Youth voices: connections between history, enacted culture and identity in a digital divide initiative

The design of educational experiences is often mediated by historical, institutional, and social conceptions. Although these influences can initially shape the way that educational opportunities are created and implemented, this preliminary form has the potential to reorganize. In this paper, we illustrate how history shows its presence in the ways that instructors systematically arrange a technology course for urban youth. This original approach to the course inhibits youth participation. Incrementally, however, the cultural enactments of instructors and students lead to a reorganization of activity. Through highlighting history and examining the intersection of culture, we provide insight into the ways in which adolescents of color become successfully engaged in learning technology. We focus our study by asking how co-existence and the dialectic of structure and agency play a role as youth develop an identity as a technology user. Further, this emergent learning design affords outsiders a unique view of the educational and contextual experiences of these youth. Our illustration of how history, enacted culture and identity mediate the emergent learning design stems from a grounded theory approach to analyzing video, interview and artifact data in this after-school technology course.

Mapping the digital divide in Britain: implications for learning and education

The internet presents many potential opportunities for people to learn for both formal and informal purposes. However, not everyone is able to make the most of the internet for learning. This paper utilises quantitative nationally representative survey data of internet use in Britain in order to explore the digital divide in relation to learning activities online. The results from this analysis give a detailed picture of the digital divide in Britain; illustrating those who are non‐users and users of the internet and the reasons that are important in explaining the diversity in non‐use and use of the internet for learning (e.g., age, educational background, skills, attitudes and experience). The findings may assist in the development of policies that seek to support under‐served groups to make the most effective use of the internet for formal and informal learning opportunities.     

Examining the aesthetic dimensions of teaching: Relationships between teacher knowledge,identity and passion

Having an appreciation for the subject, their students and what the subject can offer their students has both cognitive and emotional dimensions for teachers. This paper uses empirical data to explore the efficacy of a Deweyan inspired framework called “Aesthetic Understanding” to scrutinise relationships between teacher knowledge, identity and passion. The paper uses case study data of three teachers of maths and/or science generated from a video study to illustrate the relationships between the three elements of Aesthetic Understanding. The need to value the aesthetic dimensions of teaching when examining the subject-specific nature of secondary teaching is discussed.     

Language,culture and identity in the transition to primary school: Challenges to indigenous children's rights to education in Peru

This paper analyses a ‘critical moment’ in the educational trajectories of young indigenous children in Peru: the transition to primary school. It addresses the inequalities in educational services that affect indigenous children, before looking at the micro-level processes that take place in school settings, through a focus on two selected case studies from the Young Lives study of childhood poverty. Using longitudinal information collected in two consecutive years, the case studies show how the children's language and culture are excluded from school premises and their very identity as children and indigenous people is disregarded, negatively affecting their educational performance.     

Stretching performances in education: the impact of gay parenting and activism on identity and school change

This paper features one gay parent activist in the complex social milieu of his child’s school and his community, his actions meeting both resistance and concurrence as a larger movement operated locally and nationally to make schooling more accepting of and acceptable to gays and lesbians. The paper traces this man’s parenting processes and their effect on the schooling of many children, not only his own, and then contrasts his voice with the reluctant, often denying, and finally acquiescent voices of school people. The narrative captures the essence of cultural and identity change as well as individual and institutional processes. Turning to theory, I use postmodern dilemmas to define the episodic movements of the groups and the multipositionality of the individuals involved. Agency, social roles, and collaborative and individual activity illuminate the agenda of social groups effectively working with and through this parent to meet political goals for students.     

Disseminating the right information to the right audience: cultural determinants in the use (and misuse) of rankings

Rankings and league tables, or Report Cards (RCs), of Higher Education Institutions have become a global phenomenon. Their purpose, it is claimed, is to help “student-consumers” make informed decisions. Yet the degree to which RCs succeed in helping students in their college choice is disputed. Even though RCs are intended for all, which information is sought and how it is used may differ between potential students hailing from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds. In particular, RCs may neglect certain cultural determinants that influence students’ college choice behaviour. The article reviews the literature on the cultural determinants of college choice and especially the use of RCs in the ambit of cultural determinants. In the United States, possibly because of evident educational gaps between ethnic groups in society, the issue of cultural perceptions in college choice has been addressed, albeit scantly. In Europe, this field of study is virtually non-existent, despite increasing indications that second and third generation immigrants still lag behind in terms of higher education participation and graduation rates.

