Education Advocacy Research Articles

Status of Learning Resources in Day Secondary Schools Located in Chepalungu Sub County in the Wake of Corona Virus Pandemic

Education is a fundamental human right that ideally should be available to all. Currently, Kenya supports international advocacy for universal education for all school-going children. In this Republic, 8592 public secondary schools are ascribing to subsidized free day secondary education (FDSE) programs. This program was put in place to improve access to secondary school education. The Government supports the post-primary education program by providing funds for infrastructure, tuition materials, and employment of support staff. During the implementation of the education program, the Corona pandemic struck, thereby disrupting the education process. After a short break, normal school operations resumed. Therefore, this study intended to evaluate the coping strategies used by schools in Chepalungu to deal with the mandatory spacing rules put in place by the Ministry of Health to help control the spread of the virus. The study targeted 54-day schools from which a sample of 48 was selected. A cross-sectional survey design was employed whereby questionnaires were administered to principals in the study area. Key Informant interview was also conducted with two Education officers. The study established that the FDSE funds availed to the schools were inadequate to help erect additional learning spaces, which would help enforce the social distancing rule. Classes were congested and were operating above the required capacity. This study recommends that the FDSE funds should be increased so that learning can go on in an environment that responds to the guidelines put forth by the Ministry of Health as far as containing the spread of coronavirus is concerned. Out of the study, it was found that learning resources in day schools were inadequate, and students were learning in congested environments

Their Fight Is Our Fight: Why Computing Education Advocates Must Be in Solidarity with Public Schools

Those working toward equitable K-12 computing education in the United States have always had their work cut out for them: understanding how best to teach, developing robust curricula, designing novel tools, building teacher capacity, and supporting systemic change in schools to bring equitable computing education to young people. Collectively, these areas represent an ambitious and complex set of problems to solve. But current changes to the educational landscape in the United States—where teaching basic ideas about how to critically engage with the world has become deeply politicized, and where forces working toward privatization of education are on the rise—require us to broaden the scope of our work. Our efforts must shift to not just include the aforementioned problems but also include ones that are more explicitly political: engaging in solidarity with the larger project of public education and supporting teachers to have the freedom to teach what students will need to contribute to our society.

Education and socio-environmental justice in the pluriverse: decolonial perspectives

ABSTRACT A growing body of interdisciplinary scholarship underscores the imperative to explore and advance pluriversal education – an educational approach that embraces the diversity of ways of being, knowing, and acting, rooted in historical contexts and ecological interconnectedness. Central to this exploration is a pressing need to consider education as a means of promoting epistemic pluralism within spaces of settler colonialism. By contesting a westernized geopolitics of knowledge, a pluriversal education advocates for the revalorization of subaltern knowledges, Indigenous cosmovisions, activism, and socio-environmental justice grounded in human, cultural, and land rights. The paper first debates on fundamental divergences between the concept of pluriversal education, based on principles of decolonial interculturality, and the principles of global sustainable education announced by international mainstream institutions. Then, it refers to concrete experimentations of activism in pluriversal education in various locations illustrated by the contributions of the special issue.

Children’s Concepts of the Environment: An Opportunity for Environmental Education as a Tool for Sustainability in Botswana Preschools

AbstractThe role of environmental education as a vehicle for sustainability in Early Childhood Education is an under researched area in the global south, when compared with the global north. In spite of the fragmented approaches that have been used globally, and recent initiatives by UNESCO through its advocacy, there is very little evidence of action in this area in African countries like Botswana. Specifically, research and theorising to support advocacy and uptake of environmental education as a tool for Sustainable Education in early childhood is lacking or emergent, at best. For the preschool child as a learner who has the right to be involved in issues that concern life here, now and in the future, this research draws on a global research where young children have been shown to possess knowledge about the earth, clear thoughts about environmental issues, the responsibility people carry, and ideas about what to do about environmental issues. It is imperative to contextualize knowledge, thoughts, and ideas in varying specific contexts, such as in Botswana, where culturally, voices of children have quite often been stifled. Henceforth, this research sought to highlight preschool children’s concepts about the environment, specifically through their expressions on the state of the environment in Botswana. Botswana preschool children’s comments on the state of the environment were solicited using a baseline scan of a picture of the globe drawn from OMEP’s global research showing young children cleaning the earth. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the research considers how these children’s interpretations are influenced by their contextual discourses emanating from their conceptions of their environment and experiences. The research further revealed that when given the opportunity to talk freely about what they saw in the picture and their interpretations of the image, the children’s concepts provided a good basis for understanding their experiences relating to the state of the environment in their local contexts. The concepts that they hold can give cues about strategies that can be employed to integrate environmental education as a tool for sustainability education to meet the 2030 ESD agenda in Botswana’s pre-school education.

