A tracer study of Lebanese upper secondary school students

This paper presents data arising from a tracer study of 90 terminating Beirut upper secondary school students. Nearly all the students intended to transit to university, about half of them to science and technology programmes, and subsequently did so. Median anticipated earnings upon graduation were realistic, but a lack of information or guidance about higher education and career options was noted by a considerable proportion. The results of the study are discussed with reference to the as yet poorly elucidated dynamics of schooling with regard to attrition and transition to higher education and employment in Lebanon.     

Upper Secondary School Physical Science Curricula in New Zealand after the National Qualifications Framework Reforms

The recent structural reforms in New Zealand education have given schools and teachers unprecedented freedom in curricular design and delivery. Using official educational award statistics for 2004 and data arising from a study of 23 schools' upper secondary science curricula in the same year, this study represents an early monitoring of the impact of the reforms on upper secondary enrolments and course compilations in the physical sciences using biology as a reference point. Enrolments in physics and chemistry courses relative to biology did not appear to have changed, but there had been an expansion of physical science education through combined science programmes in years 12 and 13, although the profile of physical science in these tended to be low. Teachers exhibited a strong liking for highly focussed laboratory-based internally assessed modules, and it is recommended that curriculum designers provide a greater variety of internally-assessed modules specifically targeting unconventional physical science programmes. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Evolution Education in Papua New Guinea: trainee teachers’ views

Educated Papua New Guineans’ conceptual ecologies need to accommodate competing and conflicting traditional ethnoscientific, Western religious and modern scientific paradigms. Papua New Guinea is a constitutionally self-declared ‘Christian country’ and evolution is a controversial issue. The upper secondary school biology syllabus contains a terminating unit on evolution but the curriculum is of expatriate design and the rapid localisation of senior educational positions makes the views of indigenous teaching personnel a high research priority, particularly in the light of the current upgrading of secondary teacher training to degree level. This paper presents data arising from a study of trainee primary and secondary science teachers’ views towards evolution education. Primary science trainees were found to exhibit a poor awareness of the centrality of evolution to modern biology. For secondary science trainees, it was found that exposure to upper secondary school biology, in spite of adding little to students’ knowledge about evolution, was associated with their increasingly positive attitudes towards evolution education, as was the dual acceptance of evolution and religious belief.     

The problem of open cheating and invigilator compliance in the Lebanese Brevet and Baccalauréat examinations

This paper describes a study on examination room cheating during Lebanese Brevet and Baccalauréat examinations with a focus on ‘open cheating’ – malpractices which are aided and abetted by examination invigilators. Findings suggest that the problem is widespread and is largely attributable to the empathy invigilators feel with candidates. The collectivist ethos which has earlier been applied to collusion among cheating students appears to extend to invigilators during these high-stakes external examinations. It is suggested that behaviour modification strategies through organisational changes to the conduct of the examinations will be more effective than character development strategies in the short term.     

Educational assessment in Lebanon

The Lebanese government education system is based on the French, but private education historically has a high profile at both the school and tertiary levels where an American influence is profound. The mid-secondary Brevet examination continues to function as a filtering and channelling mechanism (in the latter instance, into the parallel technical-vocational education sector). Despite its intended functions with respect to aligning upper secondary with tertiary education, the status of the Lebanese Baccalauréat has been eroded both by internal factors (including widespread examination malpractice) and by external influences (particularly foreign tests, including the SAT).     

Educational transition rates and upper secondary students' arithmetical ability in five developing countries

This paper presents findings from a comparative study involving five developing nations and from a longitudinal study involving one of these relating educational transition rates at several points in the background education system to basic mathematical skills displayed by upper secondary (Grade 11 or equivalent) entrants as measured by a test instrument developed for the study.A consistent and statistically significant inverse relationship is revealed for transition rates at all points investigated and the basic mathematical ability of sample populations tested, and apparently residual effects of transition rates operating at cohorts' time of entry to junior secondary level are evident. Results are discussed with reference to the educational policies of the countries involved in the study.     

Exploiting Curriculum Commonality in Small Island States: Some Strategies for Primary Science Curriculum Development in the South Pacific

Improving primary science education in the small, developing island nations of the South Pacific is of increasing importance if these countries are to improve the quality of life of their citizens and achieve sustainable economic growth. The education systems in the South Pacific are commonly legacies of old colonial powers and are dominated by external summative examinations that drive a teacher-dominated didactic pedagogy. Changing this situation is likely to be a long-term issue. However, in the short to medium term science education at the primary level would likely benefit from some strategies that are achievable, sustainable and relatively inexpensive when compared with many aid-funded projects. The authors propose a regional approach to curriculum development and the employment of simple readers to deliver science concepts to students through literacy as a means of improving the current situation.