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Education, training and labour market systems are increasingly being challenged by global developments, such as new and rapidly changing technologies, the 4th Industrial Revolution, demographic changes and climate change. All these have a profound impact on the lives of individuals and on society. The development of technology, especially information and communication technology (ICT), has boosted economic globalisation by providing new opportunities, but also new risks, as does the green transition. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated and amplified existing trends and challenges. Despite these uncertain developments, there is little doubt that a fast-evolving world and a changing labour market will require individuals to become lifelong learners, to acquire new competences to cope with change and to adapt and further develop existing competences. There is also a growing demand for valid information on changing labour markets and future prospects. This goes along with a growing need to support people in managing more frequent and complex transitions within and between education and work. In this context, there is a greater need than ever for career development support. At the same time, career development support 􀂱 that is lifelong career guidance, and in particular career education, and career development support for workers 􀂱 itself faces challenges in adapting to the new circumstances. Changes in delivery and developing the innovation capacity of career development support services are required to achieve deeper impact and empower individuals to manage their own career paths. Technology is already having an impact on traditional services, and the concept of career-management skills is increasingly gaining ground, not only in Europe but also on other continents. In order to help countries respond to the challenges of the green and digital transition, the COVID-19 recovery and regional specificities such as brain drain, but also to inform national policies, practices and future EU and ETF activities in general, the ETF has reviewed the national career development support systems of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. For these six countries, the ETF has also developed a regional synthesis report. The national reports were used as a source for the development of the regional synthesis report, which aims to provide of a clear and concise outline of the state of the national career development support systems in the six Western Balkan countries to allow for peer learning, and summarises key recommendations for further system development., peer-reviewed

This paper presents an autobiographical narrative outlining some of the key milestones of the author’s academic journey as evident in his publications in the three inter-related strands that mark his scholarship, namely the links between education, work and employment, teacher education, and international and comparative education. The author draws on over thirty years of experience in research with a view to sharing hard-won insights with earlystage researchers and scholars embarking on an academic career. He notes that while steadfast work is the key ingredient of attaining international recognition in one’s field, luck, being in the right place at the right time, and the enabling influence of mentors are also important, as is the capacity of making the best of opportunities that arise. In his view, however, the litmus test of a successful career is the extent to which intellectual labour promotes the common good., peer-reviewed

Questo articolo analizza l'educazione al lavoro nelle scuole e come questa può contribuire alla prosperità e al benessere degli studenti. L’articolo fornisce una panoramica internazionale dei recenti sviluppi sul “career learning” e sul “career development”, rilevandone la crescente importanza per una maggiore competitività delle economie basate sulla conoscenza. A seguito delle grandi trasformazioni sociali e tecnologiche, il “lavoro significativo" mantiene la sua importanza come fonte di realizzazione e benessere. Tuttavia, nelle economie neoliberiste, gran parte del lavoro è sempre più causa di angoscia, difficoltà, sfruttamento e persino abuso. Per tali ragioni, nell’articolo si sostiene l’importanza di un'autentica “career education” che aiuti gli studenti a comprendere la natura del “lavoro significativo”, ad aspirare ad esso ed a decodificare le cause che ne vanificano l'accesso. Si afferma, inoltre, che un'autentica educazione al lavoro dovrebbe fornire gli strumenti intellettuali, incoraggiare a immaginare modi socialmente più giusti e soddisfacenti di coesistenza ed a raggiungere una certa misura di controllo individuale e collettivo sulle forze che plasmano le vite., This paper focuses on work education in schools and explores how it can contribute to the flourishing and wellbeing of students in a democracy. It first provides an overview of the recent developments in ‘career learning’ worldwide, noting the increasing importance that it has been given as a contributor to enhanced competitivity in knowledge-based economies. Despite major societal and technological transformations. In the neoliberal economies, however, much of the work is increasingly the cause of distress, hardship, exploitation and even abuse. For this, an authentic career education helps students understand the nature of meaningful work, to aspire to it, and to decode the causes that frustrate access to it. It is argued that, an authentic work education should provide the intellectual tools and encourage to imagine more socially just and fulfilling ways of living together, and to gain a measure of individual and collective control over the forces that shape lives., peer-reviewed

