A career in professional services: accident,serendipity or something more?

As part of a larger study, professional staff from two universities, Australian and British, were asked how they entered into a higher education career and what factors kept them in that career. Many participants reported that they found themselves in professional services almost by accident, or by a fortunate combination of circumstances. However, in addition to the serendipitous recruitment reported in earlier studies, our analysis found a positive value associated with higher education that attracted people to seek out employment opportunities, and to remain in the sector. This suggests that recruitment is not as accidental or serendipitous as might first appear. We argue that while there are many reasons why our participants remained in higher education, the variety offered in day-to-day roles and responsibilities is a key factor in retaining professional staff. Our findings have implications for policy and practice, for both the recruitment and retention of talented professional staff.     

How can only 18 black teachers working in Liverpool represent a diverse teaching workforce? A critical narrative

This paper follows on from the authors’ previous research into minimal Black teacher representation in Liverpool schools [Boyle, B., and M. Charles. 2010. “Tightening the Shackles: The Continued Invisibility of Liverpool's British African Caribbean Teachers.” Journal of Black Studies 42 (3): 427–435]. It is based on a re-examination of their findings of Liverpool's Black teachers’ historic institutionalised invisibility [Swann Report. 1985. Education for All. Report of the Committee of the Enquiry into the Education of Children from Ethnic Minority Groups. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.] and an interrogation of the situation as revealed by the 2015 data. The article uses as its evidence base, questionnaire responses and data from a sample of interviews with the current 18 Black teachers. Despite the voices of Black teachers being marginalised and even less likely to be heard, it is vital that the pedagogies of Black teachers contribute to a ‘dismantling of binaries and hierarchies that privilege Eurocentric paradigms of teaching’ [Escayg, K. 2010. “Diverse Classrooms, Diverse Teachers: Representing Cultural Diversity in the Teaching Profession and Implications for Pre-Service Admissions.” Canadian Journal for new Scholars in Education 3 (2): 1–8, 4].     

Governance and decision‐making in higher education: Comparative aspects

In this paper, I shall put forward a model which highlights key issues to be taken into account in an attempt to improve academic excellence by the means of human resources management and leadership. Practices at the University of Eastern Finland and elsewhere are used as examples. It is maintained that logical and coherent human resources policies and capable leadership can support and contribute to academic performance and excellence. A key issue is not to interfere too much with active academic work, but still give sufficient support and prerequisites for academic basic tasks.     

The Counseling Center: An Undervalued Resource in Recruitment,Retention, and Risk Management

A primary responsibility for directors of college and university counseling centers is to explain to various audiences the multiple ways such units are of value to their institutions. This article reviews the history of how counseling center directors have been encouraged to develop and describe the work of their centers. Often overlooked are the contributions that counseling centers make to institutional recruitment, retention, and risk-management activities. Research that demonstrates the relationship between counseling centers and each of these functions is reviewed and some recommendations for counseling center directors are offered.     

我国高职自主招生改革研究综述

高职自主招生改革作为高考改革的一部分,近年来开始得到越来越多的研究。目前关于高职自主招生改革的研究主要集中在改革前存在的问题、改革构想、改革后的实施效果和改进建议等几个方面。目前对高职自主招生改革的研究存在着研究视角过窄、研究方法单一、研究深度不足等问题。     

人才委用中的系统决策运用

管理是受人的决策和行为影响的系统。在人才委用过程中,管理运用系统决策来甄选人才合更科学、更高效。因此,管理在这个过程中,应考虑决策概率和风险,以及对决策追踪和修正。     

Change‐of‐career secondary teachers: motivations,expectations and intentions

In New Zealand there is an increasing trend for people with prior occupational experiences to enter secondary teaching. At a time when the media is continually questioning the status and capability of the teaching profession, we explore what or who motivates people to change their occupational paths and enter the teaching profession. Our sample of 68 newly qualified change‐of‐career teachers reported multiple factors related to their decision to pursue teaching. The matrix of reasons involved a range of “push and pull” factors related to previous work and family experiences, values and task expectancies. Three cluster groups of teachers – “Looks Good”, “Time is Right” and “Teaching is Me” – were developed to illustrate the relative influence of different combinations of reasons. We looked at how these teachers' motivations and prior experiences impacted on early and long‐term career expectations and intentions.     

关于完善少数民族硕士研究生招生政策的思考

我国在少数民族硕士研究生招生工作中一直采取特殊照顾的政策。这一政策的实施,提高了少数民族考生接受高层次教育的入学机会,但同时在政策的执行过程中也存在着人才培养难度较大、培养经费难以落实和委托单位及委托协议流于形式等问题。完善硕士研究生招生对少数民族考生的照顾政策,应坚持根据民族地区人才需求状况,适当调整入学条件,改地方单位委托为地方政府委托,适当延长培养周期和坚持毕业生回民族地区服务的原则。     

Deafened by silence or by the sound of footsteps? An investigation of the recruitment,induction and retention of special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) in England

The requirement for schools to appoint a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to coordinate provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has existed since 1994. Since that time, the role has been subject to considerable research, debate and guidance. However, how the duty is being fulfilled in terms of the career pathways of the SENCOs is an under-researched area.
NASEN commissioned a postal questionnaire survey with a sample of 500 English SENCOs. Although the reliance on untriangulated data is a limitation, the study did highlight some of the issues from the perspectives of the post holders. There is evidence of a high turnover amongst SENCOs for a variety of reasons only partly explained by the demographics. This situation gives rise to particular concerns about the recruitment of SENCOs, and the extent, nature and value of the initial support offered to them. The role of the SENCO needs to be seen as attractive enough to ensure recruitment and an appropriate level of retention. It needs to be regarded as important enough to merit adequate, supportive induction. At present, in England, the situation is patchy with the respondents describing very different systems and sets of experiences. If all schools are to move beyond simply complying with the duty to ensuring the engagement of individuals willing or prepared to develop the necessary skills, then the views of current SENCOs should be taken into account.     

