The value of management education: Views of graduates on the benefits of doing a MBA

MBA alumni are exceptionally well placed to evaluate management education in terms of its real impacts on students against current, and expected, needs. This paper reports the results of a survey of graduates of one MBA course to identify which aspects of the course its graduates valued highly and the extent of the contribution of their MBA to career changes that have followed their completion of the course. The benefits of the program to graduates, in terms of relevance, knowledge gained, behaviour changed and outcomes achieved were judged to be substantial. The MBA is seen as a significant factor in career change and development.     

The meaning and significance ofethnicity in educational discourse

Summary The argument adduced in this article proposes that confusion about the meaning ofethnic and of similar terms can be avoided if the terms are newly defined for each case under consideration. Such a definition should specify which attributes have been selected for distinguishing the compared ethnic groups from each other in respect to the particular facet of educational under discussion.Ethnicity is significant in educational discourse only if (1) people's ethnic status affects their treatment or their self-perceptions in educational settings, or (2) the contents of education (curricula, textbooks, lectures) reflect ethnic differences, or (3) educational practices and contexts influence the ethnic status to which an individual is relegated.     

Motor and coordination difficulties in children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

To date, very few studies have explored the incidence of motor impairment amongst children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (social, emotional and mental health (SEMH); formerly SEBD in England). Following research that suggests an increase in motor difficulties in young children and adolescents with SEMH difficulties, this study compares profiles of motor ability using the Movement ABC-2 assessment in children attending a specialist SEMH primary school with a typically developing comparison group and children with a diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder. We report an increased prevalence of borderline or clinically significant motor impairment amongst children with SEMH difficulties compared to the comparison group, with 44% of the SEMH special school sample falling within these ranges. We suggest that bearing in mind the increased likelihood for motor impairment is important in SEMH education, as it has likely impact on classroom functioning and ability and motivation to take part in socially and academically relevant activities.     

A scheme for assessing unmet educational needs: The American Samoa example

From 1960 onwards the U.S. Government set out to improve the schools in American Samoa. During the period 1971–75 educational leaders there carried out a series of studies of the islanders' educational needs in order to assess the suitability of existing learning goals and the degree to which they were being achieved. Approaches used were a community-opinion survey, a classroom-problems survey, an evaluation of the school system's specific instructional objectives, a program of standarized testing, a bi-lingual testing of academic achievement, a physical performance testing programme and a system of teacher-parent conferences and ratings of pupils progress. Ten critical unmet needs were identified: better command of English; greater mastery of Samoan language and culture; better opportunities to learn according to the pupil's individual abilities and background; better command of mathematics; increased vocational-education opportunities; improved physical-education skills; better command of social sciences; better command of health and science knowledge; more consistent school attendance, and better social skills. These needs were investigated in detail so that specific steps might be planned to fulfil them. The teacher/parent conferencing program, based on a Californian model, was a failure.

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Zusammenfassung Seit 1960 ist die Regierung der USA bestrebt, das Schulwesen in Amerikanisch Samoa zu verbessern. In den Jahren 1971–75 haben führende Pädagogen eine Reihe von Untersuchungen über die Bildungsbedürfnisse der Inselbewohner durchgeführt, um festzustellen, ob die bestehenden Lernziele angemessen sind und inwieweit sie erreicht werden. Als Erhebungsinstrumente wurden benutzt: eine Meinungsumfrage in der Gemeinschaft, eine Erhebung über Unterrichtsprobleme, eine Bewertung der spezifischen Unterrichtsziele des Schulsystems, ein standardisiertes Testprogramm, ein Lehrer/Eltern-Konferenzsystem und Beurteilungswerte für Schülerleistungen. Es ergaben sich zehn kritische Erfordernisse: bessere Beherrschung der englischen Sprache; vertieftere Kenntnisse der Sprache und Kultur von Samoa; erweiterte Lernmöglichkeiten entsprechend den individuellen Fähigkeiten und der Herkunft der Schüler; bessere Mathematikbeherrschung; mehr Möglichkeiten zur Berufsausbildung; bessere Leibeserziehung; bessere Beherrschung der Sozialwissenschaften; mehr Kenntnisse über Gesundheitspflege und Naturwissenschaften; regelmässiger Schulbesuch; und besseres Sozialverhalten. Diese Erfordernisse wurden eingehend untersucht, damit spezifische Massnahmen zu ihrer Erfüllung geplant werden können. Das auf einem kalifornischen Modell basierende Lehrer/Eltern-Konferenzprogramm erwies sich als Misserfolg.

