Looking Back at Thirty Years of Educational Reform and Development in China

In one fell swoop, the revolution may accomplish what 10 years of education reform could not, the authors predict. The preparation that we have traditionally provided for teachers no longer allows them to maintain the status of with any credibility, because they cannot know as much as the Internet can make available to their students. HERE ARE THREE scenes that might well strike a fa-miliar note with Kappan readers. After you've read them, ask yourselves, What's wrong with these pictures? Scene 1. Private individuals and businesses, eager to keep their technological edge, frequently upgrade their technological equipment. They often donate used or broken computer equipment to schools and receive tax deductions. A few male teachers at a local school, who for idiosyncratic reasons are semiskilled computer users, are drafted into the role of school computer technicians. A district committee forms whose members are largely confused nonexperts who are assigned the task of creating yet another boring document: the district's plan. The world is changing fast, and, once again, these educators know they are playing catch-up. While talk among education policy makers moves from how computers can influence subject-matter instruction to establishing principles for distance learning, the teachers are spending fruitless hours trying to get odd bits of equipment to network, using old modems to access the Internet, and coaxing decrepit printers to print. In the end, skeptical veteran teachers at the school have even reason to believe that integrating technology into their lessons is going to be a waste of their time. Scene 2. One Saturday morning in the spring, a group of middle-grade teachers from the region gather on a campus of the University of California for a series of workshops on ways to teach sixth-graders about the ancient world. The first presenter has planned to demonstrate how her students do research on ancient Rome via Internet sites, but frustrated university staff members can't figure out how to get the room's network to access the Internet. A campuswide default setting that searches all modems for an open net connection is not yet in place in all classrooms. In the end, the harried presenter keeps her audience waiting while she photocopies the home pages of various sites and settles for describing the process to the group. Teachers leave the campus with an uncomfortable realization: not even the University of California can make this stuff work for teachers. Scene 3. About the same time in the spring, a major conference is held at Stanford University that is specifically designed for teacher leaders in technology. During a plenary session, computer guru Alan November describes the future: economically advantaged students and their parents will have access to up-to-date and exciting information on almost any subject via the Internet than most teachers or schools will be able to provide. A bewildered coordinator from a leading high school sees the implications and raises her hand to ask, Why will kids come to school? * * * At least since the Carnegie Commission's 1986 report, A Nation Prepared, education reformers and policy makers have been campaigning for a changing role for teachers - but for reasons other than the impact of and computer use. Teachers have been encouraged to become a guide on the side rather than the traditional sage on the stage. Shortly thereafter, in 1988, Kathleen Devaney and Gary Sykes described a new conception of teaching that emphasizes the continual and changing interplay between thought and action, based on close observation and reflection about the encounter or 'match' between students and subject matter, so that teaching would be more than skilled transmission but would become principled action.1 In one fell swoop, the revolution may accomplish what 10 years of education reform could not. …

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how mathematics secondary schools' teachers in \hbox{Jordan} perceive critical thinking and compares teachers' perceptions before and after educational reform. Data were collected from 12 schools twice: in 1988 and in 2004 by interviewing 47 Mathematics teachers. The interview included questions related to teachers' understanding of critical thinking, its role and importance in learning Mathematics, and instructional strategies that could help improve students' critical thinking skills. Results found no improvement in secondary Mathematics teachers' perceptions of critical thinking despite 15 years of educational reform. The majority of Mathematics teachers seemed not to have a clear and adequate understanding of critical thinking. Though most of the teachers claimed they have to teach critical thinking, more than half of them could not suggest any learning situation that could help in fostering critical thinking in Mathematics classes. Also most of the teachers claimed that critical thinking would help students in learning Mathematics; yet less than half were able to give a convincing justification for that. A small percentage of the secondary Mathematics teachers believed they can help all students to foster their critical thinking. It is thus recommended that the concept of critical thinking be transferred from the realm of rhetoric to the field of practice. The paper ends with some recommendations related to the Mathematics teachers training programs in view of the results of this study.

This overview and analysis of ten years of educational reform in the Federal Republic of Germany was read as a radio lecture over the Hessian Broadcasting System on June 9, 1974, as part of the series "Contemporary Educational Questions," moderated by Dr. G. Kadelbach. Dr. Führ is actively engaged in educational research at the Deutsches Institut für Internationale Pädagogische Forschung, Frankfurt am Main.

