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Reflexive commitments tend to be lacking, particularly from the perspective of early career scholars. This is particularly true in relation to published research, but evident in doctoral studies exploring teachers work. Using principles of phenomenological reflexivity, this methodological paper explores the critical incidents that have come to shape a qualitative, ethnographical case study before entering the field. Key findings highlight four implications for novice researchers: an engagement with critical independent reflection, critical friendship, skills development through academic modules and reflexive reading, and communities of practice. The paper calls for continued attention to the methodological framing of research, particularly during and after entering the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the pressure of globalisation, both China and Europe have active strategies to internationalise their higher education systems. This paper explores the cultural and institutional constraints of these strategies in both territories, analysing their impact on the cooperation and competition among higher education institutions. The article focuses on the historical and current practices of internationalisation in Europe and China, the strategic goals underlying these practices, and the implications of internationalisation strategies in constraining the choices and actions of academic leaders in Chinese and European higher education institutions. This article contributes to the literature on Chinese and European cooperation in higher education by analysing the points of conflict and opportunities for growth. Despite differences (e.g., centralised vs. decentralised systems, top‐down vs. bottom‐up decision‐making processes, and the roles of leadership in the governance of higher education institutions), there is a common interest in promoting economic competitiveness, developing a knowledge‐based society, advancing research, attracting and retaining talent, and reducing regional inequalities. The paper concludes that cooperation is possible in specific areas in which neither China nor Europe can succeed alone with the same impact that would be possible with cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massification of higher education has been an important development across education systems in Europe over the second half of the 20th century. Nurtured by political, economic and social goals, including the improvement of social justice in education and beyond, massification has been associated with inclusion as a goal of higher education systems. Generally, it has been construed as the realisation of a democratic project. This article reports on a study that examined the extent to which higher education systems effectively have moved towards a better inclusion of the various social groups composing national populations. Based on a quantitative analysis using data from the European Social Survey, this article presents an assessment of the level of inequalities in access to higher education degrees by employing indicators that are traditionally used by countries participating in the survey (gender, socio‐economic background) and indicators that are not as widely shared (ethnic belonging, religion) in order to offer an original and comprehensive analysis of the extent to which national social diversities are represented in higher education. A comparison of three generations (born 1930–1949, 1950–1964 and 1965–1979) shows a development of decreasing inequality between the first two generations, but a slowing or interruption of this development in the 1980s. Also, the effect of social belongings on educational trajectories became more complex. The importance of ethnic belonging increased, underscoring the importance to consider ethnicity in addition to socio‐economic dimensions in sociological research. The study outcomes highlight differences in individual country trajectories in relation to the geopolitical reconfiguration of political territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes different types of shadow education, providers, customers and research trends, focusing on Asia, Europe and the U.S. Topics discussed include educational activities administered outside of formal schooling across countries, organisation of shadow education, and country differences in labels.

Roma are Europe's largest, most marginalised minority, with a long history of racism and exclusion informing complex inequalities. Roma higher education participation remains under addressed, and paucity of research hinders understanding. While there is variation between countries, the proportion of Roma accessing higher education compared to the general population is extremely small in all countries. Spain has the largest Roma population outside Central and Eastern Europe, and relatively high levels of Roma participation in higher education. As part of an international project on Internalisation and Mobility, here we discuss insights from eleven qualitative interviews carried out with Roma students and recent graduates in Central and Eastern Europe and Spain. Findings from a thematic analysis of interviews highlight identity and inclusion and how experience intersects with distinct national approaches. We focus in particular on competing pulls of ethnic invisibility versus coming out, and related onus on a responsibility to give back. The participation of Roma in higher education remains an important social justice issue in Europe. Our research shows that proactive efforts by higher education institutions in Europe are needed to challenge persistent assumptions that fail to value the contribution and potential of Roma students within higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten years after the first global rankings appeared, it is clear that they have had an extraordinary impact on higher education. While there are fundamental questions about whether rankings measure either quality or what's meaningful, they have succeeded in exposing higher education to international comparison. More so, because of the important role higher education plays as a driver of economic development, rankings have exposed both an information deficit and national competitiveness. Accordingly, both nations and institutions have sought to maximise their position vis-á-vis global rankings with positive and perverse effects. Their legacy is evident in the way rankings have become an implicit - and often explicit - reference point for policymaking and higher education decision-making, and have reinforced an evaluative state's over-reliance on quantitative indicators to measure quality. They are embedded in popular discourse, and