Search

Reducing health disparities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples requires the integration of cultural safety into healthcare education. This commentary paper addresses cultural safety in the context of the radiation therapy profession and emphasises the importance of making practitioners aware of the knowledge gaps in healthcare practice. The educational strategies to improve cultural awareness amongst undergraduate students and qualified radiation therapists (RTs) are explored. The authors propose a range of recommendations to enhance cultural awareness amongst RTs in the context of Indigenous Australian care, aimed at promoting improved experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples receiving cancer care. Curriculum integration and development of initiatives such as workshops and interactive yarning groups are highlighted as pivotal platforms that foster continuous learning in radiation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores several collections of books and literature concerned with change in educational organizations. The three groups of schools of literature on change are people-based studies, power-based studies and gradualist studies. There are more papers dealing with ideas and thoughts in the form of theories and models than there are studies with real data and examples which can be used to illustrate action or to generate further study. It would be necessary for prospective researchers to become familiar with the key texts in the three schools.

The free-market is commonly presented by its supporters as the best environment for introducing innovations. This paper challenges the universality of this contention by arguing that free-market dynamics cannot provide the appropriate conditions for significant educational changes. By adopting the perspective of systems research, I claim that the degeneracy characterizing free-markets lodad educational systems with extreme resilience to changes. Based on Barabasi's network theory, I argue further that introducing change is extremely difficult due to the need to invest extensive effort in identifying specific sources of power (i.e., hubs) and removing them. Thus, this paper suggests that despite the prevalent image of public institutions as highly conservative and stagnant, it might be interesting to investigate their potential as sources of innovations that are no less radical than the alternatives proposed by free-market ideologues. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are continued challenges in achieving effective pain management for children and young people (CYP). Research has found several barriers to effective CYP pain management, which include, but are not limited to, deficiencies in knowledge among nurses and other healthcare professionals. Calls for improvements in and an increase in pain education ensue, in the expectation that an increase in knowledge will lead to an improved pain care for patients. Educational initiatives, as reported in the literature, have tended to focus on increasing empirical knowledge which has not resulted in the anticipated improvements in practice. An exploration of Carper's and Chinn & Kramer's five ways of knowing helps demonstrate why an over‐reliance on empirics fails to equip nurses for the realities of clinical practice and does not facilitate knowledge mobilization or improvements in pain care for CYP. In this paper, we explore these ways of knowing to produce a model for knowledge mobilization in (pain) education. Our model puts forward a multifaceted approach to education using the active learning principles which supports and equip nurses to become effective pain practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines several papers relating to public policy schools and programs around the world. According to the author, the paper focused on six emerging programs that had representatives present, including four that usefully supplemented the conference paper's survey of broad trends in Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the programs examined have complex relationship with the demand side of policy education. Furthermore, a table showing a descriptive overview of some of the programs discussed is offered.

Aims Prescribing is a complex task and a high risk area of clinical practice. Poor prescribing occurs across staff grades and settings but new prescribers are attributed much of the blame. New prescribers may not be confident or even competent to prescribe and probably have different support and development needs than their more experienced colleagues. Unfortunately, little is known about what interventions are effective in this group. Previous systematic reviews have not distinguished between different grades of staff, have been narrow in scope and are now out of date. Therefore, to inform the design of educational interventions to change prescribing behaviour, particularly that of new prescibers, we conducted a systematic review of existing hospital-based interventions. Methods Embase, Medline, SIGLE, Cinahl and PsychINFO were searched for relevant studies published 1994-2010. Studies describing interventions to change the behaviour of prescribers in hospital settings were included, with an emphasis on new prescibers. The bibliographies of included papers were also searched for relevant studies. Interventions and effectiveness were classified using existing frameworks and the quality of studies was assessed using a validated instrument. Results Sixty-four studies were included in the review. Only 13% of interventions specifically targeted new prescribers. Most interventions (72%) were deemed effective in changing behaviour but no particular type stood out as most effective. Conclusion Very few studies have tailored educational interventions to meet needs of new prescribers, or distinguished between new and experienced prescribers. Educational development and research will be required to improve this important aspect of early clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

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]

