Hazardous child labor in Nepal: The case of brick kilns

Hazardous child labor in Nepal is a serious concern, particularly in the brick kiln industry. Although a range of interventions have been implemented in Nepal to address hazardous child labor, there is a lack of research to both measure success and shape further development in interventions that integrate sound child protection practices to ensure the wellbeing of all children. This paper provides a review of the literature outlining interventions for children working in brick kilns in Nepal, and presents preliminary case study findings of one current intervention in the Kathmandu Valley. The paper highlights the strength of applying foundational child protection principles and advocates for the development and implementation of future programs underpinned by broad civil society principles within a child rights and protection framework.     

The leadership challenge in universities: The case of business schools

Qualitative research based on in-depth interviews with seventeen deans of schools of business in US and European universities reveals that morale is higher than has been suggested despite great pressures on the deans' leadership and management abilities. The deans report spending an average of forty-five percent of their time working with external constituents and suffering from excessive workloads. They regard themselves as less powerful than leaders in business whilst being equally accountable financially. They see themselves as facilitators for their colleagues. Whilst acknowledging mistakes and the major scale of challenges ahead, most report a high degree of commitment and enthusiasm. There was no evidence of national cultural differences in organisation or attitudes. None of the deans experienced formal training and development to prepare them for their role. The study may provide some pointers to the possible content and appropriate means of delivering such provision.     

Unexamined lives: The case for philosophy in schools

Abstract

This paper assumes the significance of Rousseau's Emile for the practice of radical education in the USA in the 1960s and 1970s. It is argued that the educational philosophy espoused in Emile is far more conservative than that actually attributed to his inspiration by some radical educators.     

Modern foreign languages: decision-making,motivation and 14–19 schools

ABSTRACT

This article reports on an exploratory study comparing motivation and student choice in modern foreign language lessons in secondary schools (11–16 or 11–18) and schools for 14–19 year olds in England. The study uses data gathered from 634 Year 10 students (aged 14–15) and uses Self-Determination Theory to compare motivation amongst students in the two types of schools. It finds that student motivation differed significantly in each, with students in 14–19 schools displaying more autonomous motivation. Students in schools in this category were less likely to have been given a choice as to whether or not to take the subject than their peers, suggesting that they may feel autonomous in ways not governed by subject choice. Possible reasons for the differences in motivation in the two kinds of school are discussed and directions for future study proposed.     

Contesting knowledge,constructing legitimacy: knowledge making in mother-tongue education schools in Nepal

Scholars in education have drawn our attention to the ways in which social power and control manifests in the process of knowledge production in education institutions especially through school curriculum. In this paper, I analyse school textbooks along with classroom instruction events and everyday practices in a mother-tongue school in Nepal. Drawing on the concept of ‘legitimate knowledge’, this paper discusses mother-tongue education as a struggle over symbolic resources, whereby familiarity with ‘daily life in the locality’ is discursively drawn upon to articulate mother tongue as an effective pedagogy and legitimate knowledge. The paper argues that the introduction of mother tongue in the school curriculum is, therefore, more than an addition of new language. It is a process of negotiating what it means to ‘know’ things in school. In doing so, this paper illustrates a dynamic process of re-signification of local languages, knowledge and identities that is underway.     

Action learning in ActionAid Nepal: a case study

This article describes an example of how action learning was used as a framework for an organisational intervention to fundamentally change the organisational culture over a period of time. It also identifies our learning over that period of time and what worked well (and not so well) in an International Non-Governmental Organisation in Nepal.     

Racial and ethnic diversity in schools: The case of English Canada

In recent decades, schools located in English Canada have experienced important demographic changes in their student population. This article examines the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity in these schools, through the discourses of those who spend the most time with the students: teachers and principals. Here, the concept of discourse is understood as a way of framing the world; it is far more than a simple tool for communicating with others. Since education operates under provincial and territorial jurisdiction in Canada, these discourses are examined in the context of provincial school policies that specifically address the issue of diversity among students. Using qualitative data collected in a national study completed in 2007, the analysis shows how teachers and/or principals make sense of this changed reality in their schools and its impact on their daily work.     

思修课案例教学中案例选取应遵循的原则

案例教学是当下思想政治课教学中被普遍采用的方法。对于案例的选取,要注意以下原则:案例应该亲近化;案例应尽可能近期化,具有时代感;案例应尽可能选取大家都有可能关注的热点;适当的运用学生搜集来的案例;尽可能选与学生兴趣、爱好相关的案例;选取的案例应符合典型性和浅显易懂相结合的原则。     

中小学生择校管理的伦理分析

中国城乡、重点与非重点的中小学校软硬件配置存在巨大差异,各校间教育质量差距悬殊,由于教育质量的差距难以消除,故而择校行为不绝如缕。择校行为因其违背社会公平的伦理道德而倍受社会各界所诟病,择校成为中国当前基础教育领域有关公平正义争论的焦点。解决择校问题,有必要对择校内在原因及其管理中的伦理问题进行探析。     

Civics education in Thailand: three case schools

This chapter describes the study as it was conducted in Thailand in three secondary schools: a university model school, a private school, and a public school. The results suggest that the main national policy intention was aimed at developing students’ good citizenship and living in society with peace and harmony. The schools, however, emphasized different policy intentions: the public school emphasized order, discipline, and social development; the private school focused on religious conduct; and the university model school was primarily concerned with intellectual activities and critical thinking. In all schools civic values were integrated with coursework, extracurricular projects, and activities.     

Parent education: The Dreikurs model

The effects of a 10-week Dreikurs parent education program was investigated in terms of maternal attitudes, expressed practices, and parent-child behaviors. Variables assessed included maternal control, maturity demands, communication and nurturance. Using a Posttest-Only Control Group design, 60 mothers of kindergarten children in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, were randomly selected from a pool of 81 volunteers. The mothers (Ss) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: experimental and control. Ss in the experimental group participated in the Dreikurs parent education program, while control Ss received delayed treatment. Using Baumrind's (1967) Parent Interview Schedule and Scales, Ss were interviewed and rated regarding their child-rearing attitudes and practices. Ss were videotaped interacting with their kindergarten children in a structured situation and tapes were rated using Baumrind's (1967) Home Visit Sequence Analysis. Results indicated that Ss who participated in the Dreikurs program had more positive attitudes toward independence training and independence granting. Specific suggestions were made for further studies in terms of research design and revision of instruments. Additional suggestions included focus on personality characteristics of parents.The study formed the basis of a doctoral dissertation by the first authorThe paper was presented at the Eight International Conference and Seminar of Counseling, Oslo, Norway in July, 1978.The first author has moved to the University of Calgary since the study was completedInquiries or request for reprints should be directed to Dr. S. Robertson, Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4.University of Alberta     

Continuing to exercise choice after selecting a school: Insights into parent-decision making in local education markets in Nepal

This paper analyzes how parents continue to engage with schooling after their initial selection, using parent survey and focus group data collected in two urbanized districts in Nepal in 2011. I find substantial heterogeneity within and between public and private schools in parental participation. In particular, the parents who chose smaller private schools had stronger engagement with the school and their children, were more likely to voice their concerns, and consequently were more satisfied. In contrast, parents in below average public schools were more likely to express dissatisfaction but had limited interactions with schools to remedy their concerns.     

高职非英语专业学生英语学习中焦虑情绪成因及对策

在英语学习中,高职非英语专业学生的英语学习焦虑情绪对英语学习会产生很大的负面影响。本文对此类学生在英语学习中的焦虑情绪产生的原因进行了分析,并探讨了其应对策略。