This is an important new book by one of the most eminent vocational psychologists in the USA. Based at the Department of Counselling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, Blustein is best known for spearheading the “psychology of working” approach, a perspective that informs and infuses this volume whose fundamental premise is that, for better and (unfortunately too often) for worse, work remains at the core of who we are as humans, and in many ways defines us. Work thus provides some with opportunities for personal growth, purpose, passion and connection, while others experience it as a bane, a source of frustration and misery, and merely a means to an end, where surviving rather than thriving is the goal., peer-reviewed

L’ultimo libro di David L. Blustein, “The importance of work in an age of uncer- tainty: the eroding work experience in America”, per ora disponibile in lingua inglese, ha molte implicazioni per le pra- tiche di consulenza di carriera e, in gene- rale, per gli operatori che si occupano di orientamento. La Redazione, per presentare questo volume, ha il privilegio di offrire uno spazio all’autorevole recensione del prof. Ronald G. Sultana., peer-reviewed

What is the potential of career guidance in a time where the coronavirus is disrupting work and life as we know it? How can we as career practitioners respond in a situation where we do not know what the world will look like and where we, as well as the citizens we meet, will have more questions than answers? In this article we argue, that supporting people to manage their way through the crisis is not enough. Career guidance should also help people to think about and shape the ‘new normal’., peer-reviewed

This chapter sets out to provide an overview of various aspects of Malta’s social, cultural and economic characteristics, focusing in particular on the role played by education in forging the island’s fortunes and identity, and specifically on the initial preparation of teachers in the light of reforms to educational provision aimed towards the country’s aspiration that ‘all children may succeed’ (Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment, 2005)., peer-reviewed

This paper provides an overview of initial education in Malta, setting the programme in its national context and indicating the various social, economic, political and demographic forces that shaped the development of education and ITE in the past., peer-reviewed

Dieses Papier befasst sich mit der schulischen Berufsvorbereitung und untersucht, wie diese so konzipiert werden kann, dass sie zum Gedei- hen und Wohlbefinden der SchülerInnen in einer Demokratie beiträgt. Zunächst bietet es einen Überblick über die jüngsten Entwick- lungen im Bereich „Career Learning“ weltweit und weist auf die zunehmende Bedeutung hin, die diesen als Beitrag zur Verbesserung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit in wissensbasierten Volkswirtschaften beigemessen wird. Der Beitrag verdeutlicht, warum eine zentrale Rolle der Arbeit im Lehrplan gerechtfertigt ist: Trotz bedeutender gesellschaftlicher und techno- logischer Veränderungen, die eine „Post- Arbeitsgesellschaft“ vorhersagen, behält „sinn- volle Arbeit" ihre Bedeutung als Quelle der Erfüllung und des Wohlbefindens sowie als Kennzeichen für ein gelingendes Leben. Ein Großteil der in neoliberalen Volkswirt- schaften verfügbaren Arbeit ist jedoch zuneh- mend die Ursache von Leiden, Not, Ausbeutung und Missbrauch. Es werden Argumente für eine glaubwürdige Berufsorientierung vorgebracht, die den Schülerinnen und Schülern hilft, das Wesen sinnvoller Arbeit zu verstehen, danach zu streben und die Ursachen zu entschlüsseln, die den Zugang zu dieser Arbeit behindern. Es wird dargelegt, dass glaubwürdige Berufsvor- bereitung - wie alle aufklärerischen Unterneh- mungen - die intellektuellen Werkzeuge zur Verfügung stellen und zu moralischer Ent- schlossenheit ermutigen sollte, sich sozial gerechtere und erfüllendere Formen des Zusammenlebens vorzustellen und ein Maß an individueller und kollektiver Kontrolle über die Kräfte zu erlangen, die das Leben formen., peer-reviewed