have informed the behaviour of many stakeholders, within and outside the academy. This paper reflects on three inter-related issues; i) considers the way rankings have heightened policy and investment interest in higher education, ii) discusses whether the modifications to rankings have resolved some of the questions about what they measure, and iii) looks at how rankings have influenced stakeholder behaviour. Finally, the paper reflects on what we have learned and some outstanding issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the European Parliament is increasingly involved in EU governance, its role in policy developments in domains of strategic importance for the EU has not been the focus of many studies. In this article, we analyse a new digital dataset containing more than 10,000 speeches delivered in the European Parliament plenary between 1999 and 2014 and identify patterns related to temporal increase or decrease in the Parliament's focus on higher education, the topics linked to higher education discussions and patterns concerning the country and party group affiliation of the European Parliament members who speak about higher education. Our findings suggest that the total number of speeches, either specifically dedicated to higher education, or mentioning higher education when addressing other issues, did increase over time and particularly during the adoption of action programmes and related budgetary decision. Furthermore, higher education was less referred to in the Parliament speeches as a stand‐alone issue than in relation to other policy areas in which the EU has strong jurisdiction. Finally, our findings indicate that the variance in whether a Member of the European Parliament speaks about higher education is more closely linked to country of origin than party affiliation, highlighting the persistent national dimension of higher education discussions at the European level. These findings attest to the increasing – yet largely overlooked – role of the European Parliament in higher education policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on educational transition in Europe topics including impact of poverty and social exclusion; risk of early school leaving; and school bullying and violence.

This article explores the background to the Chinese government's decision to embark on a programme of promoting the study of Chinese language and culture overseas. This includes the impact of Joseph Nye's concept of ‘soft power’ in China, ownership of the national language, the Confucius connection, and how these factors interact with political legitimacy. It also considers the development of the Confucius Institute programme in Europe. Europe has the greatest number of Confucius Institutes of any region: what should be read into this? What impact are these institutes having on the development of Chinese language education in Europe at different levels of the educational system? The paper provides some data on recent developments, outlines some of the obstacles to further progress and assesses the chances of Chinese becoming a global language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the process of enhancing quality, quality culture has become a taken-for-granted concept intended to support development and improvement processes in higher education. By taking a theoretical approach to examining quality culture, starting with a scholarly examination of the concept of culture, and exploring how it is related to quality, quality improvement and quality assurance, the aim of this paper is to create a better understanding of how one can make sense of quality culture, its boundaries but also its links to the fundamental processes of teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation, together with readier access to capability-enhancing technologies and to technological insights once restricted to a few leading economies, are resulting in greater competition within Europe, and more widely within the developed world, for influence of all kinds (not just influence over the choices that foreign students make about the Higher Education courses on offer to them from Europe, but also influence of a more overtly imperialist kind, extending to the policies, incomes and futures of others). This article looks at trends in one important market for European Higher Education, the Middle East (particularly the GCC countries), which has many providers from North America and Australia. As observed by the late Edward Said, the USA is particularly forceful in the Middle East. Its technological superiority is accompanied by fervour to introduce American methods and curricula, and strong belief in their merit, reminiscent of the belief of the old French empire that ‘France had a “mission civilisatrice”, to civilize the natives”. The danger, highlighted in a recent UNESCO report ‘New Ignorances, New Literacies’, is that the natives will not be listened to. Is Europe listening more or less than the USA, and is it being listened to? Despite attention-gaining initiatives such as the proposed European Institute of Technology, EIT, and the commitment of EU governments to the Lisbon goals on competitiveness, there are indications of a drop in the influence of European Higher Education institutions in the Middle East. This paper explores the kinds of issues that may be at work, and the implications for European Higher Education policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As other papers have made clear, government interest in Distance Education is high and rising. There is therefore an inevitability that it will play a much larger part in future decision-making. In writing about this subject, Séamus Ó Buachalla has the advantage of much experience and greater insight. He has been a teacher, an inspector in the Irish Government Education Service, and is now a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education of Trinity College, Dublin. In addition he has worked for the Ministry as a planner and, outside Ireland, has done consultancy work for Unesco, the Council of Europe and the European Cultural Foundation. With that sort of varied experience, who better to write an informed and well-researched .paper on this important topic. As other papers have made clear, government interest in Distance Education is high and rising. There is therefore an inevitability that it will play a much larger part in future decision-making. In writing about this subject, Séamus Ó Buachalla has the advantage of much experience and greater insight. He has been a teacher, an inspector in the Irish Government Education Service, and is now a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education of Trinity College, Dublin. In addition he has worked for