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In a series of interviews with leading cross-cultural management (CCM) educators, we examine the state of the CCM field within business education. We invited eight prominent scholars and executive educators to consider the following main questions: What is the role of cross-cultural management in business curricula? What challenges do we face teaching this material? How can we create an engaged learning environment with the diverse audiences we encounter in our classrooms, and what theoretical frameworks best support these efforts? Last, what is the future of cross-cultural management education? What changes and challenges can we expect? The learnings that emerged from our interviews are grouped around three main themes: the content of what we teach, our understanding of audiences with whom we work and their evolving expectations of cross-cultural management education, and the role, preparation, background and assumptions of the educators. This series of interviews contributes to highlight current trends in cross-cultural management education: a shift in content from knowledge to conditions of knowledge creation, a transition from monocultural audiences toward biculturals and global cosmopolitans, and finally, educators' changing responsibility from providing knowledge to developing and honing responsible, tolerant, and resilient global citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing cross-cultural competencies associated with global leadership effectiveness in students has proven to be a difficult task for management educators. We delineate the primary cross-cultural competencies that influence effectiveness in global leadership and propose a pedagogical framework based on the principles of cognitive-behavior therapy to develop these competencies in traditional classroom settings. We conclude by discussing research implications of cognitive-behavior therapy for the fields of global leadership and management education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including exploring cross-cultural perspectives on the education and care of immigrant families; improving the quality of early childhood education & care (ECEC); and ECEC settings for refugee families.

There has been a growing interest in research on stigma and attitude toward psychotherapy, and these variables are expected to show cross-cultural variations. The Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH), the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) and the Inventory of Attitudes to Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS) are widely used and this study examined their measurement invariance as this is a prerequisite for use in cross-cultural studies. Data were collected online from groups of Chinese students in China (n = 413) and German students in Germany (n = 416). Confirmatory factor analyses in single samples and measurement invariance testing in a multi-group framework were conducted to test the cross-group equivalence. Findings demonstrate that the SSRPH and the modified model of IASMHS had partial scalar measurement invariance, but the SSOSH showed cultural variance in factor structure. Comparisons of latent means indicated no differences between the two groups with respect to the social stigma attached to professional psychological help, but a higher psychological openness of Chinese students toward help-seeking. Findings are discussed from intercultural and methodological perspectives. In the future, intercultural cooperation should be promoted in order to develop a cross-culturally valid concept of stigma against psychological help that could be used as the basis for intercultural comparison and developing interventions to reduce stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Previous cross-cultural studies of social and dimensional comparison processes forming academic self-concepts (the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) and Internal-external frame-of-reference (I/E) models) have mostly been based on high-school students and two subject domains. Our study is the first to test the cross-cultural generalizability of both comparison processes across reading, mathematics, and science by combining of the TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 databases (15 OECD countries, 67,386 fourth-graders). Consistent with the I/E model, high achievement in mathematics/reading had positive effects on self-concept in the matching domain but negative effects in the non-matching domain. Extending the I/E model, students engaged in assimilating comparisons between science and reading (i.e., achievement in one subject had positive effects on self-concept in the other) but contrasting comparisons between mathematics and science. Strong BFLPEs (negative effects of class-average achievement on self-concept) were found for mathematics but were smaller for reading and science. The results generalized well across all countries. Highlights • The combined TIMSS and PIRLS databases were used to test formation of self-concept. • We tested BFLPE and DCT across reading, math, and science for primary students. • Students engaged in contrasting and assimilating comparisons across three domains. • Strong BFLPEs were found for math but were smaller for reading and science. • The results generalized well across 15 OECD countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literary criticism of the book "Thinking Literature Across Continents" by Ranjan Ghosh and J. Hillis Miller is presented. It outlines the education of transcultural studies. It examines the constant awareness regarding cross cultures and straightforward business of reading. An overview of the story is also given.

