Education & Pedagogy

This research critically analyses foreign aid flows to higher education in Palestine during 2002-2022, with the aim of elucidating historical trends, patterns and donor priorities. The study systematically examines the types and volumes of aid allocated to higher education by donors reporting official development assistance to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. By exploring these aid dynamics, the research provides important insights into the aid trends to higher education in Palestine in the past and investigates whether the destruction of higher education in Gaza during prior conflicts has resulted in a significant increase in aid directed towards the sector's reconstruction and recovery. The findings indicate that in the past, donors have prioritised the provision of international scholarships for Palestinians to study abroad while neglecting local higher education in Palestine. Aid directed to local higher education has been uneven, fragmented and sporadic, undermining the efforts to strengthen and/or rebuild local institutions. Most notably, foreign aid has not played a significant role in either the development and expansion of higher education in Palestine or the rebuilding of the institutions after destruction in previous wars in Gaza. This research highlights a pattern of neglect and advocates for a reassessment of donor strategies, emphasising the need to support strengthening and rebuilding local higher education to facilitate the sector's role in post-conflict socio-economic recovery.

This article aims at a comprehensive examination of the Chinese model of teacher education by critically revisiting the developmental trajectory of the teacher education system in China over the past century, with a particular focus on policy trends since the 1990s. It interrogates the Chinese model of teacher education with two macro lenses: the historical and the comparative. The historical lens looks deeply into the Chinese way of reform with a catch-up mentality in various stages, while the comparative lens locates the Chinese model of teacher education in an international context. The paper begins with a comprehensive review of the related literature, surveys the historical pathway of China's modern teacher education system since its birth in 1897, presents an overview of the current provisions of the system, and examines recent policy trends in the landscape of China's teacher education. Finally, the article concludes that the Chinese model consists of a hybrid system of teacher education provided by normal schools, normal colleges and universities, with the participation of comprehensive universities and internet-based higher education institutions, and accompanied by a consistent licensing system for the teaching profession. With such core features as independence, openness, adaptability and diversity based on Confucian epistemology and pragmatism, the Chinese model of teacher education is likely to illuminate new paths for the development of education and the pursuit of excellence in the global community.

This article examines citizenship education and pedagogies for learning to be a citizen in the interwar years in Australia. These discussions bore the influence of progressive education and its emancipatory promises. Against this, I explore the "dividing practices" of citizenship education and the ways normative descriptions of the desired cosmopolitan student-citizen simultaneously constructed a non-citizen, the problematic student excluded from recognition, in this case Aboriginal students. These arguments are developed by comparing discussions at two international educational conferences: "Education in Pacific Countries" (1936, Hawaii), also referred to as "Education of Native Races in Pacific Countries", and the New Education Fellowship-sponsored "Education for Complete Living: The Challenge of Today" (1937, Australia). These two conferences conveyed significant differences in understandings of adolescent capacity, the relative salience of local and international contexts, and the hopeful possibilities for future education and social citizenship. Contradictory dimensions to the political and educational catch-cry of internationalism are identified in relation to the question of educability of all or some students. Preliminary questions are raised about the colonising and racialising effects of progressive education, and its privileging of cosmopolitan ideals in the education of new citizens is examined in order to begin the groundwork for a post-colonial account of progressive education. (Contains 4 notes.)

Although education is not the highest priority in this year's presidential election, the fact that education is an issue at all highlights the role of politics in education. More than for most professions, from the district to the national level, elections and political agendas shape the policies that govern classrooms. Although the teacher unions have very large memberships, their endorsements and political clout are almost nonexistent. If teachers themselves are to be advocates for effective educational policies, they need to be aware of the process and politics of educational reform. However, many teachers and teacher candidates shy away from this out-of-classroom role. Some see the politics of education as an inappropriate arena for teachers, and there have been accusations of liberal bias and undue influence by college professors on their students. So what is the place, if any, politics and policy making have in the world of teacher education? Should this be an area best left to the individual teacher candidates to explore on their own, if they wish? Or should this contentious process be included in some way as part of teacher education? This article presents the responses of the "Teacher Educator" Editorial Advisory Board members to the following question: Within a teacher preparation program, should teacher candidates be exposed to information regarding the impact of politics and educational policy on their role as a teacher? If so, how should this information be conveyed?

