Researching shadow education: methodological challenges and directions

Research on shadow education has considerably increased in volume and has helped to improve understanding of the scale, nature, and implications of the phenomenon. However, the field is still in its infancy. Literature on shadow education reflects confusion over terms and parameters, and data suffer from challenges in securing evidence from actors who may be unwilling or unable to respond to enquiries in a clear manner. Particular care is needed in cross-national and cross-cultural comparisons. Nevertheless, the trajectory of improvement in both conceptualisation and instrumentation gives ground for confidence that shadow education will be progressively better documented and better understood.     

Modelling the flight of a soccer ball in a direct free kick

This study involved a theoretical and an experimental investigation of the direct free kick in soccer. Our aim was to develop a mathematical model of the ball's flight incorporating aerodynamic lift and drag forces to explore this important 'set-play'. Trajectories derived from the model have been compared with those obtained from detailed video analysis of experimental kicks. Representative values for the drag and lift coefficients have been obtained, together with the implied orientation of the ball's spin axis in flight. The drag coefficient varied from 0.25 to 0.30 and the lift coefficient from 0.23 to 0.29. These values, used with a simple model of a defensive wall, have enabled free kicks to be simulated under realistic conditions, typical of match-play. The results reveal how carefully attackers must engineer the dynamics of a successful kick. For a central free kick some 18.3 m (20 yards) from goal with a conventional wall, and initial speed of 25 m x s(-1), the ball's initial elevation must be constrained between 16.5 degrees and 17.5 degrees and the ball kicked with almost perfect sidespin.     

Comparative Education in Greater China: Contexts,characteristics, contrasts and contributions

Greater China is an umbrella term used to cover Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. This article reviews the evolution of comparative education in these four societies, noting major forces which have shaped the field. The article observes and comments on similarities and differences within the four societies. It has been prepared as a response to the millennial special issue of the journal, and notes some lessons and contributions from the field in Greater China to the global field of comparative education.     

Attempting a capitalist form of financing in a socialist system: student loans in the People's Republic of China

This paper contributes to the growing literature on student loans as a means of financing higher education. The country focus of the paper is the People's Republic of China. Although student loans are very much a capitalist form of financing, the context of this paper is a socialist system. The paper analyses the tensions which confront a loan system in this type of framework, and presents a preliminary evaluation of the loan scheme in China.     

Content accessibility of special education organisations' Web sites

Professional organisations play a central role in efforts to make public and private facilities and resources accessible. Hundreds of organisations have formed to support the development and maintenance of services to individuals with disabilities. The World Wide Web (WWW) has become a valuable resource for individuals with disabilities, but on-line barriers create significant limitations in content accessibility. This study evaluated the content accessibility of professional organisation home pages. One hundred and eighty-seven home pages were evaluated for content accessibility. The results indicated that 72% of them had significant accessibility problems that severely affect their usability by people with disabilities. The types of accessibility problems are presented, as well as methods for validating and areas for improving Web sites.     

Centralization/decentralization and privatization/publicization: Conceptual issues and the need for more research

This chapter is written in response to the work of Cummings and Riddell. It notes the major contribution of those authors, but also identifies a need for deeper analysis in some areas. It particularly stresses the need for conceptual clarity and further research in the areas of centralization/decentralization and privatization/publicization.