Knowledge society discourse and higher education

The growing importance of knowledge, research and innovation are changing the social role of universities in the globalized world. One of the most popular concepts used to approach these changes in post-industrial and post-modern societies is the concept of ‘Knowledge Society’. In this paper, we will analyse the roles higher education is expected to play with regard to various knowledge society discourses. We will begin with analyzing the uses of knowledge society as an intellectual device and continue by reflecting on how changes in higher education are related to knowledge society discourses in national, regional and global levels. In the final section we will reflect on current challenges and expectations generated within these discourses for higher education and the implications these expectations have for higher education research.     

Learning-based curriculum development

This article is written to inspire curriculum developers to centre their efforts on the learning processes of students. It presents a learning-based paradigm for higher education and demonstrates the close relationship between curriculum development and students’ learning processes. The article has three sections: Section “The role of higher education (HE) institutions” presents a discussion of the role of higher education in the knowledge society. Section “Contextual learning” presents the paradigm of contextual learning which we see as a useful foundation for curriculum development. Section “Curriculum development in practice—the BETA course” shows how a particular course in Business Economic Theory and Analysis has been developed using this paradigm. The article will be of interest to all academics interested in students’ learning processes but is especially relevant to those responsible for curriculum development.     

Gender Differences in Attachment Styles Regarding Conflict Handling Behaviors Among Turkish Late Adolescents

This study was designed to examine gender differences in attachment styles and explore the relationship between attachment styles and preference for conflict handling behavior in close relationships among Turkish adolescents. The participants comprised 371 Turkish undergraduate students (252 females and 119 males; with a mean age of 21.98 years; standard deviation 1.18) enrolled in different departments of the Faculty of Education at Middle East Technical University in Ankara. A Turkish version of Bartholomew and Horowitz’s (J Pers Soc Psychol, 61:226–244, 1991) Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) and the Conflict Questionnaire (CQ) developed by Tezer (J Psychol, 130:281–292, 1996) were used to obtain data. Intercorrelations among four attachment style subscales, and correlation coefficients among four attachment styles and five conflict handling behaviors were computed in addition to a series of ANOVAs and ANCOVAs. Results revealed an association between attachment styles and conflict handling, as well as gender differences in attachment styles.     

Global and local priorities in higher education policies: a headache at the national level?

In November 2001 the Finnish Ministry of Education published a working group report on the internationalisation strategy for higher education, and shortly after another report concentrating on the local dimensions and effects of higher education. In the era of internationalisation and globalisation, local concerns seem to be so great that the Ministry intends to add a third mission in the University Act along with the traditional quests of research and teaching. Thus, in the future, Finnish universities are obliged to act in collaboration with their local environment. This paper analyses the proposals and argumentation of the two reports, aiming, in particular, at discovering the intersections and contact surfaces of the global and local. Finnish developments and discussion will be analysed against the ideas of glonacal agency heuristic presented by Marginson and Rhoades.     

The fine-grained spatial abilities of three seed-caching corvids

We used a psychophysical method to examine the ability of three corvid species to discern fine-grained spatial information. Nutcrackers, pinyon jays, and scrub-jays were required to discriminate the distance between two landmarks on a computer screen in an operant chamber. All three species were able to discriminate between arrays that differed by 20 mm; the discrimination gradients for scrub-jays and pinyon jays were sharper than those for nutcrackers, however. The results suggest that differences in spatial memory among these species are not related to differences in fine-grained perception.     

The Enactment and Perception of Mathematics Pedagogical Values in an Elementary Classroom: Buddhism,Confucianism, and Curriculum Reform

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the values demonstrated by an elementary school teacher in her mathematics teaching and what values her students perceived. This research adopted the valuing theory (Raths, Harmin & Simon, 1987) and used classroom observations and interviews to document the teacher’s mathematics pedagogical values and a questionnaire, interviews, and instructional artifacts to document the students’ perceptions of these values. The results of this research identified two educational values and three mathematics pedagogical values that were influenced by the teacher’s personal beliefs about Buddhism, Confucianism, and curriculum. Her goals for education were to reinstate the students’ original enlightenment and the students’ respect for ethics and experts when dealing with people and life; and her values about mathematics learning were that it depends on individual efforts and personal understanding, her central purposes for teaching were to make students understand the mathematics content and to cultivate their problem-solving methods, and her purposes for evaluation were to understand students’ learning and to encourage students to correct their errors. The students’ awareness of these goals and values did not parallel the teacher’s personal priorities. The implications of teachers’ pedagogical values on teacher professional development and curriculum reform are discussed.     