Over the past four decades, Israel's educational system has gradually shifted from segregating students with special needs (SwSNs) to including them in general education. This process reflects a humanistic approach that promotes inclusion alongside tailored support. To meet SwSNs' diverse needs, the Israeli educational system has developed a continuum of frameworks, providing students with services in the most suitable settings . The present article examines Israel's evolving special education approaches and policies for continually balancing the rights of SwSNs with the principle of equality in education. Key phases in this process are the enacting of the Special Education Laws (1988; 2002), the establishment of national committees, and the State Comptroller Reports for the examination of the Laws implementation, and the 2018 "Eleventh Amendment" to the Special Education law, which aimed to enhance inclusion through the "Parents' Choice" model and the "Funding Follows the Child" principle. The 2018 reform faced setbacks due to limited resources, and inadequate teacher training, leading parents to prefer specialized-separated education. These days, the appointed Shapira Committee is reevaluating the education of SwSNs in Israel's educational system. Despite progress, challenges in achieving true inclusion persist due to structural and budgetary constraints and differing perspectives between general and special education sectors. [Note: The page range (365-386) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 365-385.]

Since 1994 South African further education and training (FET) has undergone significant and fundamental changes. These changes include the transfer of colleges between state departments, curriculum revision, forced mergers and a shift in the student population. As a result of the growing interest in, and funding of, vocationally aligned education, education and training excellence models have permeated into the management portfolio of South Africa's FET. FET colleges (FETCs) have been faced with the emerging excellence discourses in the higher education and business sectors, as well as funding and accreditation linked motivators. How FETC managers have chosen to incorporate, or not to incorporate, centres of excellence (CoEs) into their organizational structures indicates both the difference in the application of CoE models to the sector compared with the higher education and business sectors and the way FETCs are managed in their volatile environment. This paper uses data initially gathered for a funded project aimed at identifying excellence indicators applicable to the FET sector, and a comparative content analysis of related publications and telephone interviews with senior staff responsible for innovation. The authors argue that higher education or business excellence models cannot be applied to the further education and training college environment; models need to be adapted to suit this specific type of environment. (Contains 2 tables.)

The study on "Widening Participation in Higher Education in Ghana and Tanzania: developing an Equity Scorecard" is a contribution to making higher education more socially inclusive in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings reinforce some of the policy initiatives taken in Ghana and Tanzania, and underscore the importance of widening participation in higher education, as well as addressing associated issues of equity and quality. Although the higher education sector has expanded tremendously during the past two to three decades, enrolment at the tertiary level falls behind levels obtained in most developed countries. Access and equity continue to be issues, particularly in rural areas. This article responds to some of the findings in the research study. It identifies some of the policy initiatives by government and interventions taken by the tertiary education institutions to address the issue of access and equity in the provision of tertiary education. As a result of these initiatives, some students in rural areas have not only had the opportunity to enrol in competitive professional programmes like medicine and engineering, but have also been provided with avenues for upward social mobility. A number of recommendations are made towards canvassing support for broader involvement of all stakeholders in the process of promoting access and addressing inequalities. (Contains 1 note.)

