Track recommendation bias: Gender,migration background and SES bias over a 20‐year period in the Dutch context

Bias in track recommendations is an important mechanism, which causes education inequity in a tracked educational system (streaming). If teacher biases in track recommendations change over time, inequity in society and in the education system may also change. We investigated changes in track recommendation bias over time for gender, immigration status and socioeconomic status (SES), based on a longitudinal empirical study of nine cohorts of Dutch students in their final year (grade 6) of primary education in the period 1995–2014. An overview of educational and societal trends was provided, alongside the empirical analysis, to explain the findings in variation over time in track recommendation bias. Results indicate that the level of track recommendations provided to the students gradually increased over time. For a similar performance, a higher track recommendation was awarded in 2014 compared to 1995. This development coincided with an increase in parental education level, the valuing of education and the introduction of lower‐status pre‐vocational education tracks. Track recommendation bias favouring students with a migrant background and female students decreased, which coincided with growing cultural intolerance and attention to the ‘boy problem’. Bias in track recommendations related to SES appeared stable, with only small deviations from year to year. The results of this study indicate that track recommendation bias and teacher considerations are dependent on time and context.     

The State of the Art in Teacher Education in Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to present and analyze research on teacher education in Brazil, focusing on the research production of graduate programs and research centers (represented by theses, dissertations and final reports of studies developed in the country by Brazilians), and articles published in national journal by Brazilian authors. First, a brief history of the development of educational research in Brazil is presented; this is followed by a discussion of the state of the art of research in Brazilian teacher education. Finally, some conclusions and recommendations for the future are presented.

     

Access to higher education for rural-poor students in China

China is now facing significant challenges in funding its rapidly expanding higher education systems, though it has experienced enormous economic growth in recent years. Equity has become a serious concern in Chinese higher education system. This article tries to identify the causes and implications of under-representation of the rural-poor students in China’s higher educational institutions: academic and social preparedness, institutional funding arrangements, the admissions policy, and the socioeconomic background are significant factors that determine an individual’s opportunity to access to higher education. Also, a brief discussion of possible policy recommendations is presented.     

Tertiary education in the Czech Republic: the pathway to change

This article analyzes recent policy proposals to reform Czech tertiary education. A brief overview of the evolution of Czech tertiary education presents the background against which emerging policy trends in education are examined. We relate the changes in tertiary education to the policy framework and recommendations of the OECD, underpinned by the ideology of neoliberal globalization. Finally, we discuss some issues that the Czech government is encountering while trying to implement its new policies in tertiary education and the consequences these policies may have on Czech tertiary education, academia and students.     

A study on the amalgamation of chinese higher educational institutions

After nearly 15 years of painstaking efforts, the reform targets of higher education system have been met, and a decentralized, two-tiered administrative system has been installed. As reform proceeded, the 1990s witnessed revolutionary changes in China ’s higher education system, particularly through radical mergers. The reform process and its background are detailed here, with a case study focusing on Zhejiang University. However, the most hotly debated reform has been the amalgamation of universities. Two kinds of merger can be identified and the whole process can be traced in detail. The need to optimize China ’s system of higher education has a background dating back about 50 years, when the first reordering of higher education took place. The reordering and its results are described, and the causes and after effects of this reform are detailed.     

From Dakar to Brasilia: monitoring UNESCO’s education goals

Active participation of Brazilian civil society, coupled with the 2007 education development plan launched by the Brazilian government, provides an interesting example of the influences of the Dakar Goals. The two domestic initiatives share the same name, spirit and direction proposed in Dakar 2000. Here we analyze changes in the Brazilian policies and indicators related to the Dakar Education Goals. Since they were promulgated, we note: (1) an increase in enrolment over the relevant period; (2) access to primary education was nearly universal by 2000; (3) numbers of over-aged youth and adult students declined considerably during the period, but access did not expand; (4) illiteracy has been falling at a rate which, if sustained, will enable us to meet the goal; (5) gender discrimination was not apparent in Brazil; (6) most pupil proficiency indicators have deteriorated progressively from what was already a low standard. In summary, quantitative indicators did improve over the period while most qualitative indicators worsened.     

