A case study of lifelong learning in Japan: objectives,curriculum, accountability and visibility

Various conceptualizations of lifelong learning have been developed and various practices of lifelong learning have been identified. This paper introduces several recent conceptualizations of lifelong learning before considering the case for Japan, both in general and through examination of the state of lifelong learning in a rural prefecture and a case study of one lifelong learning programme in a rural city. While the case for the prefecture as a whole mirrors the literature on lifelong learning in Japan, the case study presents four specific characteristics that may direct future development of lifelong learning programmes as well as research: a clearly stated societal objective, a knowledge and skills curriculum, participant accountability, and social visibility and presence.     

The Language of Coping: Understanding Filipino Geriatric Patients' Hemodialysis Lived Experiences

The majority of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are undergoing maintenance hemodialyisis. Hemodialysis is a process of removing metabolic waste, other poisons, and excess fluids from the blood and replacing essential blood constituents through a dialysis machine. With hemodialysis causing stress not only to physical status but also to psychological functioning and well-being, the individual will have to strive to cope with it. Coping involves cognitive and/or behavioral efforts exerted by the individual to be able to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands of a situation. Different coping strategies are being utilized by individuals such as thinking positively, having a positive outlook, and positively comparing self to others in similar situations. These techniques are what is referred to as optimistic coping. The study aims to capture the essences or languages of coping according to a select group of Filipino elderly patients with lived hemodialysis experiences. A total of 13 respondents, selected through purposive sampling, were provided with a two-part questionnaire. The first part is the robotfoto, which provides the cartographic sketch of the subjects. The second part is the semistructured interview, with an aide memoir. This is intended to surface the subjects' lived experience relative to hemodialysis experience coping mechanisms and the meaning of coping to them. Data gathered were transcribed and analyzed via cool and warm analyses. A repertory grid was constructed where significant statements were categorized and thematised revealing the languages of coping according to elderly patients with lived hemodialysis experience. Through interviews, the study yielded three themes that reveal the language of coping for Filipino geriatric patients undergoing hemodialyis. These themes consist of (a) coping as scaffolding: or the power to hold on, (b) coping as sailing: or the power to let go, and (c) coping as sanguinity: or the power to see the difference. Coping was defined as an ability (will power, acceptance, positive thinking) that people possess to keep up with certain stressful events, thereby making life more tolerable.     

Understanding the Fourth-Grade Slump: Our Point of View

Educators know that an achievement gap exists between students of low-income and middle-income families, a gap that is especially evident in fourth grade and beyond. This essay explores issues related to this gap, including primary-level children being immersed in narrative text and, therefore, unprepared for the challenges of informational text and content-specific vocabulary; lack of available material children are interested in reading; and limited reading opportunities created by a focus on high-stakes, test-preparation regimens.