the Ministry as a planner and, outside Ireland, has done consultancy work for Unesco, the Council of Europe and the European Cultural Foundation. With that sort of varied experience, who better to write an informed and well-researched .paper on this important topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It would not have been possible to have a set of papers on the subject of Distance Education without a contribution from the UK Open University. Peter Zorkoczy has worked there for many years and has a great depth of knowledge not only about the development of that institution but also about the subject of Distance Education as it has progressed in the wider European world. He has led teams of people working, first, to define the European Commission's DELTA programme and then to take part in aspects of its development. He has also played a major pan in setting up the technical and educational infrastructures of EuroPACE, the first European satellite education delivery system. Much of his paper describes real experiences in this latter organisation and acts as an excellent corollary to the paper of Jacques Bieber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to present the latest Education Lending Policy (ELP) of the European Investment Bank (EIB), adopted by the Board of Governors in 2008. It is structured in two parts. The first briefly presents the EIB in general and the evolution of its education lending portfolio in particular. This sets the stage for the second part of the article, which reproduces the Bank's new ELP — only the second such formal education sector policy statement adopted by the institution to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article charts the rise of global science and a global science infrastructure as part of the emerging international knowledge system exemplifying a geography of knowledge and the importance of new info-communications networks. The article theorises the rise of global science, which still strongly reflects a Western bias and is highly nationalistic, in terms of an historical account that sketches three ‘moments’— classical science, colonial science, ‘big’ science. The historical sketch is a basis against which to raise questions about the emerging political economy of international research collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes standards, criteria and indicators used in program evaluation and accreditation in higher education in Western Europe as of September 1, 2003. Definitions of standards and criteria for evaluating the quality of education; Kinds of standards, criteria and indicators for program evaluation and accreditation; Evaluation of teaching and learning methods.

The article offers information on the use of Complex Adaptive System (CAS) for the improvement of the governance of education system in Europe. Topics include the importance of improving and monitoring the education system performance, the formulation of governance strategies for the understanding of education systems, and the assertion regarding education systems as a form of CAS.

Addresses questions relating to the supply of labor at different level skills. Proportion of working age population that are low-skilled in the European countries studied; Impact of changes in the supply of skills on labor market outcomes; Increasing the supply of labor.

Editorial. Introduces a series of articles concerning the vocational education and training (VET) in Europe, featured in the 2001 issue of the 'European Journal of Education.' Criteria by which VET reform may be evaluated; Important factors in VET reform; Interrelation between upper secondary VET and general education.

This article explores the extent to which young people in predominantly middle-class environments identify with Europe and considers the influence of European education policy, school ethos and curricula. We compare data drawn from individual and focus group interviews with students aged 15-17 at a state school and a European School in England. The empirical analysis was informed by post-structuralism and found that young people at both schools developed multidimensional, multifaceted identities. Students at the European School, which has an ethos of developing both national and European identities, identified themselves more as European than their peers at the state school, which integrated students on the basis of a common British citizenship. The findings suggest that the policy on the European dimension in education contributes towards developing students' identification with Europe and to their knowledge of Europe, though not at the expense of their ethnic and national identities, which were stronger than their European identities. Lack of a European dimension in education (both in and out of school) seems to result in a lack of identification with and knowledge about Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, innovative activity is considered in the light of broader conceptualisations of innovativeness and what it means to be innovative. Central to the definition of innovativeness used in the analysis is that the worker actively seeks new knowledge and uses it for work-related tasks. This is based on previous research emphasising learning-by-doing, taking new knowledge into use and learning organisations. Innovativeness is analysed for Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands and Norway. Data from the PIAAC survey of adult skills are examined to identify key factors involved in promoting innovative behaviours at work. Significant country differences are found. Findings suggest that the work profiles of the workers, the work environment and the intensity of training and learning are very important for the innovative capabilities of the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As economies become more innovation-driven, the need for entrepreneurial behaviour amongst employees working for existing companies increases in order to enhance the organisations' capacity to develop new ideas, products and services. Hence, entrepreneurial learning and the development of entrepreneurial competencies of employees on-the-job become more important. One of the most crucial competencies in this regard is the ability to identify potential business opportunities, referred to as opportunity identification competence (OIC). In this empirical study, antecedents of OIC were investigated in a small and medium-sized business context. Based on the 3-P (i.e. presage, process, product) model, specific learner, work environment, and process factors influencing OIC as an outcome variable were studied. More than 200 employees from 12 companies completed a questionnaire. Results of a backward regression analysis underline