The Word Witch at Work in New Zealand’s <Emphasis Type="Italic">School Journal</Emphasis>, 1960s–1980s: Margaret Mahy’s Writing as a Reflection of Pedagogy and the Spirit of the Times

Between 1961 and 1984 the renowned New Zealand writer, Margaret Mahy, wrote over seventy-five pieces for the School Journal (a graded reading book provided free to New Zealand primary schools since its inception in 1907). It was a liberal humanist period in New Zealand education during which the 1940s’ and 1950s’ rolling reforms implemented by Clarence Beeby had had time to settle, and John Dewey’s progressive system, influenced by ideas associated with European romanticism, had taken hold. With a new appreciation of nationhood and the arts, School Publications sought to publish material that was not only instructional, but also of high literary quality, by reputable New Zealand authors such as Margaret Mahy. Indeed, the School Journal provided Mahy not only with an opportunity to publish her vividly imagined poetry and prose, but also with the additional challenge of writing for an audience of Māori and Pākehā primary school children who needed to learn to read. This article considers ways in which Mahy’s Journal work reflected (or did not reflect) the spirit of the times.     

Pädagogisierung und Systembildung

Eine M?glichkeit, das Verh?ltnis von P?dagogik und Gesellschaft zu beschreiben, scheint im Begriff P?dagogisierung zu liegen. In der jüngeren Diskussion lassen sich zwei Konzeptualisierungen dieses Begriffs unterscheiden. P?dagogisierung kann erstens als Transformation sozialer Probleme in p?dagogische Probleme gedeutet werden. Hier wird unterstellt, dass soziale Probleme durch die Einwirkung auf Menschen mit den Mitteln institutionalisierter Erziehung und Bildung zu bearbeiten seien. P?dagogisierung l?sst sich zweitens als Ausdifferenzierung eines symbolisch-kommunikativen Systems innerhalb der Gesellschaft beschreiben. Diese Vorstellung referiert auf die Abl?sung des P?dagogischen von den klassischen Erziehungsinstitutionen. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Unterscheidung rückt der vorliegende Beitrag in drei Fallstudien den gesellschaftlichen Umgang mit dem so genannten Dritte-Welt-Problem in der Bundesrepublik in das Blickfeld. Die dabei zu beobachtenden Bezugnahmen auf P?dagogik durch die Dritte-Welt-Protestbewegung, das zust?ndige Bundesministerium und Organisationen des Erziehungssystems werden als je unterschiedliche P?dagogisierungsf?lle rekonstruiert. Deren Hybridit?t, d.h. sowohl Eingrenzung wie Entgrenzung, sowohl Bezug des P?dagogischen auf wie auch Abl?sung des P?dagogischen vom institutionalisierten Erziehungssystem, legt es theoretisch nahe, so die These, P?dagogisierungsprozesse in den Zusammenhang von Formbildungen des P?dagogischen einzuordnen.     

Parental Experiences and Beliefs Regarding Inclusive Placements of their Special Needs Children

Parents of children with special needs face many challenges. One of the challenges is the placement of their children in inclusive early childhood education settings. This article explores these challenges and offers practical suggestions regarding the involvement and support of parents of children with special needs in the placement of their children in appropriate educational settings.     

Learning to Live Together: A Review of UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project Network

Some 7400 schools belong to the global network of UNESCO’s Associated School Project Network. They are committed to promoting ideals such as human rights, intercultural understanding, peace and environmental protection. This study is based on an extensive review undertaken in 2003. It discusses the origins and analyzes the achievements of the Associated School Project Network in bringing change to schools, communities and national policy. The analysis employs a variety of models of educational innovation and reform in order to assess the horizontal and vertical impact of the Associated School Project Network. It draws general conclusions on the usefulness of such networks for intercultural learning and educational and social change. Key issues include the commitment of stakeholders; the treatment of culturally sensitive issues; cultural interpretations of certain subjects; the value of horizontal networks; and the difficulty of achieving vertical impact on national policy-making.