The Literacy Early Action Project (LEAP): exploring factors underpinning progress with literacy for a child in his first year of school

In this article, Anthony Feiler, senior lecturer in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Bristol, and Elaine Logan, lecturer in early years education at the City of Bristol College, present a case study of a child who made strong progress with literacy during his first year at school. The child and his family participated in the Literacy Early Action Project (LEAP), a home-visiting scheme for children judged by school staff to be at risk of struggling with literacy. A teaching assistant made weekly home visits during the year and developed literacy support activities with the child's mother and grandparents. Five key factors underpinning the child's progress are identified here: the flexibility in the teaching assistant's approach that enabled extended family members to become engaged in literacy support; the teaching assistant's sensitivity to family culture; the playful approach to learning adopted by the teaching assistant; putting the child at the centre of the intervention; and the existence of a school culture that strongly promoted involvement for parents. Anthony Feiler and Elaine Logan conclude that teaching assistants in the UK might be given more scope to develop support strategies for early childhood education that involve collaborative work with parents.     

Confirming the legitimacy of female participation in science,technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM): evaluation of a UK STEM initiative for girls

This paper offers a study of a Saturday science-activity club for young secondary school aged girls, in Cardiff, UK. It provides a critical analysis of interactions between group participants and their mentors in building an equitable and experiential learning zone for the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as subject and occupational choices. This study explores how science outreach programmes for young women represent a form of gender re-education, reconfiguring and redefining gender identities in science. We consider how an informal, experiential learning programme scaffolds female learners in discovering the confidence to negotiate multiple iterations of STEM, and in developing an ability to celebrate gender difference and the multiple roles of women to science.     

Issues surrounding English,the internationalisation of higher education and national cultural identity in Asia: a focus on Japan

The English language is significant to the internationalisation of higher education worldwide. Countries in Asia are proactive in appropriating English for their national interests, while paying attention to associated national cultural identity issues. This article examines the ways in which the role of English is interpreted and justified in different countries in Asia, with a particular focus on Japan, as these nations attempt to internationalise their higher education within the broader processes of regionalisation and globalisation and their own nationalist discourse. Through critical analyses and discussions of Japan's two major government initiatives, the Action Plan 2003 to ‘Cultivate Japanese with English Abilities’ and the ‘Global 30’ Project 2008, the article investigates how cultural national identities are shaped, are altered and are put ‘at risk’ in policies and practices for the internationalisation of higher education and the overemphasis on English. It argues for the importance of understanding the intersections of English language policy, the internationalisation of higher education and national cultural identity and also considers how the over-promotion of English in the case of Japan has been energetically driven by the nation building agenda that tends to undermine local languages and what this might mean for internationalisation.     

Reflections on the Teacher Education System Overhaul (TESO) program in Ethiopia: Promises, pitfalls, and propositions

In 2003 the Ethiopian education system experienced wide-ranging reform that touches every aspect of the system. This reform is called TESO (Teacher Education System Overhaul). Designed to address educational problems in Ethiopia, TESO introduced significant structural changes and promised to bring a ‘paradigm shift’ in the Ethiopian educational system by engaging teacher education in changing society and promoting democratic, practical, and problem-solving education. This paper examines, through an analysis of the TESO document and an examination of the views of teacher educators, TESO’s assumptions, mission and the coherence among the various components of TESO. It also reveals gaps and discrepancies between TESO’s mission, its reform process, and strategies. The promise and assumptions of TESO are challenged by considering extant realities in Ethiopian schools and evidence from literature on effective teacher education programs and educational reform. The paper reflects on how, by giving priority to equity, TESO compromises on some elements of effective teacher education programs. It is indicated that TESO has been a welcome addition to the Ethiopian education system as it addresses elements that had previously been missing from the system, such as, outlining directions to teacher education, devoting longer duration for practicum, and heeding seriously to the professional preparation of teachers. At the same time, it is contended that the imbalance among program components, its permeability to ill-prepared students and the contradiction between program rhetoric and strategy and reform processes, as described by teacher educators, could be stumbling blocks which prevent TESO from fulfilling its promises.     

`A historical angle’, a survey of recent literature on the use and value of history in geometrical education

In this article we give a survey of recent literature on the use and value of the history of geometry in mathematics education. It turns out that many authors have contributed to the debate why we should apply history. Their arguments can be divided into conceptual, (multi-) cultural and motivational ones. The number of authors who concentrated on the methodological question “How could we introduce history into mathematics lessons?” is considerably smaller. Those who want to make history an integral part of mathematics education have to bridge the gap between theoretical arguments and practical ideas, and, connected with this,between historians and teachers, and ultimately between mathematicians from the past and present day students. We divided the various surveyed publications, mainly journal articles, into categories according to a framework in order to clarify the discussion on the role of the history of geometry in education. Details about content and purpose of the articles are presented in two appendices, which make the articles more accessible both for further research and for practical teacher purposes.     

