Patterns of Participation in Higher Education in England: A Statistical Summary and Commentary

The purpose of this paper is to identify features of participation in higher education which are distinctive to the situation in England and which have exercised an important influence on the shift to mass forms of higher education in that country. Statistical comparisons are made with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which indicate considerable variations in the levels, patterns and profiles of participation in each territory. At the same time, some limitations and cautions are voiced about the use of official statistics for this purpose, especially where data collection has been the responsibility of separate departments and different agencies.     

Access to numeracy: a case study

More and more pupils with learning difficulties are being taught in mainstream settings but how inclusive is the teaching they experience? In this illustrative case study, Ruth Germain, a teacher in a mainstream primary school, looks at how Paul, a pupil with Down's syndrome, is supported during 'dedicated numeracy time'. She examines the relationships between whole-class, group and individual teaching; the nature of the support Paul receives; and his educational and behavioural responses. The article closes with a call for further research into the implications for teaching and learning of the inclusion of pupils with learning difficulties in mainstream contexts.     

Universities,cultural identity,and democracy: Some Canada-China comparisons

This paper begins with some broad comparative reflections on the role of universities in Canada and China. While the two societies could hardly be more different, their modern universities came into being around the same historical period. Patterned on foreign models, they have nevertheless been expected to contribute to national cultural identity.The second part of the paper considers the link between universities, cultural identity, and democracy in an increasingly globalized world community, and illustrates ways in which academic co-operation between China and Canada have the potential to enhance democratization, if principles of autonomy and intellectual freedom can be instituted in an international context.The third part returns to the question of universities and national cultural identity, comparing the different ways in which scholars in the two countries have conceptualized this link, and suggesting areas where comparative research on universities in the two societies could be carried out.     

Teacher's in-Service Education: A Proposal for Turning Teachers Into Teacher-Researchers

The paper focuses on the contribution of action research to teachers' in-service education at elementary schools in the Rio de Janeiro local system of education, linking thought and action indissolubly. This involves inviting teachers and learners to question their own practice, in their own process of building up citizenship, while striving to recover their place in a society that limits and makes their social relations difficult. The development of action research at the Faculty of Education in Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has brought to light ethical, scientific and political questions in the school system.