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This project is contextualized in Shijing Xu and Michael Connelly's (2013- 2020) SSHRC Partnership Grant Project, Canada-China Reciprocal Learning in Teacher Education and School Education. The goal of the SSHRC Partnership Grant Project is to compare Canadian and Chinese education in such a way that the cultural narratives of each provide frameworks for understanding and appreciating educational similarities and differences (Xu & Connelly, 2017). The overall goal centers on reciprocal learning in teacher education between Canada and China. Xu and Connelly (2017) emphasize research that focuses on centering the voices of teachers in both Canada and China. This work seeks to help the project by providing data on China's politics curriculum to create a better understanding of China's education system, and to gain some insight into the hopes and dreams of Chinese politics teachers.

Conventional wisdom suggests that Latin American countries reformed public education in the 1990s in response to a crisis of coverage and quality. Yet, in terms of access, Latin American countries had achieved relatively high enrollment and completion rates by 1990. With regard to quality, there was simply no high-quality evidence showing weak or lowering standards. In short, by the early 1990s, there was very little scientific evidence of a generalized crisis of public education in Latin America. By uncovering these patterns, this article argues that political scientists should revisit the origins of education reform efforts in the 1990s.

This article provides an example of a social studies lesson from Turkish educational context in order to facilitate comparison with examples of social studies lessons from other parts of the world. This lesson was recorded in a 7th grade class at a middle school in one of the metropolitan neighborhoods in Istanbul. According to the current curriculum in Turkey, social studies education is an interdisciplinary field (TTKB, 2009b; 2009c). The subjects of social studies include history, geography, economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, political science, law, and civics (TTKB, 2009b; 2009c). Social studies courses are taught under two different titles in elementary and middle schools from the first through seventh grades in Turkey. In early grades (grades 1-3), the course is called Life Studies (see TTKB, 2009a) and, from grades four through seven, it is called Social Studies. nation. At the high school level (Grades 9-12), social studies subjects are taught as discipline based courses such as history, geography, sociology, psychology, and philosophy. Educational research studies in Turkey are dominated by surveys and questionnaires. Thus, generally school administrators and teachers limit educational research only to these kinds of surveys which they call "anket". "Anket" is originally a French word "enquête" and has been integrated into Turkish to mean "public poll" or "questionnaire". Therefore, this type of educational research which required a video recording of a class session was unconventional for the school administrators and teachers and they were not eager to participate in this research. The lesson was video recorded and transcribed verbatim. Then, the transcripts in Turkish were translated into English. Explanations were given in brackets when necessary. Transcription and translation process were not easy. Some issues came up especially with the translation as some words lose their meaning when translated to English. Two sessions covering the same topic were recorded. Nevertheless, for reasons of space, only the first session was prepared for this issue, with a summary of the second lesson provided.

The aim of this reflection is to study the new international relations (IR) programs introduced by Brazilian federal universities, looking comparatively at their curriculum specificities and current challenges. In recent years, Brazil has seen an increase of IR programs launched in several regions. Since 2003, the Ministry of Education is in the process of decentralization of the "campi" from the state capitals. Additionally, the Program for Restructuration and Expansion of Federal Universities (REUNI) has supported this trend financially and legally. These public institutions have an important social role in universalizing education across Brazil, given that federal institutions in most cases offer a good standard of education free of tuition for the students. However, in which legal and economic conditions were such programs created? Was there a basic infrastructure in place to ensure a good quality of education in IR in such federal universities? What are the main strengths of these programs? Moreover, which challenges will faculty and students face along the path of continuous development? To answer these questions, the research is grounded in an exploratory analysis based on official documents, participant observation, and interviews with program coordinators. The results can enhance our comprehension of international relations growth in Brazil and bring reflections for a wide audience of political science and international relations professionals concerned with comprehending the idiosyncrasies of teaching and organizing IR outside the United States and Europe.

This article explores the neo-institutional theory of global policy convergence, or "isomorphism", by comparatively examining one of its most recent manifestations--the global diffusion of national standardised testing--in Australia and Japan. By understanding the particular configurations of national testing as being conditioned by both nations' institutional frameworks and historical legacies of education policy development, this study illuminates how the conditioning effects of these frameworks and legacies resulted in the divergent ways in which a policy model circulating at the transnational level became translated into assessment policies that are "simultaneously similar and different". These findings are related to the concept of "path dependency", emphasised in particular by political science and historical institutionalism. The theoretical conclusions drawn on this basis indicate a promising direction of comparative education research, one that recognises global convergence and national divergence as processes that simultaneously shape the globalisation of education policy. In so doing, they summarise the implications of the study for the ongoing debate on the neo-institutionalist theory in comparative education. (Contains 7 notes and 1 table.)

