(1996). Schools, Violence, and Society. The seeming increase of violence in American society and its schools has become a pressing issue. Some researchers argue that the American education system mirrors the dynamics of society. The articles in this book address the following issues: the extent of violence in American schools; the forms that violence takes; its root causes; the effects of violence on students; teachers, administrators, and the learning process; strategies to counteract violence; and responsibility for dealing with violence in the schools. The following articles in part 1 describe the problem of school violence: (1) \Violence in the Classroom: A Teacher's Perspective\ (Mary Hatwood Futrell); (2) \Weapon-Carrying in Schools\ (Jennifer C. Friday); (3) \The Anatomy of Gangs\ (Allan M. Hoffman and Randal W. Summers); and (4) \Gangs and School Safety\ (Kenneth S. Trump). Causes of school violence are examined in articles included in part 2: (5) \Media and Television Violence: Effects on Violence, Aggression,…
(2018). Expanding the Fulbright Legacy in Vietnam. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, v50 n1 p63-70. Higher education has proven to be a welcome and useful bridge between the United States and Vietnam, two countries that cut ties in 1975 in the aftermath of a painful war. In 1991, as the two nations began to reestablish diplomatic relations, the Fulbright exchange program with Vietnam quickly became the largest in Asia (Abuza, 1996). A scholarship created by the U.S. Congress has enabled more than 600 Vietnamese graduate students to study at U.S. universities (Vietnam Education Foundation, 2017). And every year, more parents in Vietnam's growing middle class send their children to the United States for a college education. The number of Vietnamese students earning academic credit in the United States has nearly quadrupled in the past decade, to more than 22,000 (Institute of International Education, 2017). Now, a joint initiative that has been years in the making aims to bring some of the hallmarks of U.S. higher education to Vietnam in another way. Governments at the highest level… [Direct]
(2004). Chronicle of Higher Education. Volume 50, Number 30, April 2, 2004. Chronicle of Higher Education, v50 n30 Apr. "Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This April 2, 2004 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Black Colleges and the Politics of Race" (Samuels, Albert L.); (2) "The First Step on a Long March" (Kluger Richard); (3) "Do You Know What It Means to Find Peace in Queens?" (Monaghan, Peter); (4) "A Fascist Philosopher Helps Us Understand Contemporary Politics" (Wolfe, Alan); (5) "Who Should Pay the Bill for a Private Education?" (Blaney, Dorothy); (6) "Business Curricula Should Integrate Liberal-Arts and Vocational Skills" (Sharpe, Norean Radke; Prichett, Gordon D.); (7) "Now Is the Time to Start Studying the Internet Age" (Cole, Jeffrey); (8) "Thwarting Misbehavior in the Classroom" (Perlmutter, David D.); (9) "The Real Lessons of a… [Direct]
(2021). Working with Teachers on Culturally Affirming Instruction in Guatemala. Intercultural Education, v32 n5 p477-494. This study examines 96 Guatemalan teachers' perspectives on the viability of educational mandates from Guatemala's Ministry of Education and explores their perceived ability to advocate in the schoolhouse. Data included focus groups prior to, and after, workshops on topics related to effective literacy interventions in diverse contexts. Findings indicate positive changes from pre to post-workshop focus groups in participants' beliefs of their potential to become allies with students, improve their pedagogy, and build democratic schools…. [Direct]
(2022). TVET Country Profile: Afghanistan. UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training The UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Country Profiles are an online service. They aim to provide concise, reliable and up-to-date information on TVET systems worldwide, including key statistical data which can be compared across countries, major TVET policy documents, and information on governance of TVET. Dynamic diagrams illustrate education systems at a glance, aligned with ISCED levels…. [PDF]
(2021). Education in Childhood. IntechOpen This book reviews literature and research linked to early childhood education and care (ECEC). This educational level is fundamental for acquiring key competencies for school entry and establishing the physical, cognitive, and emotional bases for lifelong learning. Preschool education should promote student autonomy as the ability of a child to act on their own free will because it is a critical part of learning for all children. When a child has autonomy, it helps build confidence for responding to the demands of the family, self-esteem values linked to collaboration tasks, and independence in selecting reasonable choices. [This book was co-edited with Luis Miguel Villar Angulo and Carla Giambrone.]… [Direct]
(2021). Relationships between Christian Schools and the State: A Comparative Analysis for Five Sub-Saharan African Countries. International Studies in Catholic Education, v13 n2 p163-174. This article provides a comparative analysis of Christian faith-based schooling in five African countries, including data on the proportions of faith-based schools, financing models, and forms of organization vis-√ -vis the state. The case studies represent different forms and models. In all of the countries, at least one in six schools is run by a church. Christian churches do not see themselves as 'private schools' but as public providers working for the public common good. Faith-based schools contribute not only to making sure that children go to school and learn while in school, but also to sharing ideals ranging from social justice and equity, to peace and democracy, and social participation and inclusion. The article concludes with some reflections on future challenges for faith-based schools, mainly related to their funding and the lack of data to assess challenges and opportunities…. [Direct]
(2019). Integrating Reflective Problem-Solving and Mindfulness to Promote Organizational Adaptation toward Conflict Sensitivity. Journal of Transformative Education, v17 n1 p24-50 Jan. This article is an analysis and synthesis of the outcome of our efforts to integrate reflective problem-solving and mindfulness to promote organizational adaptation toward conflict-sensitive approach to managing and resolving land-related conflicts. The purpose of the article is 2-fold. The first part of the article describes the methodological and epistemological processes we followed to engage the candidates in reflective problem-solving and mindfulness. The second part of the article analyses the participants' reflections on the meanings they had drawn from the thinking and learning processes. The article draws on transformative learning principles, principles of situated experiential learning, the notion of interactive problem-solving and social-psychological approach to conflict analysis, resolution, and negotiation. All of these principles and approaches emphasize the empowerment of learners and practitioners as agents of social transformation. At the end, the article presents… [Direct]