Barriers to domestic violence education in Northern Ireland: Pupils' views and experiences

Domestic violence (DV) in adult and young people's intimate partner relationships is a social and public health problem across the globe. Education can play an important and unique role in addressing DV; however, it remains relatively under-investigated. The aim of this qualitative study set in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind, was to explore young people's views and experiences of DV education. Focus groups were conducted with 188 pupils (97 males and 91 females) aged 16 to 18 attending post-primary school. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and reveal five barriers to DV education: (1) absence of DV teaching and learning; (2) DV is a taboo topic; (3) lack of teacher training and expertise on DV; (4) religious influence; (5) prioritisation of academic achievement over pupil wellbeing. The results demonstrate that changes are needed in schools to improve the role of schools in addressing DV. From this qualitative study, we make recommendations for how school-based DV education may help prevent and protect young people against intimate partner violence.     

供求关系：中国高等教育发展的经济学思考

本文基于当代中国高等教育发展的背景,从经济学的角度对我国高等教育发展中教育机会供求两端的矛盾以及由此产生的影响进行分析,并据此给出了相应的建议。     

The Dearing Report: A Transatlantic View

The Dearing Report reflects the perspectives on higher education of the Government that appointed it, perspectives that are widely shared among the leaders of British institutions outside of academic life. It is of interest for that, rather than for its recommendations, which are fundamentally flawed. The Report does not show an intimate knowledge of the institutions about which it advises; it separates its discussions of finance from its comments on teaching and learning; it ignores the wide diversity of higher education institutions, subjects, and students in making its sweeping recommendations, and it does not recognise the limits of its own knowledge, nor make provision for the continuing improvement of the knowledge and understanding on which future policies for British higher education might be based. For these and other reasons, the Report is now one of the many problems facing British higher education rather than part of their solution.     

Virtual Microscopy as a Learning Tool in Brazilian Medical Education

Virtual microscopy (VM) is a widely used teaching method in Medical Education in many developed countries. In Brazil, however, this is not the case for most medical schools, considering Brazilian social inequality and uneven access to technology. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has also challenged Universities to seek and make a transition toward more effective methods of full-time online education. Thus, the main goal of this work was to verify student's perception and academic performance, assessed upon VM implementation in a Brazilian Medical School. Ribeirao Preto Medical School students answered a 26-question survey with regards to optical microscopy (OM) and VM. Academic performance was compared between participants that were (year of 2019) or were not (year of 2015) exposed to VM. Taken the results together, subjective impressions such as handling, suitability, learning effectiveness, and pleasure using the tools, have shown a higher score for virtual microscopy (median = 29), when compared to optical microscopy (median = 24) with a P-value < 0.001 by Wilcoxon rank test, upon measurement using an ordinal scale. Regarding academic performance, no statistically significant differences were found between groups (P-value = 0.38, Cohen's d = 0.19). Therefore, VM proved to be adequate to the Brazilian medical education in light of Brazilian social contexts and Covid-19 pandemic.     

1978年以来我国高等教育价值取向的回顾与展望

自1978年来,我国高等教育价值取向大致经历了如下几个阶段,即：政治价值转向育人价值阶段;坚持育人为主,偏重适应市场的需求阶段;注重规模扩张,提高人才素质阶段;注重质量提高,偏重社会需求价值阶段;注重教育和育人质量,实现人才强国目标阶段;健全与完善高等教育育人、科研、社会服务的均衡发展阶段。高等教育教育价值取向在改革开放背景下已经迈入健康发展的轨道上,是适应社会、人才需求的体现,也是映射高等教育最本质的精神与理念。     

Socioeconomic Background of University Students in Finland after World War II

In Finland higher education has expanded and the number of students has increased since World War II. During the period front 1945 to 1985 the socioeconomic background of new university students has also changed. The article analyses the change in the socioeconomic background of Finnish students in higher education as a whole. In different parts of Finland new students come from different socioeconomic groups. In southern and south‐western Finland, in particular, most of the new students come from upper socioeconomic groups. The differences in the socioeconomic background between regions of the country have increased during the 1980s. The new students are consistently found to come from upper socioeconomic classes especially in medicine, law, economics and technology. In contrast, in the humanities and in education the distribution of the new students according to socioeconomic background corresponds better to that of the whole population. In the near future Finnish higher education will face new challenges: from the viewpoint of economy, the “golden years” are now over and on the other hand equality has fallen out on fashion.     

The governance of the South African higher education system: balancing state control and state supervision in co-operative governance?

