Education & Pedagogy

In Germany, social background has a strong influence on school performance in the general educational system. Children from lower social classes have fewer opportunities to gain higher school leaving certificates. In this paper, we ask the question if social selectivity is also present in the German system of vocational education and training. Based on the data-set of the German Transition Study of the Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training, we analyse the transition from school to vocational education and training, including also the transition to higher education. We show that the successful placement in full vocational qualification programmes leading to a recognised occupation depends strongly on the general school-leaving certificate. As regards the direct influence of social background, there is some evidence for fewer chances for young people from lower social classes but only for non-holders of a higher education entrance qualification (HEEQ). Young people from lower social classes holding a HEEQ more often choose initial vocational training instead of a higher education degree. Our results show that the strong social selectivity of the German general educational system is perpetuated in the German system of vocational education and training and determines long-run career perspectives. Therefore, a policy for reduction of social selectivity in Germany has to target the teaching in the schools of general education.

This paper discusses the Lifelong Learning Strategy document which was on the agenda during the European Union harmonization process of Turkey. The public policies in the document, regarding non-formal and adult education, will be analyzed. Lifelong Learning strategy became a current issue in the last stage of neoliberal transformation of education and occurs within the context of neoliberal transformation which began many years ago in the educational field. At the same time, Lifelong Learning also contains some dimensions which strengthen liberalization and commercialization in formal education. Neoliberal transformation of education has been expressed through "structured adjustment program," directives of the World Bank imposed over thirty years and through the European Union"s "harmonization" process enforced steadily within the past 10 years. During this process, although transformation of formal education was given priority and the adult education field kept its character with the globalization discourse, terms such as "learning society" and "knowledge society" were imposed, while commodification in adult and non-formal education fields was not a large factor. Thus market driven vocational training discourses were not regulated properly through non formal education. The strategy document actually was formulated to reorganize this field. This article analyzes the effects of neoliberal globalization over adult education in Turkey, including reflections on the interconnection of this document with general European Lifelong Learning policies.

Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of a tablet-based multimedia education application, the Project Not Alone Depression Module, in improving depression literacy and reducing depression stigma among a community-based mental health clinic population. Methods: A total of 93 participants completed either a tablet-based multimedia education or a print education module containing the same content on depression. Primary outcomes were changes in depression literacy as measured by a knowledge quiz and stigma as measured by the Depression Stigma Scale administered before and after the education intervention. Secondary outcomes included participant preference, ease of use, and likeliness to discuss topic with a physician. Results: In comparison to print education, tablet-based multimedia education significantly increased depression-related knowledge and reduced depression stigma (p < 0.05). Among all participants, a reduction in the personal stigma score was correlated with an increase in knowledge score (p < 0.05). Participants preferred the tablet-based module to a human health educator (p < 0.05). Conclusion: With advantages of scalability, user preference, and efficacy in improving depression literacy and stigma, tablet-based multimedia education has the potential to improve the health outcomes of mental health clinic populations. Although the study findings are limited by small sample size and lack of randomisation, the results are encouraging for future research and development in tablet-based multimedia patient education.

Demographic surges and economic growth have created an exploding demand for higher education in the Global South--a demand that low- and middle-income countries cannot realistically meet with traditional institutions alone. In India, the demand increasingly is being met by online education. Recently, MOOCs--with their potential to scale up rapidly at low marginal cost--are increasingly popular, primarily for professional training. The focus of this paper is to explore how this solution may play out, using data on enrollees in MOOCs in India. The picture that seems to be emerging in India is one in which MOOCs are able to fill in some of the gaps of an underperforming higher education system and provide opportunities that students are eager to employ. However, the fact that so many of the Indian MOOC students have already passed through the Indian higher education system suggests that MOOCs are not primarily a higher education tool--but rather, mostly serve professional-training needs. MOOCs hold the promise of filling at least some part of the gap between demand and the quality of education for students from the Global South. In those areas, MOOCs can be a critical part of the education landscape where a mix of online, private, and public education can comprise a diverse ecosystem of educational options. A list of resources is included.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of teacher education by examining instructional visions of graduates from a teacher education program, 2 or 3 years post-graduation. An instructional vision is a teacher's idealized image of teaching practice, encompassing aspirations and hopes of what could occur in her classroom. We conducted an inductive analysis of participants' self-reports of: (1) their instructional visions for teaching elementary mathematics, (2) whether their visions changed over time, (3) whether teacher education influenced changes in their visions, and (4) what their teacher education program promoted as an ideal instructional vision. We administered an open-ended questionnaire to 81 graduates from two cohorts of the same teacher education program. Using latent class analysis, we identified three profiles. Two profiles (89% of the participants) appeared to align with teacher education, suggesting more than one manifestation of the impact of teacher education. Our results indicated alignment between instructional visions and teacher education experiences with respect to teaching mathematics for conceptual understanding and engaging students in productive struggle. A contribution of this study is an awareness that teacher education programs could impact the instructional visions of their graduates in more than one way, with different subsets of intended visions remaining as residue. We conjectured that experiencing instruction that aligned with these instructional visions as learners while in teacher education influenced the development of these graduates' visions.