A literary criticism of the book "Thinking Literature Across Continents" by Ranjan Ghosh and J. Hillis Miller is presented. It outlines the education of transcultural studies. It examines the image of a reader of Stendhal in silent meditation, writing within and against the Madhyamaka tradition of Mahayana Buddhism. An overview of the story is also given.

The article offers information on Cross-cultural studies in the context of American universities. Topics discussed include education of cross-cultural studies in U.S.; economic aspects of critical theory in the U.S. before the 1960; and circulation of ideas, persons, and texts between two main poles that involves Europe and the U.S.

This study aims to explore relationships between teachers' attitudes, self-efficacy, and background variables regarding inclusive education by using a sample of 359 Japanese and 872 Finnish teachers. A multi-group structural equation modelling was conducted to find similarities and differences in how the background variables predict teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy. Experience in teaching students with disabilities had a positive effect on teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy in both countries. However, teachers' teaching career and the amount of inclusive education training affected them differently in Japan and Finland. The findings could be used to improve inclusive education training for pre- and in-service teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agency is emerging as a key concept, as part of increased debates about rigid accountability in measures of teacher effectiveness. However, the construct is elusive. Combining scholarship from Australian and Chinese scholars this research review undertook to create a dialogic space within which a geo-political position could be argued. Given recently introduced professional standards in China that shadow existing governance of teacher education in Australia, the findings indicate commonality in disparate contexts. We investigated how agency played out in the dynamic interplay of technologies of power and discovered the importance of exploring and representing teachers' work in an ecological framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the differences among EFL/ESL (English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language) instructors while applying reflective thinking skills in terms of graduation degree and nationality. It employed a descriptive design through survey questionnaire. To this end, upon cluster sampling, 200 Iranian and American instructors first responded to Akbari, Behzadpoor, and Dadvand’s inventory followed by an open-ended questionnaire (RTOQ) based on Dymoke and Harrisons’ remarks. Results revealed a significant difference in applying reflective thinking skills concerning academic degree and nationality among participants and indicated a crucial role for nationality and culture in ELT (English Language Teaching) contexts. Graduation degree left a significant effect on instructors’ competencies and attitudes while applying thinking skills. The study highlighted the importance of incorporating reflective skills as a core component of pedagogical systems. Furthermore, the results laid further proof to the role that integrating thinking skills into pedagogy would play in determining the learning direction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author revisits autoethnographic work in order to examine how she unwittingly incorporated damage-centered ( Tuck 2009) research approaches that reproduce settler colonial understandings of marginalized communities. The paper examines the reproduction of settler colonial knowledge in ethnographic research by unearthing the inherent surveillance that partly constitutes settler colonial subjectivities in the United States. Finally, the author discusses unsettling methodological approaches as a way to disrupt damage-centered practices in ethnographic research. In the author's data collection at the U. S./ Mexico border, the deeply introspective method of unsettling reflexivity-the ways we might (both indigenous and non-indigenous scholars) reproduce settler colonialism-helps challenge colonial-blind knowledge production, which has affected our understanding of colonial histories and often shaped the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how seventh graders in a suburban school in the United States and sixth graders in an urban school in Taiwan developed argumentation skills and science knowledge in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented, computer-assisted application (GOCAA). A total of 42 students comprised the treatment condition and were engaged in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a GOCAA. Of these 42 students, 21 were located in the United States and 21 were located in Taiwan. A total of 26 students comprised the control condition and were engaged in a project-based learning environment without the GOCAA. Of these 26 students, 15 were in the United States and 11 were in Taiwan. In each country, verbal collaborative argumentation was recorded and the students' post-essays were collected. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted for each measure of science knowledge about alternative energies. The results showed a significant treatment effect for the outcome of scientific explanation among U.S. students, while among Taiwanese students, a significant treatment effect on scientific facts was observed. A one-way ANOVA was additionally conducted for each measure of argumentation skills and a significant treatment effect on counterarguments and rebuttals was observed among the U.S. students, while in Taiwan, a significant treatment effect on reasoning and rebuttals was observed. A qualitative analysis was conducted to examine how the GOCAA supported students' development of argumentation skills in different countries. This study found distinct argumentation patterns between the U.S. and Taiwanese intervention teams. Additionally, a distinct gender difference in the use of evidence and division of labour was noted when the Taiwanese teams were compared with the U.S. teams, which may be explained by cultural differences. This study concluded that, in both the United States and Taiwan, a project-based learning environment incorporating a GOCAA was effective in improving students' science knowledge and developing their scientific argumentation skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to understand the impact of cultural differences on mobile learning adoption through identifying key adoption characteristics in Canada and Turkey, which have markedly different cultural backgrounds. A multi-group analysis was employed to test the hypothesised relationships based on the data collected by means of survey questionnaires from 190 and 163 undergraduate students in Turkey and Canada respectively. The results indicated that there is a strong relationship between culture and adoption behaviour, and there are major differences in patterns between the adoption behaviours of the two countries. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the social, organisational and individual factors that may affect students' acceptance of e-learning systems in higher education in a cross-cultural context. A questionnaire was developed based on an extended technology acceptance model (TAM). A total sample of 1173 university students from two private universities in Lebanon and one university in England participated in this study. After performing the satisfactory reliability and validity checks, the hypothesised model was estimated using structural equation modeling. The findings of this study revealed that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), social norms (SNs), perceived quality of work life (QWL), computer self-efficacy (SE) and facilitating conditions (FC) are significant determinants of behavioural intentions (BIs) and usage of e-learning system for the Lebanese and British students. QWL, the newly added variable, was found the most important construct in explaining the causal process in the model for both samples. Differences were found between Lebanese and British students with regard to PEOU, SN, QWL, FC, SE and actual usage; however, no differences were detected in terms of PU and BI. Overall, the proposed model achieves acceptable fit and explains for 69% of the British sample and 57% of the Lebanese sample of its variance which is higher than that of the original TAM. Our findings suggest that individual, social and organisational factors are important to consider in explaining students' BI and usage of e-learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study explores higher education advertising campaigns displayed in five world cities: Boston, New York, Oslo, Tokyo, and Toronto. The study follows a mixed-methods research design relying on content analysis and multimodal semiotic analysis and employs a conceptual framework based on the knowledge triangle of education, research, and innovation. The study reveals that education is overwhelmingly the strongest element emphasized across the five cities and that students constitute the most salient and central element in the majority of the advertisements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Educational effectiveness research has identified school membership as being and important factor in relation to academic progress but it has also pointed to the importance of teachers. Additionally, districts have been shown to be of minor importance for progress once key variables are taken into account while data from international studies suggest that countries are important when attainment is studied while controlling for background factors. A perspective, named the Proximate Variables within Jurisdictions (PVJ) theory, is introduced to help understand and predict relationships. The theory holds that variables which are closest to the student are the most influential but that the jurisdiction where the student is educated, which has its own approaches to education and upbringing is of similar importance. A child's educational success in international terms is most influenced by actions in the home and the classroom seen in the context of the country where she or he is brought up. Does the theory hold when progress in classrooms, year groups and educational systems (jurisdictions) is estimated in a single analysis? This study compared progress of pupils in over 4000 classrooms across 11 educational systems. Large differences were found between classes and the educational systems both for reading and mathematics during the first year at school. The theory holds for the most part but questions are left unanswered and the paper sets out a series of testable hypotheses which may be addressed in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines factors that deter students in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands from studying abroad. Using an adaptation of the Rubicon model of action phases, the path to gaining study abroad experience is conceptualised as a process involving two thresholds: the decision threshold and the realisation threshold. Theoretical predictions drawn from rational choice, migration and reproduction theories are integrated into this framework. On the basis of nationally representative and internationally comparable student survey data, logistic regressions are calculated for the two thresholds. Five implications for higher education policy are derived: First, the fact that there are various obstacles to studying abroad means that some students may face multiple disadvantages and might therefore need additional support. Second, mobility schemes might have to reflect better that obstacles at the decision threshold differ from obstacles at the realisation threshold. Third, the self-perpetuating nature of mobility makes the moments of political intervention crucial. Fourth, the similarity of obstacles between countries suggests certain supranational initiatives. Finally, the achievability of the European mobility targets could be discussed, as increasing mobility and creating equitable access to it might be conflicting goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers a conundrum in research methodology; the fact that, in the main, you have to use a social science-based research methodology if you want to look at what goes on in a classroom. This article proposes an alternative arts-based research method instead based on the work of Eisner, and before him Dewey, where one can use the more traditional critical, close reading techniques that are usually associated with a degree in English. We look at a case study English lesson to illustrate and explore how this may be done. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In some countries more than others, factors like parental socio-economic status (SES) can cause inequalities in educational achievement. Here we show how the mechanisms leading to such inequalities can be scrutinized by involving background variables which impact the relation between SES and achievement. We use the intercepts-and-slopes-as-outcomes paradigm which recognizes that the outcomes of schooling systems are not only characterized by average achievement (the intercept) but also by the achievement–SES regression slope. We show how certain background variables moderate the relationship between SES and achievement. As an illustration, we examine the relationship between reading achievement and SES, and how this is moderated by school funding and curriculum. This is done for several countries that participated in the PISA 2009 cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the basis of a comparative sociological account of the present state and potential of Comparative Education (CE) as a field of study by examining the mechanisms and contexts generated by three ‘conjunctions’ of power and CE. The first of these concerns issues of poweroverthe field, how it has been, and is being, framed by the operation of ‘power’ of various kinds. Poweroverwhat counts as CE emerges through three forms of strategic selectivity, based on: (1) its missions, locations and wider contexts; (2) its political, discursive, theoretical, methodological and valorisational opportunity structures; and (3) its institutional locations within the structures of university governance and national and international funding bodies, and the conditions of knowledge production that they frame. Next, it addresses issues of powerinCE, how it is and has been conceived, by whom, and with what analytic and political consequences. Finally, the paper directs attention to the potential powerofCE. It focuses on two contrasting forms taken by the outputs of CE, the production ofexpertiseand ofexplanation, which together suggest something of the nature of the dilemmas of the relationships between power and CE.Expertiseconcerns the power of the field as a source of comment and advice on the development of educational policy, based on qualitative and quantitative comparisons of education systems and their performances. The second, by contrast, considers the potential of a comparative approach to theexplanationof social phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the application of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD's) Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) for low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the PISA for Development project. Topics addressed include the effective use and implementation of the PISA survey, as well as cognitive performance and social development in participating countries.

How student teachers experience their transformation into serving teachers in the liminal social spaces of the school-based practicum (teaching practice) is of key importance to them, their future students and their educators. The practicum is a challenging experience for student teachers, even with help from university and school-based mentors, as their knowledge of practice, power and culture in schools lacks sophistication. The practicum, an under-researched but important aspect of education, was investigated by this study by asking 480 student teachers in three universities in Turkey and England in 2010–2011 about how well their universities prepared them for the practicum, what made practicums successful and how practicums fostered their professional development. Participants generally thought the practicum helped them to develop skills in student and classroom management, in meeting students’ diverse learning needs, in recognising multiple students’ perspectives and in grounding their understanding of what it meant to be a teacher ‘for real’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article explores the circumstances in which individuals become secondary school teachers in England and France. Using a social constructivist theoretical framework, it specifically considers how national contexts play out in this decision. The findings presented in this paper draw on a corpus of 60 interviews with a sample of teachers based in English and French secondary schools. They show that national frameworks remain relevant to an exploration of teachers’ identities and cultures, as French and English interviewees draw on distinctive reasons to explain why they became secondary school teachers. While becoming a teacher is often thought of as a ‘vocation’ or as the result of ‘intrinsic’ factors, this paper highlights the role of national contexts, as well as of gender and social class, in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the role of international educational assessment in achieving the Education for All (EFA) educational goals subsequent to the year 2015. Topics addressed include measuring progress toward goals for learning outcomes, the need for improvement in the tracking and utilization of available international educational data, and a need to pay attention to gender equality and marginalisation issues.

