The didactics tradition in South Africa: a reply to Richard Krüger

There has been a growing interest in the European Didaktik tradition as part of a process of ‘internationalizing’ curriculum studies. Krüger provides useful insights into some aspects of Didaktiek in South Africa. However, the essay does not contextualize this tradition within the broader history of South African education. This reply contends that Didaktiek was interwoven with ‘fundamental pedagogics’ and as a consequence played a role in reproducing apartheid ideology—it did not provide a language of critique or possibility. This is one reason why the tradition has seen its demise in post‐apartheid South Africa. I argue that curriculum theory, which crucially deals with the relationship between schooling and society and highlights the socially constructed nature of schooling, offers a more useful alternative for critiquing apartheid education policy and for charting a process of transformation of education in South Africa.     

Political decision-making in socialist education: a Hungarian case study (1958–1960)

The subject of this article is a definite shift in socialist pedagogy: the implementation of polytechnic education in the late 1950s. First, the Soviet model is presented, then the analysis of its Hungarian introduction shows the decision-making process thoroughly, from the first steps in February 1958 to the publication of the ‘Principles’ in September 1960, which affected subsequent discourse about the so-called ‘school-reform’. The study is based on the reports of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party archives, mainly the files of the Political Committee, because this body designed and determined the characteristics of the new era in Hungarian education. Silence dominated the afterlife of the reform after 1965 – in retrospect, it was a failure – and the situation has not changed since. Although the archives are now open, the actors in the decision-making process, and their different interests, have not yet been investigated by scholars.     

Application of Excel® Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts for Efficient Library Data Analysis and Illustration

ABSTRACT

Excel® pivot tables and pivot charts are ideal tools for increasing efficiency in previously time-consuming tasks involved in the analysis of library data, such as electronic resource usage statistics. Building upon the background presented in an introductory article, this companion article continues with information concerning essential techniques and applications. Data must be properly formatted in preparation for its use with pivot tables and pivot charts. Steps in the creation of both pivot tables and pivot charts are detailed along with potential pitfalls. Best practices are covered with specific tips for ensuring accurate results.