the importance of investing in programmes that focus on entrepreneurial learning at the shop floor level, trusting employees that they are capable of actively participating in the early stages of innovation and the crucial role of owner-managers to support entrepreneurial employee activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims at clarifying whether and how University Business Cooperation (UBC) can be expanded from knowledge transfer to the core field of education. Higher education institutions exert a decisive influence by teaching students to understand academic theories, methods and areas of knowledge, contributing to their cultural enrichment and development of personality, and preparing them for further work and other spheres of life. Higher education aims at establishing the basis of relevant knowledge that will help students to understand and acquire the competencies they will need in their professional lives. Universities supply graduates to the economy and that includes developing the right set of skills to acceptable levels. Consequently, an explicit goal of UBC should be to point out what those skills should be and how to target education at developing them. The competencies acquired by the flow of new graduates emerging each year from higher education institutions in the labour market is an expression of the multidimensional output obtained from the resources allocated to the higher education system. New ways for UBC are called to play a prominent role in defining both a model of teaching and learning that is better adjusted to social and economic demands and a dynamic and flexible system of continuing education to retrain people as social and economic conditions evolve. Nevertheless, the implementation of reforms in higher education calls for a deeper understanding of possible trade-offs between the diverse types of resources involved and the outcomes obtained. Resources should be examined in terms of their relative costs and the results interpreted with regard to their value to individuals and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses enterprises' engagement in university-business cooperation (UBC) activities: research and development, mobility of academics and students, curriculum development and lifelong learning. It first provides an introductory overview of university-business cooperation policy. It then presents a selection of UBC models, elements and processes that help to develop this area. In the second part, it introduces a UBC survey among enterprises in various European countries. With the survey, it first conceptualises an own research approach and, on this basis, studies the relations between UBC approaches and the processes, drivers, barriers, organisational characteristics and modes of cooperation. It explores which are the most practised UBC modes and the most important determinants. One of the key findings revealed that companies' engagement in innovation departments supported all five modes of UBC under investigation. Other findings of the article suggest that national and European policies cannot uniformly address the development of various UBC modes. There are substantial differences between teaching- and research-related activities. Integrating these two areas represents one of the biggest challenges with regard to orientating HE towards the world of work. It is related to the agreement on employers' role in the overall development of graduates' competencies and also on the future of academic teaching from the perspective of practical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most prior research on academic entrepreneurship focuses on the interplay between university research and technology transfer activities in the form of joint research, spinoffs, licencing and patenting. Yet questions still remain with respect to the role of academic entrepreneurship in education and learning. Lifelong learning has been developing to one of the top priorities for many higher education institutions, with a greater emphasis on developing transversal skills in students, including entrepreneurship. An increasingly adopted approach to developing transversal skills through education is through problem-based learning (PBL) which shifts the focus from teacher-driven education to student-centred learning involving active participation of learners. By taking the students' perspective, this article presents the effects of PBL in the context of university-business cooperation (UBC) on the development of student's transversal skills. According to our findings, UBC-based PBL has an effect on the interpersonal skills of students, such as teamwork and communication, and is a promising approach with regard to entrepreneurship education and paving the way for long-term and more intense UBC activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, global changes such as an ever more integrated world economy, new technologies or the emergence of an international knowledge network have increasingly determined developments in European higher education. Policymakers have addressed these challenges using processes that support the practical orientation of higher education, including university-business cooperation. Because employers are becoming important stakeholders and partners in the creation of higher education policy, the future developers of higher education need to know what employers expect of future development and whether they will meet or resist those expectations when it comes to their input. In this article, we identify the areas that need to be improved upon and examine the ways in which employers' experiences with higher education determine their perceptions of it. Building on the EMCOSU (Emerging Modes of Cooperation between Private Sector Organisations and Universities) survey, we analysed the responses of professionals of 397 companies based in five European countries. The analysis indicated that the level at which companies participated in university-business cooperation strongly influenced their perception of the way higher education institutions should develop. To be precise, those with greater experience in university-business cooperation pressed for more strategic cooperation between universities and business, more support for the international orientation of academic institutions, and less attention to the immediate valorisation of applied research, practical orientation and short-term skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the sources and forms of university resistance to government policy initiatives on the Evaluative State in Europe. Context for the university resistance; Effects of performance-funding in Tennessee; Perspective on policy effects and university resistance; Conclusion.

