Comparative education in Greece,as a European ‘semi-periphery’

ABSTRACT

Comparative education was established in Greek universities in the 1980s, with the creation of pedagogical departments and two laboratories, and the publication of a journal. There was an early emphasis on education policy analysis, in terms of assumptions about the ‘semi-peripherality’ of Greece within Europe. Later, the emphasis shifted to what was also called ‘modernisation’ – framed by entry to the European Economic Community. There was an emphasis on education policies in other European countries, and the educational policy of Europe, in contrast with Greece which had not yet absorbed what was becoming ‘a European discourse’. There was a continuing motif – reflections on methodology – but the changing concepts of modernisation, the more or less permanent anxiety about reforming Greek education, and the theme of education within the European Union dominated academic work in comparative education in Greece – even after 2010 and the major new economic crisis. An optimistic view is that comparative education will continue to develop in the Greek university through teaching and research. There is, however, a question to be asked about the silences within Greek comparative education.     

Navigating cross-boundary connections in educational research

Drawing on insights from reflective research accounts in the social sciences, this paper attends to the complexities of conducting cross-boundary educational research. Cross-boundary research is defined as any type of inquiry that is conducted across cultural and/or structural boundaries, including but not limited to race, class, gender, language, religion, age, sexual identity, and national origin. The authors present dilemmas they have faced in conducting educational research and offer three intersecting recommendations for those who wish to conduct research across boundaries.     

Learning in the real world? Exploring widening participation student views concerning the ‘fit’ between knowledge learnt and work practices

The aim of this research was to explore why workers in health and social services embarked on a Certificate in Community Care Practice and the extent to which they felt knowledge learnt related to their every‐day work practice. The objective was to indicate how useful more academic courses are for health and social care staff, and to find out the kinds of barriers to practicing theory learnt in the classroom students face in their ‘real world’ of work. Data was collected from 25 mature students (over half were between the ages of 41–50 years), 3 of whom were men from a range of professional backgrounds including; support staff working in residential and domiciliary services and informal (unpaid) carers for people with learning disabilities, mental health difficulties as well as older people. Quantitative (an adapted questionnaire) and qualitative (focus group session which was an integral part of classroom learning about research methodology) methods were employed. Data was analysed using SPSS and thematic analysis. Findings indicated that the main motivators for study was to gain a qualification and for personal development. Students reported their increased desire to link theory learnt which they found highly relevant to their everyday practice, but organisational barriers sometimes precluded them from doing so. The paper ends with policy and practice recommendations.     

Greek teachers' perspectives on behaviour problems: implications for policy-makers and practitioners

In the course of the 1990s, many education systems in the developed world reported an increase in the number of pupils presenting emotional and behavioural problems. For countries such as Greece on the point of economic development, it is interesting to examine whether as they seek to ‘reform’ their education systems in line with those of more ‘developed’ countries, they are experiencing a similar phenomenon. An analysis of the findings of a survey is presented on the views of over 600 Greek primary school teachers in Athens on the nature and incidence of emotional and behavioural problems. The findings confirm that Greek teachers are facing a deteriorating situation in which they are reporting a greater incidence of behavioural problems compared to the past. Although many of the patterns of behaviour are similar to those reported in other European countries, a number of interesting differences emerge over the levels of reporting of emotional problems. In the course of the analysis of these similarities and differences, a number of implications are identified which, it is suggested, can inform the development of national policy leading to a greater level of support for schools and teachers.     

Tracing the development of representational flexibility and problem solving in fraction addition: a longitudinal study

The study models the development of students’ multiple-representation flexibility and the use of problem-solving strategies and representations in fraction addition. A test administered three times, with breaks of 3–4?months between successive measurements to 108 students at a transition within primary school (Grade 5–6), 132 students at a transition from primary to secondary education (Grade 6–7) and 148 students at a transition within secondary school (Grade 7–8). Multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measures and dynamic structural equation modelling were carried out in order to analyse the data. Findings suggested that students’ performance improve through measurements. Dynamic modelling provided evidence for the strong interrelation between representational flexibility and problem solving at the three measurements. The results indicated the students’ established pre-existent knowledge and the important role the initial state of the aforementioned cognitive parameters plays on their advancement. Didactical implications are discussed.     

The structure of students’ beliefs about the use of representations and their performance on the learning of fractions

Cognitive development of any concept is related with affective development. The present study investigates students’ beliefs about the use of different types of representation in understanding the concept of fractions and their self‐efficacy beliefs about their ability to transfer information between different types of representation, in relation to their performance on understanding the concept. Data were collected from 1701 students in Grade Five to Grade Eight. Results revealed that multiple‐representation flexibility, ability on solving problems with various modes of representation, beliefs about the use of representations and self‐efficacy beliefs about using them constructed an integrated model with strong interrelations in the different educational levels. Confirmatory factor analysis affirmed the existence of differential effects of multiple‐representation flexibility and problem‐solving ability in respect to cognitive performance and the existence of general beliefs and self‐efficacy beliefs about the use and the role of representations. Results suggested the invariance of this structure across primary (Grades Five and Six) and secondary education (Grades Seven and Eight). However, there are interesting differences concerning the interrelations among those cognitive and affective factors between primary and secondary education.     

College academic identities situated in interlocking contextual blocks

Through an examination of 13 first-generation college students’ views, this paper aims to provide one possible lens to viewing the complex social and academic landscapes that impact on students’ academic identity construction. Academic and social experiences within and beyond the safety net of a mentoring program are explored. The paper concludes with recommendations for campus-wide initiatives for the support of the focal students.     

Moving Ground: Some thoughts on literature as a school subject

This paper is about the journey of a reader as a pupil and a teacher in three different contexts: the Greek and the English mainstream educational systems and the Greek community schools of London. Supported by accounts of autobiographical material there is a presentation of the dilemmas that a teacher needs to face when she teaches a literary text in a class. Questions are posed on why literature should form a subject of the curriculum, what should be taught, and how readers and the reading process are to be perceived. Finally, the link between literature and identity is considered, a link that suggests the curricular subject of literature as a locus for the creation of meanings and the shaping of identity.     

Understanding what makes a positive school experience for pupils with SEND: can their voices inform inclusive practice?

Since the advent of the ideology of inclusion, several concerns have been raised worldwide regarding the effectiveness of its implementation. In the UK, governmental evidence suggests that maintaining pupils with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) within mainstream school settings, is one of the greatest challenges (DfE, 2018). There is now, more than ever, the need to explore pupils with SENDs’ mainstream experiences and understand the challenges they encounter. This study explores the voices of secondary‐aged pupils with social emotional mental health difficulties and moderate learning difficulties as a way of understanding their needs and thus, facilitating their inclusion. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse data from semi‐structured interviews with 37 pupils with SEND and 8 typical pupils as a comparable group. The findings indicate that the school experiences of pupils differ based on their type of need. Yet, despite the differences, all the pupils expressed similar views on what makes a positive school experience. The four emerged themes were interesting lessons, effective control of challenging behaviour, equal allocation of teachers’ support and positive relations. The study concludes by proposing that listening to the voices of pupils with SEND can be a powerful tool to inform inclusive practice.