Practical methodologies that include food safety and hygiene education in pedagogical activities are strategies to prevent foodborne diseases (FBDs). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of 7th‐grade middle school students regarding food microbiology and food safety, and to apply workshop‐based educational strategies that focus on scientific literacy. The students (144) were initially evaluated using a Likert‐scale questionnaire (pre‐intervention, Q0) with ten objective questions on microbiology and food safety. Once the questionnaire was evaluated, interventions were conducted through five science workshops of 50 min, over a period of 5 months. The workshops included educational games, laboratory practices, videos, and lectures that addressed microorganisms that are known to cause the most common FBDs in Brazil. After each workshop, students were asked to express their opinions and understanding of the content through semi‐structured interviews. Six months after the end of the practical interventions, the students completed a second identical Likert‐scale questionnaire (post‐intervention, Q1), and the answers to both questionnaires (Q0 and Q1) were analyzed by calculating the middle rank. The middle rank of Q1 (mean = 0.65 ± 0.13) was 21% greater than the middle rank of Q0 (mean = 0.44 ± 0.16), and statistical significance was observed (p =.0135). This demonstrates that new information acquired during the workshops positively influenced learning. We believe that when practical approaches to food safety are included in school education as a priority, the prevalence of FBD will decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To conduct an overview of systematic reviews examining interventions to stimulate spontaneous reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and/or patients/carers. Methods: Systematic reviews published since 1 January 2000 were identified and the included publications categorized in relation to the 4Es (education, engineering, economics and enforcement). Results: Almost all studies were aimed at HCPs. Educational initiatives were most often used and, in most studies, were associated with improvements in quantity and/or quality of reports, at least in the short term. Lectures/presentations and regular reminders (eg, verbal or by e‐mail) were the educational methods most often identified by systematic reviews. Engineering initiatives were also generally effective, including improving the availability of reporting forms, electronic ADR reporting, modification of reporting procedures/policies or the reporting form and assistance to complete the form. Evidence for the benefit of economic incentives (eg, monetary rewards, lottery tickets, days off work, "giveaways" and educational credits) was often clouded by the potential effects of other concomitant initiatives, and any possible associated improvements often disappeared rapidly after incentives were discontinued. Conclusion: Educational and engineering strategies appear to be the interventions most often associated with improvements in reporting rates by HCPs, at least in the short to medium term. However, the evidence for sustained impact is weak. The available data were insufficient to clearly identify the separate impact of economic strategies. Further work is also needed to examine the effects of these strategies on reporting by patients, carers and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The level at which scientific principles are taught must be adapted to the scientific level of the learner, and, accordingly school science consists only of simplified versions of these principles. However, these versions may turn out to have been over-simplified, in the sense that the pupils remain unable to use them accurately at `the required level. These `blurred representations' of the principles lack the crucial attributes which confer upon them their specific meanings. Pupils then tend to ascribe to the principles meanings and implications which they do not possess. Such erroneous perceptions of the principles are difficult to diagnose because pupils display them only while irrelevantly using the principles, and irrelevant use is difficult to predict. This paper describes such a pattern of failure to apply relevant principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the influence of regional socioeconomic circumstances on the educational plans of rural youth in 3 modern, industrial societies. The study populations consist of high school seniors in 4 areas of Kentucky and West Virginia, ungdomskole and gymnas seniors in 3 areas of Norway, and volksschule seniors and gymnasium students in 3 areas of Germany. Regional variations are manifested in all 8 countries even when social class and place of residence are controlled. In America, where educational facilities depend upon local authority and resources, industrialization coincides with emphasis upon higher education; when economic opportunities are limited, as in Appalachia, the upward educational ambitions of lower class youths are markedly depressed. In Europe, where educational facilities are managed by the state, educational mobility exists as a meaningful option for youth in all areas including the rural hinterland. The European pattern thus exerts an equalizing pressure on the stratification system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the extent to which particular socialization techniques are associated with the successful transmission of mothers' educational ambitions for their children. Interviews were conducted with 524 tenth graders and their mothers, residing in eight New Jersey communities. Mothers' educational ambitions for their children were strongly and positively related to the students' own educational plans, regardless of the extent to which they provided the students with culturally enriching activities, pressured them to do well in school, or kept in touch with the schools. This suggests that parental values are transmitted in many alternative ways, rather by specific instrumental behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: To determine whether health literacy is associated with an index diabetes-related foot ulcer (DFU). Methods: The SHELLED