Development Of Education Policy Research Articles

Mapping historical trends of sustainable rural education policy development in China

This study examines the key historical stages of the sustainable rural education policy development, including the stage of Rural Education Restoration and Adjustment Period (1979–1985); the stage of Comprehensive Reform Period of Rural Education (1985–2003); the stage of Rural Education Coordinated Development Period (2003–2018); and the stage of Rural Education Revitalization and Development Period (2018 to present). Along with the analysis, the policy characteristics of sustainable development of rural education policy in China concentrates on adhering to the unified leadership of the Party as the fundamental, adhering to the principle of comprehensive reform, adhering to the goal of serving rural development; adhere to promoting equity in education as the main task; and adhering to the construction of teachers as the key. In addition, policy problems on the sustainable development of rural education in China are also highlighted in this study. The conclusion and remarks are finally offered in the last.

The perceptions of female breadwinner parents regarding their children’s distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic

Covid-19 has affected the everyday educational lives of students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Parents who are living in low-income and disadvantaged communities are probably more likely than others to have been affected by the pandemic in relation to their children’s distance learning. This study focused on the perceptions, predictions, and suggestions of female breadwinner parents from low-income families regarding their children’s distance learning. Data were collected from 12 mothers who participated in a three-stage focus group study. The data from the focus group discussions were thematically analyzed into three categories: (1) financial issues, (2) social and cultural issues, and (3) educational issues. Additionally, the findings presented the breadwinners’ general and technological reasons for their predictions for enhancing education in the future if schools return to face-to-face learning or pursue a blended learning approach. The breadwinners suggested three approaches to teaching and learning for the following academic year. The findings of this study may be useful in the development of educational policies and training programs to provide essential social and technological support to low-income families to address their needs in the online learning environment and to improve digital equity for low-income families who are likely to be educationally disadvantaged.

Vocational Education and Training Workforce Development Policy and Strategy to Support Industrial Revolution Due to Disruptive Technology

Vocational Education and Training Workforce Development Policy and Strategy to Support Industrial Revolution Due to Disruptive Technology

The intricacies of conditionality: education policy review in Greece 2015–2018

ABSTRACT Drawing on a historical case study, this article focuses on the ways in which the Greek Government (2015–2019), through involving the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), managed to modify the education conditionalities laid down by the third Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) negotiated with the ‘Institutions’ (the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund). Using documentary analysis and interviews with top-ranking national educational policy actors, an empirical account is presented of the prolonged encounter between Greek policy-makers, SAP conditionalities, and the policy work of the OECD. The analysis traces the tensions within and between the positions of national and external policy actors as negotiations moved towards a tactical settlement where all sides achieved partial convergence without reaching principled agreement. It reflects on the relevance of the experience of Greece to understandings of global/national relations in the development of educational policy.

Hong Kong secondary school teachers’ pedagogical approaches to controversial issues at a time of social and political turmoil

ABSTRACT This research study contributes to understanding teachers’ perceptions and views of using controversial issues and political neutrality in teaching, through an analysis of data gathered through questionnaire responses in a wider project and 41 semi-structured interviews. There are diversified views about the relationship between controversial issues and education. Some teachers feel that it is impossible to avoid controversial issues and that using them is educationally necessary. Three approaches were identified regarding their teaching of controversial issues: ‘open’, ‘critical’, and ‘committed’. The authors argue that teachers’ actions are influenced by factors which are discussed as ‘contextual’, ‘political’, and ‘pedagogical’. Teachers operate in specific places and times, have their own views about the nature of the good society, and prioritize their professional responsibilities. These findings contribute to our understandings of the teachers’ viewpoints and how those views are shaped. Such understandings will contribute to the development of reflective education policy and practice.