In this paper we examine the state of teacher training for political science PhD candidates in the European Union and make a comparison with the situation in the United States. We investigate the determinants of supply and demand of teacher training. On the supply side, we suggest that research orientation and quality assurance are factors that might enhance institutional willingness to provide training. On the demand side, we examine the influence of gender, career plans, year of study, and career status on student motivation to undergo teacher training. We find that about half of EU institutions offering PhD programs also provide some form of teacher training; this closely follows American trends. We also uncover that while research orientation has a significant positive effect on the willingness of universities to provide training in pedagogy, quality assurance does not. Of the four factors we put forward as potential influences on student demand for teacher training, only future plans have a significant effect. We argue that similarities in the situation of teacher training in the United States and the European Union make transatlantic dialogue in graduate education worthwhile. Moreover, the positive impact of teacher training on the quality of teaching and learning as well as the positive valuation of training by more than two-thirds of PhD students in our sample makes us conclude that teacher training should be more widely available. (Contains 5 tables and 4 notes.)

This comparative small-scale (Swedish and Polish sample) longitudinal qualitative study investigates political science students' conceptions of their studies, their future profession and their workplace learning. The students (10 in Sweden and 11 in Poland) were interviewed twice, first when they were at the end of their studies and a second time when they had worked for approximately one year. The questions asked were designed to try to understand the transition from higher education to work life. The results indicate that they bring with them a set of academic generic skills from their education when they enter working life. Furthermore, the students in the two countries have very different perceptions of the subject Political Science, and the expectations they have regarding their studies and future working life also differ considerably.

This paper proposes criteria that instructors should be sensitive to when evaluating simulations or role-plays for use in international/comparative politics courses. The potential benefits and drawbacks to these interactive exercises are addressed as well as the special circumstances that must be taken into consideration to reap the full promise of these teaching tools. The evidence of their effectiveness includes references to studies that have used control and experiment groups. A reviewed annotated bibliography that concentrates on new role playing games (RPGs) and simulations are included for newcomers and veterans alike to explore new possibilities for teaching courses with an international issues component.

The first three issues for 1977 of The Social Science Teacher are presented. Each issue is devoted to a special topic relevant to social science instruction in elementary and secondary grades in England. The February issue contains five articles focusing on the teaching of politics. Included are discussions of politics as a compulsory course, an experimental program of political education for nine to 13-year-olds, and a review of the work of the Political Education Research Unit at the University of York. Articles about sex roles in society comprise the April issue. These explore sex roles as stereotyped in social science textbooks, a review of resources on family roles, discussion starter activities for a sex roles course, and a source list for studying women in society. Community studies teaching is the theme of the June issue. One article describes a community volunteer program to involve students in activities. It analyzes problems in developing community service programs in schools. Another article presents a directory of useful organizations for teaching community studies, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and the Confederation of British Industry. (AV)

Extrapolates some of the basic epistemological and philosophical arguments of area studies supporters and their detractors within political science. Discusses a possible study of traditional political science "culture" by the area studies proponents. Concludes with a call for both disciplines to work together. (MJP)

Criticizes the notion that the empiricism of economics is more valid (and therefore more valuable) to the field of political science than the more subjective efforts of area studies. Specifically responds to Robert Bates's categorization of area studies as "unscientific" and unduly "humanist." Briefly discusses significant works within area studies. (MJP)

A general overview of political science education in Canadian public schools, with an emphasis on secondary education, is provided. The level, content, and objectives of political science courses offered by schools in the various provinces of Canada are discussed. (RM)

Eastern European Marxist systems excel in university-level enrollments and lag in secondary enrollments, whereas Asian and African Marxist regimes follow the reverse course. The two groups of Marxist states share characteristics such as mobilization of the population into the educational system, high female participation, and emphasis on teaching personnel. (JHZ)

Despite criticism, policy of enterprise in higher education remains firmly attached to China's modernization plans, with institutions increasingly serving business and training needs. Only in dire circumstances would the Communist Party of China move back to putting self-reliance first, and slowing the introduction and application of technologies. (JHZ)

Reviews two books on the political socialization which occurs in secondary schools. Also looks at several other research studies on this topic. Concludes there is a lack of progress in developing an effective citizenship education program in the United States and Canada. (RKM)

Describes a project to assess the impact of teacher unemployment in the United Kingdom and the United States on teachers' attitudes toward the political system and on perceptions of the political self. Findings indicate that status deprivation results in awareness of political forces and tends to make unemployed individuals somewhat more conservative. (Author/DB)