The publication of the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) in 1996 was hailed as the first systematic attempt to map out a policy terrain for higher education in South Africa since the elections of April 1994. Its recommendations, particularly on the governance of higher education, elicited much discussion and debate. The debate continued (and continues) with the publication of the Green and White Papers, the Bill on Higher Education, and the Higher Education Act (HEA) in late 1997.This paper explores and seeks to clarify the emerging model of educational governance that has been accepted by the Ministry of Education in South Africa as the basis for managing and transforming the inherited system of higher education. Specifically, the paper considers the philosophy of “co-operative governance” and the governance recommendations of the NCHE Report and the HEA. These documents are examined in relation to state control and state supervision models of higher education governance. The paper concludes by considering the politics of policy development in the transformation of the South African higher education governance system.     

Popular knowledge and academic knowledge in the Brasilian peasants' struggle for land

This article discusses the inter-relationship between popular knowledge and academic knowledge in the context of mathematics education. The author, based on her field research with groups from the Brazilian Landless People's Movement, analysed the political dimensions of an education project which seeks to investigate the traditions, practices and mathematical concepts of a subordinated social group. She then goes on to analyse the pedagogical work which was developed in order for the group to be able to interpret and decode its knowledge; to acquire the knowledge produced by academic mathematics; and to establish comparisons between its knowledge and academic knowledge, thus being able to analyse the power relations involved in the use of both these kinds of knowledge.     

高校财会人员心理健康状况实证调查

目的：调查高校财会人员的心理健康状况。方法：采用自编调查问卷对158名高校财会人员进行调查。结果：（1）高校财会人员的工作意愿显著高于一般水平,心理压力普遍偏大,对工作的难度有较正确的认识;（2）不同工龄、职称、学历的高校财会人员的工作意愿及主观工作难度不同,压力来源不尽一致;（3）高校财会人员的主观工作难度能有效预测其心理压力。     

原发性高血压病人健康教育的效果探讨

目的 :探讨健康教育对原发性高血压的辅助降压作用 ,评定健康教育对高血压患者降压效果影响与健康知识认知情况。方法 :将原发性高血压病人 40例 ,随机分为两组 ,各 2 0例 ,一组 (观察组 ) ,用药物治疗的同时配合健康教育 ,另一组 (对照组 ) ,单纯用药物治疗。结果 :观察组降压效果明显优于对照组 (p<0 .0 1 ) ;观察组对健康知识认知度较对照组明显增高 (p<0 .0 1 )。结论 :对原发性高血压病人进行健康教育 ,可提高其健康认知水平 ,有利于病人治疗和康复     

Want to improve sexual health education for girls? Include body image

Research suggests body image is related to sexual behaviors, which can impact sexual health across the lifespan. This paper aims to explain the necessity for including body image content in sexuality education to improve outcomes among girls. Our recommendations, supported by theory and empirical research include (a) an assessment of existing curricula; (b) designing new, theoretically-informed curricula; (c) using innovative technology in sex education; (d) rigorous evaluation of existing and new curricula; and (e) revising the National Sexuality Education Standards. These recommendations are discussed after providing the necessary background and rationale.     

Some problems encountered by disabled students at the University of Oslo – whose responsibility?

ABSTRACT

A survey was undertaken among students at the University of Oslo in order to include their comments in a recommendation that was being prepared to elucidate the disabled students' situation in the future. Students were requested to write shorter or longer comments concerning their day as a disabled student, in order to expose barriers, weaknesses in the organization of services and other concerns. They were also requested to make recommendations as to improvements. The students’ answers indicated that they encountered several practical problems in their education, including a lack of understanding and cooperation from administrators, faculty staff and lecturers, a lack of adaptive aids and other resources and inaccessibility of grounds and buildings. Students made recommendations to improve the delivery of services. On the background of the information given by the students, the paper reflects on the issue of higher education's responsibility in relation to adjustments. The Reform‐94 within upper secondary education makes the issue of responsibility even more current.     

教育有助于谁向上流动

文章分析了教育作为重要的社会分层机制在促进社会流动方面受到很多条件的限制,如：社会资源配置方式向市场经济的转变;高等教育个体需求与社会、国家人才需求相一致;学历标识与自身拥有的知识和能力水平相对应;家庭社会经济、政治和文化背景等。因此,教育不是社会流动的唯一资本,教育究竟有助于谁向上流动,还取决于很多因素。