Study is a 4-year prospective study of people with diabetes aged over 40 with no history of DFU. The primary outcome was development of a first foot ulcer. Health Literacy was measured using the short form Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (s-TOFHLA) and nine domains of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Results: Of 222 participants, 191 (86.0%) completed the study, of whom 13 (5.9%) developed an incident ulcer. In multivariable models, every unit increase in S-TOFHLA was associated with a reduced odds of foot ulcer development by 6% (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.99). Better scores on two HLQ domains reduced the odds of foot ulcer (actively managing my health (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.65) and understanding health information well enough to know what to do (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.78). This was independent of baseline risk for foot disease. Conclusions/interpretation: These data provide novel evidence that health literacy is an important clinical risk factor for index foot ulceration. This is an area of potential focus for research and development of educational programs or policy aimed at reducing development of incident foot ulceration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conflict is inevitable in the emergency department, and conflict resolution is an essential skill for emergency providers to master. Effective conflict management can optimize patient care and enhance professional satisfaction. To communicate effectively in high‐stress, high‐impact situations, sex‐ and gender‐based differences need to be considered. Methods: Nine resident, fellow, junior, and senior faculty members of the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine collaborated to design a 4‐h workshop. The focus was on professional communication and conflict resolution in emergency medicine (EM), with special attention on how sex and gender can influence these processes. Results: The final educational workshop utilized a variety of formats focused on communication and effective conflict resolution including: traditional didactics, facilitated small groups with case‐based learning, expert panel discussion, and an experiential learning session. The consideration of how sex‐ and gender‐associated factors might contribute additional complexity or challenges to conflictual interactions were interwoven into each session to highlight alternative vantage points. Conclusions: Effective conflict resolution is an important skill for success in EM. We developed a workshop that went beyond typical communication‐based programming to consider how sex‐ and gender‐related factors influence communication and conflict resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After first providing an overview of useful survey data sources and commonly studied variables in the area of tax compliance, this article outlines the major tools and exploratory methods used in the field, including laboratory and field experiments, simulations and surveys. It also discusses future possibilities and the data required to progress in this area. It is thus particularly useful as a guide for those planning or just beginning to work in the tax compliance field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning Health Systems (LHS) require a workforce with specific knowledge and skills to identify and address healthcare quality issues, develop solutions to address those issues, and sustain and spread improvements within and outside the organization. Educational programs are tasked with designing learning opportunities that can meet these organizational needs. This manuscript explores different mechanisms for addressing challenges to creating educational programs to prepare individuals who can work in and lead LHS. Strategies and recommendations for educational programs to support the LHS include the creation of a new program, collaborating across existing programs, and producing a set of instructional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks into the effects of the Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning on the educational system in Ireland. Factors which shape the higher educational system; Practices in the educational system of Ireland; Reason behind the preference of a facilitating State over a regulatory State by the universities.

While several researchers have suggested that evolution should be explored from the initial years of schooling, little information is available on effective resources to enhance elementary school students' level of understanding of evolution by natural selection (LUENS). For the present study, we designed, implemented, and evaluated an educational activity planned for fourth graders (9 to 10 years old) to explore concepts and conceptual fields that were historically important for the discovery of natural selection. Observation field notes and students' productions were used to analyze how the students explored the proposed activity. Additionally, an evaluation framework consisting of a test, the evaluation criteria, and the scoring process was applied in two fourth‐grade classes (N = 44) to estimate elementary school students' LUENS before and after engaging in the activity. Our results show that our activity allowed students to link the key concepts, resulting in a significant increase of their understanding of natural selection. They also reveal that additional activities and minor fine‐tuning of the present activity are required to further support students' learning about the concept of differential reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the development and operation of a policy analysis unit within the central headquarters of the New York City public school system in 1981. The implementation strategy used to establish this unit was informed by the rules of conventional wisdom. The unit in this case study, however, was conceived under a particular set of circumstances with specific goals in mind. The fact of the matter is that the only real constituency for an analytic unit in an agency is that found within the bureaucracy itself.

