Does alternative higher education need an alternative?

The present movement in alternative higher education is predominantly an accomodation for the unrest which surfaced during the sixties. Generally, the creators and participants of alternatives, both inside and outside of conventional universities, fell comfortably into a process of cooptation which alleviated the more obvious symptoms of alienation and silenced dissent. This paper discusses alternative higher education in light of 1) improvement of communication within the alternative community and with others in the larger society, 2) attention paid to critical analysis, theory and research, to avoid the pitfalls of subjectivism, 3) development of the organization and power to survive, rather than becoming trapped by excessive preoccupations with criticizing the conventional or with justifying ourselves to those in positions of power, and 4) creation of an integrity in our purposes and methods by fashioning a systematic and socially critical methodology of theory-and-practice, involving in part a serious consideration of Marxist thought.Joanne Kowalski, John Bilorusky, and Victor Acosta are three of the founders of the Western Regional Learning Center, an independent experimental university and center for people involved in community change and educational innovation.     

Effects of perceptual type and presentation mode in a visual location task

Research has shown that people differ in their psychological orientations toward sensory perception. Opposite perceptual types are extreme Haptics-normal-sighted individuals who use their eyes only when compelled to do so and otherwise depend on touch and kinesthesis — and extreme Visuals — those who depend entirely on visual experiences and would be completely lost in the dark. Since Haptics have been shown to have particular difficulty retaining visual images mentally, materials presented in a linear format may be ineffective for them. This study explored the possibility that Haptics would perform better on a visual location task when the materials were presented in a multiple image format.     

“You focus,I’m talking”: A CHAT analysis of mobile dictionary use in an advanced EFL class

This article discusses how students and teachers in an Advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class in Cape Town, South Africa, construct meaning through mobile phones. Drawing on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), mobile phones are viewed as cultural artefacts that learners and teachers engage in the construction of meaning-making practices resulting in contradictions that potentially lead to radical transformation in the object and subject positions offered in the classroom. The case study was located in a Cape Town EFL institution with 14 adult foreign language learners and two foreign language teachers as participants. The findings indicated potential primary contradictions in division of labour and object owing to the teachers’ uptake of communicative language teaching (CLT) practices and their institutional roles. As contradictions must necessarily lead to change in a system, the authors propose that the use of mobile technology has the capacity to shift pedagogy in this context.     

LEARNER EXPECTATIONS AND THE PROCESSING OF INFORMATIVE FEEDBACK BY YOUNG AND ELDERLY ADULTS

Inasmuch as learner expectations may influence specific techniques utilized in the processing and retention of information, a comparison was made between older youth and a sample of retired elderly relative to response confidence in a multiple‐choice task situation. Confidence levels relative to types of responses and retention over two delay periods are discussed. Analysis indicated that both age groups utilized feedback effectively over the two retention conditions and that both age groups expressed similar levels of confidence for this specific task.     

AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MOTHER'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE SEX EDUCATION OF HER CHILDREN AND HER PERCEPTION OF HER OWN PARENTS’ VIEWS

In the light of widely perceived increasing sexual dysfunction amongst adolescents, the study examines, by means of a questionnaire and interviews, the experience of SO mothers. It was found that there was a correlation between their own experience of learning about sexual matters from their parents and the guidance they gave their own children. It was suggested that this situation would be repeated for the next generation. It was concluded that when sexual dysfunction occurs, the therapist would need to take into account the contribution the attitudinal environment created in the home makes towards parental provision of sex education.     

Variables affecting teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education in Bangladesh

Inclusive education is a worldwide reform strategy intended to include students with different abilities in mainstream regular schools. Evidence from previous research shows that success in implementing effective inclusive teaching practices in the school is contingent on teachers' positive attitudes towards inclusive education. This study was conducted in the context of primary education in Bangladesh aiming to examine variables influencing teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Data for the study was collected from 738 teachers working in 293 government primary schools in Bangladesh. The results indicated that perceived school support for inclusive teaching practices and a range of demographic variables including previous success in teaching students with disabilities and contact with a student with a disability were associated with more positive attitudes of the teachers towards the inclusive education. The results are discussed with possible implications for educators, policy‐makers and international organisations working on the implementation of inclusive education.     

Sustainable school projects as the education tool for delivering sustainability

In the past ten years, many exemplar projects are completed in China to encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience of sustainability. Many of these projects are landmark buildings, and because they can attract more public attentions, they raise more awareness of sustainable development. However, school projects are rarely mentioned in the news and annual inspirational project lists. The fundamental point of this paper is to challenge the common concept in China that school buildings are only used exclusively by children in formal education. According to the paper’s review of the school schemes in England and Wales, not only the inspirational sustainable schools created the opportunities and responsibilities to accelerate positive changes, but also they developed a vision of an asset that supports lifelong learning and sustainable lifestyles for the whole community. In this paper, the definition of a ‘sustainable school’ is summarised by comparing the statements and concepts in England and Wales. Moreover, a wide range of benefits gained by project stakeholders and communities are also demonstrated through case studies. In the end, lessons and innovations which can be learnt by Chinese school projects are concluded. The illustrations provided by this paper do not aim to solve all issues of promoting a sustainable school in China, but to open people’s minds to the impacts of their actions, and to build the knowledge and cooperative framework to promote public sustainable projects.     

‘There was never really any question of anything else': young people's agency,institutional habitus and the transition to higher education

International research into educational decision-making has been extensive, focusing on the way in which young people and their families assess the different options open to them. However, to what extent can we assume that different groups of young people have equal access to the information needed to make such an assessment? And what role, if any, do schools play in this process? Using in-depth qualitative interviews from two schools with very different student intakes, this paper examines the key influences that shape young people's choices. Decisions about whether to go on to higher education are found to reflect three sets of processes: individual habitus; the institutional habitus of the school, as reflected in the amount and type of guidance provided; and young people's own agency – namely, the conscious process whereby students seek out information on different options and evaluate these alternatives.