Policy issues in the economics of higher education and related research opportunities in Britain and the United States

This paper considers several opportunities for research on the means of relating investment in higher education more closely to widely expressed desires for faster economic growth and for greater equity in educational opportunity. It does this against a background of policy issues related to growth and equity among income groups common to the current debates in the United States and Britain.Major basic policy trends in the U.S. are reviewed briefly first, with comparisons to some similar developments in Britain. These are then related to an underlying need for research to broaden the concept of human educational capital as a means of bringing findings closer to the needs of legislators' constituents and educational planners in democratic nations. Some preliminary evidence is included that suggests, for example, that not only expected monetary returns, but also expected nonmonetary returns reflecting the increasing value of time are important to students and their families as they decide to invest.The possibilities for research on means of aiding growth then are considered. They focus primarily on the opportunities inherent in early findings on relative rates of return to two year (e.g. Higher National Certificate, or junior college) programs, and the potential through adaptations in postsecondary education for speeding up application of basic science and new technology to production.Finally, research and preliminary findings on the regressive incidence of the net benefits of higher education among income groups is considered. It is suggested that there are some ways that higher education can contribute to faster economic growth while simultaneously contributing to equity.This paper was prepared while the author was Academic Visitor at the London School of Economics Higher Education Research Unit immediately following a semester spent as Guest Scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.     

Short-cycle higher education: Purposes and issues

This article deals with a worldwide movement called short-cycle higher education - a level of education placed between post-compulsory/post-secondary education and university degree completion. Three types of short-cycle institutions are examined and evaluated: (1) extensions of secondary education, (2) expansions of universities and other senior institutions, and (3) units separated from existing schools.Purposes of short-cycle higher education are next discussed, and finally, major issues are identified, and directions taken by various nations contrasted. Particular attention is given to the relationship between short-cycle and university education referred to as articulation and transfer.     

An ecological footprint for an early learning centre: identifying opportunities for early childhood sustainability education through interdisciplinary research

In this study, engineers and educators worked together to adapt and apply the ecological footprint (EF) methodology to an early learning centre in Brisbane, Australia. Results were analysed to determine how environmental impact can be reduced at the study site and more generally across early childhood settings. It was found that food, transport and energy consumption had the largest impact on the centre’s overall footprint. In transport and energy, early childhood centres can reduce their impact through infrastructure and cultural change, in association with changed curriculum strategies. Building design, the type of energy purchased and appliance usage can all be modified to reduce the energy footprint. The transport footprint can be reduced through more families using active and public transport, which can be encouraged by providing information, support and facilities and appropriate siting of new centres. Introducing the concept of ecological footprint in early childhood education may be an effective way to educate children, staff and parents on the links between the food they eat, land usage and environmental impact. This study responds directly to the call in this journal for research focused on early childhood education and for more to be made of interdisciplinary research opportunities.     

Action research in Singapore education: constraints and sustainability

Action research has received increasing attention, especially by school leaders, as a result of the Singapore Ministry of Education’s push for greater autonomy, diversity and innovation at the school level. It is also perceived as a means for teacher professional development and professionalism. The Teachers Network, which has its own brand of action research called ‘Learning Circles’, is in support of such a view. Action research projects are not, however, without problems. In this paper, structures that pose constraints to successful action research endeavours will be the main focus for discussion.     

Equality of opportunities in Spanish higher education

In the past few decades, there has been a sharp increase in the number of students attending higher education institutions in Spain. Many commentators believe that this expansion is associated with greater equality of opportunities as more university places offer greater potential for the advancement of students from poorer backgrounds. Unfortunately, this argument is not always true. In fact, there is empirical evidence that the expansion in higher education system disproportionately benefits children from relatively rich and well educated families. In that context, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the possible effects of socioeconomic background on the decision to complete a degree before leaving the educational system in Spain. Taking the data from the Spanish module data on school to work transitions, I estimate several logit models in order to detect the influence of personal and regional characteristics on the educational decisions. The results show that, in spite of the disappearance of universities for only the elite, socioeconomic variables heavily influence the demand for university education, so the equality of opportunities in this educational level has not been completely achieved.