Demystifying Subjective Well‐Being of Academically At‐Risk Students: Case Study of a Chinese High School

Student subjective well‐being (SWB) is increasingly incorporated into today’s education policies and positive education movements. There is a growing interest in how well schools promote student well‐being, especially for disadvantaged students, e.g., the academically at‐risk, and which factors affect this process. This study investigates how teachers and academically at‐risk students perceive SWB and its influential precursors in a high school in China. The influential precursors in the present research were allocated into four dimensions, namely contextual factors, school factors, family factors, and individual factors. Via semi‐structured individual interviews with 12 teachers and 18 students for about one hour and content analysis of the interview data, the responses revealed that while students tended to have a superficial understanding of well‐being, traditional concepts about studying, blind filial piety, peer relations, and self‐efficacy were important factors shaping and influencing their SWB. These findings can inform the development of inclusive education policies concerning student SWB and the intervention and prevention systems of schools in both local and international contexts. Recommendations for organising lectures for parents and implementing programs providing instruction on SWB‐related skills for students are proposed to support academically at‐risk students, aiming to achieve the educational goal of success for all.

Influence of Use of Learning Strategies in Information Communication Technology on Standard Seven Pupils’ Academic Self-Concept in Bungoma County, Kenya

Despite introduction of Information Communication Technology in schools by Government of Kenya, minimal research has been done on influence of learning strategies in information communication technology use on academic self-concept of pupils. Poor trends in academic achievement are associated with pupils’ low academic self-concept as an outcome of continued use of traditional learning strategies. The purpose of the present study was therefore to investigate the influence of learning strategies in the use of information communication technology on pupils’ academic self-concept. Multimedia Learning Theory, Collaborative Learning Theory and the Self Theory of Personality Development formed the theoretical framework of the study. A causal comparative ex post facto research design was used. The study employed mixed methods research by integrating qualitative and quantitative research. The study was done in Bungoma County. The target population was Standard Seven pupils in public primary schools in Bungoma County. A sample of 375 pupils was involved. Purposive sampling was used to select schools with computer program as treatment group and simple random sampling for schools using traditional learning strategies as comparison group. Independent and dependent variables were learning strategies and academic self-concept respectively. Data was collected through an adapted questionnaire with Academic Self-concept Scale and Learning Strategy Rating Scale for learning strategies. Oral interviews and non-participant overt observations were used to collect qualitative data from pupils and teachers who handled learners in the laptop computer programs. The reliability and validity of the instruments was established through a pilot study in 2 sampled schools which were not included in the main study. Data management and analysis was done using both inferential and descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences program. Pearson product moment correlation and t-test were used for inferential statistics. Results showed that significant differences in academic self-concept existed between pupils using traditional learning strategies and those using learning strategies in the use of ICT (t = 3.990, df = 238, p< 0.05), (t= 4.256, df = 238, p< 0.05) and (t= 2.014 df=251, p<0.05). Apart from Individual Learning Strategy in the use of computer, Child-to-Child and Child-teacher learning strategies were found to have significant relationships with academic self-concept [r(186)= 0.300, 0.275 and 0.311, p< 0.05]. Recommendations for adoption of learning strategies in information communication technology use in classroom teaching and learning, policy development in education and curriculum development were made. Further research using pre-test and post-test experimental design with control group using samples at other levels of education and on individual subject academic self-concept was recommended.

Exploring the Development and Changes in Teacher Education: A Comparative Study of Education Policy Documents of India and Georgia

Despite being used widely in government documents, academic circles, and daily conversations, the word policy is open to varied interpretations. As the debates on education policies are becoming more intense, it is essential to address the increasing duality of the issue.
 The current study explores and compares the teacher education programs in two developing countries, India and Georgia. An attempt has been made to present a comparative analysis of the recent policy developments in teacher education in the chosen countries. The recent education policy documents of the countries were critically analyzed to explore the trajectory of changes and reforms. The study has explored critical factors, such as recent developments in pedagogy and indication towards curriculum change in detail. The research is set within the following boundaries for each case – economic, demographic, ideological, national, individualistic. The research also addresses the rising issue of lacking trust in political decision-making. Another dilemma the authors faced concerns the attempts to avoid biases while focusing on the policy documents native to their contexts and isolating these from researchers’ prejudices, values, and preconceptions. The data analysis techniques include thematic and content analysis. The results suggest a common factor of updating the training program and pedagogy in both countries.

