional frame is used for the analysis of the practice of policy development. It is argued that NFE, because of its amorphous and marginal nature, is an important arena for contesting the orthodoxy of educational thinking, policies and practices. Yet the full engagement by all stakeholders by itself cannot guarantee a democratic outcome, as the nature of policy processes may allow for counter-actions that preserve the existing education hierarchy.     

美国教育政策循证研究的理论与实践:对中国的启示

文章对2002-2017年间美国教育和政策研究领域中12种有代表性的学术期刊的研究论文类型和发表要求进行了可视化分析,基于美国教育政策领域中循证研究兴起的背景、证据类型和证据链检验标准,提出我国教育政策制定和研究过程中应重视循证研究理念,提高教育决策质量;加强教育政策智库建设,保证高质量的政策证据;政策类学术期刊重视循证研究,提升教育研究的科学性和权威性。     

Continuing Inequity through Neoliberalism: The Conveyance of White Dominance in the Educational Policy Speeches of President Barack Obama

The purpose of this critical discourse analysis is to examine how the political speeches and statements of President Barack Obama knowingly or unknowingly continue practices and policies of White privilege within educational policy and practice by constructing education in a neoliberal frame. With presidents having the ability to communicate unencumbered with their citizens, the impact of Presidential communication can either set or rupture the status quo. President Obama, as the first non-White President of the United States of America, is now at the center of continuing or breaking the status quo in educational policy which has been historically harmful to racial minorities. Through this critical discourse analysis studying the statements and remarks of President Obama in seven speeches pertaining to pk-12 education, there was evidence that suggested President Obama maintains the status quo. This paper argues that President Obama views education as a neoliberal enterprise, with its main focus on education serving economic purposes. Such a view reinforces racial stratification throughout society. Other evidence suggests that President Obama also reinforces individualistic approaches concerning race which could serve to further embed the institutional and internalized racism in public education. This research can serve to continue and strengthen educational discussions of the impact of whiteness and racism on public education. While steps are continually taken to ensure legal equality, generational and institutionalized measures are often ignored when discussing race and racism. This research can provide for further conversations on the impact that leaders have on continuing and promoting aspects of racism to their constituents.     

Who is conducting educational research in Australia and how can their work be supported?

Educational research has long been the subject of lively and agitated debate, not least because of its diversity. Ranging in scope from academic development and broad-scale policy research through to student engagement and discipline-specific research, it includes methods of traditional academic inquiry and investigations and also less traditional modes of research. However, the topography of Australian educational research and the characteristics of the people who undertake this complex body of work are currently unclear. This paper explores some of the complexities of the Australian research community, drawing on the findings of a national online survey of academics who identified as researching in the field of education from within and outside education schools and faculties. The survey attracted 504 responses from 38 of Australia’s 39 universities, and just over two-thirds of respondents were located in a school or faculty of education. We draw on the results to answer the questions of who is undertaking educational research and who how they might be supported. We utilise a conceptual model that ‘segments’ the educational research workforce represented by the survey respondents, and we conclude by indicating strategies that might be utilised to address research barriers indicated by educational researchers.     

Re-defining ‘learning about religion’ and ‘learning from religion’: a study of policy change

The study of how policy processes shape religious education as a curriculum subject, rather than within faith schooling, is relatively unexplored. This paper applies a policy analysis perspective to an important distinction in non-confessional English religious education, which has also been adopted internationally: ‘learning about religion’ and ‘learning from religion’. The changing nature of the distinction in English policy documents from 1994 is examined in the light of three main voices of influence on educational policy: neo-conservatives, neo-liberals and progressives. These changes are also analysed through three policy contexts: influence, text production and practice. Revisions to policy wording are interpreted in the light of this theory, showing the growing significance of neo-liberalism, and the nature of compromise, amendment and ambiguity. The implications for an understanding of the inter-relationship between policy, pedagogy and practice are then considered.     

