Development projects and their host institutions: Are they compatible?

This paper suggests that a major cause of the poor performance of institution-building projects in developing countries lies in the potential incompatibility of the development project (whether in the education sector or elsewhere) with the host institution into which it is introduced (for example, a ministry department, college or research institute). This incompatibility originates in the different organisational culture to which each subscribes. This has the unfortunate consequence in many cases, and in particular in countries with weak infrastructure and low levels of expertise, of the project serving to decrease rather than to increase local capacity. In this respect the project acts as a counter-developmental rather than a developmental force. It is suggested that this situation cannot be rectified unless either the project or the host institution changes its organisation culture, which is unlikely to happen.

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Zusammenfassung Dieser Artikel geht von der Annahme aus, daß die unzureichenden Ergebnisse der Projekte für die Errichtung von Institutionen in Entwicklungsländern folgenden Ursprung haben: die potentielle Unverträglichkeit der Entwicklungsprojekte (ob auf dem Bildungssektor oder in anderen Bereichen) mit der Gastinstitution, in die sie integriert werden sollen (z. B. Ministeriumsabteilungen, Fachhochschulen oder Forschungsinstitute). Diese Unvereinbarkeit ergibt sich aus der unterschiedlichen Organisationskultur jeder Institution. Als Konsequenz verringern diese Projekte lokale Kapazitäten oft anstatt sie zu erhöhen. Dies gilt besonders für Länder mit geringer Infrastruktur und niedrigem Fachwissen. In dieser Hinsicht wirkt das Projekt einer Weiterentwicklung des Landes eher entgegen. Es wird angenommen, daß diese Situation nicht verändert werden kann, solange entweder das Projekt oder die Gastinstitution seine Organisationsstruktur verändert. Dies erscheint dem Autor unwahrscheinlich.

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Resumen Este trabajo indica que una de las principales causas de la deficiente realización de proyectos destinados a la creatión de instituciones en países en desarrollo reside en la potencial incompatibilidad entre los proyectos de desarrollo (ya sea en el sector de la educación o en otros sectores) y la institutión anfitriona en la que el mismo es implantado (por ejemplo, un departamento de un ministerio, un colegio o un instituto de investigación). La incompatibilidad se origina en las respectivas diferencias de cultura organizacional. En muchos casos, y particularmente en aquellos países que cuentan con una infraestructura pobre y con bajos niveles de experiencia, esto trae la infortunada consecuencia de que el proyecto no ayude a aumentar las capacidades locales, sino que, al contrario, más bien las reduzca. En este sentido, el proyecto actúa más como fuerza anti-desarrollo que como fuerza de desarrollo. La autora sugiere que la situación no puede ser remediada, salvo que el proyecto o la institución anfitriona cambien su cultura organizacional, lo cual es improbable que suceda.

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Résumé Cet article suggère qu'une des causes majeures de l'inefficacité des projets constitutifs d'institutions dans les pays en développement réside dans l'incompatibilité potentielle du projet de développement (que ce soit dans le domaine de l'éducation ou ailleurs) avec l'institution d'accueil dans laquelle il est introduit (par exemple, un service ministériel, une université ou un institut de recherche). Cette incompatibilité naît des différentes cultures d'organisation dont participent le projet et l'institution. Cela a pour conséquence malheureuse que, dans de nombreux cas, en particulier dans les pays présentant une infrastructure faible et un savoir faire insuffisant, le projet contribue non pas à augmenter mais à diminuer les capacités locales. A cet égard, le projet va à l'encontre du développement au lieu de le promouvoir. Cette situation ne peut, selon l'auteur, être corrigée qu'à condition que le projet ou l'institution d'accueil modifie sa culture d'organisation, ce qui a peu de chance de se produire.

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This article is an adaptation of a paper which was presented at the Oxford Conference on The Role of the State in Educational Development in September 1993. The original paper is included in a forthcoming publicaiton by Turner J. (ed) The State and the School, London: Falmer.     

Creating Connections: Using a Narrative Approach in Career Group Counseling With College Students From Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

Changes in the world of work as well as demographic shifts toward a more diverse college population and workforce require changes in the way career counseling is provided on college campuses. The authors propose using a narrative group counseling approach to serve college and university students from various cultural backgrounds. Through this approach, students develop their own career/life stories, incorporating their cultural values, family and community considerations, and life roles.     