Navigating the caregiving abyss: A metasynthesis of how family caregivers manage end-of-life care for older adults at home

Background: Demographic changes (global aging, decreased fertility, increased home deaths) will present a critical need for end-of-life family caregivers of older adults at home. In order to support these family caregivers, we need to better understand their experiences, struggles, and needs. Aim: To describe and explain the process of end-of-life caregiving as experienced by family caregivers of older adults residing in the home setting. Design: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Metaanalysis (PRISMA) guidelines and Sandelowski and Barroso’s procedural steps for a metasynthesis review guided this study. Data sources: Qualitative and mixed methods literature from CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases and information from professional organizations were reviewed for studies that focused on family caregivers providing end-of-life care to older adults residing in the home setting. Results: A total of 24 studies were identified. Family caregivers engaged in the process of “navigating a caregiving abyss” when providing and managing end-of-life-care for older adults at home. The “caregiving abyss” consisted of four phases: (1) managing multiple roles, (2) encountering challenges, (3) mobilizing resources, and (4) acknowledging death is near. During the process family caregivers strived to “live day by day” and “maintain normalcy” to achieve the goals of honoring life’s final wishes and provide home death. Conclusion: Family caregivers of older adults at the end of life navigate a variety of challenges. The findings provide a conceptual framework to help guide the development of education, interventions, and health policy to meet family caregivers’ needs in providing quality end-of-life care.

Spelling and calligraphy and methods of teaching them

Educational goals, Determinants and Levels in the Educational Educational goals are the basis of the educational process, are the changes that are to be made in the behavior of learners as a result of the learning process, and to be a practical and systematic work and successful, must be directed towards achieving the goals and objectives are limited and acceptable, and undoubtedly everyone has a goal to seek To achieve in his life, and that any human behavior aimed at a certain goal or to achieve an end and goals as the starting point for each work, whether this work within the educational system or any other system, it is the leader of all actions directed. The objectives of education are to coordinate, organize and direct the work to achieve the great goals and to build a man integrated mentally, skillfully and spiritually in various fields. Educational objectives play a prominent role in the development of educational policy and guiding the educational work of any society and helps to identify educational goals in the implementation of good curricula in terms of organizing the party and methods of teaching and the organization and design of different methods and methods of evaluation, and the most important sources of educational goals in the philosophy of society and the nature of knowledge and education and needs and the nature of the age. The levels of educational goals are intended to determine the objectives according to the generalities and specificities, the nature of the stages of the study and the subject matter of the study, and the preparation of the textbook to reach the specific goals of the teacher when teaching, and educational goals have different levels start at the level of general or very wide and then take the narrow and specialization, At the community level, each society has its own goals that guarantee its survival, prosperity, progress and behavioral goals. It is a learning product that the learner seeks to achieve. It is measurable and the highest levels of behavioral goals. Comprehension, classification, analysis, composition, and evaluation). The emotional, emotional or emotional field includes reception, response, evaluation, organization, and self-formation Keywords (dictation, handwriting)

Validity and Reliability of the Portuguese Version of Mathematics Academic Motivation Scale (MATAMS) among Third Cycle of Basic School Students

The importance of motivation in mathematics education is expressed in the large number of studies related to the teaching and learning process. Improving students’ motivation in the mathematics classroom is a fundamental issue for teachers, investigators, and policymakers, due to its relevance in the students’ behavior and academic success. The Academic Motivation Scale is a highly applied tool to evaluate students’ motivation based on Self-Determination Theory. In Portugal, there is a lack in the analysis of the different domains of mathematics motivation defined by Self-Determination Theory, for students attending basic education. Additionally, there is no comprehensive instrument that allows that evaluation. Adapting the Academic Motivation Scale, the purpose of this study is to assess the mathematics motivation of Portuguese students who attend the third cycle of basic education. In addition, it is intended to analyze the properties of this new instrument using a sample of 349 Portuguese students aged between 12 and 17. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicated a very good validity and reliability of this measuring instrument of mathematics students’ motivation. The results of this work allow the development of educational policies that promote strategies to increase students’ motivation in mathematics.