In asking Professor Börje Holmberg to write this keynote paper, I believe that I have found one of the most advanced thinkers and prolific writers in European Distance Education. Professor Holmberg has a wide and interesting background. He has been Director General of the prestigious Swedish Distance Education organisation, Hermods, and is currently Professor of the Methodology of Distance Education at the FernUniversität, Hagen in West Germany. He is internationally known, having consulted in most of the continents of the world, and is a Past President of the International Council for Distance Education. He has written several books on the subject, is a Knight both of the Swedish Order of Vasa and of the Finnish Order of the White Rose, and has Honorary Doctorates from the UK Open University and Deakin University in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments tend to have strong opinions about education, largely because education eats up a large proportion of their budget. They do not always, however, have the opportunity to express those opinions in reasoned terms in learned journals. Here is the exception. Nicholas Fox has been seconded from the UK Training Agency to the COMETT Technical Unit. He thus has experience both of national and international governmental operations and an almost unique insight into the ways in which government decisionmaking takes place and the reasons why certain programmes are accepted while others fail. In this paper he gives an overview of European Distance Education programmes, and uses examples in the UK and France to illustrate national strategies in that field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the outcomes of the efforts of Central and Eastern European ( CEE) countries to make their education systems more effective in enhancing broader social and economic goals. It focuses on those 11 Central and Eastern European countries which became members of the EU in 2004 or following this date. First, it presents a short analysis of how educational goals were connected with the broader goals of social and economic progress before and during the first phase of the transition period after the collapse of Communism. It then analyses the impact of the accession of these countries to the EU, including the impact of some European mechanisms that have contributed to the strengthening of linkages between education and social-economic progress. The third part of the article attempts to evaluate the outcomes of the relevant national education reforms, development programmes and policies, most of them generated by these mechanisms, in the light of a number of selected indicators. A key conclusion of the article is that the adoption of the lifelong learning approach of the EU has been a major engine to strengthen the role of education in social and economic development in the CEE region, but most countries still need further efforts to translate this approach into coherent and effective national policies and to implement them so that they produce relevant and significant outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the emergence of higher education as a field of research, scholarship and study. In the first part, the meaning of higher education as a field of research is defined contrasting Europe and the US. Then, the institutional basis of higher education research in Europe is analysed (learned societies, institutes and centres, professorships, journals, study programmes). In the second part, the main areas of research and knowledge production are discussed, while the third focuses on the relationships between higher education research, policy and practice. The article ends with sections on future perspectives and conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-binding nature of the Bologna Declaration and loose policy-making and implementation through the open method of coordination ( OMC) have led to varied national responses to the Bologna Process. The OMC has allowed countries room for manoeuvre to interpret Bologna policy and attach different degrees of importance to it. Looking at the interplay between agency and structure in policy implementation, this article aims to illustrate the localised character of Bologna policy implementation driven by national priorities and political agendas, a reflection of the 'policy as text' metaphor (Ball, 1994). The analysis is driven by an agentic understanding of the policy process, highlighting 'actors' perceptions, perspectives, preferences, actions and interactions' (Trowler, 2002). Three different country reactions are examined - England, Portugal and Denmark, described as selective acquiescence, creative commitment and strategic conformity to capture the essence of the cases in question. In analysing the countries' responses, the article considers national readings of Bologna, motivations behind responses to the Process, as well as its reception and implementation at national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the growing focus on teacher competences in European policy discourse against the backdrop of global convergences in education reforms. It traces key ideas, policy recommendations, peer learning and documents which underscore the relevance of teacher quality for education improvement, as recently stressed in the European Commission Communication and Staff Working Documents Rethinking Education. The intertwining of teacher competence frameworks with other areas of education policy is outlined - key competences in school education, the quality of initial teacher education, and the continuous professional development of teachers - teasing out reasons for their central role. Some insights from research and peer learning then explore key implications in the defining and implementing of teacher competence frameworks in national education systems. A comparative viewpoint further analyses current policy trends about teacher competences across European national contexts, in discourse and practice. In order to do so, a framework of analysis takes into account system features as key variables affecting national policy - roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, governance and education cultures, and the status of the teaching profession. Across the variety of policy practices, the analysis endeavours to trace some emerging patterns and trends, highlighting paradigmatic national examples, with some food for thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims at raising awareness of the key role the EU already plays in matters of teacher policy. It takes stock of European teacher policy related documents and activities, such as relevant strategies, presidency priorities, Council Conclusions, Commission working documents, the activities of thematic working groups, of networks, of data gathering and research, and the available