This paper draws on my experience and involvement in two comparative research projects on career guidance (CG) in the Mediterranean region that were carried out within ten years of each other (Sultana & Watts, 2007; Sultana, 2017). Here I highlight the main learning point from this research in the ‘global South’, namely, that ‘context matters’. There is an increasing interest in our field in the manner in which local realities shape career. Nevertheless, there is still a tendency for many of the leading theoretical models to either privilege ‘universalisms’ over ‘localisms’, or to consider localisms as mere exotic exemplars of cultural diversity, requiring theory ‘adaptation’ and ‘adjustment’. Instead, I approach such diversity as an opportunity to prise open spaces for critical reflection about how career guidance can serve the interests of global justice. Such a position draws on post- colonial perspectives and ‘southern epistemologies’ that critique the universalising claims about knowledge we find in Euro-American narratives. These master narratives also underpin what we understand by CG, providing its core assumptions, and defining as well as guiding its interactions with society. Here I first look at some of these assumptions, with a view to troubling and further unsettling their taken-for-granted nature. I then argue that ‘localisms’ are not only more likely to be relevant and useful in response to the specificity of context – they are also more likely to serve the interests of social justice., peer-reviewed

This paper reports on the learning that took place within the context of activities organised by the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN). A key focus for the ELGPN throughout its existence between 2007 and 2015 concerned the development of Career Management Skills (CMS) programmes, with a view to facilitating transitions from education and training to work, as well as from one employment or self-employment activity to another. Network members gave special consideration to the specific needs of target groups, with the understanding that while CMS are likely to be important and useful to all citizens, some groups have different needs due to their particular life circumstances. This paper considers some of the main insights generated by the peer learning community, as well as by the relevant international literature, in order to contribute further reflection concerning the identification of target groups requiring specific policy attention, the positioning of CMS in the overall policy field, and the way diversity has implications for the way CMS is conceived and delivered., N/A

A manifesto: from the Latin manifestum, meaning 'clear' or 'conspicuous', even 'blatantly obvious', as in "It is manifestly the case that the earth turns around the sun". Today it should be patently obvious that diversity is to be celebrated, and yet it is manifestly the case that we need a manifesto - a declaration of principles, a public statement of position - that has to be shouted out, affirmed, and fought for. Why? Because slowly and imperceptibly at first, but increasingly quickly and blatantly, we are sliding back towards fear of the Other, a fear that soon translates into rejection, vilification, and expulsion from our midst. The Spartans dashed the unwanted against the rocky slopes around their polis, and the children of Europa had their ship of fools, their ghettoes, and their asylums. Walls went up to keep the Other out, and walls within the walls to keep those inside, but unwanted, apart. Walls of all kinds and shapes and sizes: a yellow star, a tinkling bell, a label: it took years and years for us to learn .to break down those walls and live in peace in our family, in our clan, in our nation' in our global village. A long, long journey of learning - truly life-long, epochal learning. Learning to stand in awe of the Other in our midst, seen as an end, not as a means to an end, in front of whom we 'tremble' in response to the transcendent call for dignity and respect., peer-reviewed

In seinem zweiten Beitrag setzt sich Ronald G. Sultana einleitend mit dem Begriff "Kultur" und der komplexen Beziehung zwischen "Identität" und "Andersheit" auseinander. Mit Bezug auf Erkenntnisse und Einsichten der Critical Race Theory sieht er die Bildungs-, Berufs- und Laufbahnberatung gefordert, gängige Schlüsselkonzepte und Begriffe wie etwa "Laufbahn" oder "Wahl" zu hinterfragen. Auch betont er die Unabdingbarkeit von multikulturellen Erfahrungen und (Selbst-)Reflexivität für Laufbahnberatungsangebote im Kontext kultureller Diversität. Allerdings gibt es "Fallstricke", die kultursensible Beratungsangebote im Blick haben müssen. Sultana bietet anhand der Diskussion fünf solcher Fallstricke eine Reihe von weiterführenden Reflexionen für PraktikerInnen der Laufbahnberatung an. Christina Altenstraßer, Gergana Mineva und das kollektiv analysieren Widersprüche, innerhalb derer Bildungs- und Berufsberatung agiert, reflektieren Prozesse der Subjektwerdung im Kontext gesellschaftlicher Machtverhältnisse und Verwertungslogik und hinterfragen die Rolle der BeraterInnen in diesem Prozess. Sie identifizieren Reflexivität und Engagement gegen diskriminierende Strukturen als zentrale Aspekte professioneller und gesellschaftskritischer Beratung und plädieren für Irritation und politisches Handeln. Eingebettet in diese Fragestellungen und Positionierung präsentieren sie das Projekt "FAMME: Berufsbilder_Konstruktion und Dekonstruktion" und zeichnen den Entstehungsprozess eines Berufskartensets für die Bildungs- und Berufsberatung für MigrantInnen nach. Norbert Bichl erläutert die Bildungsstruktur jener Menschen, die in jüngerer Zeit nach Österreich zugewandert sind und informiert über den Ablauf von Anerkennungsprozessen von beruflichen und schulischen Ausbildungen und deren gesetzliche Grundlagen. Welche Hürden bei der Anerkennung von Bildungs- und Berufsabschlüssen von Zugewanderten in der Praxis existieren, stellen Martin Weichbold und Wolfgang Aschauer in ihrem gleichlautenden Beitrag dar: In einer qualitativen und quantitativen Studie untersuchten sie Anerkennungsverläufe ebenso wie Motive für den Verzicht auf Anerkennungsanträge. In einem anschaulichen Treppenmodell visualisieren sie förderliche und hinderliche Faktoren und, damit verbunden, unterschiedliche Verlaufspfade von beruflichen Karrieren von MigrantInnen. Migrare bietet als Zentrum für MigrantInnen in Oberösterreich seit über 30 Jahren muttersprachliche Beratung an. Nermina Imamovic stellt in ihrem Beitrag die breite Palette der Angebote und Projekte zur Berufs- und Bildungsberatung bei migrare vor. Sie geht dabei auf besondere Erfolge, etwa beim Einsatz des Kompetenzprofils nach CH-Q, ein, verweist aber auch auf Grenzen der Beratungsarbeit und strukturell bedingte Problemfelder.

