Participation in adult and community education: a discourse of diminishing returns

The terms in which the dominant discourse of participation is framed systematically reinforces one particular view about the relationship between life and learning. It is one in which participation in learning is professionally and institutionally controlled and, consequently, defined largely in vocational, instrumental and individual terms. A significant absence in the dominant discourse is an understanding of participation which draws on the experience of the radical tradition in adult education. In a context where there is potential for greater participation in social and civic politics, as evidenced by the growth of social movements, reconnecting with radical ideas about participation in education can lead to rethinking the ‘problem of participation’ and its implications. We need to understand not only how the discourse of participation has generated knowledge but also excludes and limits what is known. A thorough critique is necessary and overdue and one that is critical of the ‘regime of truth’ which has been seeded, cultivated and harvested through the dominant professional discourse.     

Community Learning Centres (CLCs) for Adult Learning and Education (ALE): development in and by communities

International Review of Education - Institutionalised forms of adult learning and education (ALE) such as community learning centres (CLCs) and related models are found in most parts of the world....     

Unemployment,expected returns,and the demand for university education in Ontario: some empirical results

This article presents the results of empirical analysis of the influence of labour market factors on the private demand for university education in Ontario. Contrary to a widely held belief, the analysis indicates that the effect of youth unemployment upon enrolment demand is very weak. High unemployment, by itself, does not appear to drive youths into universities. On the other hand, expected earnings upon completion of a degree is shown to have a strong positive impact upon enrolment demand, particularly for post-graduate students. A 10 percent increase in the expected earnings of persons with post graduate degrees relative to persons with only bachelor's degrees is associated with more than a 20 percent increase in post-graduate enrolment. These findings are subject to qualifications regarding certain weaknesses in the data, as well as the usual problems of making inferences about expectation behaviour from ex post data. One important policy implication of this study is that attempts to use educational spending as a contra-cyclical device may not be successful unless students are given extra inducement to enrol when unemployment is high. Second, the apparent responsiveness of enrolment demand to changes in earnings expectations of degree holders underscores the importance of providing good up-to-date information on earnings prospects. It should be emphasized, however, that this study dealt only with aggregate (undergraduate or postgraduate) enrolment, and further research is needed to examine the responsiveness of specific program and subject choices to variation in occupational earnings prospects. Moreover, the responsiveness of student enrolment decisions to prospective earnings is only one of several factors — though a very important one — which must be taken into account in deciding upon the role of manpower considerations in educational planning.     

Innovative approaches to continuous professional development (CPD) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Europe: Findings from a comparative review

This article explores innovation as an aspect of in-service continuous professional development (CPD) in ECEC. Based on a literature review and a cross-country analysis conducted in ten European countries, we found that innovation in CPD was understood as a way to improving quality in ECEC. CPD no longer solely deals with practitioners’ knowledge and skills. Rather, it encompasses processes such as critical thinking, reflexivity and co-creation within and across ECEC systems. Two overall approaches to innovation in CPD emerged: one can be characterised as developing in systems that lack a national definition for innovation, where there is nevertheless a growing awareness of the need to finding new solutions for ECEC; and one as highly innovative in systems that have a history, culture and societal tradition of innovation. Also, three additional insights were identified as crucial aspects of CPD in terms of innovation: (a) critical reflection; (b) communities of practice; and (c) a growing focus on politics that address social inequality through ECEC. This analysis contributes to filling the gaps in research on innovative CPD in ECEC at three levels: system (macro), inter-organisational (meso) and individual, organisational (micro). Further research is needed to explore more in-depth the identified approaches to innovation related to CPD and their impact on quality development in European ECEC.     

Curriculum as policy: some implications of contemporary policy studies for the analysis of curriculum policy,with particular reference to post-primary curriculum policy in the Republic of Ireland

An overview of contemporary curriculum discourse shows a worrying drift to the technical; in current curriculum debates, technique is winning out over substance, procedures over principles. This article shows how this theoretical vacuum is ascribed by many in the field to the dominance of the Tyler rationale in curriculum planning. However, the symptoms of means-end rationality are not confined to curriculum - they are found across the breadth of educational studies and have reached epidemic proportions, suggests the article, in the discourse of educational reform. A number of serious implications for the lack of analysis of curriculum policy are identified and particular reference is made to the Republic of Ireland where, it is suggested, the size of the education system should facilitate greater debate. Instead, the discussions focus on the management rather than the meaning of change. In searching for sources for new curriculum theory,the author suggests that the field of policy studies offers considerable potential, in particular the work of Stephen Ball on mapping the policy cycle. The possibilities for a theory of curriculum as policies are explored. A model of a curriculum policy cycle is proposed and subjected to some analysis.     

Developing the Curriculum for Pupils Experiencing Difficulties in Learning in Ordinary Schools: a systematic,comparative analysis

Abstract A comparative analysis of the process of curriculum development in a sample of 10 primary and 10 secondary schools is presented. Interview reports and school documentation were analysed through the construction and application of a set of grounded data categories. These categories were grouped into a model in order to represent the process of curriculum development. The analysis revealed differences between schools which were associated with the organisation of provision for children experiencing difficulties in learning. The interplay between the organisation of provision and the process of curriculum development is discussed.     