Copyright of Frontiers in Ecology & the Environment is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Academic performance during the first year of university is correlated with future academic success, and is considered to be a determining factor in the reduction of dropouts. In the present study, we describe a new academic performance indicator for the first term of first‐year science degrees students at La Laguna University in Spain. We are interested in identifying the most important previous academic factors for predicting the success of first‐year students at university. Specifically, multiple linear regression models were used to identify such predictors of academic success. We report that, for all of the analyzed science degrees, the best predictor of academic success is high school grade point average. In addition, we obtained predictive models for estimating the value of the new academic performance indicator. Using these models, we can predict future academic success, which may help identify students at risk of failure at the beginning of the course. This in turn would ensure early implementation of educational interventions or strategies to increase academic achievement of such students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though elementary teacher educators introduce new, reform-based strategies in science and mathematics methods courses, researchers wondered how novices negotiate reform strategies once they enter the elementary school culture. Given that the extent of parents' and veteran teachers' influence on novice teachers is largely unknown, this grounded theory study explored parents' and teachers' expectations of children's optimal science and mathematics learning in the current era of reform. Data consisted of semi-structured, open-ended interviews with novice teachers ( n = 20), veteran teachers ( n = 9), and parents ( n = 28). Researchers followed three stages of coding procedures to develop a logic model connecting participants' discrete designations of the landscape, regulating phenomena, contextual orientation, and desired outcomes. This logic model helped researchers develop propositions for future research on the interactive nature of parents' and teachers' influential role in elementary science and mathematics education. Implications encourage science and mathematics teacher educators-as well as school administrators-to explicitly develop and support novice teachers' ability to initiate and sustain parent/family engagement in order to create a school climate where teachers and parents are synergistically motivated to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the shift toward team-based translational science came recognition that existing strategies for training individual investigators and retaining them in the biomedical workforce would be inadequate. To support this shift, it is important to: develop innovative strategies to educate and train diverse members of research teams; evaluate those programs; and disseminate best practices broadly. We have developed a four-phase model to facilitate the development, evaluation, and widespread dissemination of innovative strategies to train the biomedical research workforce. Phase I (Innovate) involves small scale trials of programs to address perceived training needs or new methods of delivery. Phase II (Incubate) refines and evaluates promising Phase I activities on a larger scale. Phase III (Translate) seeks to replicate initial successes either locally (Phase IIIa) or with other interested institutions (Phase IIIb). Phase IV (Disseminate) assesses whether identified local best practices can have success on a broader scale. We present specific examples from our own experience that demonstrate the utility of this model, and then conclude with opportunities and challenges related to the education and training of this workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Medicine & International Health is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article, we: (1) offer a conceptualisation of what it means for Greek Cypriot teachers to be 'reconciled' with the 'other side' (i.e. Turkish Cypriots) in Cyprus; (2) examine Greek Cypriot teachers' emotional responses to the new educational objective of cultivating peaceful coexistence in schools; and (3) investigate how Greek Cypriot teachers' perceptions of reconciliation and emotional responses to the new educational objective of cultivating peaceful coexistence are entangled, and what implications these entanglements may have for educational reform efforts. This investigation is based on data collected in a national survey of Greek Cypriot primary and secondary teachers. The study is important not only for the Greek Cypriot educational system, but also for educational reform efforts in other conflict-ridden areas in Europe because it addresses a fundamental issue in relation to reconciliation: Can teachers, who may still carry traumatic experiences from a conflict and thus be (potentially) emotionally unready to engage in reconciliation, be convinced to put the past behind and promote peaceful coexistence in schools? The findings highlight the teachers' multiple ambivalences, yet they also identify openings for promoting reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in schools. The implications are discussed in terms of educational policymaking, curriculum development, and teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates the practical value of applying H. Gardner's (1993) theory of multiple intelligences (MI) to the practice of career counseling. An overview of H. Gardner's MI theory is presented, and the ways in which educational and vocational planning can be augmented by the integration of MI theory in career counseling contexts are discussed. The Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales (C. B. Shearer, 2007), a research-based self-report measure of intellectual disposition, is introduced, and a case study illustrating the effective application of H. Gardner's MI theory to career counseling is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to initiate discussion about the pursuit of self-awareness—a concept embedded in recent policy—as an educational goal. The authors argue that complex theoretical