(2015). War and Peace in the Pictures Drawn by the Students of a Fine Arts High School. Educational Research and Reviews, v10 n8 p1080-1087 Apr. This study aims to identify high school students' perception of war and peace. Therefore, the students were asked to draw pictures depicting war and peace. The study was conducted at a Fine Arts High School. This study is a qualitative research. According to the assessments made on the results of the study, the students drew pictures containing national and universal motifs. The pictures based on national motifs were identified with the War of Independence and Turkish Soldiers. On the other hand, symbols like pigeon and olive branch standing out in the pictures based on universal motifs. This proves how effective the preconceived perceptions of the students on war and peace are. An additional study on drawings based on the motifs of war and peace involving larger groups of students may be carried out…. [Direct]
(2014). Education in Nonviolence: Levinas' Talmudic Readings and the Study of Sacred Texts. Ethics and Education, v9 n1 p58-68. The essay offers a Jewish account of education in nonviolence by examining the first of Emmanuel Levinas' Talmudic readings "Toward the Other." I begin by exploring Levinas' unique philosophy of religious education, which nurtures responsibility for the other, as part of an alternative to enlightenment-orientated modern Jewish thought pioneered by the likes of Gershom Scholem, Martin Buber, and Franz Rosenzweig. I then consider a question raised by Yusef Waghid and Zehavit Gross at the 2012 meeting of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain in Oxford concerning whether one must forget in order to forgive great wrong doing such as South African Apartheid or the Holocaust of European Jewry. Through an examination of Levinas' treatment of several Talmudic passages, I argue that the Jewish tradition takes a paradoxical approach to this question. We should forget in order to remember wrong doing. The spiritual process that both perpetrators and… [Direct]
(2017). Mobility, Mutual Recognition and ASEAN Community Building: The Road to Sustainable ASEAN Integration. Journal of International and Comparative Education, v6 n2 p105-121. This paper analyses the role of international mobility and mutual recognition to regional community building in the ASEAN region by reviewing policy documents and international student mobility statistics. ASEAN policy directives have evolved from regional economic cooperation to ASEAN Community building despite the limited mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) on professional services, and low and unbalanced intra-ASEAN student mobility. However the non-ratification of the 2011 UNESCO Asia and Pacific Recognition Convention, and the slow implementation of various regional frameworks supporting the establishment of an ASEAN Higher Education Area have limited the potential contribution of mobility and mutual recognition to the ASEAN Community building project. Recommendations to enhance its contribution includes expanding and implementing ASEAN MRAs to all professional disciplines, the development and institutionalisation of an ASEAN quality assurance system, promoting a balanced… [PDF]
(2016). Effects of Parent-Child Relationship on the Primary School Children's Non-Violence Position Formation. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, v11 n13 p6178-6184. The aim of the research was to identify and test experimentally the impact of parent-child relationship on the formation of the primary school children non-violence position. During the research the effectiveness of the correctional and development program "Together with my mom" was verified to promote parent-child interaction, as well as gaming technology aimed on creating a position of non-violence of primary school children. 54 schoolchildren, Kazan, Russian Federation took part in the empirical research. The complex of diagnostic instruments to research parent-child relationship characteristics, non-violent interaction of children has been applied. To identify the correlation between the received data (types of interaction between children and data on the scale of the child-parent relations), we used the method of correlation analysis, based on the calculation of Spearman's Rank Correlation…. [PDF]
(2016). Teacher Governance Reforms and Social Cohesion in South Africa: From Intention to Reality. Education as Change, v20 n3 p38-56. The governance of teachers during apartheid in South Africa was characterised by high levels of disparity in teacher distribution and in conditions of labour. In the post-apartheid context policies and interventions that govern teachers are critical, and teachers can be seen to be placed in a central role as actors whose distribution, employment, recruitment and deployment can serve to redress the past, promote equity and build trust for social cohesion. In this context, this paper examines several teacher governance mechanisms and interventions, namely the post provisioning norm and standards (PPNs), the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme (FLBP), and the South African Council of Educators. The analysis suggests that undifferentiated policy frameworks for teacher governance result in measures that weakly account for differing contextual realities and persistent inequality. Additionally, the emphasis on technocratic measures of accountability in teacher governance interventions… [Direct]