In seinem Eröffnungsbeitrag bezieht Ronald G. Sultana Position für eine emanzipatorische, kritische und streitbare Bildungs-, Berufs- und Laufbahnberatung, die sich sozialer Gerechtigkeit verpflichtet sieht. Mit Bezug auf Zygmunt Baumans Begriff der "flüchtigen Moderne" arbeitet er die aktuelle Dominanz des "Soziale-Effizienz"-Diskurses gegenüber Entwicklungs- und Emanzipationszielen innerhalb der Laufbahnberatung heraus und umreißt den Spielraum emanzipatorischer Laufbahnberatung angesichts verschiedener Formen von Unterdrückung und Benachteiligung. Wolfgang Bliem thematisiert in seinem Beitrag relevante Veränderungsfaktoren der Arbeits- und Berufswelt sowie deren Auswirkungen auf den Qualifikationsbedarf und geht dabei auf die Bedeutung der "New Skills" ein. Ausgehend davon zeigt er mögliche Herausforderungen, aber auch Entwicklungsfelder für die Bildungs- und Berufsberatung auf. Diese liegen neben Themen wie Laufbahncoaching und Unterstützung zur Self-Guidance z. B. im Bereich neuer bzw. weiterentwickelter Kommunikationsformen wie E-Counselling und im Einsatz von Simulationen, um realistische Bilder von Berufen und Tätigkeiten zu vermitteln. Mit Bezug auf die vielfältigen Belastungsfaktoren, denen Bildungs- und BerufsberaterInnen in ihrer Arbeit ausgesetzt sind, legt Wolfgang Schüers in seinem Text mögliche Hilfestellungen dar. Dabei beleuchtet er insbesondere das Konzept der Achtsamkeit und beschreibt zum einen, was darunter zu verstehen ist, und gibt zum anderen konkrete praktische Anregungen, um Achtsamkeit im Beratungsalltag zu praktizieren. Wichtig ist ihm dabei, darauf hinzuweisen, dass achtsamkeitsbasierte Verfahren nur eine mögliche Unterstützungsform im Umgang mit dem zunehmenden Druck sind, die zugrunde liegenden strukturellen Widersprüche davon aber nicht tangiert werden.