The article discusses international comparisons of educational outcomes and policies, particularly through the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), focusing on educational policy successes in Finland. Topics addressed include the impact of PISA on the relationship between power and politics and education, as well as concerns regarding the use of PISA as driver for a quick fix of educational policy in Great Britain.

The article discusses Comparative Education research, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and educational reform policy, focusing on Great Britain. Topics addressed include connections between a country's economic and educational performance, and he expresses concerns regarding linking policies and pupil performance data.

The article presents an introduction to a forum regarding international educational comparisons, particularly the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), including articles on topics such as British policy on PISA, Educational planning in Finland, and low- and middle-income countries.

The concepts of literacy events and practices have received considerable attention in educational research and policy. In comparison, the question of value, that is, ‘which literacy practices do people most value?’ has been neglected. With the current trend of cross-cultural adult literacy assessment, it is increasingly important to recognise locally valued literacy practices. In this paper we argue that measuring preferences and weighting of literacy practices provides an empirical and democratic basis for decisions in literacy assessment and curriculum development and could inform rapid educational adaptation to changes in the literacy environment. The paper examines the methodological basis for investigating literacy values and its potential to inform cross-cultural literacy assessments. The argument is illustrated with primary data from Mozambique. The correlation between individual values and respondents’ socio-economic and demographic characteristics is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates the integration of response styles (extreme and midpoint responding and socially desirable responding) and their effects on self-reports among 76,887 teachers from 18 countries in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Socially desirable responding (with a positive and a negative impression management factor) and 17 core constructs related to the teaching profession were measured with Likert scales; extreme and midpoint response styles were derived from these measures. Using factor analysis, a general response style was extracted with socially desirable and extreme response styles as positive indicators and midpoint response style as a negative indicator. This general response style was more strongly correlated with constructs of personal involvement, such as teacher efficacy and job satisfaction, than constructs with less personal involvement, at both the individual and country level; however, statistical correction for response styles had negligible effects on the size of cross-cultural differences and country rankings in any construct. We conclude that the general response style can be interpreted as response amplification versus moderation, and that there is no indication that correcting for the general response style increases the validity of cross-cultural comparisons of TALIS teacher data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A decade ago, Klapper (2003: ‘Taking communication to task? A critical review of recent trends in language teaching’,The Language Learning Journal27: 33–42) created the opportunity to reflect on the assets and limitations of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in comparison with more established communicative language teaching (CLT) models. He concluded that, comparatively speaking, TBLT was ‘found wanting’. This article considers whether, 10 years on from Klapper's thesis, we should come to the same conclusion about TBLT, or whether a decade has given us sufficient time to deal with the apparent limitations of TBLT in mainstream instructed foreign language (FL) contexts in ways that address Klapper's reservations. The article begins with an outline of TBLT, along with the essential strengths and weaknesses that Klapper identified. It goes on to describe several recent studies into the effectiveness of TBLT as seen from the perspective of teachers, which reveal teachers’ identification with the issues Klapper had raised and what this has meant for their classroom practices. The article concludes by proposing a model for TBLT in instructed FL contexts, commenting on this model in the light of Klapper's original concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Largely unknown to most of the world, Kyrgyzstan has a flourishing higher education (HE) sector, with more universities per head than other countries with similar populations. Kyrgyzstan is also a major regional importer of international students in Central Asia. This paper opens up this understudied country in three ways: first, through a brief analysis of the HE sector in Kyrgyzstan; second, by offering a personal view of life on the HE coalface through the findings of primary interviews with university managers in Kyrgyzstan, and third, by identifying five key contemporary challenges of working in Kyrgyz universities. The paper therefore contributes to the limited academic and practical study of HE in Central Asia by offering a new perspective on contemporary global challenges in HE administration and management. The key findings are relevant to organisations seeking to understand the context of working in the HE sector in Kyrgyzstan, and also to individuals and organisations wishing