Education and the Postmodern Subject in Neoliberal Society and the Possibilities of Emancipation by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy

Background: In a society increasingly marked by the logic of contemporary capitalism, education becomes an instrument for the reproduction of alienated labour forces. Objectives: To provide an overview of the characteristics of subjectivity and attitudes of the postmodern subject based on the studies of Fredric Jameson and David Harvey; unveiling the development of techniques for producing more effective ways of subjecting the company culture to neoliberal rationality described by Pierre Dardot and Christian Laval and their influences on the formation of contemporary identities; reflect on the role of education, in particular of scientific education, in overcoming the state of alienation brought about by the capitalist system of neoliberal societies. Design: Articulation between exploratory and bibliographic research, articulated with the theoretical frameworks of Paulo Freire’s critical theory and pedagogy. Settings and Participants: Given the typology of the research carried out, articles, books and documents about the capitalist system in neoliberal societies, the educational legislation and Paulo Freire’s pedagogy. Data Collection and analysis: Critical reflection on the texts consulted and included in the research. Results: There is a relationship between the subjects constituted from the marketing logic and the role of the school as a reproducer of mechanisms of subjugation to the hegemonic capitalist system; there is also the business and industrial influence in the development of educational policies throughout the history of education. Conclusions: As a possibility of transforming this scenario of alienation from the educational system to hegemonic power, the Freirean conception of emancipatory critical humanist education is presented, in addition to the reproduction of capitalist logic, based on the awareness of subjects based on dialogical pedagogy and the appropriation of the scientific knowledge as a transformer of reality.

Centralised Mathematics Assessments of Lithuanian Secondary School Students: Population Analysis

We focus on two types of centralised national examinations (the 10th grade tests and Matura examination) that are being carried out in Lithuania for two decades. The aim of the paper is to analyse assessments of mathematics for the entire Lithuanian secondary school population that have no sampling errors while considering the factors of location, school ownership and gender as important indicators when judging about educational effectiveness in terms of quality and equity. We analyse the results of the 10th grade tests for the 2011–2015 period and the results of the same cohorts participating in the Matura examination. We observe that the distribution of the assessments of both exams is asymmetric with a positive skew. The median often is below the middle of the grade scale indicating poor performance or mismatch between knowledge and examination tasks. There are limited differences in assessments with respect to gender and school location, although we detect a tendency to have better mathematics achievement in private schools. The conclusions drawn from national assessment data is somewhat different from international data thus one cannot neglect national information for the development of educational policy. The variables analysed in the analysis has limited predictive power for achievements in mathematics and further analysis is called-for.

What Do Parents Want in Terms of Early Childhood Education and Care?

ABSTRACT In the development of early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy, it is important to understand parents’ decision-making in terms of both preferences and pragmatic constraints. Traditional data collection techniques such as self-reported surveys can elucidate parental preferences, however, these may differ from their actual decisions. In our research we marry qualitative responses about ECEC preferences with the results of a quasi-behavioral conjoint analysis to explore whether there is an association between parents’ stated and revealed preferences. In this study, 631 parents of young children in Toronto answered an open-ended question about ECEC preferences and a choice-based conjoint survey in which they chose between hypothetical providers that varied across ECEC attributes. Research Findings: Pearson’s point bi-serial correlations between stated and revealed preferences found that associations were non-existent or weak. Parent characteristics (ethnicity, education, income and primary language) moderately influenced the strength of these correlations. Our findings suggest that parents may not be able to fully articulate their preferences for ECEC, and that their stated preferences may not match their decisions. Practice or Policy: This study may have important implications for policymakers and researchers, as our findings support the use of complementary methods to collect information about ECEC preferences from stakeholders.