For some years, education has been high on the agenda of heads of state, policy makers and civil society, on the international, regional and national levels. Most reforms have emphasised the importance of teachers and, more specifically, the critical impact that teacher preparation is proven to have on student learning (Darling-Hammond, 1997). Research also suggests that, in addition to teacher preparation, the quality of learning largely depends on Continued Professional Development (CPD) (OECD/WB, 2014). Moreover, preparing and empowering educators through lifelong learning is a complex undertaking that includes induction and mentoring at entry point into the profession. It is a long learning journey that starts with university preparation but continues through the career development path of each professional. It has various configurations, but most importantly is seen in school and in partnership with universities. The best CPD programmes highlight what great instruction looks like through curricula and pedagogy, impart educators with the knowledge and capacity to deliver exemplary instruction, build practical skills through professional development opportunities, support educators with good mentors and coaches, select and develop good instructional leaders who focus on instruction and creating learning communities, and enable educators to learn from each other (Barber and Mourshed, 2007). Many international task forces and initiatives have been established in the last fifteen years to support teachers at the heart of educational reform in Europe and elsewhere (UNESCO, 2014; Twining, et al., 2013; Haigh, et al., 2013). In recent years one of the lead bodies for the Arab region, the League of Arab States (LAS), developed visions and strategies to promote quality educational reform and research. These two concerns have featured in every single Arab Summit meeting since 2006. In fact already in 2005 a department for education and scientific research was created at LAS to support the new policy direction. In 2006, LAS and various other regional bodies, such as the Arab League Education Culture and Science Organization (ALECSO), the Arab Bureau for Education in the Gulf States (ABEGS), the regional offices for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the regional office for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) joined hands in a partnership to enhance the quality of education in the Arab world (League of Arab States and UNICEF, 2010). The partnership chose teachers as their entry point for the purposes of bringing about reform. Several studies were conducted and compiled to further understand the status of teachers, their training and performance in the region. Studies on Arab universities have highlighted the fact that these relatively recently established institutions work in very complex contexts, and that although their numbers are rapidly proliferating they face considerable challenges with regard to the quality of their programmes, autonomy and governance (Mazawi, 2005; ElAmine, 2014; Al-Hroub, 2014). More specific studies on faculties of education clearly pointed to the fact that the Arab world in general suffers from weak professional development programs. Curricula in university faculties of education are not updated and do not emphasize innovation, critical thinking, reflection, research and problem solving. There is a weak link between theory and practice, and on-the-job CPD is very limited (Zaalouk, 2013). The situation is further aggravated by the low status and salary accorded to teachers (Farag, 2010; Herrara and Torres 2006). During later stages of the joint initiative on teacher enhancement led by the LAS, UNICEF, and the Middle East Institute for Higher Education (MEIHE) at the American University in Cairo (AUC), there have been many positive achievements in terms of advocacy and the production of a guiding framework for teachers’ professional development. Since 2008, the initiative has been developing the capacity of two regional centers of excellence to enhance the professional development of teachers: one in Egypt – the Professional Academy for Teachers (PAT) and one in Jordan – the Queen Rania Teachers’ Academy (QRTA). The advocacy from the regional teacher initiative overwhelmingly led by LAS, UNICEF and MEIHE, has made teacher preparation and enhancement a priority in all countries in the region. Moreover, other agencies have joined the reform attempts. The World Bank has launched the Arab Regional Agenda for Improving Education Quality (ARAIEQ) in partnership with ALECSO, UNESCO, the World Economic Forum, INJAZ al-Arab (a regional NGO) and QRTA in 2012. One of the main pillars of the initiative is ‘Teacher Policies and Professionalization’. Reforms have been attempted, but many more efforts are clearly needed in the way of internationalization, cultural exchange and learning within borderless communities through the acquisition as well as the production of both explicit and tacit knowledge. In October 2012, the MEIHE was awarded a -36month project entitled “Capacity Development of Faculties of Education CDFE in International Approaches to Teacher Education” (Project number -530614TEMPUS- -1-2012-1EG-TEMPUS-JPHES). The project (abbreviated to CDFE) focused on building the capacity of selected higher education institutions. It focused on learning from good practices from the European Union (EU) in three strategic areas: action research, practicum and Continued Professional Development. In so doing, the project harmonized pre-university with higher educational reforms. It aimed at making the work of faculties of education relevant and integral to school-based reform. Through a collaborative network between faculties of education in some EU countries and some selected partners in the MENA/Arab region, the project aimed at enhancing the capacities of faculties of education in the latter. The project essentially aimed at rendering university faculties of education relevant to school and society. The goal is to strengthen the partnership between universities and schools through the organization of practicum, action research and Continued Professional Development. Schools are social institutions constituting the work place of future teachers. Effective teacher recruitment, employment, deployment and retention should begin with quality practicum during teachers’ university years, followed by strong mentorship and professional development programmes during the early induction years, and continued lifelong learning through research during the mature years of teaching. Learning resulting from this project feeds into two regional centers of excellence: the Queen Rania Teacher Academy in Jordan (QRTA) and the Professional Academy for Teachers in Egypt (PAT) for sustainable capacity building of higher education institutions across the region., peer-reviewed