(2021). Institutionalist Perspectives on the Dynamics of Post-Conflict Education Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Comparative Education, v57 n4 p519-537. This study aims to outline the educational reforms that have been taking place in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) since the late 1990s and to explain the ideological and social dynamics shaping their implementation at the local level. The theoretical framework informing the analysis is in line with institutionalism, in particular three of its currently much-discussed variants. While sociological neo-institutionalism and historical institutionalism tend to focus on macro-level dynamics, discursive institutionalism rather focuses on actors' ideas and their interactions. Discursive institutionalism is useful in analysing the case of BiH–in particular, in discussing its system of community-based school governance because a diverse range of actors, including international agencies, national policymakers, school leaders, and community representatives, have been involved in enacting global norms and reforms. This paper then outlines how the current community-based school governance system has… [Direct]
(2020). Teachers' Perspectives on Global Citizenship Education in Central Appalachia. Journal of International Social Studies, v10 n3 p40-65. This paper reports on a sequential mixed-methods (quan [right arrow] QUAL) study that explored rural Appalachian teachers' perspectives and pedagogical decisions about Global Citizenship Education (GCE). In phase one, a questionnaire was completed by social studies teachers (n=19) from remote and distant rural high schools located in Central Appalachia across two states. Closed-ended items were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Open-ended items were coded to elicit themes that helped to answer the research questions. In phase two, two participants from the original sample were interviewed to uncover their experiences navigating GCE in their unique community contexts. Findings suggest social studies teachers in rural Appalachia, while not using the exact terminology of global citizenship, support multiple types of global citizenship aims. They tend to perceive their communities as homogenous, isolated, and conservative, which presented both challenges to and stimuli for… [PDF]
(2017). "We Who Desire Peace". Childhood Education, v93 n3 p205-209. The first six years of the child's life are infinitely the most important, as they are the years in which attitudes are being established, habits formed, and character trends largely fixed. This article examines topics such as race relations and prejudice in kindergarten, the role of kindergarten teachers, soldier play in kindergarten and its impact, patriotism in kindergarten, and finally, preservice teachers and teacher training classes. [Excerpts from this article are reprinted from "Childhood Education" v2 n6 1926 in celebration of "Childhood Education's" 125 year anniversary.]… [Direct]
(2019). Exploring the Role of 'RE' in Early Childhood Education and Care as a Response to the PREVENT Agenda in England. Early Child Development and Care, v189 n7 p1174-1188. By the time children are 8 years of age, their attitudes, values, identities and beliefs are shaped and becoming solidly formed. Early childhood educators are uniquely positioned in children's lives to promote positive values and beliefs and to foster authentic appreciation of difference. This important work is challenged by a discourse in wider society, based on fears of certain groups of people linked to extremism and terrorism. Recent policy and law changes in England require teachers to be gatekeepers and report concerns to authorities. Contextual discourse analysis was used as the methodology to identify themes within the policy and curriculum documents reviewed in paper. This paper presents a case for early childhood academics and educators to consider a rationale for how they can promote values of tolerance and compassion and highlight and celebrate a range of religious and cultural traditions, and in order to promote a deeper respect and understanding…. [Direct]
(2018). Institutional Commitment to the Catholic Social Tradition: Implicit or Explicit?. Journal of Catholic Higher Education, v37 n1 p29-51 Win. All Catholic colleges and universities share in the Catholic Church's rich history of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). This article explores two key research questions that focus on that grounding in today's world: First, how strongly is CST woven into the institutional fabric of those institutions; second, is that done implicitly or explicitly? We offer an analysis of mission statements, curricular offerings, and established centers at eleven Catholic colleges and universities as a pilot study for examining current efforts to embed CST into the structures of Catholic institutions of higher learning…. [Direct]
(2019). Rethinking Belonging in Western Nations: Theorizing the Public Commons as a Shared Pluralistic Community. Journal of International Social Studies, v9 n2 p75-93. Western nations are becoming increasingly socially and ethnically diverse. National policies aim to address this diversity through policies such as multiculturalism in Canada, which promotes appreciation for cultural pluralism. However, policy rhetoric can hide social issues related to increasing diversity. Using Canada as a case study discussion, this article begins by reviewing some of the issues associated with increasing social and ethnic diversity, including racism and conflict over values, and then discusses these issues in relation to contemporary political concepts which aim to build social harmony. It argues that we need to rethink how we understand diversity within a communitarian conception of community, theorized as that of the public commons. The article concludes with recommendations that aim to improve citizenship education, with a focus on increasing youth's knowledge of civic life, particularly their understanding of this concept of the public commons…. [PDF]
(2020). Errors by Simpson and Dervin (2019) in Their Description of the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture. Intercultural Communication Education, v3 n2 p75-95. In a recent paper, Simpson and Dervin (2019a) offer a radical critique of the Council of Europe's "Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture" (RFCDC). However, Simpson and Dervin's paper contains numerous factual errors, interpretative errors and category errors in its description of the RFCDC. We identify 12 such errors which invalidate the conclusions drawn by them. We correct all of these errors, and suggest that, rather than using Simpson and Dervin's paper as a source of information about the RFCDC, readers should read the RFCDC itself, before drawing their own conclusions about the RFCDC and the adequacy of the arguments offered by Simpson and Dervin…. [PDF]