supports of the Lifelong Learning Programme and of the European Social Fund. Based on this, the article provides a clear picture of the labour market need-driven, pragmatic context of teacher policies and also the main shared European teacher policy concepts, such as teacher competence profiles, the continuum of professional development and the support of teacher educators. These fundamental concepts were shared, developed and fine tuned in the process of Member States peer learning, a crucial and highly effective method of cooperation, which is also presented in the article. The article concludes by identifying both sides of the two-way interaction process of Europeanisation taking place between Member States and the EU in teacher policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deep economic, social, technological and cultural changes in Europe represent a real challenge for teacher education. The teacher's role is becoming more complex and demanding, while the expectations of society are rising. Teachers are expected not only to enable optimal development of increasingly heterogeneous groups of pupils, but also to mitigate the effects of social inequality. All this requires qualitative changes in pre-service and in-service teacher education. In this regard, the transition from school/university to professional life - the induction period and early career years - requires special attention. In this phase, a fruitful synthesis of theory and practice can occur if novices are systematically introduced and supported by good mentoring in the transition from study to school life and culture, but a 'practice shock' is also possible during which many positive effects of pre-service education are lost. Our aim is to identify some principles and optimal solutions that would foster teacher's professional development in this important phase of their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of using digital technologies and in particular web 2.0 tools to enhance school collaboration has recently been received with great enthusiasm and a range of new collaborative initiatives has emerged. Through a comparative qualitative case study of four schools in the UK and Greece, this article analyses how online tools are supporting and facilitating school collaboration within the 'e Twinning' programme - an EU initiative that seeks to promote web-based learning and collaboration between schools across Europe. In particular, it examines teachers' and students' compromised experiences of the tech-based e Twinning projects and highlights the factors that seemed to be undermining collaboration. It analyses whether the implementation of digital technologies for school collaboration has the potential to transform classroom practices or whether existing habits and 'ways of doing' are brought into new contexts - leading to another case of 'the old wine in new bottles' syndrome often attributed to the use of digital technology in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFSZYaNbzk [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of rapid technological and organisational change, it is argued that lifelong further education becomes more and more important for labour market success. Especially in labour market segments for the highly qualified, it is essential to constantly update one's qualifications. This is reflected in the finding that graduates with tertiary education are closely involved in further training measures at the beginning of their life courses. Almost all take part in at least one further training measure in the first five years after graduation. The further education strategies of higher education graduates, however, vary greatly in terms of frequency of participation, duration of measures, financing of the measure and the type of skills acquired. Using a German graduate panel which traces a sample of graduates up to five years after they obtained their degree in 1997 ( HIS Absolventenpanel), we analyse which of these strategies are most successful in terms of wages. Using random effect panel models, we find - controlling for a variety of other factors - that the frequency of participation in further education only has a significant positive influence on male graduates' wages. Moreover, it is mainly measures paid exclusively by the employer and courses directed at personality development, i.e. management skills, which have substantial wage premiums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses cross-country and cross-period differences in average levels of training activity from an institutional perspective. Firm-provided training in Europe between 1999 and 2010 is scrutinized in order to explore whether diverse institutional arrangements that can be linked to welfare state regimes can yield discernible cross-country patterns. An emphasis is placed on the limits of national skills strategies that are not well embedded in wider institutional environments. This is grounded in a view that policy efforts to influence training activity, involves nothing less than 'reforming' societies. Insights of this research should contribute both to a critical reflection of the EU's targets in the field of lifelong learning as well as supporting policy learning between member states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Survey of Schools: ICT in education commissioned in 2011 by the European Commission took place between January 2011 and November 2012, with data collection in autumn 2011. This article presents the main findings of the Survey based on over 190,000 questionnaire answers from students, teachers and head teachers in primary, lower and upper secondary schools randomly sampled. The article details the analytical framework design and the survey methodology implemented. It then presents the main 'state of the art' indicators that have been built, concerning ICT infrastructure and access to it, frequency of students' ICT based activities during lessons, level of teachers' and students' confidence in their digital competences, their opinion about using ICT for teaching and learning, and the school strategies to support ICT integration in teaching and learning. The article also presents the main findings of the exploratory part of the analysis, introducing the concepts of digitally supportive school, digitally confident and supportive teacher and digitally confident and supportive student, estimating their respective proportion at EU level on average and by country and investigating whether high percentage of digitally supportive schools include high percentages of digitally confident and positive teachers and students. A few recommendations for policy making at European, national, regional/local and institutional levels conclude the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses 1:1 learning initiatives in Europe in the context of a mapping