Tracing spectres of whiteness: discourse and the construction of teaching subjects in urban Aboriginal education

The author traces how discourse functions in the context of a school-based, urban Aboriginal education initiative, with a focus on the construction and organization of teaching subjects. Critical discourse analysis that traces spectres reveals some of the ways that whiteness and Eurocentrism create the possibilities for, and the conditions in which teachers take up, the positions: victim of racism, arbiter of authenticity, and rescuer. Consideration of the multiple, complex, and shifting positions teachers occupy within whiteness in general, and in colonial systems of education in particular, offers unique possibilities when untangling and reconfiguring teachers' constructions of Aboriginality/Indigeneity and responses to Aboriginal/Indigenous education. This theory building also contributes to the larger field of curriculum studies by demonstrating how consideration of ‘unheroic tales’ can aid in theorizing teacher identity and difference, both within and beyond the markers Indigenous/non-Indigenous.     

Illuminating Low-income Pregnant and Parenting Student Mothers’ Experiences with Community College

U.S. community colleges are considered historical sites of educational access and opportunity for social mobility for nontraditional students. Theoretically framed in Acker’s theory of gendered organizations, this qualitative study explores low-income pregnant and parenting student mothers’ experiences with community colleges, spaces that are designed for an abstract, “ideal student.” Gendered analyses of in-depth interviews from 17 low-income pregnant and parenting student mothers across three community colleges in the Northeastern U.S. reveal compromised classroom and campus wide experiences that negatively impact processes of education and social growth. Findings illustrate the complexity of experiences for this marginalized student group who “do school” in institutional spaces that fail to meet their needs as students with multiple roles. Recommendations for institutional supports are offered.     

A comparative analysis of service learning in social work and criminal justice education

The current study sought input from a national sample of social work (SW) and criminal justice (CJ) educators (N = 276) to explore characteristics of those who use service learning in the two disciplines, differences in the conceptions of and beliefs about service learning, and distinctions in how it is used and implemented. This study offers the first explicitly cross-disciplinary comparison of service learning within two related, but distinct disciplines. The results indicated that SW educators, compared to their CJ peers, used service learning more frequently and perceived fewer barriers to using it. Additionally, a higher percentage of SW faculty members reported using service learning at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, suggesting that SW educators may be more likely to see the value of service learning across education levels. Among those who reported that they have used service learning, few differences were found between the two disciplines.     

Apprenticeships,Collaboration and Scientific Discovery in Academic Field Studies

Teachers may use apprenticeships and collaboration as instructional strategies that help students to make authentic scientific discoveries as they work as amateur researchers in academic field studies. This concept was examined with 643 students, ages 14–72, who became proficient at field research through cognitive apprenticeships with the Smithsonian Institute, School for Field Studies and Earthwatch. Control student teams worked from single research goals and sets of methods, while experimental teams varied goals, methods, and collaborative activities in Kenya, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador. Results from studies indicate that students who conducted local pilot studies, collaborative symposia, and ongoing, long-term fieldwork generated significantly more data than did control groups. Research reports of the experimental groups were ranked highest by experts, and contributed the most data to international science journals. Data and anecdotal information in this report indicate that structured collaboration in local long-term studies using apprenticeships may increase the potential for students' academic field studies contribution of new information to science.     

Cross-country comparisons of cultural statistics: Issues and good practice

Cross-country comparisons are popular in cultural policy. This paper looks at how cultural statistics are used in the making of such comparisons. Analysts have identified a general ‘sloppiness’ in current cultural statistics comparisons. Some of the major problems in both data production and data presentation are documented, and a ‘checklist’ of good practice is provided. The paper aims to provide guidance and ideas for anyone making cross-country comparisons of cultural statistics.     

Walking the line: quality assurance policy development and implementation in Việt Nam

Although Vi?t Nam’s experiences with quality assurance (QA) policy development have been influenced by its relationships with, and funding from, the World Bank and regional organizations, the state-centric values of the Socialist Republic of Vi?t Nam still navigate the implementation process. The development of QA in Vietnamese higher education has walked a fine line between neo-liberal, free market strategies and state-centric, protectionist perspectives. Policy document analysis and key informant interviews show that the implementation of QA policies in Vi?t Nam is an example of how one developing country walks the line between state-centric values and neoliberal principles.     

Hospital libraries: stand up and be counted!

Hospital librarians must ensure they are contributing positively to the organization's goals and are proactive in meeting user needs while making the best use of scarce resources. Therefore, effective communication with library clients is essential. Client audits are useful tools, but response rates are often poor as the audit can get lost in the overwhelming amount of unsolicited mail received by clinical practitioners, who quickly become expert at selecting and culling. This column shares lessons learned through conducting the audit, highlights key findings from the audit itself, and examines ways to use the audit process to promote and develop a library's services.     

Hospital Libraries: Stand Up and Be Counted!

Hospital librarians must ensure they are contributing positively to the organization's goals and are proactive in meeting user needs while making the best use of scarce resources. Therefore, effective communication with library clients is essential. Client audits are useful tools, but response rates are often poor as the audit can get lost in the overwhelming amount of unsolicited mail received by clinical practitioners, who quickly become expert at selecting and culling. This column shares lessons learned through conducting the audit, highlights key findings from the audit itself, and examines ways to use the audit process to promote and develop a library's services.