远程教育与终身教育和学习化社会--世界远程教育发展历史追溯和展望(5)

从精英教育到大众教育和普及教育;从成人教育到全民教育和继续教育;从终身教育、终身学习再到全民终身学习;从学习化社会到学习型组织等。这些教育思想的提出及相应教育实践的开拓,不仅适应了、信息时代和知识经济的到来,也为教育技术的应用、远程教育的持续发展奠定了思想理论基础。     

Diversity and inclusivity at university: a survey of the experiences of lesbian,gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) students in the UK

The extent to which UK universities are ‘gay friendly’ has received some attention in the press. Whilst there are a number of published studies exploring campus climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) students and/or staff, these are primarily localised studies undertaken in State Universities and Baccalaureate Colleges in the US. The present study is a nationwide UK study of campus climate, based on survey data collected from a sample of 291 LGBT students from 42 universities across the UK. The findings show that despite the increased implementation of an equality agenda (e.g. equal access; widening participation) in UK Higher Education, homophobia on campus is still a significant problem and therefore universities are not perceived nor experienced by LGBT students as ‘safe spaces’ in which to be open about sexual orientation/gender identity. The implications of the findings for university policy and practice in relation to LGBT (and indeed all) students is also explored.     

Competence-Based Vocational Education and Training (VET): the Cases of England and France in a European Perspective

This paper examines the notion of ‘competence’ in the VET systems of France and England. While both countries have developed ‘competence-based’ approaches, underlying the similar terminology are distinct meanings, rooted in the countries’ institutional structures and labour processes. A key distinction is identified between a knowledge-based model in France and a skills-based model in England. Competence in the French sense is multi-dimensional and relies on the integration of practical and theoretical knowledge, as well as personal and social qualities within a broadly defined occupational field. By contrast, in England, competence refers to the performance of fragmented and narrowly defined tasks, with minimal underpinning knowledge. Thus, whereas ‘competence’ in the English VET system usually denotes functional employability for what may be relatively low-skilled employment, in France, it encapsulates the multi-dimensional development of the individual as a citizen as well as an employee.

Democratic decentralization and primary education: a comparison of continuity and change in two districts of Kerala (India)

Adopting policies of decentralization has become more or less a universal fashion among governments. Institutional redesigning as regard to affirmative state is favored by the political left and right in capitalist democracies. However, their arguments revolve around the decision-making powers of ordinary citizens. Some academics argue that the “People’s Campaign for Decentralized Planning” (PCDP) introduced in 1996 in Kerala, the south western state of India, is an extended version of democratic decentralization. They also describe it as Empowered Deliberative Democracy (EDD). Through a comparison of continuity and change aspects in the field of primary education based on programmes carried out in two districts of Kerala (India), this paper analyzes the democratic decentralization policy initiated in the state. The paper concludes with insights related to the need for the redefinition of the process of initiating and sustaining educational changes in a decentralized fashion in Kerala.     

文化和而不同:对中西养老模式的比较思考

对中西养老模式的对比研究,旨在使中国在借鉴西方居家养老模式的时候,能以文化自觉为导向,以和而不同为原则,在未富先老的状况下探索一条能充分发挥孝文化优势的、更适合中国国情的养老之路。     

Becoming a health and physical education (HPE) teacher: Student teacher ‘performances’ in the physical education subject department office

This study considered how physical education teacher education students ‘perform’ their ‘selves’ within subject department offices during the practicum or ‘teaching practice’. The research was framed by a conceptual framework informed by the work of Goffman on ‘performance’ and ‘front’. The findings revealed three common performances across the whole group across all sites. These were: performance of sports talk, bodily performances, and performance of masculine repertoires. Such performances were considered to be inconsistent with the coursework ideals and principles within the teacher education programme but in step with the general ethos of most PE department offices.     

关于创造力、创新与体制化的教育——兼析中美阶段性教育制度设计理念的差异

虽然很难为创造力与创新给出精确的定义,但是,在日常生活中我们却不难直观地体验到其存在。创造力、创新与体制化的教育间存在一个悖论:常规性的创造力和创新往往离不开对既有知识的理解和把握,然而,局限于既有知识的刻板规训又往往会抑制非常规性的创造力和革命性的创新。因此,根据人的成长规律和特征,在不同教育阶段有针对性地拓展学生想象力、陶冶其审美情趣、呵护其好奇心和求知激情,继而培养其独立精神、理性地反思和批判意识,可以在最大程度上摆脱这一悖论。中美比较研究表明,我国的创造和创新活力匮乏在教育领域中的主要症结所在,或许就是阶段性教育制度设计理念存在的偏差。     

终身教育视野下的非正规学习成果认证:理念与形式

非正规学习成果认证是终身学习实现的重要制度之一,我国当前已经实现了部分非正规学习成果的认证。已有的认证一般较为注重对个体学习的过程和结果进行证明,主要形式有成人高等教育学历证书、高等教育自学考试学历证书和职业资格证书等。