EDUKASI KESEHATAN GIGI DAN MULUT MELALUI PENGGUNAAN MEDIA ANIMASI PADA SISWA SD ISLAM NABILAH BATAM

The significance of providing oral health education to elementary school students is in its direct correlation to the overall health condition of the students. Physically and mentally fit students are a highly advantageous resource for the nation. Animation media possesses a significant impact on students' knowledge, making it highly ideal as an educational medium. The objective of this service is to enhance the students' understanding of oral hygiene at Nabilah Islamic Elementary School in Batam city, with a total of 64 pupils in the second grade. The utilization of animated media in education has been observed to significantly enhance students' knowledge. Evidently, the average pre-education knowledge is at 59, while the average post-education knowledge rises to 91.2. It is expected that schools and other educational advocates would cultivate this animation medium and explore further educational media that might enhance students' knowledge.

Five ways to get a grip on teaching advocacy in medical education: the health humanities as a novel approach.

The advocate role is recognized as an intrinsic medical competency. Despite recent attention to pedagogical approaches, it is a role that remains poorly understood and difficult to teach. At the same time there is a growing body of evidence showing the necessity of incorporating humanities-based education into medical curricula. Here, we present five ways to use the humanities as a tool for teaching the advocate role including: decentre the physician as expert, develop engaged providers, engage learners in curricular decisions, value the humanities (and show it), and keep it practical.

Advocacy for Design Education: Shifting from Traditional Design Paradigms to Human-centred Social Design

This study examines the gradual evolution from traditional design paradigms to today's socially orientated design in the field of traditional design education. Traditional types of design exist in numerous industries, such as architecture, interior, apparel, and graphic design. However, much of the past design paradigm has been practically orientated. In contrast, the design industry and its processes are slowly becoming more socially relevant. After all, the advancement of society requires a greater consideration of the needs of the user. Therefore, there is a huge challenge in the transition to social design. From the perspective of design education, the most fundamental problem can be solved by implanting the traditional concept of design education into the concept of human-centred design. This study not only provides an in-depth theoretical and case study for the transformation of design education but also provides an outlook on the trend of this path in future research on human-centred social design education. This research supports the development of more creative and socially responsible designers in the future.

Race and the Yale Report of 1828

AbstractThis essay recontextualizes the Yale Report of 1828, arguing that the report’s advocacy for classical liberal education should be understood alongside the racial concerns of its authors, some of whom were well-known colonizationists who viewed African American education as a threat to New Haven’s social and economic stability. The Yale Report’s vision for leadership and economic success not only excluded African Americans by default, but created a lasting binary that defined Black educational opportunities in the nineteenth century and beyond. The essay considers the near overlap between the writing of the Yale Report and the failed proposal to establish an African American men’s college in New Haven in 1831, placing the document within a key period in the history of American higher education in which education became highly commodified and racialized. Building upon scholarship on the Yale Report that has already considered its neorepublican aims, this essay opens the possibility of viewing the document beyond its immediate concerns with curricular reform and contemplating the elusive connections between American higher education, race, and power.

What Purpose Education? Anna Julia Cooper’s and Booker T. Washington’s Differing Views on Education

ABSTRACT: This article discusses Dr. Anna Julia Haywood Cooper’s and Booker T. Washington’s advocacy for African American education during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Cooper and Washington had very different opinions about the purpose and kind of education African Americans should receive. Each saw education as central to African Americans’ success and inclusion in the American nation. Cooper perceived education as an opportunity for self-actualization and a way to resist political oppression and racial discrimination. Washington had a more pragmatic approach to education, seeing it as a utilitarian tool to help create a Black labor class to reconstruct a New South. Cooper’s A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South (1892) and “Educational Programs” (ca. 1930s) and Washington’s Atlanta Exposition speech (1895) and Up from Slavery (1901) provide readers insight into their ideas about the purpose of education. Cooper and Washington were two of the leading voices debating the question, What purpose education? Was education meant to be emancipatory and liberating, as the enslaved and their descendants believed and hoped it would be? Or was it meant to be pragmatic and utilitarian, as those seeking economic solutions to their problems thought it should be? The answers to these questions would have long-lasting effects on the lives of African Americans.