Reviewing one hundred years of educational reform in Israel requires the assessment of the impact of the three ideological trends that drove its development. Each of these trends, or waves of reform, is each distinguished by particular theoretical concepts, the nature of the educational work it inspired, the educational discourse it initiated, and the criticism it received that eroded, over time, its standing and contributed to its replacement.

This paper provides an overview of the evolution of Chinese and foreign education, examining the origins, historical developments, and current reforms in both contexts. The study explores the relationship between human history and the development of education, emphasizing the influence of geographical location, lifestyle, and thinking patterns on different educational origins. The research methods employed include literature research and comparative analysis, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and development of education. Furthermore, the paper discusses the ongoing education reforms in contemporary China, such as curriculum reform, teacher training, and the promotion of innovative education. It highlights the importance of improving educational resources, addressing the rigidity of the education system, and fostering a closer connection between education and employment. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for comprehensive measures to overcome the bottlenecks in Chinese education, including increased investment, system reforms, and the cultivation of comprehensive talents with international vision and global competitiveness. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the historical trajectory and future directions of Chinese education.

Driven by the value and application of Chinese language, global Chinese education has also achieved significant development, with overseas Chinese heritage language education and international Chinese language education being the most important components. This article draws on the theory of symbiosis and proposes an explanatory framework for the symbiosis of overseas Chinese education. It analyzes the symbiotic units, modes, and environments between overseas Chinese heritage language education and international Chinese education, and combines objective development environments and educational needs to summarize optimization strategies to promote the coordinated development of the two major educational undertakings. In the process of conducting overseas Chinese education, in order to promote the international education of Chinese language and the inheritance and development of Chinese culture, relevant parties should start from three aspects: unit, mode, and environment, and expand the symbiotic surface of the two major education undertakings by accurately matching the local Chinese education needs; Combining national and regional Chinese education resources, leveraging the external driving force of a symbiotic environment; Pay attention to the ecological construction of the development of Chinese education and jointly create an integrated model of mutual benefit and symbiosis.

The past two decades have been a period of active education reform throughout much of the world, and East Asia is no exception. This paper synthesizes findings from a series of empirical studies of educational reform in Thailand where an ambitious educational reform law was adopted in 1999. The purpose is to identify lessons learned about educational leadership and change that may be applicable both in Thailand and other parts of East Asia. The studies reveal successful reorientation of the nation’s educational system around a new vision and education goals. However, the vision of change has been much slower to penetrate the daily practice of Thailand’s 35,000 principals and 400,000 teachers. The paper identifies factors that are impacting successful reform in Thailand and draws implications for leading educational reform and change in the East Asia region.

This article explores the European-wide educational reform known as the Bologna Process in order to provide an understanding of the methodology that will be used by European countries to assess course credit hours as well as degree programs. The Bologna Process is culmination of years of educational reform within the European Union (EU) and more generally Europe aimed at harmonizing educational standards to promote student mobility and more recently quality assurance. The Bologna Process will eventually have an important impact on how international admissions offices and ultimately advisors assesses course and credit transfer. This article examines the development of the Bologna Process by first tracing the origins and logic of the European Credit Transder System (ECTS). While the Bologna Process entails sweeping curricula reform, ECTS started out with a narrow mandate to standardize the methodology for credits in order to facilitate student and credit transfer among European universities. The second part of the article explores the Bologna Process and its implication for credit transfer, study abroad and international admissions. While Bologna is still at a nascent stage, it has already engendered important state-level reforms in higher education. The article concludes by examining how this reform is currently being viewed in the US as well as providing some issues of concern for American administrators as sell as advisors.

Facing the industry and train high quality applied talents, thi s is one of the important transformation of higher education in China. In fact, since 2008, began to explore the transformation of the local undergraduate universities in our province, established the applied undergraduate colleges and universities alliance, clearly put forward the collective transformation, the means of development, the resources sharing. Anhui Polytechnic University also explicitly proposed the high-quality applied talents training goal. Why transformation in local colleges, some scholars from the perspective of higher education reform two 30 the reflection, believe that after thirty years of education reform, adhere to the three facing, is actually for 30 years before the combining education with productive labor education idea of major innovations. We believe that this kind of reflection to the transformation of the local colleges and universities are ongoing, undoubtedly have important reference.