to deepen their comparative understanding of HE sectors around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Why do individuals all over the world choose to become school teachers? What motivates them to become educators of young people, and how committed are they to this cause when they enter their teacher education courses? Considering that teacher motivation and commitment have been identified as crucial factors for the future success of education and schools (Huberman, 1993; Manning & Patterson, 2005; Rikard, 1999), these are important questions for policy makers and societies to address. This paper provides a systematic and conceptual review of empirical research studies exploring student teachers’ career motivations and commitment in 23 countries from 5 continents. A variety of motivating factors are explored, their relative importance in student teachers’ career decisions is discussed, and differences between various subgroups and cultural contexts are highlighted. Attention is drawn to methodological limitations as well as recent developments in this important area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An international comparative research project was carried out in the Netherlands, Wales, Germany and Finland to understand how trainee teachers reflect upon play. Data was collected among 31 Dutch, 37 Welsh, 40 German and 19 Finnish teacher trainees. They watched four videotaped sequences of preschoolers engaged in an activity. Next, they answered four open ended questions to elicit reflections upon the clips. The data were analysed to answer two questions. The first was to compare reflections on the presence of play characteristics. The second question considered whether responses differed with regard to appreciation of the preschool teacher's role in the activity. Using Chi-Square analyses significant differences were found between countries with regard to both research questions. The article discusses that the differences between countries might be explained in terms of differences in teacher education. It raises questions about teacher training curriculum with regard to play since it appears to influence viewpoints on play as well as on classroom practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the commercial and education sectors experience an increase in inter-city exchanges in the forms of goods, capital, commands, people and information/knowledge under globalization. The quantification of flows and structural relations among cities in globalizing education are under-researched compared to the well-established world/global cities literature emphasizing economic linkages. In this paper, the city's global education networks are examined through the Globalizing Education Index system, which consists of place power and network power indicators. The study finds that many more cities worldwide participate in global networks, suggesting decentralized knowledge flows under globalization. Meanwhile, concentration is attested by the presence of traditional education powers at the top of city hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several education hubs have emerged in the last decade in Asia and the Middle East. These ambitious policy initiatives share a common interest in cross-border higher education even though diverse rationales underpin their development. While some claim to be an international education hub, others claim to be a regional education hub or simultaneously international and regional. Considerable rhetoric and assumptions of uniformity exist in the discourse of education hub development. This paper clarifies the regional dimension of education hubs in terms of concepts, rationales, and strategies of regional engagement. Policymakers pursue different definitions of region as they leverage higher education to gain geopolitical influence in targeted spheres. Furthermore, the distinction between the role of a regional leader and regional broker presents different opportunities for an education hub. The paper compares the development of three key education hubs in Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to reflect on the theoretical and methodological underpinnings that provide the basis for an understanding of Content-Based Instruction/Content and Language Integrated Learning (CBI/CLIL) in the field and its relevance in education in the twenty-first century. It is argued that the agenda of CBI/CLIL needs to move towards integration; integration in a number of domains that include pedagogical, geographical and even terminological issues in CBI/CLIL. [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]

This article discusses how teachers perceive their role in supporting and guiding students in transitions. Do teachers see themselves more as gatekeepers or as supporters? The analysis draws upon qualitative data collected in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Finland. Based on the analysis of teachers’ interviews, we developed three constellations of how teachers perceive their role in relation to supporting students: support focused on employability, support focused on access and opportunities, and support focused on students’ well-being. We found that teachers tend to find a balance between all three constellations, but also that the education system (differentiated vs. comprehensive), patterns of collaboration with other youth professionals, and labor market conditions all influence their role. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The changes that have occurred in the field of education over the course of the last couple of decades have been associated with increased demands that are not only placed on individuals from both within and beyond the education system, but also on the support they require to make successful educational choices. One central way this need is being addressed is through educational and vocational guidance provided at different stages and transition points of educational trajectories. The aim of this article is to provide a context for the research findings presented in the subsequent articles of this special issue by illustrating the ways educational trajectories are regulated through the organization of schooling and the structures of educational and vocational guidance in the eight countries that participated in the Governance of Educational Trajectories in Europe (GOETE) research project. This article presents three country clusters of education and welfare based on the comparative analysis conducted by the project. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007, this study examined the big-fish-little-pond-effects (BFLPEs) in 49 countries. In this study, the effect of math ability on math self-concept was decomposed into a within- and a between-level components using implicit mean centring and the complex data structure was considered. Sampling error was thus reduced. In addition, measurement error was minimised by modelling math self-concept as a latent factor at both levels and multilevel measurement invariance was assessed in each country. The BFLPE in each country was a contextual effect modelled as the difference between the between-level and within-level effects. Results suggest that BFLPEs existed in most of those 49 countries but the phenomena were different in those countries. The findings also suggest that when perceived relative standing to classmates was added to the model, BFLPEs decreased. Compared with previous cross-national BFLPE studies, this study demonstrated larger BFLPEs in the academic subject of math in individual countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study compares learning approaches of local English-speaking students and students from Asian countries studying at an Australian metropolitan university. The sample consists of students across 13 different countries. Unlike previous studies, students from Asian countries are subdivided into two categories: students from Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC) and students from Asia-based non-Confucian Heritage Cultures (non-CHC). The rich diversity of student background enables meaningful comparison between cultural groups. There are three key findings. Firstly, CHC and non-CHC students are more likely to adopt a deep learning approach than local English-speaking (LES) students. Secondly, CHC students show a strong tendency to simultaneously adopt surface and deep approaches to learning. This tendency also exists with non-CHC students, albeit not as strongly as in as the former group. The LES students show the least tendency to adopt this mixed approach. Thirdly, memorisation appears correlated with deep learning across all three groups. The study is exploratory in nature but, if confirmed with larger samples, points to the need for further research beyond the traditional focus on CHC students on the role that memorisation and culture play in learning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The founders of the International Bureau of Education (IBE) in Geneva were convinced the best way to develop understanding between peoples was by disseminating knowledge: collecting pedagogical materials from around the world, making them accessible to all, and enriching them through collective studies and conferences where attendees could engage in reflection to 'resolve global problems in education'. This article goes behind the scene to study how the IBE 'armed itself' to overcome rivalries, reach across borders, and promote international understanding. It focuses on its first two stages-as a private institution and an intergovernmental organization-before it became linked to UNESCO in 1946. It describes how the IBE positioned itself during the interwar period in relation to its first sponsors, continually adapting itself so it could safeguard the viability, durability, and legitimacy of its concept. Resolutely scientific, its mission was to make comparative education-joining the local and the global, the particular and the universal-the basis for circulating knowledge free from centrifugal and hegemonic forces, so it could develop a 'charter of aspirations for global education'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the strengths of using ethnographic research methods in cross-national comparative research. It focuses particularly on the potential of applying such methods to the study of migrants and minority ethnic youth in education, where large-scale quantitative studies or single-sited ethnographies are currently dominant. By linking findings and methodological reflections from a research study into the schooling experiences and life projects of migrants and minority ethnic youth in England and Spain, the paper shows how cross-national comparative ethnographies enable researchers to (1) contextualise and compare topics identified by research participants in the course of the fieldwork, (2) analyse topics, which only appear in one research setting and (3) explore and challenge how concepts and categories are employed by research participants in different settings. This, it is argued, makes such research methods particularly well placed to identify issues, which young people themselves find important to their schooling, and explore how these interlink with local practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a significant platform to include children’s views on issues that affect their lives, yet, in many contexts, particularly in educational practice, children’s perspectives continue to be