Unraveling educational networks: Data-driven exploration through multivariate regression, geographical clustering, and multidimensional scaling

Enhancing rates of school participation holds significant importance for a nation’s educational achievements. This research employs a comprehensive approach that combines various methodologies, including multivariate regression analysis, geographic categorization, and multidimentional visualization, to examine the factors influencing school enrollment in Indonesia. Through the integration of diverse data sources, we investigate the connections among variables such as economic status, school accessibility, educational quality, and societal considerations concerning enrollment rates. This discrete impact of each factor on enrollment variations is analyzed through multivariate regression. Geospatial clustering analysis reveals enrollment trends in different regions, while multidimensional visualization untangles the intricate interplay of influencing factors. This holistic approach facilitates a nuanced comprehension of these dynamics within Indonesia’s varied geographical and society offering guidance in the formulation of more efficient strategies to improve school attendance, tackle enrollment disparities, and advocate for inclusive education based on fundamental determinants.

Fraud Diamond Theory’s Perspectives of Principled Leadership in Organisational Transactional Relationships: Imaginary, Symbolic and Real Gifts

This article delves into the intricate world of gift-giving within the context of blesser-blessee relationships in South Africa, where affluent individuals provide financial support to their younger counterparts in return for favours, most often of a sexual kind. Examining the multifaceted nature of these transactions, the article explores the implications of such relationships on the emotional well-being, ethical considerations, and power dynamics of those involved. From imaginary and symbolic gifts to the controversial "envelope practices" we scrutinise the various dimensions of gift-giving in these relationships. Additionally, the article addresses the darker aspects of these dynamics, including issues of exploitation, vulnerability, and societal stigma. While recognizing the desire for intimacy among individuals, especially younger and less mature participants, the article emphasizes the importance of understanding the nuanced complexities of gift-giving within these relationships. The fraud diamond theory is explored as a foundation for the integration of practices like blesser-blessee behaviours within organisational activities, highlighting the role of social norms in shaping acceptable behavior. Ethical leadership is underscored as crucial for maintaining integrity within organisations, emphasising the importance of leaders in mediating uncertainty and promoting virtues such as humanity. Additionally, Lacan's theory is introduced, suggesting that communication is inherently flawed and that the unique context of the blesser-blessee phenomenon in South Africa may pose challenges for understanding. Ultimately, the article calls for a critical examination of the ethical implications and advocates for comprehensive education and support systems to navigate the challenges associated with intimacy, power imbalances, and financial transactions in such relationships.

Perspectives of Library and Information Science Undergraduate Students on Library User Education and Use of the Library at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

In the study, we examined perspectives of Library and Information Science undergraduate students on library user education and the use of the Donald E.U. Ekong Library at the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. Five specific objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study and one hypothesis was formulated. In the study, we adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 194 students in the Department of Library and Information Science. A sample size of 131 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a self-developed structured questionnaire titled “Library Information Science Undergraduate Students’ Library User Education and Use of Library” and was distributed among the students. The 131 (100%) questionnaires were returned in good shape and analysed using frequency, percentages and mean. The hypothesis was tested using Pearson’s product moment correlation at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that library orientation, the lecture method and the library tour were the methods used in teaching user education at the Donald E.U. Ekong library, while the online course was poor. We concluded that user education has a positive influence on these undergraduate students’ library use. Our recommendations included that a conducive environment for, creating awareness on and advocacy of user education and the use of the library be adopted as ways to improve the library user education at the Donald E.U. Ekong Library.