questions need to be addressed if improvements in policy and practice relating to personal, social and emotional education are to ensue. Such questions relate to possible interpretations of 'self-awareness', a term that may be linked to outdated theories, implying a 'self' to be discovered and the possibility that people can sustain a 'sense of self' across time and place. From this perspective, self-awareness may seem overly individualistic, obscuring more pro-social goals (e.g. empathy, compassion, citizenship). Drawing on sociological and social psychological literature, as well as data from an empirical study of identity construction, it is hoped to contribute to the provision of firm foundations for personal, social and emotional education through a stronger theoretical exposition of 'self-awareness'. The authors' reconceptualised version highlights the importance of an expanded and flexible story of self, which they view as an invaluable tool for learning, fostering an openness to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1986 when the National People's Congress ratified the Compulsory Education Law, China's achievement of nine-year compulsory basic education for its huge school-age population has been rapid and successful. However, the rate of achievement has grown unevenly across the country, reflecting the different economic development patterns of the more prosperous Eastern coastal China and poor Western and rural areas. As quantitative targets were gained for most of the country, attention turned to the quality of basic education and the increasing gap between the more advanced and less developed areas. Shortage of resources for improving the situation in the poorest areas led the Chinese government to seek assistance from international donors, including the European Union. This article describes a joint European Union-China project undertaken to improve the quality of compulsory nine-year education with the ultimate goal of reducing poverty in one of the poorest Western provinces, Gansu. It outlines the policy context and summarises the project's organisation, strategies and outcomes. It identifies the main issues that arose during its implementation and examines the inter-cultural dimension of collaborative work on this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing global competition for students has witnessed an ever more rapid internationalisation of higher education. In the case of the UK, there has been a major influx of Chinese students to British universities since the launch of the British Government's long-term worldwide educational campaign in 1999. Drawing upon evidence from an extensive review of the literature on the internationalisation of higher education, this article will explore variations in Chinese students' intercultural adaptation to the British higher education environment. Discussion of their experiences will be based upon a synthesis of findings of three studies, led by the author, investigating the pedagogical, sociocultural and psychological challenges that they have encountered when studying in British universities. Evidence from these studies suggests that despite various challenges and struggles, most students have managed to survive the demands of the learning and the living environment and to adapt and develop. Analysis of their learning experiences suggests that this learning process spans a developmental continuum involving the students in overcoming emotional tensions arising from changes in their cognition, their sense of identity and sociocultural values. A holistic and developmental perspective is thus required to understand changes in students' perceptions and values as part of their wider adaptation to the academic conventions of their host countries. The findings will make an original contribution to understandings of the impact of the internationalisation of higher education on individuals' learning, change and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gaining access to conduct research in schools can be challenging, but little has been done to directly assess school administrators’ perceptions of research. The purpose of this qualitative study was to increase understanding of barriers and benefits of research participation as perceived by superintendents and principals in elementary, middle, and high school settings. Methods: Administrators (14 elementary, 14 middle, and 15 high school principals and 14 superintendents; total n = 57) were randomly selected from across a Midwestern state and were interviewed by phone following a semistructured guide of questions. Results: Six major themes were consistent across principals and superintendents and reached saturation. Themes indicated that administrators were interested in research projects that (1) provide tangible benefits to their school, (2) are consistent with their academic mission, (3) are not burdensome, (4) do not take place during state assessment time or other busy times, and (5) are credible and noncontroversial. Previous research experiences leave a lasting impression on administrators and influenced their future decisions. Conclusions: Findings indicate that researchers should carefully frame their research in terms of how it will directly benefit the school, keeping in mind that academic performance is the top priority for school administrators. Researchers should be very clear and realistic about the time commitments, how the research results will be provided, and how the study may be used to improve the school’s academic mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1987, 208 second graders were interviewed about their occupational aspirations and expectations, school likes and dislikes, educational plans, and other variables. They were reinterviewed every 2 years through senior year in high school. A 5-year post-high school follow-up was conducted, and 35 young adults (23 years old) from the original sample completed a detailed questionnaire. Young adults reported significantly less career direction and preparation in high school than they did as seniors in high school. Comparisons between 3 generations within the same families were conducted on educational and occupational achievement. The importance of teachers and parents in children's career