Focusing on vocational learning in the English further education (FE) sector and situating it within its social, political and historical context, this paper provides an overview of English attitudes towards the vocational and its subordinate status in relation to "academic" education. It outlines the development of FE in England, describing its peculiarly working-class heritage, and discusses how the nature of the sector has changed against the backdrop of increasing global competition and the restructuring of the UK economy since the 1970s. The paper goes on to outline particular forms of vocationalism found in FE in England and considers some of the limitations of "progressive" vocationalism and of competence based education and training. Following this, there is a discussion of emerging themes for vocational education and training, and the FE sector in particular, under the UK Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government elected in 2010. Continuities and fractures with established practice are considered. The paper concludes by highlighting the social and epistemological limitations of current approaches to vocational education and training in England. Whilst vocational education in England--within the FE sector at least--is once again on the verge of organisational and regulatory reform, there is little prospect that sociocultural attitudes to the vocational will change significantly, despite global transformations impacting on knowledge production and transfer.

The purpose of this study was to explore the opinions and perspectives of special education teachers and parents of children in special education regarding the implementation of individualized instruction within the special education system in the People's Republic of China. The study group consisted of a random sample of 344 parents of children in special education and 100 special education teachers in Beijing. Valid and reliable questionnaires were developed. Analysis of data from questionnaires showed that special education teachers had a positive attitude towards utilizing and providing individualized instruction, but also had concerns. Analysis of data from parents' questionnaires showed that parents needed to learn to advocate for their children, wanted improved parent-teacher communication, but also had concerns. This study revealed potential barriers for implementing individualized instruction in China. American and Western educational programs and services may benefit the development of special education in China, but they need to be culturally sensitive and appropriate for the economic, social, and cultural realities and individualized and localized to China and its education system. Challenges and difficulties in the process of implementing specific imported educational programs should be addressed. Recognition of and attention to parents and special education teachers' responses will assist Chinese colleagues, politicians, and school leaders in this process. (Contains 10 tables.)

In 2007, "Environmental Education Research" dedicated a special issue to childhood and environmental education. This paper makes a case for "early childhood" to also be in the discussions. Here, I am referring to early childhood as the before-school years, focusing on educational settings such as childcare centres and kindergartens. This sector is one of the research "holes" that Reid and Scott ask the environmental education community to have the "courage to discuss". This paper draws on a survey of Australian and international research journals in environmental education and early childhood education seeking studies at their intersection. Few were found. Some studies explored young children's relationships with nature (education "in" the environment). A smaller number discussed young children's understandings of environmental topics (education "about" the environment). Hardly any centred on young children as agents of change (education "for" the environment). At a time when there is a growing literature showing that early investments in human capital offer substantial returns to individuals and communities and have a far-reaching effect--and when early childhood educators are beginning to engage with sustainability--it is vital that our field responds. This paper calls for urgent action--especially for research--to address the gap. (Contains 1 note and 1 table.)

Observational studies suggest that including men in reproductive health interventions can enhance positive health outcomes. A randomized controlled trial was designed to test the impact of involving male partners in antenatal health education on maternal health care utilization and birth preparedness in urban Nepal. In total, 442 women seeking antenatal services during second trimester of pregnancy were randomized into three groups: women who received education with their husbands, women who received education alone and women who received no education. The education intervention consisted of two 35-min health education sessions. Women were followed until after delivery. Women who received education with husbands were more likely to attend a post-partum visit than women who received education alone [RR = 1.25, 95% CI = (1.01, 1.54)] or no education [RR = 1.29, 95% CI = (1.04, 1.60)]. Women who received education with their husbands were also nearly twice as likely as control group women to report making greater than 3 birth preparations [RR = 1.99, 95% CI = (1.10, 3.59)]. Study groups were similar with respect to attending the recommended number of antenatal care checkups, delivering in a health institution or having a skilled provider at birth. These data provide evidence that educating pregnant women and their male partners yields a greater net impact on maternal health behaviors compared with educating women alone. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Policy has been a much neglected area for research in science education. In their neglect of policy studies, researchers have maintained an ongoing naivete about the politics of science education. In doing so, they often overestimate the implications of their research findings about practice and ignore the interplay between the stakeholders beyond and in-school who determine the nature of the curriculum for science education and its enacted character. Policies for education (and science education in particular) always involve authority and values, both of which raise sets of fascinating questions for research. The location of authority for science education differs across educational systems in ways that affect the role teachers are expected to play. Policies very often value some groups in society over others, as the long history of attempts to provide science for all students testifies. As research on teaching/learning science identifies pedagogies that have widespread effectiveness, the policy issue of mandating these becomes important. Illustrations of successful policy to practice suggest that establishing conditions that will facilitate the intended implementation is critically important. The responsibility of researchers for critiquing and establishing policy for improving the practice of science education is discussed, together with the role research associations could play if they are to claim their place as key stakeholders in science education. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

