A systemic intervention research agenda for reducing inequality in school outcomes

Persistent education inequality is a complex problem in the United States, and, despite efforts to promote equity, education performance and attainment remain highly related to characteristics of students’ families, schools, and neighborhoods. Systemic interventions are designed to address complex problems through the identification and purposeful incorporation of knowledge from the multiple systems implicated in a problem. Although systemic intervention approaches are not widely reported in education, they have yielded positive effects in health and human services and are worth investigating in the education context. In this paper we review policy and research evidence related to education inequality and provide an agenda for designing and evaluating systemic interventions to reduce education inequality.     

The Mechanisms Influencing Active Arts Participation: An Analysis of the Visual Arts,Music, and the Performing Arts

The aim of this article is to gain insight into the factors correlated with active arts participation. Drawing on the cultural reproduction theory and the cultural mobility model, we assess the relative effects of level of education and art education versus social background and focus on possible interaction effects between them. We thereby query if and to what extent art education programs and parental milieu can account for differences in participation according to level of education. Results based on stepwise logistic regression analyses on representative population data for Flanders (N = 3,146) offer a mixed picture. Although we find clear effects of social background on the odds of active arts participation, net effects of art education prove more substantial. However, the context of art education clearly matters: for most of the art forms considered, only out‐of‐school art education shows net effects, while in‐school art education has no net effects. Furthermore, we find how the effects of level of education on active art participation are equally attributable to parental milieu and to art education programs. Finally, four significant interaction effects are found corroborating the cultural mobility model. Results are discussed in the light of both theorems and routes for further research are suggested.     

THE DEMAND FOR EDUCATION FOR HOME PRODUCTION

This paper analyzes a type of education thus far ignored in the literature—non-credit adult education to enhance home production skills. In the analysis, we test whether such education behaves as an investment in home productivity and also compare the differences between demands for home productivity enhancing education and labor market enhancing education. Results on four adult cohorts indicate that both types of schooling have investment components, although there are also significant differences in the two demand functions. Results also indicate that the two types of education are complementary rather than substitute activities.     

我国残疾儿童学前教育相关政策分析

残疾儿童学前教育需要相关政策提供支持与保障.本文采用政策文献计量法,对我国残疾儿童学前教育相关政策进行分析发现,相关政策数量持续增长,并受五年规划影响波动.在颁布主体上,教育部、民政部、财政部、残联形成核心合作关系,同时呈现多部门协作的特点.横向结构上综合政策以及特殊教育、康复政策多,普通教育(含学前教育)政策少;纵向结构上以规范性文件为主.政策内容中康教比重、参与主体、安置形式及资金支持方式不断变化,体现出日益重视教育的特点,以及政府主导、多主体参与的局面.相关政策发展历程体现出从缺陷补偿到全面发展的教育观变迁、从单一主体到多元主体的管理观变迁以及从即时补缺向制度性普惠的支持观变迁.最后,提出夯实政策基础、增强部门合作、教康合力推进等发展我国残疾儿童学前教育的建议.     

Wages of regular and irregular workers, the price of education, and income inequality

In this paper, we develop a model characterized by skill-biased technological change and increasing costs of education to investigate income inequality. Irregular workers cannot escape poverty by commencing investment in education because wage inequality between regular and irregular workers widens and the price of education increases with the average level of education. Moreover, if the productivity of elementary education is low relative to that of higher education, middle-income individuals are eventually unable to pursue higher education because the threshold for education expenditure rises with the price of education. Thus, income inequality may widen, even among regular workers.     

埃及高等教育所面临的挑战及应对之策

埃及是阿拉伯世界高等教育比较发达的国家,相继培养出多位诺贝尔奖获得者.20世纪八十年代中后期,在埃及较早进入高等教育大众化阶段的同时,其高等教育系统也面临着许多严重的问题与挑战,如高等教育中央集权管理体制与大学自治的矛盾,以世俗教育和宗教教育为中心的双轨教育体制所带来的不平等和混乱等.针对其高等教育的历史与现状,埃及政府坚持实施教育兴国的现代化发展战略,积极探索应对之道,努力摆脱困境.但如何使教育和经济社会协调发展,依然是摆在埃及政府面前的一道难题.     