development is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indiscipline in schools in the UK continues to be the subject of fierce debate. The views of young people as pupils in these schools continue to be marginalised despite their centrality to this debate and their ability to offer a unique set of perspectives. An exploration of the views of a generality of pupils suggests the need to challenge many of the most powerful assumptions about issues of exclusion, non-attendance and disruption in schools but, significantly, also gives grounds for new hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the process of youth political activism and development by drawing on ethnographic research on Asian and Pacific Islander youth activists. Young people revealed that collective action begins with a critical analysis of their lived experiences with inequalities. Their actions also involved oppositional consciousness that was nurtured in social justice-oriented community organizations. Tracking youth's successful efforts for school reform, I show how oppositional consciousness is realized and what activism looks like in practice. [youth activism, oppositional consciousness, social–educational change, Asian and Pacific Islanders] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania is reforming its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system and introducing a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and a National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) to create a new and comprehensive national quality assurance system for qualifications. These reforms have their origins in the social and economic restructuring which followed the fall of Communism, preparation for membership in the European Union, and developments in the field of education and training related to the Lisbon agenda. This article explains the background to the reforms and explores the purposes and scope of the NQF and the NQAF and the relationship between them. It argues that the way that the reforms are being undertaken should ensure that the NQF is developed in harmony with the NQAF and that, as a result, the NQF will be strongly supported by policies and processes which will secure the quality of the provision which it contains. The article looks at the way that the Romanian institutional structure is being used to implement the key functions and processes of the two frameworks and draws out some of the key issues which face the reformed Romanian system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents tips for making foreign study programs in Germany successful, and offers suggestions to fully benefit the participants through a holistic approach. It describes several specific components to make the programs more effective that include integration of pre-departure culture learning by language instructors, creating academically firm programs offering meaningful immersion and guidance in processing the experiences of American students on returning.

The following critical ethnography interrogates what it means for urban students to learn in multicultural ways, given the oppressive historical and present contexts of their newly desegregated urban district. By retelling events that occurred in the district and the classroom, I present a picture of urban students who are willing to learn and engage in classroom activities when the activities do not threaten their emotional safety. Although their actions are understandable, the students' conscious decisions to disengage from school stifles learning opportunities that would allow them to empathize and connect with other students as a move toward individual and group empowerment. Using critical race theory, I problematize the possibilities for successful multicultural classrooms in urban districts with complex legacies of injustice and racial hostility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to explore the career development needs and issues that are unique to Black sub-Saharan African immigrants, with an emphasis on college students, and (b) to discuss how career development professionals can implement strategies to better serve these students. The number of Black immigrants from sub-Saharan African countries has increased recently. Many immigrants are confronted with complex life decisions. Career counselors are in a unique position to assist. Theoretical approaches, with a focus on contextual factors, are discussed. Six strategies for career counseling practice, suggestions for their application, and implications for practice are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents elements of a future vision of learning in the knowledge-based society which is enabled by ICT. It is not only based on extrapolations from trends and drivers that are shaping learning in Europe but also consists of a holistic attempt to envisage and anticipate future learning needs and requirements in the KBS. The ‘learning spaces’ vision puts learners at the centre of learning, but, at the same time, conceives learning as a social process. The potential of ICT-enabled learning spaces can only be realised, however, if it is embedded in a social and institutional context that is open to innovation and supported by a favourable policy environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We live in powerful times and are experiencing a conceptual emergency. The imperative to learn is evident. Yet in spite of advances in knowledge about how we learn, our application of that knowledge in practice remains patchy at best. A key part of the challenge is to encourage government itself to participate in the learning process, and to overcome the psychological and structural constraints it faces that militate against learning. The article suggests a number of measures to facilitate learning within the policy process: including first tackling denial, making space for reflection, empowering the boundary spanners and — most important — practising innovation as learning. The Delors Commission for UNESCO on education for the 21st century called learning ‘the treasure within’. It is no longer possible for government to ignore the turbulence and complexity of its operating environment: it needs to find its own treasure within. This is the case for policy learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is stated as a basic right, but school attendance can become a burden for pupils experiencing school failure or difficulties. The aim of this article is to reflect about general and specific factors of the Swedish educational system and to identify facilitators and obstacles to the possibility to offer equal opportunities to all pupils. Findings from research and trends in the official statistics are related to social and educational theories in order to identify their meanings and implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study set out to investigate the impact of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) on teacher–pupil interaction at Key Stage 2 in the teaching of literacy and numeracy. As part of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, IWBs have been made widely available as a pedagogic tool for promoting interactive whole class teaching. In order to investigate their impact, the project looked specifically at the interactive styles used by a national sample of primary teachers. A total of 184 lessons were observed over a two‐year period. Using a computerised observation schedule, teachers were observed in literacy and numeracy lessons, with and without an IWB. The findings suggest that IWBs appear to be having some impact on the discourse moves used in whole class teaching, but this impact is not as extensive as that claimed by the advocates of IWBs. Lessons which used IWBs had a faster pace and less time was spent on group work. The implications of the findings for classroom pedagogy, teachers' professional development and future research priorities are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is changing in academic research? What has changed over the past decades and what might change in the coming ones? Could the research mission of universities be carried out in slightly or radically different ways in the medium term? This article aims to cast light on the trends and driving forces that can be observed in academic research over the past two decades in the OECD area. It gives an outlook of the main current characteristics of academic research at a macro level in terms of funding and activities in comparison with research performed by other sectors. It also highlights future challenges and sketches a few possible futures scenarios in a 20-year time frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public debate on higher education reform today is dominated by competing views about what higher education institutions, particularly universities, are or should become. To a surprising extent, these views are based upon highly simplified characterisations of university history. The claims in question have been repeated so often that they have become clichés. Historical research has challenged all these conventional claims. The article aims to acquaint readers with the most important of these challenging results. Central here is an analysis of The Humboldt Myth about the rise of the modern research university in Germany and its alleged export to the US, and of the reasons why that myth remains so powerful, even though it has very little relation to realities on the ground. A second goal is to try to bring out some of the implications that a revision of standard views of higher education history might have for current policy debates, focusing in particular on the Bologna process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student evaluations of courses are routinely obtained by questionnaire in higher education. That student feedback is used for, among other purposes, the planning of future courses. Whether such questionnaires consider, in specific situations, all aspects of the educational processes, or even the important ones, is an open question. This study examines that question with reference to a particular engineering design course. It investigates how groups of students process information in their design projects. The study uses the breakthrough, or full-spectrum, thinking explained by Nadler, Hibino, with Farrell to understand the uniqueness of the situation and to clarify the purposes of the research. Living systems theory instructs the design of research instruments and of a research hypothesis. The results show that significant differences in information processing exist between lower performing and higher performing groups. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the influence of the National Science Education' Assessment and System Standards to achieve the vision for the future of science education in the U.S. Support for the development of national goals for education from the National Governors Association in 1989 provided major impetus for the development of national standards. The need for national standards had been recognized earlier by the National Council for Teaching of Mathematics.

A self-assessment model was developed for the Portuguese higher education institutions (HEIs) which was based on an empirical study aiming at better understanding their strategic and quality management and innovation practices and tools and on the study of several quality assessment models developed both for HEIs and business organisations. From the results obtained it was possible to conclude that the model can be successfully applied to HEIs as a self-assessment tool to support their continuous quality improvement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to explore the factors that place college freshmen at risk of dropping classes in mid-semester.Data for this study are from interviews done with 283 male students and 281 female students using a questionnaire that was developed from an initial focus group with 130 students.The findings indicate that many of the explanations for dropping a class are not caused by the performance of the faculty member teaching the course and are also not correlated to the lack of institutional commitment to student development.These results suggest that peer influence is strong at the freshman-college level and that a multitude of problems, many external to academics, is exerting a significant influence on students' decision to withdraw prematurely from college credit courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]