Perceptions of educational leaders regarding contemporary reform initiatives in Egypt

ABSTRACT

Many educational reform initiatives worldwide do not result in deep and sustainable change. Limited studies have looked at reform initiatives in countries like Egypt. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to examine educational reform initiatives in Egypt throughout modern history using a transformative leadership lens, and to explore the perceptions of educational leaders regarding the more contemporary reform initiatives. The findings show that historically, large-scale reform initiatives in Egypt, which had transformative and sustainable results, were typically associated with a more comprehensive ideological inclination. More contemporary educational reform attempts were not transformative because these were perceived to be top-down reforms that were driven by foreign-aid agencies, and had no support from stakeholders.     

EFL teachers’ perceptions of English language policy at the elementary level in Taiwan

Due in large part to the trends towards economic globalization, English has become the most widely disseminated and ubiquitous international language. The purpose of the study was to investigate what Taiwan’s EFL teachers at the elementary level believe about the policy of English as a compulsory subject and how they perceive the benefits and obstacles of the policy’s implementation. Ten elementary English teachers in Tainan City and its suburban areas participated in this study. Data were collected through teachers’ interviews, classroom observation and document analysis. Results found that all ten teachers agreed with the policy for English as a compulsory subject at the elementary level. They observed both positive and negative sides of this top‐down policy. Classroom observation and interview data revealed that EFL teachers had to plan their English classes with the constraints on a large class of students with mixed levels of proficiency, limited teaching hours and resources. Parents’ expectations of and attitudes towards English learning also became an obstacle.     

Modeling of D-STATCOM in distribution systems load flow

This paper presents modeling of Distribution STATCOM (D-STATCOM) in load flow calculations for the steady- state voltage compensation. An accurate model for D-STATCOM is derived to use in load flow calculations. The rating of this device as well as the direction of required reactive power injection for voltage compensation in the desired value (1 p.u.) is de- rived and discussed analytically and mathematically by the phasor diagram method. Furthermore, an efficient method for node and line identification used in load flow calculations is presented. The validity of the proposed model is examined by using two standard distribution systems consisting of 33 and 69 nodes, respectively. The best location of D-STATCOM for under voltage problem mitigation approach in the distribution networks is determined. The results validate the proposed model for D- STATCOM in large distribution systems.     

Globalization and the freedom of knowledge

This article considers the transmission of knowledge in higher education. It takes the metaphor of the music industry that pre‐selects the music people can buy. The sales potential is the leading principle in the selection process. Often the small producer is excluded because his or her music is not of commercial interest. The end‐customer does not know what he or she is missing because he or she has never heard the music. It is to be feared that a similar market principle will also influence the selection of knowledge and affect the capacity of higher education institutions to freely generate and transmit new knowledge. The globalization of higher education risks homogenizing the cultural traditions of the non‐Western world through a process of Western cultural domination. On the other hand, the Internet, via open source software like LINUX, might serve to democratize higher education and allow greater grassroots input.     

The cooking teacher: investigating gender stereotypes in a Korean kindergarten

This article discusses some findings from a small‐scale investigation of children's gendered beliefs and behaviours in a Korean kindergarten which was attempting to challenge gender stereotyping through the anti‐bias intervention of a ‘cooking curriculum’. A sample of 14 children, some with ‘working’ mothers and some with ‘housewife’ mothers, was observed for two months, and informally interviewed on several occasions. The children's mothers were also interviewed. The findings are situated in the context of the changing, but still traditional, culture of Korean society, as well as in the contexts of early childhood education and theories of gender acquisition. They confirm that, although children are highly likely to reproduce the beliefs current in their home environment, they are open to reconstructing these views when actively challenged to consider alternatives, either by the school curriculum or by engaging in debate with a researcher or practitioner. The nature of the ‘alternative’ views available may however be problematic.     

Application of real options analysis for pharmaceutical R&D project valuation—Empirical results from a survey

Real options analysis was often recommended as an emerging valuation technique for high-risk investment projects. Former inter-sectoral surveys have drawn an ambivalent picture of real options usage in general. In addition, there is a lack of sector-specific investigations. In the following article the results of an in-depth analysis of collected empirical data regarding the application of this new tool in the pharmaceutical sector is presented by capturing the internal view from the pharmaceutical companies themselves and the external view from the health care departments of financial service firms. R&D stage specific modi of application, reasons for reluctance in the employment of real options and their assumed future prospects are elucidated.     

Closing the Gap: Fostering Successful Research‐Practice Partnerships in Counselor Education

Research‐practice partnerships offer counselor educators an opportunity to generate scholarship that can promote client welfare and create systemic change in practice and policy. The purpose of this article is to articulate strategies for building and sustaining research‐practice partnerships, as well as suggest methods for evaluating these partnerships.