Advancing perspectives of sustainability and large-scale implementation of design teams in Ghana's polytechnics: Issues and opportunities

Polytechnic staff perspectives are sought on the sustainability and large-scale implementation of design teams (DT), as a means for collaborative curriculum design and teacher professional development in Ghana's polytechnics, months after implementation. Data indicates that teachers still collaborate in DTs for curriculum design and professional development. Leaders support the sustenance of DTs however internal policies are needed for its official recognition. The local role of DTs in sustaining relevant polytechnic education and training efficient manpower for national development is discussed. Some identified inherent opportunities are examined for sustenance and conclusions drawn based on programme characteristics, contextual features and polytechnic climate.     

A non‐statutory framework for religious education: issues and opportunities

This paper considers issues in religious education that ought to be addressed by the recent non‐statutory framework for England. It outlines problematic features of the current situation and paints a generally welcoming picture of the educational opportunities afforded by this new initiative.     

The future for industrial engineers: education and research opportunities

EU graduation and the recruitment of industrial engineers (IEs) have been investigated. An increasing demand is observed for graduates in almost all industrial engineering (IE) subjects. The labour market in the EU is evolving towards the service sector even if manufacturing still represents a significant share of both IE employment and gross domestic product. On average, IE in the EU is still within the framework of the ‘market-driven’ paradigm, which contrasts with the knowledge society aims pursued by the ‘Bologna process’. R&D resources and human capital are identified as major success factors to overcome current limits for IE development in the EU. With reference to both factors, a comparison between the EU, Japan and the US is provided. In the EU, the attractiveness of universities and the social dimension are recognized as major forces attracting human capital. Patent maps outline current and future IE research and education fields of interests. Finally, EU higher education opportunities are briefly described.     

社交媒体在高等教育中的应用:挑战与机会

最有意义、对生活影响最大的技术可能是社交媒体,因为它们被融入商业、娱乐和教育活动中并扮演重要角色。一般认为这些工具应用于高等教育正式课程/专业中有诸多好处,本文对此进行概述,讨论其不足和挑战,重点分析这些工具使用上的便利和价值与(用户)失去对数据的控制之间的矛盾。我们很可能会继续看到自己出于公私目的使用社交媒体所产生的数据继续被使用的情况,包括经过授权和未经授权的使用。分析了人们为了应对这个挑战而提出和尝试的一些解决方法,并简要介绍其中两种。第一个方案强调由机构自身创建和管理自己的社交媒体,第二个则是一种新兴技术方案,允许用户控制自己的数据但同时又能在多种社交环境下享受分享和发展的好处。     

Language–content partnership in higher education: development and opportunities

ABSTRACT

Interdisciplinary collaboration, in the sense of partnership between English language teachers and content teachers, is significant for enhancing university students’ English-medium academic success. It has long been advocated, but it has not become a common phenomenon in higher education institutions. The present article aims to synthesize what has been revealed about such collaboration in tertiary contexts in the (English-medium) literature, and to consider implications for practice and research. A systematic approach was adopted in conducting the literature review. The main body of the article focuses on illustrating five themes grounded in the literature: theoretical perspectives on the need for interdisciplinary collaboration; motivations for interdisciplinary collaboration and slow development of the trend; interdisciplinary collaboration on a continuum of partnership; team teaching in interdisciplinary collaboration; and benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration. Implications for practice and research are then discussed.     

Reforms to higher education assessment reporting: opportunities and challenges

This article responds to recent UK proposals on measuring and recording student achievement (Universities UK 2007) to highlight issues that are relevant across different higher education contexts, which are increasingly intertwined through the expansion of the Bologna process. Drawing from wide-ranging literature on assessment and sociology, this paper argues that the introduction of new assessment technologies cannot be seen from a purely technical perspective but instead requires a deeper appreciation of assessment as a social practice, which contributes powerfully to the construction of learner subjectivities in ways that are not necessarily benign. Although not suggesting this leads to any easy solutions, the concept of ‘meta-social’ awareness may be useful in better supporting a diverse student body in confronting the complexities of the twenty-first century.     