framework of ICT-enabled innovation for learning. The aim of the framework, visualised as a spider's web, is two-fold: (i) to provide a further understanding of the nature of ICT-enabled innovation for learning; and (ii) to depict the impact of existing and emerging innovative initiatives using ICT in the Education and Training context. We present 1:1 learning initiatives in Europe as a case of ICT-enabled innovation for learning with significant scale, scope, and impact at system level and being implemented in real settings. We identified and analysed 29 1:1 learning initiatives from 19 European countries reaching a total of approximately 620,000 schools and 16,800,000 students. The application of the framework to the case of 1:1 learning in Europe (implemented in multi-faceted educational settings) showed the current state of development and the emerging trends regarding the nature, the reach, the target groups and the impact of 1:1 innovation in learning. Regarding the nature of innovation, 1:1 learning strategies in Europe can be considered as mostly incremental. There is a need to progressively move the focus away from the devices and infrastructure to the learners and to 1:1 pedagogies. The framework can contribute (i) to policy interventions -at micro, meso and macro level- aimed at diversity and systemic implementation and (ii) to strategic planning by a multiplicity of actors such as policy makers, researchers and practitioners, increasing the impact of ICT-enabled innovation in Education and Training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Securing the rights articulated in the Convention is an effective approach to improving the quality of early experiences.' This article analyses early childhood education and care and child rights in early childhood and their relationship in the European Union. Both are primarily national competencies. The EU has limited access and tools to influence policies and practices, while there are many ways in which indirect interventions are not only possible, but greatly used, often in areas that do not seem to be closely related to the issues discussed here. Yet there is a strong desire and interest of the different EU institutions to encourage and support Member States to implement both ECEC targets and child rights. In this article, we show that, while ECEC has become an essential part of different policies at EU level, there have been efforts to implement and mainstream child rights, with special attention paid to specific dimensions in relation to early childhood policies and practices, but a child rights based approach is missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The close connection between the quality of provision for young children and professionaliation of the field has long been supported by international research. That the two are inseparable aspects of one picture is beginning to become accepted at European policy level, as evident in recent high level EU policy documents. This article explores the reciprocal relationship between quality and professionalisation, drawing on the findings of the study on 'competence requirements in early childhood education and care' ( CoRe), jointly conducted by the University of East London and the University of Gent, and funded by the European Commission. Based on a review of literature in several European languages and data from a 15-country survey and seven in-depth case studies, CoRe has identified systemic conditions for a professionalisation of the entire early childhood system, beyond the formal qualification levels of individual practitioners. The article argues for a critical and systemic reconceptualisation of professional practice in a competent system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International reports on early childhood education and care tend to attach increasing importance to workforce profiles. Yet a study of 15 European countries reveals that large numbers of (assistant) staff remain invisible in most international reports. As part of the CoRe project (Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care) we conducted a cross-national survey among experts in Belgium (Flemish- and French-speaking communities), Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK (England and Wales). The survey explored professional and training profiles not only for formal 'teaching' staff, but also for the entire workforce, making visible the assistants who are often omitted from international reports. The proportion of assistant staff varies from a very small percentage in some European countries to half of the entire workforce in many others. Whereas job profiles for higher qualified staff often focus on 'education', profiles for assistants typically focus on 'care'. Consequently a divide between care and education can be observed, both in split systems and in integrated systems. In these cases, the concept of 'education' may be narrowed down to schoolified learning and 'care' may be regarded as subordinate to education. In several cases, assistants also have less entitlement to ongoing professionalisation than educational staff. Consequences of the findings for practice as well as policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the renewed interest in early childhood education and care in European politics, and the implications for research in changing policy contexts. Based on the policy analysis, it argues for a radical reconceptualisation of how, with and for whom, and to what end we design, conduct and interpret research in early childhood in present-day Europe. The article argues that the role of research in these contexts is much more than that of a provider of data and information that underpin evidence-based policies. Instead, as part of a critical ecology of research, practice and policy, it is an inherently political practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transfer of the European educational discourse to particular nation-states is a complex process. The outcomes following this transfer are unclear. This article examines the transfer of the European educational discourse in the Balkans and proposes its richer description through the consideration of the processes of educational democratisation and modernisation over the last 40 years in this area. These processes have facilitated the transfer of the European discourse to each of the Balkan countries, which today is achieved largely through participation in European Union programmes, the voluntary signing of common declarations, and financial backing through European funding. At the same time, there seems to be the general impression that the spread of the European discourse has similar effects on the reform of all the Balkan educational systems. As research interest now focuses almost exclusively on the transfer of the European educational discourse