Increasing demands on continuing medical education (CME) are taking place at a time of significant developments in educational thinking and new learning technologies. Such developments allow today's CME providers to better meet the CRISIS criteria for effective continuing education: convenience, relevance, individualization, self-assessment, independent learning, and a systematic approach. The International Virtual Medical School (IVIMEDS) provides a case study that illustrates how rapid growth of the Internet and e-learning can alter undergraduate education and has the potential to alter the nature of CME. Key components are a bank of reusable learning objects, a virtual practice with virtual patients, a learning-outcomes framework, and self-assessment instruments. Learning is facilitated by a curriculum map, guided-learning resources, "ask-the-expert" opportunities, and collaborative or peer-to-peer learning. The educational philosophy is "just-for-you" learning (learning customized to the content, educational strategy, and distribution needs of the individual physician) and "just-in-time" learning (learning resources available to physicians when they are required). Implications of the new learning technologies are profound. E-learning provides a bridge between the cutting edge of education and training and outdated procedures embedded in institutions and professional organizations. There are important implications, too, for globalization in medical education, for multiprofessional education, and for the continuum of education from undergraduate to postgraduate and continuing education.

In this article, the author discusses how realization of the ideas of humanistic pedagogy and psychology serves as the foundation for the development of value attitudes toward nature and the surrounding world, for the formation of a new type of ecological consciousness. It is obvious that the interaction between human civilization and the earth's biosphere has reached a dead end. Problems of the humanization of education and the search for an effective mechanism to regulate ecologically vital activity have been linked to the formation of an ecological consciousness, a consciousness that is based on value attitudes oriented toward the preservation, restoration, and rational use of the natural world. In today's society, there is an entrenched contradiction between the need to shape an ecological consciousness in the younger generation, one that is capable of undertaking an ecocentric approach in interactions with other members of the socium and objects of the natural world, and the absence of a sufficiently effective approach to the organization of this kind of education and upbringing. The author suggests that technologies that have worked out and tested in practice can be utilized to optimalize the process of ecological education and upbringing, to shape an ecocentric consciousness. The author also discusses the normative legal basis of the system of continuous ecological education and describes the characteristics of preschool ecological education, general ecological education, professional ecological education, and supplementary ecological education.

This article focuses on a historical series of education acts that impacted on education in Rhodesia. These Acts are the: (1) 1899 Education Ordinance; (2) 1903 Education Ordinance; (3) 1907 Education Ordinance; (4) 1929 Department of Native Development Act; (5) 1930 Compulsory Education Act; (6) 1959 African Education Act; (7) 1973 Education Act; and the (8) 1979 Education Act. These Acts were developed in order to protect the settlers' economic advantage and because most Euro-Rhodesians believed that contact with Africans should be minimised and controlled, and that differential rights and privileges for the two culture groups were necessary. The Rhodesians thought that only after the African people had been "civilised", that is completely acculturated into the European world view, that they could then lead equal but separate lives. In general the colonial settlers in Southern Africa believed that African people were intellectually and culturally inferior in comparison to European people. European educationalists and psychologists in the Southern African region conducted an array of research to "prove" that people of African descent were intellectually and culturally inferior to people of European descent. As such, the education of Africans in Rhodesia was of little importance except in terms of labour production. It was these attitudes that led to the development of racist educational legislation in Rhodesia. In general this legislation defined the role of Africans as little more than servants and labourers of the Rhodesian settlers. (Contains 100 notes.)