The language question in higher education: trends and issues

Nowhere is the language scenario and the problems associated with it as complex and controversial as in a multicultural and linguistically diverse country like India. Since language is the medium through which educational transactions take place, the vicissitudes of language and the language controversies have had a significant bearing on the structure, process, and outcome of her educational endeavour. This article examines the various issues and trends in the language conundrum vis-à-vis education in general and higher education in particular. Broadly, it is divided into four parts. The first part provides a brief sketch of the background and context in which the linguistic imbroglio in higher education becomes meaningful. The next two parts deal respectively with the twin aspects of the language problem in relation to education, namely, language instruction and language as a medium of instruction. The concluding part recapitulates the scenario and delineates the dilemmas of policy perspective.     

Making the hidden curriculum visible: sustainability literacy in higher education

Despite strong political support for the development of sustainability literacy amongst the UK graduates, embedding sustainability in the higher education curriculum has met with widespread indifference, and in some cases, active resistance. However, opportunities exist beyond the formal curriculum for engaging students in learning about sustainability. Previous research has highlighted the potential of the university campus for experiential, place-based learning about and for sustainability. This has been conceptualised as the ‘informal’ curriculum, consisting of extra-curricular activities and student projects linking estates and operations to formal study. However, the impact of the so-called ‘hidden curriculum’ (the implicit messages a university sends about sustainability through the institutional environment and values) has been overlooked as a potential influence on student learning and behaviour. This article reports on a small-scale research project which utilised a phenomenographic approach to explore students’ perceptions of the ‘hidden sustainability curriculum’ at a leading sustainability university. The findings suggest that helping students deconstruct the hidden campus curriculum may enhance aspects of sustainability literacy; developing students’ understanding about sustainability and creating solutions to sustainability issues, enabling evaluative dialogue around campus sustainability and also self-reflection, which could be transformative and translate into pro-environmental behaviour change. This research is transferable to other contexts.     

关于高等教育分类研究若干问题的思考——兼论科学构建应用性高等教育体系

<国家中长期教育改革和发展规划纲要(2010-2020年)>对加快建立高校分类体系提出要求.因此,深入开展高等教育分类研究,加快构建适合我国国情的高等教育体系,指导高校科学定位、办出特色,不仅成为迫切需要解决的问题,也是落实<教育规划纲要>的一个重要举措.在对当前国内外高等教育分类研究进行学术梳理的基础上,指出我国高等教育分类存在的主要问题,并以人类社会发展对人才的需求模式和学科知识属性为依据,提出高等教育的分类模型,以及构建应用性高等教育体系的思路.     

Harmonizing ecological sustainability and higher education development: Wisdom from Chinese ancient education philosophy

Abstract

Ecological sustainability can be considered the primary goal of higher education development, as it provides an ontological way to think about what it means for higher education’s long-term development. Given the widespread concern of ecological sustainability, it’s urgent to interpret and deconstruct ecological sustainability in Chinese higher education from indigenous and original perspectives. By drawing on the wisdom from Chinese ancient education philosophy which provides unique enlightenment for ecological sustainability, this paper discusses the harmonization of ecological sustainability and higher education development. In the light of the connotation of contemporary ecological sustainability and the new development of Chinese higher education, the paper also constructs a dynamic model of ecologically sustainable development in Chinese higher education. The aim is to initiate more philosophical dialogues between ancient and modern education, and to provide a new way of conceptualizing Chinese ancient education philosophy in the postmodern times.     

The I3E model for embedding education for sustainability within higher education institutions

This paper presents an evidence-based model (the I3E model) for embedding education for sustainability (EfS) within a higher education institution. This model emerged from a doctoral research that examined organisational learning and change processes at the University of Southampton to build EfS into the university curriculum. The researcher aimed to learn from real practice through acting as a facilitator for curriculum development in EfS within an interdisciplinary group of academic staff members. A critical friend position was also acquired within a community of practice to implement a programme which attempted to embed sustainability within the student experience. The I3E model identifies four overarching components that can support universities in their aim to embed EfS within the undergraduate curriculum. These integrated components are: Inform the university community about sustainability; Engage the different university stakeholders in the change process towards sustainability; Empower individuals and groups to make change happen within their sphere of influence and action; and Embed sustainability within existing university structures.