Background: In this study, we explore how a health education course may play a role in pre-service teachers' perceptions in teaching and integrating health education activities to nurture K-8 students' health literacy. Methods: We used mixed methods to examine the effect of a health education course in a teacher education program. Of 55 pre-service teachers, 41 voluntarily participated in the study. Quantitative data were obtained through an online questionnaire administered to participants at the beginning and end of the course. We conducted 6 focus groups at the end of the course. Results: The inferential analysis from a series of analysis of variance with repeated measures revealed significant differences in health knowledge (F = 113.39, p < 0.01, n[superscript 2] = 0.74), preparedness (F = 104.74, p < 0.01, n[superscript 2] = 0.73), attitudes (F = 15.02, p < 0.01, n[superscript 2] = 0.28), and beliefs (F = 8.87, p < 0.01, n[superscript 2] = 0.19) between time points. Qualitative data led to the conclusion that where one health education course is insufficient, such a course is the first step into future curriculum development and implementation. Conclusions: One health education course might be beneficial for general education teachers to increase their knowledge and preparation to teaching school health. On-going training is needed for program success.

Using visualized bibliographic data and a range of quantitative research methods, the analysis of the International Journal of Technology and Design Education (IJTDE), which is included in the core collection of Social Science Citation Index, reached a number of conclusions. Firstly, IJTDE is an important platform for the exchange of research results in the field of technology education, and has a significant influence. Secondly, De Vries, Williams, Ankiewicz and a number of others are influential and prolific authors in the IJTDE. Authors from the USA, England, New Zealand, Taiwan and Australia make most contributions to the IJTDE, Delft University of Technology, University of Auckland and the University of Waikato are the more prolific institutions in the IJTDE. Thirdly, technology education, education, design, science, creativity, technology, design education, knowledge, student, technological literacy and problem solving are the most frequency keywords in the IJTDE. Creativity, design education, problem solving, curriculum development, design and critical thinking, practice, engineering education, and STEM education are research trends in the IJTDE between 2000 and 2018. Fourthly, the discipline knowledge base mainly focuses on teaching and design methods in the technological environment, and the definitions of technology-related concepts. The results enable a deeper understanding and consideration of the content and influence of IJTDE, and the research hotspots in the field of technology education.

Higher education is experiencing a paradigm shift from passive learning towards active learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has further presented an opportunity for education providers to enhance teaching that includes non-campus modes. However, concerns regarding student engagement lie at the heart of the transition to active learning environments in the context of the increased demand for online education. Therefore, promoting student engagement has become an educational priority since greater student engagement translates into valued student experiences, higher academic performance, and increased retention rates. This paper semi-systematically reviews the literature on student engagement in undergraduate economics education. Close emphasis is also paid to the relationships between the direct measures of disengagement such as absenteeism on student performance in economics. The student engagement framework developed by Frederiks, Blumenfeld, and Paris (2004) is used to classify the dimensions of student engagement and the factors that influence the different dimensions of engagement. The literature reviewed is predominately occupied with behavioral aspects of engagement with little attention towards capturing the cognitive and emotional aspects of student engagement. Three key recommendations are noted from the study in order for business school educators and higher education policy makers to promote student engagement in economics education. Future research on student engagement in undergraduate business education should focus more on capturing the cognitive and emotional aspects of student engagement to inform policymaking in promoting student engagement.

The new model of Polish education was designed by the Komisja Edukacji Narodowej (KEN). The Commission, established in 1773, was the first ministry of education in Europe. It dealt not only with problems related to the learning-teaching process, but also promoted scientific development. The present analysis is an attempt at examining the process of implementation of the Enlightenment-based education system in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the second half of the eighteenth century. The main research objective is to answer the question whether the education reform introduced by the KEN could have a long-lasting influence on the education system in Central and Eastern Europe. The authors work on the thesis that the reform was possible due to the pope's decision to dissolve the Society of Jesus, whose property was a "sine qua non" of the education reform, as it provided the reformers with funds necessary to introduce changes. The author raises the question whether qualifications of the scholars working there at that time were suitable to conduct research in the field of natural-mathematical sciences. This was necessary to educate a highly-qualified, "technical" elite of the society.

This study assessed the extent to which an Internet-recruited sample of residents of India was supportive of the provision of comprehensive sexual education in school in a country where youth sexual health is poor. We sought to determine whether attitudes differed for those of varying demographic backgrounds (age, sex, education level, religion), the extent of support for comprehensive coverage, the school or age levels deemed appropriate for delivery, and whether own sex education history influenced support. We conducted an anonymous online survey with 1140 Indian adults using crowdsourcing methods. We found widespread support for the provision of sex education to youth in India among members of our largely well educated, middle-class sample. However, most participants believed sex education should be provided relatively late (i.e., in mid- to late-adolescence). Few opposed sex education altogether and attitudes were not predicted by background, own school-based sex education, or parent-child communication about sex. Less than one-third of participants endorsed the coverage of all topics, indicating that support for truly comprehensive coverage was not strong. However, the findings counter politicised efforts to ban sex education by state leaders despite the availability of a progressive, comprehensive curriculum offered by the Central government.