A Tribute to Dr. Cristina Jackson-Menaldi: A Pioneer in the Field of Voice Disorders

The field of voice disorders lost a true pioneer with the passing of Dr. Cristina Jackson-Menaldi (June 21, 1950 - November 20, 2020). A renowned voice pathologist and singing voice specialist, Dr. Jackson-Menaldi made significant contributions to our understanding and treatment of voice disorders. She was also a passionate advocate for voice education and disorder prevention.

Why Not the Humanities: Reclaiming Its Significance in Interdisciplinary and Holistic Education

This paper analyzes why humanities is in crisis and proposes its interdisciplinary significance in holistic education. The analysis is based on a few relevant research reports about the prevalent conditions of universities and colleges and some reviews of a few important books by educationists and humanists regarding students, professors and funding in humanities. It uses the critical insights of humanist educationists, specifically envisioned by Plato, Rabindranath Tagore, Jiddu Krishna murti, John Dewey and Martha Nussbaum for their advocacy of holistic education. They conform to the power of human virtues that can change a brute animal into an empathetic human unlike a trained monkey and a mechanical mind. This paper argues that the education system remains dysfunctional if it fails to give humanizing education and produce critico-creative citizens. It raises a question why the humanities is in crisis despite its great undertaking of creating a complete human and examines what the principal causes are. Education is commodified, technologized and is concerned with producing skilled human resources. The focus is on the career prospect of education ensuring a promising future with the least regard to its humanitarian dimension. The corporate houses invest in and promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Management to cater to the choices and interests of parents and students who expect immediate returns. But the education system overlooks the crucial aspect that criticality, compassion and human values that humanities cultivates are more important skills of survival enabling the wise use of other skills than immediate returns. This study makes parents, students and other stakeholders of education aware of the importance of humanities in the overall development of students. It also helps mitigate the fragmentation and alienation caused by commodification of education

Art and movement as catalysts for insight into the human condition of depression.

Despite arts advancement and advocacy in education, research, and clinical practice, the arts, including music, dance, theater, and visual art, continue to be largely viewed as stimulating and not necessarily scientifically sound disciplines. This article describes the intentional and methodical use of artistic inquiry to expand the grasp of the mental health condition of depression and suggest ways to engage with it. Different art forms, dance/movement, collage, sculpting, photography, and watercolor were utilized in separate artistic inquiries to explore and better understand the phenomenon of depression, specifically the elements emptiness, hopelessness, and uncertainty. The engagement with art revealed that darkness promotes the germination of something new and valuable. Another discovery was that change is constant in life and can be a comforting fact considering that depression may feel interminable. Last, connection was found to be crucial. When two colors were blended, they yielded another hue and thus a novel outlook on life. Artistic inquiry is not only an intuitive and freely accessible tool, but it also offers a unique understanding of the human condition that is rich in meaning and personally relevant. By methodically engaging with art during uncertainties or when facing a clinical or personal challenge, practitioners can increase their insight and develop exceptional and creative solutions that may contribute to psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Ensuring Continuity of Health Professions Training Amid a Global Pandemic: Lessons From the Uganda Safe Schools Initiative.

Uganda experienced 2 COVID-19 waves that challenged health professional education. All health professions training institutions (HPTIs) in Uganda closed in March 2020. Cognizant of the threat to quality education and the frontline workforce, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and Seed Global Health partnered to examine the risks and benefits of HPTI reopening through the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI). This article described the processes to unify stakeholders in health professions education and the outcomes from these discussions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda.During the first COVID-19 wave, the SSI conducted consultative meetings with key stakeholders. The SSI developed guidelines around student welfare and issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for HPTI reopening. The NCHE recommended in-person learning for final-year students and online learning for junior years, resulting in HPTIs being the first academic institutions to reopen in the country. During the second COVID-19 wave, schools closed again. The SSI utilized recently published literature and quantitative data to inform decision making in addition to expert consensus. The NCHE recommended immediate phased reopening for students in clinical years, blended learning for nonclinical years, and prioritizing health professions education in future lockdowns. Consequently, HPTIs reopened within a month of closure. The SSI demonstrated that national advocacy for health professions education can be effective when engaging stakeholders to build consensus around difficult decisions.Key lessons learned from the SSI include the following: (1) collaborating across sectors in health professions education can amplify change, (2) occupational health guidelines must include health professions students, (3) investing in online education and simulation has value in outbreak-prone areas, and (4) systemic inequities in health professions education will require persistence and advocacy to correct. Future pandemic preparedness must prioritize HPTIs to ensure quality education and continuity of a frontline workforce.