to the Balkans, one can easily surmise from this that the reform of the educational systems of the various countries in the region has a common ideological foundation. However, taking into account the concept of discourse transformation, it is argued here that the European educational discourse is influenced by the implementation of the various national policies. In one way or another, the European standards and brand names have to be filtered through the existing economic, sociological, political and cultural structures of each of the Balkan countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the value of flexibility and free choice in learning, and examines the increasing recognition of the evolving and wide range of appropriate environments for learning, such as the workplace, the home, the community, and the virtual world. This 'Lifeplace Learning' is compared to the requirements and visions of the European Qualifications Framework and it is shown how this concept is ideally placed to satisfy, not only the European vision of freeing and equalising learning and qualification recognition, but also the goals of including more people in education, allowing for flexible and apposite learning, and the development of graduates who are 'fit for purpose'. A model of Lifeplace Learning is described that is based on the utilisation of any chosen life place environment for learning, combined with learner negotiated objectives, enabling formal, informal and non-formal learning to be recognised through assessment, and by the awarding of credit where this is appropriate. The model has, at its core, the development of competence in independent judgement, critical thinking, personal autonomy and reflective practice. It is concluded that, as traditional learning models deprive learners of a personal, autonomous and negotiated approach to learning (without which learners fail to develop critical competence in exercising independent judgment and critical thought considered essential and core to personal and professional development) and as Europe is striving to increase the recognition of many types of learning and ease transitions across national boundaries, this model could be an effective way forward to resolve the former and achieve the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of private higher education (PHE) is increasingly clear globally. But does Europe fit the global generalisation? This question can be assessed with reference to two major considerations: the size of PHE and the degree of private-public difference. The growth of PHE in Europe has been delayed and limited compared to that in most of the world, though still significant. For the 27-member European Union, the PHE share is best put at 12%, with a modestly higher share for Europe more broadly defined. Europe's PHE share is thus less than half that of the global share. The regional share is considerably higher in Eastern than in Western Europe. In terms of distinctiveness, European PHE differs from public higher education in important respects that reflect world patterns. Inter-sectoral differences are decisive in finance. Though less quantifiable, they appear fundamental albeit blurred in some but not all aspects of governance and activities. Blurring in activities, governance, and even finance occurs through changes within both sectors, especially through partial privatisation within the public sector. Still, Europe's private sector is far from simply isomorphic to the public sector. Considering together size and distinctiveness, a reasonable assessment is that PHE has moderate and increased importance in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the effects of participating in European Union Framework Programmes (EUFPs) at the level of research units and researchers. We consider EUFPs as policy instruments that contribute to the Europeanisation of academic research and study the changes they produce with respect to: 1) the organisation and activities of Departments, 2) the type of knowledge produced, and 3) the ways of doing research. The analysis is based on a case study of the Sapienza University in Rome. We also discuss the extent to which EUFPs produce different effects at the level of scientific fields. This pilot study analyses changes driven by EUFPs from an institutional perspective and uses the concept of institutionalisation to explain how these changes are translated into rules and practices by research units and researchers. Our preliminary investigation supports the idea that EUFPs do not trigger a process of Europeanisation and lead, within academic institutions, to highly diversified institutional responses by scientific fields rather than to undifferentiated ones. They strengthen leading research groups and Departments, already competitive at the EU level, by enhancing existing international behaviours and practices. However, they do not support and, at times, even decrease competition opportunities for less experienced participants and they do not promote the participation of new groups. Moreover, the absence of relevant organisational changes at the University level and the lack of incentives for EUFP participation seem to strengthen these trends. What emerges is the need for decisions at the University level, taking into account differences across scientific groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of key competences for lifelong learning has been an important policy imperative for EU Member States. The European Reference Framework of key competences (2006) built on previous developments by the OECD, UNESCO and Member States themselves. It defined key competences as knowledge, skills and attitudes applied appropriately to contexts. Now most Member States have incorporated key competences, or similarly broad learning outcomes, into their school curriculum frameworks. This is a necessary but insufficient step towards implementation; for the effective development of learners' key competences, assessment must also change. This article focuses on the challenge of assessing cross-curricular key competences in primary and secondary education. It is based on a major study for the European Commission (Gordon, et al., 2009), which drew on information gathered and validated with the help of experts in each of the 27 EU Member States. The study's typology of assessment provides a basis for reviewing some recent developments in Member States. Present challenges and innovative responses are addressed, including 'unpacking' key competences, 'mapping' them to contexts and 'accessment' of their full scope and range. Policy developments are considered in the context of the author's work with the European Commission's Thematic Working Group on the assessment of key competences. The article concludes with considerations for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]