COVID-19 has had a major impact on international higher education with border closures, cancelled flights, and a shift to online teaching and learning. As a result, many international students have decided to either abandon or defer their plans to study abroad. If students stay in their home countries, many institutions that rely heavily on foreign students' fees will suffer, with potential impacts on national economies. Beyond the economic implications, it is also important to consider the personal impact of COVID-19 on international students, who may face delays or obstacles to program completion, employment and/or immigration. Though there are certainly risks and losses in the short term, the demand for international education, and the benefits it offers, are expected to grow. This presents an opportunity for higher education institutions (HEIs) and governments, not just to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on their current business models, but to explore new models and opportunities. HEIs and governments must look at redefining international higher education for the new normal, which will entail a shift in policies and programmes. This paper outlines the implications of the COVID-19 crisis for international higher education and presents potential opportunities for governments and higher education institutions to refresh and redefine their approaches for the new normal.

The advent of mass schooling played a pivotal role in European societies of the later nineteenth century, transforming rural peasants into national citizens. The late-twentieth-century global expansion of higher education ushered in new transformations, propelling societal rationalization and organizing, and knitting the world into a more integrated society and economy. We address four key dynamics: (1) Higher education sustains the modern professions and contributes to the rationalization of society and state. (2) The supranational and universalistic orientation of higher education provides elites with shared global cultural frames and identities, facilitating globalization. (3) Consequently, tertiary education provides a foundation for major global movements and sociopolitical change around diverse issues, such as human rights and environmental protection as well as potentially contentious religious and cultural solidarities. (4) Higher education contributes to the reorganization of the economy, creating new monetarized activities and facilitating the reconceptualization of activities distant from material production as economic. In short, many features of the contemporary world arise from the growing legions of people steeped in common forms of higher education. Panel regression models of contemporary cross-national longitudinal data examine these relationships. We find higher-education enrollments are associated with key dimensions of rationalization, globalization, societal mobilization, and expansion of the service economy. Central features of modern society, often seen as natural, in fact hinge on the distinctive form of higher education that has become institutionalized worldwide.

Investigating the effectiveness of inmates' educational programs was the major focused of this research in Ilorin remand homes, Nigeria. Specifically inmates' views on effectiveness of vocational and literacy educational program were investigated. This study was descriptive survey. 108 inmates were sampled using simple random sampling technique. Two research questions were formulated and a researcher' designed questionnaires containing 10 items in two sections with 4-point rating scale was used for data collection while data collected were analyzed using mean scores and standard deviation. The result showed that most inmates positively acknowledged literacy education in recreational, guidance and counseling, religious and social sciences as highly effective and effective respectively and the result also established that most inmates acknowledged vocational education in fashion designing, laundry/dry-cleaning, catering/home management, metal fabrication and electrical maintenance work as highly effective and effective respectively. It was concluded that literacy and vocational education policy for the inmates should be vigorously pursued and implemented in Ilorin, Nigeria. In addition, government and private organization should invest in inmates' literacy and vocational education to correct the erroneous impression that under play inmates' education which leads to their stigmatization at the point of re-entry into the society.

The purpose of this research was to gather the voices of students undertaking a Master's programme on Special and Inclusive Education by exploring their perceptions of what they have learned about inclusive education during the programme. We used the case study approach in order to investigate the students' perceptions and reflections on their learning outcomes related to how they understand inclusive education, with specific focus on the students' awareness of change, how they understand the principle of inclusion and their explanations of inclusive education. Ten students participating in the Master's programme took part in the study. Data were collected with an open-ended questionnaire tool that students completed half way in their studies. Students' qualitative statements were analysed through an inductive approach and three main themes emerged: "understanding of inclusive education" "awareness of change", and "success criteria for practicing inclusive education". Results suggest that the student group as a whole considered that they had attained new knowledge, expanded and nuanced their understanding of inclusive education, and the majority of the students were aware of how they had enriched their knowledge and were able to state how they will go about implementing inclusive education in practice.

Human development and rights-based approaches to education have been gaining support among international organisations and development agencies as alternative frameworks to human capital orthodoxy. While these global trends have been well-documented in the international development literature, there is little empirical evidence into what extent, and through which mechanisms, alternative development paradigms in education are influencing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) reforms. Chile provides an excellent opportunity for this kind of research given the long cycle of political contestation of neoliberal education policies in the country during the last decade. The article analyses TVET policy discourses for the last three government administrations (2006-2018) from a Cultural Political Economy perspective. The adoption of the rights-based approach in Chile shows its potential to mobilise greater involvement of the state in the funding and provision of TVET and in the support to secondary TVET students who want to continue their studies in tertiary education. However, the rights-based approach to education falls short when it comes to problematising political economy structures that shape TVET policymaking and the precarious labour market opportunities available to TVET graduates. These shortfalls show the need to incorporate more fundamental critiques of the neoliberal paradigm into the formulation of alternative policy agendas for TVET.