Monográfico con el título: “Orientación Educativa” Resumen tomado de la publicación Se analiza la importancia y el valor de la orientación profesional en los centros de Formación Profesional. Esboza las razones por las que los estudiantes de esta tapa también requieren asesoramiento y orientación sobre su itinerario educativo y laboral, y revela lo que ello implica para los diferentes agentes involucrados en darles cobertura y apoyo. También destaca los beneficios del impulso a la orientación profesional para conseguir un sistema educativo más eficaz. Madrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Subdirección General de Formación del Profesorado. CRIF Las Acacias; Calle General Ricardos 179; 28025 Madrid; Tel. +34915250893; Fax +34914660991; SRPPIDE@madrid.org ESP

To properly assess the quality of education, one needs to first of all define what ‘quality’ in education actually is, and the extent to which this can be measured, if at all. If by ‘quality’ one refers to student attainment in standardized tests in such subjects as mathematics, science, language competence, and so on, then the news from the Euro-Mediterranean region has been somewhat disheartening. Statistics generated by organizations comparing achievement across a range of ‘core’ curriculum areas and competences have consistently shown that students from the Arab states underperform when compared to other students from countries with a similar GDP. This is true, for instance, for the results obtained in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA – a triennial international survey of reading, maths and science skills and knowledge involving more than half a million students from 65 economies), and in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS – conducted every four years to assess proficiency in mathematics and science of 9-10 and 13-14 year olds), which is coordinated by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. These assessments include the Gulf States beyond those in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in their purview. However its contours are defined, the region is clearly performing below the level expected given the participating countries’ per capita income. In the TIMSS study of 2007, none of the MENA countries scored at or above the global average and most were clustered at the bottom of the table with countries that had much lower levels of per capita income. TIMSS 2011 showed some improvement for 13 countries, while seven had deteriorated. Using such international statistical evidence to compare eighth graders in MENA at different levels of achievement to an international benchmark, the World Bank notes that in absolute terms, MENA countries fail to raise even half their student population to ‘low’ levels of learning. While MENA has a large number of low and very low achievers, it has few high performers at the other end of the scale., peer-reviewed

Although private tutoring has a long history, prior to the present century it attracted very little professional discussion or academic research. Ministries of Education preferred and were allowed to ignore the phenomenon, chiefly on the grounds that tutoring was provided in a marketplace beyond their remit as supervisors of formal schooling. Faculties of Education in universities showed little interest, since their primary responsibilities were also with formal school systems. Likewise, international agencies mainly busied themselves with activities that focused on schooling. They paid little attention to out-of-school tutoring even though in some countries it was a major activity. Relegated to the ‘private’ sphere, as its name indicates, private tutoring has often been perceived by educators and policy makers as falling outside the purview of ‘public’ education and its equitable provision. This inattention has begun to be remedied, as witnessed by the growing body of research on privatisation in education, which unsettles notions of what counts as ‘private’ and what counts as ‘public’ in the provision of schooling opportunities. This body of research shows not only that private tutoring is not a ‘private’ phenomenon, but that it is intertwined in complex ways with the public provision of schooling and operates in relation to it in multifaceted ways. Notwithstanding, huge gaps remain in both basic information and conceptual analysis. This collection addresses these gaps as they concern the Mediterranean region. The first wide-ranging international study of private supplementary tutoring was published in 1999 by UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) (Bray, 1999). The book attracted considerable attention, but a common reaction was that it was mostly relevant to societies in East Asia, such as Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, in which the phenomenon was especially visible. Although the book presented examples from all other regions of the world, general recognition of the phenomenon was weaker outside East Asia., peer-reviewed

The third conference of the Mediterranean Society of Comparative Education (MESCE) took place at the New Dolmen Hotel, Qawra, Malta, from 11-13 May 2008. Over hundred-and-thirty educational researchers from various parts of the Mediterranean and beyond participated at the conference, peer-reviewed