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Zusammenfassung LERNEN, ZUSAMMEN ZU LEBEN: EINE ÜBERPRÜFUNG DES ASSOCIATED SCHOOLS PROJECT NETWORK DER UNESCO – Ungefähr 7400 Schulen gehören dem weltweiten Netzwerk des Associated Schools Project Network der UNESCO an. Sie widmen sich der Förderung von Idealen wie Menschenrechten, interkulturellem Verständnis, Frieden und Umweltschutz. Diese Studie basiert auf einer ausführlichen Überprüfung, die im Jahre 2003 durchgeführt wurde. Sie diskutiert die Ursprünge und analysiert die Errungenschaften des Associated Schools Project Network im Herbeiführen von Veränderungen an Schulen, Gemeinden und nationaler Politik. Die Analyse bedient sich einer Vielzahl von Beispielen erzieherischer Erneuerung und Reform, um die horizontalen und vertikalen Auswirkungen des Associated Schools Project Network einzuschätzen. Sie zieht allgemeine Schlüsse bezüglich des Nutzens derartiger Netzwerke für interkulturelles Lernen und erzieherischen sowie gesellschaftlichen Wandel. Schlüsselthemen sind das Engagement der verantwortlichen Personen, die Behandlung kulturell sensibler Themen, kulturelle Interpretationen bestimmter Gegenstände, der Wert breit gestreuter Netzwerke und die Schwierigkeit, tief greifenden Einfluß auf die Gestaltung nationaler Politik zu gewinnen.

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Resumen APRENDER A CONVIVIR: UNA PRESENTACIÓN GENERAL DE LA RED DEL PROYECTO DE ESCUELAS ASOCIADAS A LA UNESCO – La Red del Proyecto de Escuelas Asociadas a la UNESCO está integrada por unas 7.400 escuelas que se han comprometido a promover ideales tales como derechos humanos, entendimiento intercultural, convivencia pacífica y protección ambiental. Este trabajo está basado en una extensa investigación realizada en el año 2003. El estudio enfoca los orígenes y analiza los resultados obtenidos por la Red del Proyecto de Escuelas Asociadas en cuanto a los cambios que ha ocasionado en las escuelas, comunidades y políticas nacionales. El análisis emplea una serie de modelos de innovación y reforma educativa para evaluar el impacto horizontal y vertical de la Red del Proyecto de Escuelas Asociadas, esbozando conclusiones generales sobre la utilidad que tienen estas redes para el aprendizaje intercultural y el cambio educativo y social. Algunos de los aspectos esenciales del trabajo son la participación comprometida de individuos y grupos implicados (stakeholders), el tratamiento de temas culturalmente sensibles, las interpretaciones culturales de determinados asuntos, el valor de las redes horizontales y la dificultad de conseguir un impacto vertical sobre la elaboración de políticas a nivel nacional.

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Résumé APPRENDRE À VIVRE ENSEMBLE : COMPTE RENDU DU RÉSEAU DU PROJET DES COLES ASSOCIÉÉES DE L’UNESCO – Quelques 7400 écoles appartiennent au réseau global du Réseau du Projet des Écoles Associées de l’UNESCO. Elles ont le devoir de promouvoir des idéaux tels que les droits de l’Homme, la compréhension interculturelle, la paix et la protection de l’environnement. Cette étude est basée sur un vaste compte rendu entrepris en 2003. Elle délibère des origines et analyse les acquis du Réseau du Projet des Écoles Associées par rapport à ce qu’il a apporté comme changements au sein des écoles, des communautés et de la politique nationale. L’analyse utilise une variété de modèles d’innovation et de réforme éducative afin d’évaluer l’impact horizontal et vertical du Réseau du Projet des Écoles Associées. Elle en tire des conclusions générales quant à l’utilité de ce genre de réseaux pour l’apprentissage interculturel et le changement éducatif et social. Les thèmes clés comprennent l’engagement des intéressés, le traitement des débouchés sensibles sur le plan culturel ; les interprétations culturelles de certains sujets ; la valeur de réseaux horizontaux ; et la difficulté d’acquérir un impact vertical sur l’élaboration de la politique nationale.