Managing conduct: a comparative policy analysis of safe schools policies in Toronto,Canada and Buffalo,USA

Public school districts in Buffalo, USA and Toronto, Canada reviewed their safe schools policies in 2008. Revised Codes of Conduct are compared to earlier versions and each other, and a conceptual policy web is used to understand how local, state/provincial, national, and international influences affect local safe school policies. The comparison demonstrates that while influenced by international beliefs about unsafe schools and youth violence, affected by local social, economic, and historical contexts, and constrained by state/provincial and federal policies, local school districts are nevertheless able to exercise some agency. The study also highlights the importance of Ontario's Human Rights Commission as a policy actor, and suggests zero tolerance for non‐serious incidents may be practised in Buffalo schools. This finding and the continued practice of excluding students from schools in both districts as a discipline approach casts doubt on the sincerity of governments' commitments to evidence‐based policy in education at all levels. Contributions of the conceptual policy web for policy analysis are discussed.     

PISA as an ideational roadmap for policy change: exploring Germany and England in a comparative perspective

Education policy has undergone transformation in many countries over the last decade. In this article, we focus on the effects of the most significant international initiative in secondary education, which is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). We analyse two countries that provide variation regarding the degree of change in their respective education policy-making due to this study; while Germany substantially reformed its education system in reaction to its mediocre PISA results, almost no change has been observed in England. As we show, alterations and shifts in ideas of education policy best account for such a change.     

Diversified structures and a structure for diversity: some recent trends and developments in engineering education cooperation in the European Community

In times of economic recession, countries, institutes and people are unfortunately tending to turn away from international relations. They seek salvation near to their home. They are taken up by internal affairs, within their own country, within their own university [...]; a certain provincialism is prevailing [1].     

胡春香题下龙湾诗五首译注与评介(续)

四、水云乡 云根石窦似蜂房,满目山光接水光．涉海凿河痴李勃,负舟藏壑拜元章．螺痕夕霁嶙峋出,雾影朝迷次第藏．漫说渔人舟一叶,数重门户水云乡。……     

Learning walks as a chance of reintegration for young offenders in three countries of Central Europe: Belgium,France, and Germany

Delinquent behaviour is often an expression of the juvenile development phase, and at the same time a possible entry into criminal careers. Resilience is regarded as a protective factor and supports people in coping with their life tasks and challenges, and especially in the case of juvenile delinquents, their reintegration into society. We present the concept of distance walking as a socio-pedagogical method, and the available empirical material on walks and their results are analysed with respect to their contribution to the development of resilience. Theoretical concepts complete the explanation of the positive effect of resilience enhancement.     

新加坡、欧美的双语(多语)教育--比较与语言学透析

本文首先简述新加坡双语教育、卢森堡的三语教育、欧洲语学校的多语教育和加拿大的“浸没法”教育，在此基础上从心理语言学、教育语言学、社会语言学等语言学视角对新加坡双语教育和欧美典型的双语(多语)教育进行比较与透析。     

Learning for an unknown context: a comparative case study on some Swedish and Polish Political Science students' experiences of the transition from university to working life

This comparative small‐scale (Swedish and Polish sample) longitudinal qualitative study investigates political science students' conceptions of their studies, their future profession and their workplace learning. The students (10 in Sweden and 11 in Poland) were interviewed twice, first when they were at the end of their studies and a second time when they had worked for approximately one year. The questions asked were designed to try to understand the transition from higher education to work life. The results indicate that they bring with them a set of academic generic skills from their education when they enter working life. Furthermore, the students in the two countries have very different perceptions of the subject Political Science, and the expectations they have regarding their studies and future working life also differ considerably.     

Towards comprehensive sexuality education: a comparative analysis of the policy environment surrounding school-based sexuality education in Ghana,Peru, Kenya and Guatemala

The successful implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programmes in schools depends on the development and implementation of strong policy in support of CSE. This paper offers a comparative analysis of the policy environment governing school-based CSE in four low- and middle-income countries at different stages of programme implementation: Ghana, Peru, Kenya and Guatemala. Based on an analysis of current policy and legal frameworks, key informant interviews and recent regional reviews, the analysis focuses on seven policy-related levers that contribute to successful school-based sexuality education programmes. The levers cover policy development trends; current policy and legal frameworks for sexuality education; international commitments affecting CSE policies; the various actors involved in shaping CSE; and the partnerships and coalitions of actors that influence CSE policy. Our analysis shows that all four countries benefit from a policy environment that, if properly leveraged, could lead to a stronger implementation of CSE in schools. However, each faces several key challenges that must be addressed to ensure the health and wellbeing of their young people. Latin American and African countries show notable differences in the development and evolution of their CSE policy environments, providing valuable insights for programme development and implementation.     

Promoting Student Learning in Criminal Justice,STEM, and Forensic Science: Aggie Sleuth Initiative (AggieSI)-Guided Inquiry Learning Experience

This study reported the first interdisciplinary Aggie Sleuth Initiative (AggieSI) conducted between the Departments of Political Science and Criminal Justice, Sociology and Social Work and Chemistry in order to interest underrepresented minority students in the field of forensic science at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T). The AggieSI project involved a “simulated crime scene” and a “hypothetical narrative” that provided the “simulated circumstances” for the AggieSI exercise. The students worked in groups on their AggieSI projects in a guided inquiry laboratory experiment format. The students found their AggieSI project motivating, promoting the students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills with students from other departments. This project also promoted mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships between NCA&T and the local Police Department to further promote forensic studies and to ensure justice and public safety in our community.