Evaluation of a Remote Youth Health Advocate Training Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: Background: Since 2016, Changing Health through Advocacy & eMPloyment In Our NeighborhoodS (CHAMPIONS) has utilized in-person programming to engage high school students from underserved Chicago communities in health advocacy education and exposure to health professional careers. Objective: Describe outcomes after CHAMPIONS' shift from in-person to remote programming during the corona-virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: The Summer 2020 remote program consisted of four main activities: 1) didactic public health curriculum, 2) phone calls to COVID-19 patients, 3) COVID-19 community health projects, and 4) health professional speaker series. Program evaluation consisted of pre-/post-program surveys and focus groups. Results: Participants were very satisfied with CHAMPIONS and reported increased healthy habits, self-efficacy, and knowledge. "First-hand experiences" increased equivalently or more for the remote compared to in-person cohorts. Conclusions: The remote CHAMPIONS program maximized positive effects for participants. Strengths and lessons learned may be used in future enrichment programs to improve accessibility and exposure for underserved students.

The Relevance of Principles of Islamic Education Philosophy in the Context of Education in the 21st Century at SMK IT Khoiru Ummah Curup

The purpose of the study is to assess the applicability of Islamic educational philosophy at SMK IT Khoiru Ummah Curup in the context of education in the twenty-first century. Education is recognized as a fundamental pillar in shaping the character of individuals and society, with Islamic philosophical principles serving as the foundation for holistic and spiritual learning. Despite the challenges posed by changing times and technological advancements, field research with a descriptive qualitative approach indicates that these principles remain relevant at SMK IT Khoiru Ummah Curup. This research involves fieldwork with a descriptive qualitative approach, using data collection techniques and data validity methods. The findings of the research demonstrate the relevance of this concept, as evidenced by the acknowledgement of the role that tawhid plays in inclusive and tolerant education, the blending of Islamic sciences with contemporary knowledge, the focus on the whole development of students in the technological age, the value placed on high moral standards, and the advocacy for inclusive and tolerant education. for the development of quality individuals who make a positive contribution to society. The simulation that can be taken from this study is that the research findings provide a deep understanding of the relevance of philosophical principles of Islamic education at SMK IT Khoiru Ummah Curup in the 21st century, with practical implications such as curriculum development and teaching methods that are in harmony with the context of modern Islamic education. This is expected to provide benefits for educational institutions in integrating these principles effectively.

Cultural Perspectives on the Concept of Whanau and Health Decisions

This is a combined reflective presentation developed from the series of the Chinese and Pacific cultural perspectives workshops that the authors have designed and delivered at Unitec for the Social Practice, Medical Imaging and Bachelor of Nursing classes since 2019 as requested by their class lecturers. Sharing our own experiences and perspectives of our respective cultures at the 2022 ATLAANZ conference, “Toitū te tangata: The whole person”, we position our teaching in our natural environment, the land, and the culture of the land we currently live in and advocate for a mindful education where staff and students are supported to become culturally conscious to best serve the culturally diverse community in Aotearoa New Zealand.

CONTRIBUTION OF SAVITRIBAI AND JYOTIRAO PHULE IN EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS IN INDIA

Savitribai Phule and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule were important social reformers and leading characters in India. Savitribai was the first lady teacher of Indias first girls school. She was not only a teacher but also a great social reformer. She was a significant advocate for womens empowerment and education in the nineteenth century. They were far ahead of nationalist discourse in weaker sections of 19th-century Colonial India. In this context, the researcher intends to focus on assessing the contributions of Savitribai and Jotirao Phule to education and empowering the weaker sections of India. The study is a documentary study. It is also considered a qualitative study. The study investigates Jotirao and Savitribai Phules contributions to the education, empowerment, and self-reliance of subjugated Indias weaker sections. This paper is special emphasizes Women and backward-class people. KEYWORDS: Social reformer, Empowerment, Nationalist, Womens education, Weaker section.