(2016). Global Citizenship Education in Context: Teacher Perceptions at an International School and a Local Israeli School. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, v46 n5 p832-853. We apply semi-structured interviews to conceptualise perceptions of global citizenship among teachers at an international school and teachers at a local public school in Israel, revealing discrepancies between theory and practice in global citizenship education (GCE). We find that teachers perceive global citizenship differently along three major axes: boundaries of global citizenship, practical aspects of GCE, and through the effect of Israel's context. This study offers a comparative perspective that discerns the differing impacts of school context and student background on teacher perceptions at different kinds of schools and highlights the importance of teacher agency in GCE…. [Direct]
(2015). Peacelearning and Its Relationship to the Teaching of Nonviolence. A Response to "Nonviolent Action as a Necessary Component in Educating for Democracy". Democracy & Education, v23 n1 Article 16. This response to Peterson's (2014) "Nonviolent Action as a Necessary Component in Educating for Democracy" enlarges the discussion of the role of the teacher/educator in deciding whether or when it is responsible to facilitate the engagement of students in acts of nonviolent dissent. Ultimately it would seem that the most important of our responsibilities as educators is to provide the moral and ethical foundations and the spaces in which students feel safe and empowered to tap into their own inner teachers. In order to promote the development of active engagement toward a democratic citizenry, including the moral imperative to transform violence, students must be helped toward a holistic understanding of the structural roots of injustice and oppression in their myriad forms. This will go beyond teaching about nonviolence and dissent to include the teaching of the concepts of peace and, by corollary, peacelearning. [For Peterson's "Nonviolent Action as a Necessary… [Direct]
(2015). Implication of Radicalisation for Nigerian Education: A Philosophical Analysis. Journal of Education and Practice, v6 n21 p201-207. The crises rocking the foundations of this world and threatening its existence have assumed a horrifying dimension. This situation is compounded by the increasing drift by young people into radicalized violent extremist militant groups. This paper attempts a conceptual analysis of the term radicalisation, the processes involved in it, its components, as well as the rationale behind the influx of young ones into radicalized violent extremist groups. It also highlights the implications of radicalisation for education in Nigeria, and finally suggests ways to assist in deradicalising the youths…. [PDF]
(2020). Approaches to Language in Education for Migrants and Refugees in the Asia-Pacific Region. UNESCO Bangkok The Asia-Pacific region hosts the largest number of refugees and displaced people in the world, and is the place of origin for nearly half of all international migrants. However, data related to the unique language-in-education needs of refugee and migrant children in and from this area is sparse. The report aims to create a stronger knowledge base to support Member States as they formulate education policies that are responsive to the needs of such children. It aims to: (1) Examine how linguistic diversity and human mobility intersect and impact minority, migrant and refugee children's access to quality, inclusive education; (2) Link policy priorities to promising practices, based on international frameworks and lessons learned from successful programmes; and (3) Recommend steps for improving language-in-education policies and their implementation. [Funding for this paper was also provided by UNICEF's East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO).]… [Direct]
(2015). Beyond Recycling: Guiding Preservice Teachers to Understand and Incorporate the Deeper Principles of Sustainability. Childhood Education, v91 n5 p325-331. Sustainability is a term with an evolving definition that applies to more than the physical environment. It speaks to the interconnectivity of every action we take (or fail to take) and to human beings' relationships with one another and their environment. A sustainable future is one in which global citizens engage in critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration to create a just and equitable society for all. Teachers have a role in cultivating these critical competencies–and the knowledge to go along with them–in their students. As the authors point out, this involves much more than a simple classroom recycling project or a field trip to the zoo. A broad conception of sustainability will foster students' ability to understand and live harmoniously in diverse societies. Through a holistic approach to sustainability, teachers can model for students how we can bring about a more peaceful and compassionate future…. [Direct]