上海家庭教育的现状及发展思考

上海家庭教育既表现出典型的现代化趋势，也存在不符合现代家庭教育发展理念的若干问题，主要表现在：家庭治理模式向现代民主型模式转变，但部分家长的教养态度依然不够民主；父母对孩子成长的关注与孩子的心理需求存在较大偏差。父母最关心孩子的学习成绩，而孩子最希望父母关注他们的内心想法；亲子活动较少，孩子与父母的沟通意向不强，网络聊天对孩子的影响对亲子沟通方式提出了挑战。建议通过重新认识家庭教育的独特作用与功能定位；提高家庭教育的文化含量，建设和谐文化；加强家庭教育指导，满足多样化的家庭教育需求；加强平台建设，完善学校、家庭、社会“三位一体”合力育人机制等方式提升家庭教育质量。     

Organizing for Education: A Cross-National,Longitudinal Study of Civil Society Organizations and Education Outcomes

We address two views from organization theory to consider the expansion and effects of nonprofits in education: first, a functional view emphasizing the direct effect of work of civil society organizations (CSOs) and, second, a phenomenological neoinstitutional view focusing on the cultural meaning of education CSOs as indicators of a rationalized, liberal world society. We use panel regression models with country fixed effects to analyze the cross-national expansion of domestic education CSO sectors in 130 countries from 1970 to 2014. We then examine the association between the size of the domestic education CSO sector and memberships in international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) with education outcomes, including spending, education aid, secondary and tertiary enrollments, and the share of women in secondary and tertiary education. Results show that INGO memberships, an expanded state, and an expanded education system are highly associated with the expansion of a domestic education CSO sector. Both domestic CSOs and INGO memberships tend to have a significant, positive relationship with education outcomes net of other factors. We also find preliminary evidence indicating that the causal forces at play are more complex than a straightforward direct effect of education CSOs doing good work. Specifically, CSOs, at least in part, are indicators of a Western, liberal model of a proper modern society; the underpinning culture, represented by CSOs, accounts for some educational expansion above and beyond the benefit (or harm) caused by any given entity.     

Values in German Intercultural Education

The topic of values in intercultural education will be discussed from several vantage points: first, we will consider educational values in Germany and discuss how compatible they are with intercultural education. Secondly, we will show various ways in which intercultural education is now being approached, focusing on various underlying values. This will help to clarify why intercultural education has recently become more accepted, even though no curricula have so far been developed. Finally, we will discuss how intercultural education is implemented in teacher education with regard to the values that are part of intercultural education.

It should be borne in mind that a paper on “German” education or teacher training always represents a generalisation because there are 16 different states, each with different educational systems.     

构建现代职业教育体系背景下高校德育工作的创新

高校德育工作在高等教育事业中起着"培养什么样的人"的主导作用。在我国加快职业教育体系建设的总体部署下,部分高校探索向应用技术型高校转型。在此期间,高校德育工作面临诸多挑战和机遇。因此,要探索适应时代发展要求的创新道路,拓展德育工作平台,有针对性地开展德育工作,切实提高德育工作在大学生中的影响力。     

上海教育国际化的配套政策及服务体系研究

上海教育国际化的核心内涵是通过教育活动国际化、教育者与受教育者的国际化、教学机构国际化以及国际维度与观念融入过程的国际化等途径，推动上海整体教育水平的提高，吸引和培养高素质的国际型人才，服务于上海经济社会可持续发展的大局。上海教育国际化的配套政策要围绕优质教育资源的引入和输出展开：制定“引智”政策，以吸引优秀海外专家、学者，扩大开放现行科研体系，引入教育国际化高端资源；制定教学计划与课程国际化建设、“留学上海”系列服务、优质教育资源引进、“国际化品牌项目”支持、全社会共同参与、服务体系信息化等政策。建立以政府各相关部门为主体的管理体系、以高校及其他办学机构为主体的教学体系及以企业、各类社会组织及市民为主体的社会服务体系。     

Toward Transgender Affirmative Social Work Education

Social work has professional and academic standards consistent with transgender affirmative education and practice. Nevertheless, a growing body of research suggests that transgender issues are largely absent from social work education, resulting in practitioners who are uninformed or biased against transgender issues. The present study expands the literature through a mixed methods study exploring perceptions of transgender issues in social work education from the perspectives of transgender social work students (n = 97). Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal barriers to transgender affirmative social work education including (1) transphobic microaggressions within classroom and field settings, (2) the absence of transgender specific education and expertise, and (3) the general lack of visibility of transgender issues. Recommendations for transgender affirmative social work education are provided.     

An argument for love in intercultural education for teacher education

This paper proposes rethinking intercultural education in teacher education, arguing that any discussion of student teachers’ intercultural education should be connected more explicitly to a theoretical conceptualisation of love. The first part of the paper focuses on identifying discursive boundaries in engaging with intercultural education in teacher education. It is argued that if we are to develop intercultural education, we need to consciously move away from some discourses in teacher education, namely instrumentalism, performance orientation, emotionlessness and seeing the relationship between teacher and learner as static. The second half of the paper develops a theoretical alternative by engaging with the concept of love as a basis for intercultural education in pursuing an alternative to the instrumentalist, performance-based, non-emotional fixed-relationship ethos of intercultural education in teacher education.     