Background and Aims: This article analyzes the development process of Chinese education in Thailand and compares its different characteristics regarding Chinese cultural inheritance and language dissemination with other Southeast Asian countries. It is believed that the integration of Buddhist and Confucian cultures between China and Thailand, as well as Thailand's harmonious and inclusive ethnic policies and cultural environment, are the main reasons for the steady development of Chinese education in Thailand. In the language and cultural integration process between China and Thailand, there has also been a certain degree of excessive and cross-border integration. "Moderate integration" and "excessive integration" constitute the characteristics of Thai Chinese language education, and their dual characteristics jointly influence the progress of Thai Chinese language education. Methodology: Using the literature research method and induction by looking at the literature to summarize the viewpoints proposed by relevant scholars. Conduct an extensive review of existing literature on language education, focusing on Chinese and Thai languages and cultures. Analyze academic papers, textbooks, and relevant educational materials to identify effective strategies for language integration. Evaluate existing Chinese language education curricula and materials in both China and Thailand. Identify commonalities and differences, and explore ways to integrate elements that reflect both Chinese and Thai cultures. Results: The vigorous development of Thai Chinese education is closely related to integrating Chinese, Thai Buddhist, and Confucian cultures, as well as Thailand's harmonious and inclusive ethnic policies and cultural environment. This is a positive manifestation of Thai-Chinese education's "moderate integration" and a proper interpretation of Thai-Chinese education under the premise of integration. However, there has also been a certain degree of excessive and cross-border integration of language and culture between China and Thailand, resulting in negative impacts such as Chinese language variation, structural imbalance in teaching systems, and a lack of competitive environment for the Chinese language. Conclusion: The sorting out of the joint representation of "moderate integration" and "excessive integration" in Thai Chinese education reflects and abandons the survival mode and cultural landscape inherited and condensed by Thai Chinese education over a long period in the historical evolution.

Drawing on a four-year study of the last 40 years of education reform in Los Angeles, Learning from L.A. captures the sweeping change in American education. It puts forth a provocative argument: while school reformers and education historians have tended to focus on the success or failure of individual initiatives, they have overlooked the fact that, over the past several decades, the institution of public education itself has been transformed. Colorful characters, dramatic encounters, and political skirmishes enliven this rich account of the wrenching transformations that took place in the Los Angeles Unified School District from the 1960s onward. The book focuses particularly on four key ideas that emerged through a succession of reforms beginning in the 1990s decentralization, standards, school choice, and grassroots participation. Though the particular plans that gave rise to these ideas may have faded, the ideas themselves have taken root and developed in ways that those who inaugurated or participated in these reforms never anticipated. Winner of Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Districts in Research and Reform Publication Award, American Educational Research Association

教育改革の25年 －政策、成果、展望－

As the age of educational reform begins the new millennium, years of educational reform in mathematics and science have not yielded anticipated results. The performance of students in the United States, compared to students in industrialized nations, demonstrates that American students are not acquiring the math and science knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy. The Partnership Award, a collaborative initiative between Mississippi Valley State University and NASA, provides a unique solution to a multi-faceted problem. Pre-service and in-service teachers, working in rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC), are provided with opportunities to acquire specialized training in math and science instruction with hands-on activities included in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program. The resources of NASA, especially remote sensing, are utilized to enhance curriculum and to increase student performance on standardized tests.

The Transformation of Technological and Vocational Education Under Taiwan’s 30 Years of Educational Reform

1. Innovation in Education through Action Research 2. 30 Years of Educational Reform through Action Research: Traces in the Austrian School System 3. Addressing End of Life Issues through Peer Education and Action Research 4. The International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research: Legitimating the Science and Ensuring Quality 5. Research as Empowerment: Blending PAR with Community Development 6. Empowering Young Care Leavers Through Peer Research 7. Powerful Partnership in a School-University Research Collaboration 8. Camera, Action! Teaching Documentary Video as a Tool for Empowering Weak Students 9. Reflective Processes in Action Research and in Psychoanalytic Observational Studies - Two Approaches for Teaching Professionals 10. Learning to Guide Open Inquiry: From Self-Experience to Transfer into Teaching 11. Action Research in Science Education - From General Justifications towards a Specific Model in Practice 12. Action Research with Chemistry Teachers in Israel 13. Critical Action Research and the Challenge of Postmodernism: Perspectives and Limitations 14. What Is Good Action Research? Reflections about Quality Criteria