irregularly sought and are rarely acted upon. By providing children’s perspectives on what they would like adults to know, this article explores a unique view of childhood and the interactions with family, community, educational experiences and well-being. The children’s insights about their worlds that they feel adults are missing potentiate the development and incorporation of voice-inclusive practice. While the sense that each child makes of their Lebenswelt – the ‘ingredients’ – is idiosyncratic and will be influenced by many factors, including peers, teachers, parents, other adults and the media, it is the nature of this personal understanding that is poorly understood, and consequently ignored by adults. By exploring the commentary of more than 1000 children across five countries – Australia, England, New Zealand, Italy and Sweden – this research reveals an overwhelming collection of what the authors describe as ‘comments that rhyme’ in terms of the identification of expressed sentiment and thematic representations of their perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents findings from two studies of publication patterns in leading English, German, European and US journals of education. The studies were funded by the German Research Association and conducted by an international team of researchers. All papers published in 14 selected journals between 2001 and 2010 were analysed in terms of their author profile, their methodological approach and their thematic focus. The analyses resulted in publication patterns for the selected journals and at an aggregated level for the four geographic areas in which journals are published, highlighting many similarities, but also distinct differences. As far as the differences are concerned, the lower share of female authors and the relative low proportion of papers drawing on empirical research in German journals are noteworthy. For US journals, the comparatively low importance of papers drawing on the international research discourse seems to be particularly important. Based on an analysis of related studies in this field the paper demonstrates a degree of alignment of publication patterns with disciplinary traditions and formation processes in the field of education. However, the trend analysis provided also shows that some of the traditional boundaries of education as an academic discipline are in a state of flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The higher education sector has become increasingly internationalised over recent decades. This paper examines a range of challenges that can arise where teaching staff in one context support and implement learning and teaching initiatives in another international context – transnational teaching. We use examples and experiences from our own practice to highlight challenges that arise from implementing cross-cultural and transnational teaching and that warrant further exploration, including differing expectations; differing views of learners and learning; the illusory nature of transformed practice; and time constraints. We discuss these challenges in the light of Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions as well as critiquing this model. We then highlight some possible guiding principles for transnational higher education work that include modelling good practice; ensuring reciprocity and mutual benefit; ensuring individual integrity and institutional credibility; and developing and supporting transnational staff. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article explores the potential for a critical realist approach to researching learning in international and comparative education (ICE) with a particular focus on the emerging post-2015 education and development agenda. It provides a critique of existing empiricist and interpretivist approaches to researching learning. It is suggested that whilst both have strengths, they are based on an ontologically reductionist view of learning with implications for research, policy and practice. As a ‘third’ research approach critical realism has the potential to build on the strengths whilst avoiding the pitfalls of both empiricism and interpretivism. Such an approach it is argued needs to start from an ontologically inclusive and laminated view of learning. Further, it is suggested that comparative research should focus on the development of theories of learning that are able to explain the natural and social structures and causal mechanisms that give rise to and inhibit learning at different scales and levels and in different contexts. The development of theory ought to embrace epistemological pluralism drawing critically on, cross-cultural, inter-disciplinary and mixed methods enquiry and making use of abductive and retroductive forms of inference. In this way it is argued it becomes possible to move beyond the dominant ‘what works’ agenda favoured by empiricists to critically consider what works, for who and under what circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participating in the education system of a foreign country, or within a new political dispensation presents various challenges for teachers. Understanding the challenges that teachers face as a result of relocation to new geographical and political contexts urges analyzing the contexts, which influence teachers' personal and pedagogic identities. Drawing on Buell's (1995) insights on place and identity; and Fraser's (2008) conceptions of social justice, this paper explores how teachers from South Africa, India, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo reinvent their identities in order to enact their professional and personal lives within different geo-political and socio-cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]