Lifelong Learning,Equality and Social Cohesion1

This article compares the evidence from the 2009 PISA survey on the distribution of skills amongst 15-year-olds in different regions and country groups and explores how education systems in these regions contribute to different levels of inequality. In the second part, it presents evidence from surveys on adult skills and attitudes on how skills inequality affects social attitudes and social cohesion.     

Literacy,Black self‐representation,and cultural practice in an elementary classroom: implications for teaching children of African‐Caribbean heritage

This study examines literacy strategies used by Black teachers who aimed to create an environment in which African‐Canadian pupils could develop literacy skills as well as learn their social histories and personal identities as children of African heritage. The study site, located in a low‐income area of Ontario, Canada, was a school with a student population that was 80% Black. The data for the study were drawn from interviews with teachers about their pedagogy and from participant observations in their classrooms. Based on the findings, some implications for teacher education as well as for culturally supportive pedagogies for children of African heritage are considered.     

An exploration of the lived experiences of Year Six children on a residential trip to Normandy

Over the last decade, a plethora of research has been undertaken into learning outside the classroom and its resultant benefits on pupils [Dillon, J., M. Rickinson, K. Teamey, M. Morris, M. Y. Choi, D. Sanders, and P. Benefield. 2006. “The Value of Outdoor Learning: Evidence from Research in the UK and Elsewhere.” School Science Review 87 (320): 107–111; Peacock, A. 2006. Changing Minds: The Lasting Impact of School Trips. University of Exeter; Malone, K. 2008. Every Experience Matters. Farming and Countryside Education; Waite, S. 2011. Children Learning Outside the Classroom from Birth to Eleven. London: Sage; Beames, S., P. Higgins, and R. Nicol. 2012. Learning Outside the Classroom: Theory Guidelines and Practice. Abingdon: Routledge). Despite this wealth of research very little has been conducted into residential field trips. The research carried out in this study focuses specifically on exploring the residential experience of a group of 10- and 11-year-old children from a junior school in the UK who participated in a one-week residential field trip to Normandy, France, staying in a Chateau and undertaking both cultural and historical activities. The findings reveal what children can gain from participating in such an experience.