(2019). Asking "Why" and "How": A Historical Turn in Refugee Education Research. Journal on Education in Emergencies, v5 n1 p35-61 Dec. History has much to offer education in emergencies scholars and practitioners. Most research in this field comprises qualitative case studies and, to a lesser extent, quantitative experimental studies, both of which tend to focus on either the impact of interventions or whether education processes or structures are a cause or effect of conflict. I argue that historical approaches enable researchers to ask different questions, to construct a narrative that establishes why specific policies and programs for refugee education were developed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or in particular refugee camps or settlements, and to determine why and how the field has changed over time. This enables the researcher to consider why and how policy and programmatic changes often have not brought lasting change to the challenges of refugee education, and to critically consider what future changes might be possible. In this article, I make the case for a turn to historical… [Direct]
(2017). Education Programs in Post-Conflict Environments: A Review from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. Online Submission, Revista Electr√≥nica Educare v21 n1 p1-22 Jan-Apr. Education should be considered as one of the mechanisms for governments and nations to succeed in a post-conflict process. The purpose of this Review Article is twofold: to explain the importance of education in a post-conflict setting, and to describe a few strategies that post-conflict societies have implemented. In terms of research design, a multiple case study approach has been implemented. The paper reviews a unique topic with specific reference to education plans implemented in post-conflict societies such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. Each of them has experienced violent conflicts and has used education as a tool to succeed in their post-conflict process. In sum, there are several educational programs that involve children, young people, survivors, parents, teachers, and local communities as well as curriculums focused on teaching of cultural values and technical skills to improve the quality of life in a post-conflict setting…. [PDF]
(2017). Can Teacher Training Programs Influence Gender Norms? Mixed-Methods Experimental Evidence from Northern Uganda. Journal on Education in Emergencies, v3 n1 p44-78 Jul. This mixed-methods cluster-randomized controlled trial examines the impact of a teacher-training program that aimed to promote positive gender socialization in the conflict-affected region of Karamoja, Uganda. The theory of change suggests that the education system and teachers can play critical roles in promoting positive gender roles and gender equality, which has important implications for peacebuilding. Our study found evidence that the program positively influenced teachers' knowledge about the difference between gender and sex, and their attitudes toward gender roles and gender identity. We found no quantitative evidence for any short-term change in teachers' practices as a result of the program, nor did we find quantitative evidence of effects from a complementary, randomly assigned text-message intervention meant to reinforce the information delivered during the training. Qualitative research suggested that, while teachers adopted basic practices taught in the training, they… [Direct]
(2015). "I Am a Peacemaker": Writing as a Space for Recontextualizing Children's Identity in a Catholic First Communion Preparation Course. Written Communication, v32 n3 p227-253 Jul. This article reports on research addressing the role of writing as a space for producing representations of children's identity as Catholics in a First Communion preparation course. It draws on data from ethnographic participant observation over one year in a Catholic parish in England, focusing on writing in the preparation sessions, taking a social practice approach to identity and literacy. The article argues that in this course, written texts are drawn on to provide spaces within which children produce written representations of aspects of their lives that reify their identities as Catholics. Analysis of the data set demonstrates four ways in which particular kinds of identities were constructed through writing processes. Writing provided space for reframing aspects of children's unique histories and identities within a faith-based perspective; representing children as active agents in the world; producing reifications of internal emotional states in linguistic form; and making… [Direct]
(2015). War and Peace: Perceptions of Confucius Institutes in China and USA. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, v24 n1 p225-234 Mar. This paper presents perceptions of China's Confucius Institute project held by different stakeholders in China and the USA. A number of studies have been published in each place since the first establishment of Confucius Institutes in 2004, but there has not been a comparative study to date. The study, which draws on media reports related to significant milestones in the development of Confucius Institutes, shows that, in the USA, the institutes are viewed with a considerable degree of ambivalence. They are attractive for universities seeking engagement with China, but also seen as a threat to academic freedom. Domestically, Confucius Institutes are perceived as a way to soften China's international image and to promote the Chinese language and culture, although some concerns have been raised about the cost and transparency of the initiative. The paper highlights the controversial aspects of the institutes and outlines some of the challenges facing China in making the strategy… [Direct]