The ‘[h]unt for new Canadians begins in the classroom*’: the construction and contradictions of Canadian policy discourse on international education

In Canada’s first-ever strategy, international education (IE) is linked to immigration policy with international students (IS) recruited as ‘ideal’ immigrants. This paper engages in policy sociology and Ball's concepts of 'policy as text' and 'policy as discourse' (10). It follows three stages of critical policy discourse analysis. The first a simple tally of the most commonly used words/phrases in the Strategy; the second analyses it using Van Leeuwen’s framework and the third presents results from a study on the perception and experiences of IS, exposing the gap between policy rhetoric and practice. The paper concludes that critical discourse analysis is a powerful tool to uncover policy values/ideologies, identify legitimation strategies and reveal perpetuation of power relations/status quo within Canadian society.     

Universities’ Autonomy in Times of Changing Higher Education Governance: A study of the Swiss academic labour market

Although eternally debated, the issue of autonomy in higher education is rarely analysed in its complexity. To address this issue, this article uses an analytical matrix which combines the distinction between substantive and procedural autonomy and the distinction between HEI governing bodies, academic professions and individual academics. This framework allows for analysing—by the example of the Swiss academic labour market—how changes in national steering can lead to the redistribution of autonomy between the mentioned actors. Further insights relate to the observed higher education system’s decentralised character. Empirical findings—based on the examination of three special programmes initiated by the federal government—indicate that HEI actors lose some substantive autonomy in favour of the Confederation, and—against the general tendency induced by New Public Management to reinforce HEI governing bodies—procedural autonomy is rather redistributed to individual academics and academic professions.     

博士“申请-审核”制招生面试的探索与实践——以天津大学药物科学与技术学院(中国高校国际化示范学院)为例

本研究调研了美国、英国为代表的国家高校面试现状,从招生的面试方式、问题设计等方面进行系统性、深入性调查研究,结合我国特别是天津大学新近实施的博士招生"申请-审核"制的现状,为该制度的重要组成部分——"面试"过程提供了若干实施建议。     

The influence of motivation and adaptation on students’ subjective well-being,meaning in life and academic performance

High rates of mental illness among students and discontinuation with university studies are regularly reported. The current study sought to explore relationships between motivation, university adaptation and indicators of mental health and well-being and academic performance of 184 first-year university students (73% female, mean age?=?19.3 years). As expected, intrinsic motivation was associated with greater subjective well-being, meaning in life and academic performance. Extrinsic motivations showed few relationships to outcome variables, while amotivation was consistently associated with poor outcomes. Hierarchical regression revealed that after accounting for adjustment, motivational orientations provided a small, though significant, contribution to the prediction of outcomes. These results are discussed in relation to Self-Determination Theory, the eudaimonic/hedonic dichotomy and implications for career counselling and teaching.     

Sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviour among pupils in special schools

In this article, Rachel Fyson of the Centre for Social Work in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham reports the findings of a study into sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviour occurring between pupils in special schools in four local authorities in England. The behaviours identified ranged from relatively minor misconduct, such as exposure of genitals and use of sexualised language, through to serious acts of sexual abuse, including rape. Although the majority (88%) of special schools had noted sexualised behaviours of some kind on a regular basis, only a minority (19%) had specific policies in place to guide staff responses to such incidents. It was apparent that responses to sexual behaviour, and policy decisions about whether or when to refer to outside agencies, varied widely both within and between schools. The implications of these findings for the well-being of all pupils are discussed.     

What do secondary trainee teachers say about teaching as a profession of their “choice” in Malawi?

This interview-based qualitative study is concerned with the recruitment of secondary teachers in Malawi. This study shows a range of perspectives for pursuing a teacher training course: failure to follow a desired career, springboard to other careers, to upgrade, and teaching out of vocation. It shows that trainee teachers held a range of images about teaching: its ability to enhance knowledge; low pay with no incentives, low status profession, and lack of trust of male trainee teachers. Teacher educators and policy makers need to consider the perspectives of trainee teachers to reduce resource wastage and support trainee teachers appropriately.     

大学自主招生改革的成效与反思

从试点到逐步推行,我国大学自主招生制度历经了10年改革历程。参与自主招生的大学在招生宣传、组织报名、命题、组织考试、笔试、面试、招生、考试管理等方面积极探索,在建立多元化考试招生方式、利用招生自主权等方面积累了丰富经验,获得了初步的改革成效。而促进考试公平、进一步提高考试科学性,建立稳定、系统的考试制度是大学自主招生改革的努力方向与发展趋势。     

引导高校合理竞争 完善自主招生制度

在资源分配行政划拨和高等教育资源供不应求的卖方市场环境下,我国高校之间长期以来缺乏竞争。自主招生为高校之间争夺优质生源提供了竞争平台,提供了完善高校竞争机制的切入点。在竞争的压力下,各高校才有动力不断提高自身的办学条件,提高教学科研水平,不断改进教学内容以适应社会需求,形成多样化和特色化的人才培养方案。管理部门应该给予学校足够的自主权,并给予政策上的引导和支持,以自主招生为切入点,完善高校竞争机制,提高高校的综合实力。