White middle‐class parents,identities, educational choice and the urban comprehensive school: dilemmas,ambivalence and moral ambiguity

At a time when the public sector and state education (in the United Kingdom) is under threat from the encroaching marketisation policy and private finance initiatives, our research reveals white middle‐class parents who in spite of having the financial opportunity to turn their backs on the state system are choosing to assert their commitment to the urban state‐run comprehensive school. Our analysis examines the processes of ‘thinking and acting otherwise’, and demonstrates the nature of the commitment the parents make to the local comprehensive school. However, it also shows the parents’ perceptions of the risk involved and their anxieties that these give rise to. The middle‐class parents are thus caught in a web of moral ambiguity, dilemmas and ambivalence, trying to perform ‘the good/ethical self’ while ensuring the ‘best’ for their children.     

Listening to children’s views of spiritual and metaphysical concepts: A new dimension to educational psychology practice?

Educational psychologists (EPs) have for many years been developing techniques for listening to children. The aim of the present research was to investigate ways of listening to the “spiritual” views of children in order to develop questions that educational psychologists might use as part of the assessment repertoire. The study explored children’s spiritual concepts such as their purpose for “being on the planet” and the “meaning of their life”. The findings suggest that primary and secondary school children from mixed religious backgrounds can respond to spiritual questions in a clear way. In addition, most children believed that spiritual views influence how children behave. Further research is required to explore whether children’s views of spiritual concepts are linked to learning and progress in school and in life.     

龙虾怎样奏“乐”

自然界的动物在遭遇危险的时候,有各种各样的御敌招数,如毒蛇喷射毒液,章鱼喷出墨汁,电鳗放电,壁虎断尾求生等,还有的动物变换身形、虚张声势以吓唬敌人,而龙虾的防卫术则尤其别具一格。     

Adoptive Gay Father Families: A Longitudinal Study of Children’s Adjustment at Early Adolescence

Findings are presented from the second phase of a UK longitudinal study of 33 gay father, 35 lesbian mother, and 43 heterosexual parent families when their adopted children reached early adolescence. Participants predominantly lived in urban/suburban areas and were mostly white and well-educated. Standardized interviews, observations, and questionnaires of parental mental health, parent–child relationships, and adolescent adjustment were administered to parents, children, and teachers between 2016 and 2018. There were few differences between family types. However, adjustment problems had increased in all family types, with better parenting quality and parental mental health associated with fewer adjustment problems. The findings contribute to adoption policy and practice, and to theoretical understanding of the role of parental gender in child development.     

Preschoolers’ Concepts of Digestive Physiology and Their Links with Body Mass Index

Research in Science Education - In this exploratory study, a sample of 20 four-year-olds took part in structured interviews in order to assess their biological knowledge of how the human body...     

Autonomy: The importance of a scientific theory in education reform

The six national goals established by the National Governors' Association for education reform in the 1990s were conceived by people who had the power to decide what outcomes they wanted based on their own values and priorities. Although it is impossible to avoid questions of values, it is necessary in defining goals for education to consider scientific, explanatory theories about how human beings acquire knowledge and moral values. Jean Piaget's conceptualization of autonomy, in his unusual sense of the term, provides an overall aim for the development of individuals as well as of society, both in the intellectual and the moral realms. Autonomy as the aim of education is based on constructivism, a scientific theory, and would obviate the outdated conceptualization and contradictions among the six national goals.     

Balancing the Environment: Computational Models as Interactive Participants in a STEM Classroom

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This paper describes the work done by sixth grade students to achieve and sustain productive and personally meaningful lines of inquiry with...     

The Vertex Project: Children Creating and Populating 3D Virtual Worlds

This paper outlines early investigations and initial outcomes of The Vertex Project, a school‐based action research project currently underway at Middlesex University. The project aims to explore the potential of Shared 3D Virtual Environments as creative learning tools for children, and looks into the challenges facing their practical integration into the primary classroom. Working in partnership with three primary schools, the project sets out to investigate the teaching and learning possibilities offered by Internet based 3D virtual environments, placing particular emphasis on the opportunities provided by the active participation of children in the design and construction of their own virtual worlds, and in the creation of avatars with which to represent themselves within these spaces.