‘Reproduction mobility’ and motherhood construction: Chinese education migrants in Chiang Mai

‘ Reproduction mobility’ adopted in this article indicates a rising trend of social reproduction mobility serving the purpose of maintaining an alternative life that many middle-class Chinese parents, mostly mothers, are taking their children out of the hyper-competitive domestic education arena in mainland China to attend international schools in Chiang Mai. This escape implies macro-level changes in the global education market on two fronts: Chinese national education is enveloping families into a national education competition from which they cannot withdraw; meanwhile, Thailand's international education market is being industrialized as part of the neoliberal marketization of international education in less developed countries. This paper analyses the calculation, evaluation and agentive selection of Chinese families as they pursue an increasingly popular education project of reproduction mobility. It identifies different modes of mothering that are similar to the domestic phenomenon of ‘mothering brokerage’ but practised in the international education environment of Southeast Asia.     

The Teachers’ Page

Place-based education is a growing trend in education. This article defines place-based education and briefly examines its use across the disciplines. So as to better understand the wider concept, meanings of the geographical term place are analyzed. Place-based education in a social studies classroom is examined using two hypothetical scenarios, demonstrating that place-based education is indeed appropriate in the social studies.     

All kinds of potential: Women and out-migration in an Atlantic Canadian coastal community

Rural researchers have found that women leave rural communities at a higher rate than men. Rural education researchers have also found that young women are significantly more successful in formal education than their male counterparts. Few studies though attempt to explain why this is so. This work presents data and analysis from two studies of education and out-migration from a rural-coastal community in Nova Scotia Canada. The questions I investigate in this session are: (1) why are women more likely to leave rural communities? (2) how have contemporary change forces like globalization and network society influenced the gender balance regarding rural out-migration? and (3) how has young rural women's relative success in formal education related to their higher rates of out-migration? Given the recent concern about boy's education, I raise some critical questions about the parallel notion that girls are doing just fine.     

THE RHETORIC OF DEMOCRACY IN INTERNATIONAL ON-LINE EDUCATION

On-line education has been heralded as the next democratizing force in education, particularly in higher education (Daniel 1996; Jones 1997). By opening access to populations which have not had access either because of geographical location, job status, or physical handicap, the rhetoric of on-line education suggests that this new technology will democratize education, breaking down the elitist walls of the ivory tower. However, it is not at all clear that the reality of implementing distance learning solutions have in fact any potential, much less actual value for democratizing higher education. Much the opposite, founded on the myth of the meritocracy, on-line education has the potential to exacerbate already intractable views of individual achievement through education as rectifying failures to meet disadvantaged populations' needs. This paper presents several cases of international on-line education and the rhetoric that surrounds its introduction. In some cases we are able to share stories of implementation of distance learning programmes or governmental promises made to those interested in distance learning. In each case, we attempt to tell a story that sheds light on the ways in which the noble goals of democracy are and aren't met in the harsh reality of on-line learning.     

From vocational to knowledge-based education - an account of Swedish social work education

This article outlines the historical trajectory of Swedish social work education. Important stages and developmental changes in educational programs are described. As well overall structure of Swedish social work education and training is presented. A number of important issues not only specific to Swedish circumstances but also pertinent to social work education around the world are described and their role is analysed. More specifically, the author focuses on issues of social work as a research discipline, identity of the social work discipline, cleavage and relationship between social work research and social work practice. Social work education, social work practice and social work research are seen in a holistic perspective. The author describes and argues that Swedish social work education has gone from being a non-academic vocational training program to a knowledge-based package of academic discipline.     

Brazilian Concepts of Special Education

The paper questions the idea of a single national perspective on special education, despite the relatively recent movement towards a national policy for the integration of disabled people in the mainstream educational system. It is argued that the adoption of the principle of integration, as proposed by the international community, has not necessarily led, in the Brazilian case, those involved with special education to a review of special education in the sense of being part of an inclusive educational system. The paper shows that in a country of continental dimensions like Brazil, there are marked differences in the way special education is conceptualised and provided. Such differences occur at various levels: regional local and even institutional. Some of the factors that promote these differences are of a historical and political nature. The paper suggests that these factors must be taken into account by those involved with special education, especially when there are attempts to make generalisations about the concept and practice of special education.     

Social innovations for social cohesion in Western Europe: success dimensions for lifelong learning and education

In addressing the EU2020 goals, skills shortage combined with increasing unemployment rates is to be primarily tackled in Western Europe; the common factor here is education. Education and lifelong learning (LL) are the key strands governing employability in the European labour market. Overarching concepts capable of addressing social challenges within education and LL that contribute towards better practices are seen as social innovations (SI). While SI in education is well founded in the developing countries, Europe is still in the process of gaining progressive momentum in this direction. In addressing various societal challenges, this study looks at observable trends in SI for education across Western Europe. About 30 innovations have been recorded across 11 countries that are essentially focussed on: social integration, alternative/new forms of education, digital learning, new learning arrangements, new LL strategies, early career planning, youth employment, quality improvements and new education standards, transition management, and entrepreneurial education.