The intellectual landscape of critical policy analysis

What counts as critical policy analysis in education? Over the past 30 years, a tightening of national educational policies can be seen in the USA and across the globe. Over this same period of time, a growing number of educational policy scholars, dissatisfied with traditional frameworks, have used critical frameworks in their analyses. Their critical educational policy work has contributed to a unique intellectual landscape within education: critical policy analysis. This article presents a qualitative exploration of the critical policy analysis approach to educational policy studies. Participants included scholars known to utilize critical theoretical frameworks and methods in their research. Through a historical approach that makes use of oral history interviews with educational policy, we developed an understanding of the critical approach to policy studies, its appeal among critical education policy scholars, and the rationales driving its use.     

Lessons Learned from PISA: A Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Articles on the Programme for International Student Assessment

International large-scale assessments are on the rise, with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) seen by many as having strategic prominence in education policy debates. The present article reviews PISA-related English-language peer-reviewed articles from the programme’s first cycle in 2000 to its most current in 2015. Five literature bases were searched, and results were analysed with SPSS. Results map the frequency of publications according to journal, country, and scientific discipline. They also summarise major themes within three identified categories: secondary analysis, policy impact, and critiques. Findings indicated that studies based on the PISA dataset has led to progress in educational research while simultaneously pointing to the need for caution when using this research to inform educational policy.     

哥伦比亚教育券政策述评

哥伦比亚是拉丁美洲经济发展较为良好的发展中国家，该国90年代以来实施的教育券政策有效地促进了私立教育的发展，并保障了贫穷孩子获得良好教育的机会。我国与哥伦比亚同属经济发展瞩目的发展中国家，一些地区正在尝试的教育券政策也与哥伦比亚的实践十分相似。本文试图对哥伦比亚教育券计划的实施背景、模式、特征及运作过程等作一系统分析与研究，以期为我国相关政策的制定、实施与完善提供借鉴。     

The politics of mourning in Cyprus and Israel: educational implications

This paper suggests the need for a critical analysis of the nationalization of mourning and its educational implications, especially in conflict‐ridden areas. Our thoughts are grounded in a comparative study on mourning that has been conducted as part of our long‐standing ethnographic research in schools in Cyprus and Israel during the last 10 years. Through this study on mourning, we highlight two ideas. First, we want to show how a comparison of our studies in Cyprus and Israel highlights the difficulties for alternative interpretations to be translated into educational policies and teacher practices in the absence of changes in political structures. Second, we want to show that despite the forces that nationalize mourning, there are educational openings for alternative interpretations about mourning and the encouragement of reconciliation pedagogies. To this end, the education literature on teaching controversial issues and examples of pedagogies for reconciliation might be relevant to provide concrete ideas for education theory, policy and practice on issues of mourning.     

Using multidimensional methods to understand the development,interpretation and enactment of quality assurance policy within the educational development community

Policy texts are representations of practice that both reflect and shape the world around them. There is, however, little higher education research that critically analyses the impact of higher education policy on educational developers and educational development practice. Extending methods from critical discourse analysis by combining textual analysis of a policy text with in-depth interviews with policy-makers and policy users, this article seeks to better understand the process of production, interpretation and implementation of policy. The article focuses on a leading national UK quality assurance policy in relation to the educational development community in order to uncover how policy is played out in practice. The findings paint a picture of a text that presents a version of higher education that is portrayed linguistically as universally accepted. Yet, the methodological approach enables the uncovering of the complexities of the policy process that go beyond the text’s words by highlighting the debates that shaped its development and the interpretations of its textual form that subsequently shape its enactment. Looking specifically at the constraints of policy boundaries, word choice and calls to educational development action (or inaction), the policy text is analysed in light of educational developers’ contexts and institutional positioning, surfaced through the research process itself. The article concludes by arguing that the combination of data collection and analysis methods used provide greater insights into how policy is played out in practice than the employment of any one of these methods individually could have achieved.