‘Children at our school are integrated. No one sticks out’: Greek‐Cypriot teachers’ perceptions of integration of immigrant children in Cyprus

Increasingly social scientists, including education theorists, find themselves having to fight an almost invisible racism that is masked by the racist undertones of the dominant discourse and practice of colorblindness. A continuous emphasis on colorblindness gives precedence to the role of race, diverting attention away from other forms of discrimination which can become the basis for exclusion. I would argue that for such acts of marginalization, difference‐blindness may have more explanatory power. This paper discusses Greek‐Cypriot teachers’ perceptions of the integration of immigrant children in a Greek‐Cypriot public primary school through the framework of difference‐blindness. The discussion shows that despite their good intentions, teachers utilized a difference‐blind ideology to rationalize practices of social exclusion of non‐Cypriot students in what was considered an ‘integrated’ school environment.     

精英:建构和谐移民社区的决定性变量——以贵州省金沙县八一村为例

通过对八一村这一移民社区精英“主政”格局形成过程的追述,并以精英参与社区运作的方式为研究个案,试图阐明精英参与社区运作,是建构和谐移民社区的决定性变量,进而揭示因势利导地利用精英的作用,对构建和谐多民族移民社区具有特殊价值。     

Revisioning professionalism from the periphery

Abstract

The issue of who should be included and recognised as professionals in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) service system is both contested and pressing in the current policy climate. At stake is a high-quality early childhood care and education service system that is both responsive and appropriate to the constituency it serves. A review of the history of ECEC professionalism reveals complex entanglements and debates regarding professional belonging. Services that deliver education and care to children and families living in high poverty contexts are often excluded from ECEC professionalism debates. Drawing on notions of rationality, emotionality and criticality presented in recent accounts of ECEC professionalism, we use data collected from interviews with service providers delivering services to children and families living in high poverty contexts in Australia to develop an account of criticality that is pertinent to current funding and policy contexts. We argue that these service providers’ perspectives about their own professionalism have much to offer broader debates.     

从目前中小学生体质状况谈儿童家庭体育教育

通过查阅有关资料和访谈,发现我国中小学生体能、视力下降并有继续发展的趋势,就此阐述了进行家庭体育教育的必要性,提出了家庭体育教育的方式和应注意的事项。     

Transformation and Closure for Anatomical Donor Families that Meet Medical Students

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine has conducted an annual Anatomical Donor Luncheon where families of the anatomical donors met anatomy dissection groups of medical students. The luncheon presented an opportunity for donor family members to share the life story of their loved one with the medical students prior to the start of the anatomy course. This study was designed to understand the impact of the Anatomical Donor Luncheon on families of the donors. Seven families in two different focus groups were included to explore the reactions and attitudes of the donor families to meeting the medical students. Conversations were digitally recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analysis of textual data were coded by three investigators using the Constant Comparative Method. To provide evidence of validity, a form of member checking was utilized. For further triangulation, an analyst not involved in conducting the focus groups or analyzing the data, re-coded all data. This analyst used categories and themes identified by the original analysts, ensuring validity of the themes and any negative cases (data not supporting or contradictory of the established categories and themes). One meta-theme and three sub-themes were identified. The meta-theme was Donor Family Participants Experience Transformation and Closure, and sub-themes were Motivators for Participation, Optimal Venue Factors, and Optimal Medical Student–Anatomical Donor Family Interactions. Study findings indicated the Anatomical Donor Luncheon facilitated closure on the death of their loved one, and transformed their apprehension about the luncheon and body donation into an attitude of gratitude and appreciation.     

特殊儿童家庭社会支持情况调查报告

对221户特殊儿童家长问卷的调查显示,特殊儿童家庭面临的三大困难是:经济困难、康复和特殊教育知识缺乏以及时间和精力不足。特殊儿童家庭实际获得的社会支持很少。一方面,社会现有资源未得到合理利用;另一方面,各系统层面所提供的支持未能很好满足特殊儿童家庭的需要,特别是支持源与被支持者之间的沟通渠道不通畅。     

Supporting Middle School Students Whose Parents Are Deployed: Challenges and Strategies for Schools

Middle school students from military families face unique challenges, especially when their parents are deployed. Among the challenges they experience are frequent relocations; issues that affect academic achievement; uncertainty; and changes in roles, responsibilities, and relationships at home. Reunification involves issues of the returning parent's reintegration into the family, reacquainting with children, and recuperation. This article highlights the need for educators to recognize the unique matters surrounding military students, particularly those whose parents are deployed. It focuses on students’ needs, challenges faced by families and schools, and support mechanisms in place. Implications for practice and strategies for schools to use are provided.     

Teacher perspectives on partnerships on families of children with autism

The success of students with disabilities in school and community largely relies on productive family professional partnerships (FPPs). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) recognises the importance of family collaboration to student success by mandating that parents be involved in the Individualised Education Plan (IEP) process as full team members. While several previous studies examined the perspectives of parents of children with disabilities on partnerships with educators, less research exists on teacher perspectives on family professional collaborations. Additionally, there are even fewer studies that focus on teacher perspectives on partnerships with parents of children with autism, a disability category which continues to increase in prevalence. The present study contributes to the literature by examining teacher perspectives on factors that build and hinder positive partnerships with families of children with autism. Researchers surveyed 25 Special Education teachers and conducted additional individual interviews and open-ended questionnaires to examine teachers' first-hand experiences. Findings identified four common themes that educators felt helped and hindered collaborative relationships with families. Study results may lead to the development of specific family professional collaboration strategies that can be implemented and discussed in school districts, teacher trainings, pre-service teacher education programs and family workshops.     

Immigrant students in Denmark: why are they disadvantaged in civic learning?

Abstract

Although native family students often learn more than immigrant family students in school (e.g. civics), scholars have not systematically demonstrated the mechanisms through which native family students outperform immigrant family students. The Opportunity-Propensity framework guides this study. We examine the link between students’ immigrant status and civic knowledge, with antecedent factors (socioeconomic status [SES] and language spoken at home), opportunity factors (civic learning at school, civic participation at school, and political discussion), and propensity factors (perceived open classroom climate and student-teacher relationship). Two-level path analysis of the responses to the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2016 by 6254 eighth graders in Denmark showed that the civic knowledge of native family students exceeded that of immigrant family students, mediated by their own and schoolmates’ higher family SES. Meanwhile, immigrant family students had more political discussions, which are linked to better civic knowledge.     

流动儿童学前教育选择:家庭社会经济背景及迁移状况的影响

流动人口子女入园难问题较为突出。本研究从家庭社会经济背景及迁移状况的视角探讨适龄流动儿童接受学前教育的选择问题。使用CFPS(2010)数据,本研究用Logit模型,估计了不同特征的流动儿童家庭为其子女选择接受学前教育的发生概率。研究发现,农业户籍、跨省迁移的家庭随迁子女入园机会更低;有教育储蓄的家庭,其随迁子女入园机会更高;而父母高学历、与子女同住等因素也会在一定程度上提高流动儿童的入园机会。户籍仍是制约流动儿童入园的关键因素。我们据此明示了相应的政策启示。