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Résumé A partir de 1960 le Gouvernement des Etats-Unis commença à améliorer les écoles dans les Samoa Américaines. De 1971 à 1975, des dirigeants pédagogiques menèrent dans ce pays une série d'études sur les besoins en éducation des insulaires, de sorte à estimer si les buts d'apprentissage existants étaient en accord avec les besoins et et jusqu'à quel point ces buts étaient atteints. On aborda ceci par une étude de l'opinion de la communauté, une étude sur les problèmes de la salle de classe, une évaluation des objectifs spécifiques d'instruction du système scolaire, un programme de l'épreuve standardisé, une épreuve bilingue de performance académique, un programme d'épreuve de performance physique et un système de conférences entre parents et maîtres et d'évaluations du progrès des élèves. Dix besoins critiques non satisfaits furent identifiés: meilleurs maîtrise de l'anglais, maîtrise plus grande de la langue et de la culture des Samoa; meilleurs possibilités d'apprendre conformément aux capacités individuelles et au passé de l'élève; meilleure maîtrise des mathématiques, possibilités accrues d'éducation professionnelle; aptitudes améliorées pour l'éducation physique; meilleure maîtrise des sciences sociales; meilleure maîtrise des connaissances sur la santé et la science; fréquentation plus régulière de l'école et meilleures aptitudes sociales. Ces besoins ont été étudiés en détail, de sorte que des mesures spécifiques puissent être projetées pour résoudre ces besoins. Le programme de conférence entre parents et maîtres, basé sur un modèle californien, s'est avéré être une erreur.

     

An Examination of the Relationship between Computation,Problem Solving,and Reading

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship of mathematics calculation rate (curriculum-based measurement of mathematics; CBM-M), reading rate (curriculum-based measurement of reading; CBM-R), and mathematics application and problem solving skills (mathematics screener) among students at four levels of proficiency on a statewide test. It was hypothesized that CBM-M provides insufficient information to make good screening decisions and that other measures with content more similar to that of large-scale tests of mathematics would function to improve screening. One hundred and seventy students in third grade from a rural elementary school in the Midwestern United States participated. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate direct, mediator, and latent growth models. In general, CBM-R mediated the relationship between the mathematics ability screener and passing the state assessment, while CBM-M did not have any significant paths within these models. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of CBM-M and CBM-R procedures in screening for success on state test performance in mathematics.     

Curriculum Policy,Values and Changes in Civics Education in Australia

Civics education in Australia has experienced a dramatic transformation in the past few years. This change has been driven by several educational policy initiatives at both federal and state levels in response to a perceived need for a more active, participatory citizenry. A key feature of the new policies has been the deliberate inclusion of a set of values based on concepts of democratic citizenship. This article examines these developments in Australia, with particular emphasis upon values initiatives, as a new form of civics emerges.

This article was prepared as part of a project funded by the Pacific Basin Research Center and Soka University.     

CyberConnect: Use the internet with Big6® skills to achieve standards

Conclusions Information seeking strategies can be taught more effectively in collaboration with a classroom teacher in conjunction with a specific assignment. The Big6 Skills(tm) help organize a long-term project into manageable pieces. Using the Internet for research can help students achieve information literacy and NETS standards.     

The Algebraic Nature of Students’ Numerical Manipulation in the New Zealand Numeracy Project

The New Zealand Ministry of Education has introduced a Numeracy Project for students aged 5–14 years in selected schools. The project encourages the adoption of flexible strategies for solving numerical problems, and discourages reliance on standard computational algorithms. One potential benefit of the project is that the methods students acquire in the project may provide a foundation for algebraic thinking through the use of quasi-variables in numerical operations. In order to evaluate this possibility, we constructed a 21-item test of numerical manipulation that required an underlying awareness of the presence of quasi-variables. The test was administered to 431 12-year-old students who participated in the project and to 468 students who did not. The test consisted of six sections, each of which examined the application of a different aspect of reasoning to numerical problems. The results showed that students who participated in the Numeracy Project solved numerical problems that required manipulation with more success than did students who had not participated in the project. This proved to be the case for three different levels of analysis: for the test as a whole, for each of the six sections of the test, and for every individual item of the test. The results were interpreted as showing that the project fostered students awareness of numbers as quasi-variables and thus provided an early indicator of algebraic thinking.     

Civics and Values in the Asia‐Pacific Region

The Asia‐Pacific region has witnessed a substantial and frequently profound surge of interest in civics and democratic citizenship in recent years. This change has been driven by global forces and educational policy initiatives at national level in most countries and more localized levels in others. In turn these policies have been driven by a perceived need for a more active, participatory citizenry in a time of accelerated capitalism and globalization. A key feature of the policies in the region has been the deliberate inclusion of a set of values based on concepts of the ‘good’ citizen and democratic citizenship. This article examines these developments in selected countries within the region, with particular emphasis upon the values initiatives taken, in an attempt to make sense of the changing scene in civics education.

This article was prepared as part of a project funded by the Pacific Basin Research Center and Soka University.