English teaching in distant education policy development: Ukrainian aspect

The problem of distance learning in practice arose in Ukraine over the last period, when quarantine measures were introduced due to the spread of COVID-19. After the announcement by the government and the relevant state institutions of compulsory distance learning, teachers faced real problems in the implementation of this form of education, which require urgent consideration and resolution. And although distance learning has become an integral part of the daily life of most students during quarantine, it does not meet the requirements of the modern information society. These facts explain the relevance of this study. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and generalise the present state of distance learning in Ukraine in general and in terms of language study, including English. The present state of distance learning in Ukraine and the prospects for its development are determined using theoretical analysis, synthesis, comparison, individualisation and generalisation. Distance learning can be a powerful tool for everyone who wants to learn foreign languages and an effective means of expanding the creative potential of students.

English teaching in distant education policy development: Ukrainian aspect

The problem of distance learning in practice arose in Ukraine over the last period, when quarantine measures were introduced due to the spread of COVID-19. After the announcement by the government and the relevant state institutions of compulsory distance learning, teachers faced real problems in the implementation of this form of education, which require urgent consideration and resolution. And although distance learning has become an integral part of the daily life of most students during quarantine, it does not meet the requirements of the modern information society. These facts explain the relevance of this study. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and generalise the present state of distance learning in Ukraine in general and in terms of language study, including English. The present state of distance learning in Ukraine and the prospects for its development are determined using theoretical analysis, synthesis, comparison, individualisation and generalisation. Distance learning can be a powerful tool for everyone who wants to learn foreign languages and an effective means of expanding the creative potential of students. It can be organised in Ukraine as a system of practice in phonetic and video laboratories and the use of various Internet resources, specialised computer software and training courses, e-books, electronic encyclopaedias and dictionaries. However, declaring the advantages of distance learning in modern Ukraine, universities are reluctant to offer students online courses. For the distance learning to take its rightful place in the education system of Ukraine, it is necessary to solve certain problems. The results obtained can enrich and expand the academic experience, raise the awareness of faculty and staff of both Ukrainian and foreign educational institutions and contribute to their understanding of the modern process of distance learning. Linguistics and Culture Review © 2021.

Family Medicine Academic Workforce of Medical Schools in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey

Little is known about family medicine academic workforce in Taiwan, and basic data on this may aid healthcare decision-makers and contribute to the limited literature. We analyzed data from 13 medical schools in Taiwan collected by the Taiwan Association of Family Medicine from June to September 2019, regarding characteristics of medical schools, and total staff, gender, age, degree, working title (adjunct/full-time), academic level, and subspecialty of each current family medicine faculty member. Total 13 medical schools in Taiwan with an undergraduate education program in family medicine, but only nine of the 13 medical schools had family medicine departments, while four still do not. A total of 116 family medicine faculty members ranging from 33–69 years. Of these, most were male (n = 85, 73.3%), with a mean age of 43.3 years. Most faculty members possessed a master’s degree (n = 49, 42.2%), were academic lecturers (n = 49, 42.2%), were located in northern Taiwan (n = 79, 68.1%), and subspecialize in gerontology and geriatrics (n = 55, 47.4%) and hospice palliative care (n = 53, 45.7%). Additionally, most family medicine faculty in medical schools were adjunct faculty (n = 90, 77.6%), with only about one-fourth (n = 26, 22.4%) working full-time. Our study provides the most holistic census to date on academic family medicine faculty from all medical schools in Taiwan. The novel information can provide educational leaders, health policy managers, and decision-makers about the current developments of the family medicine departments in Taiwan’s medical schools. The basic data will help formulate an effective medical school family medicine education plan and improve the establishment and development of the family medicine faculty workforce to help medical education and national health policy development in the future in Taiwan.

Looking Back: Reviewing the Challenges of Policy Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic for a TNE Partnership in Higher Education

This paper takes a retrospective view of the year 2020, with a focus on how Higher Education policy development was undertaken on a Transnational Education (TNE) program between the University of Glasgow (UofG) and the University of Electronics, Science and Technology in Chengdu (UESTC), China in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores the approach to policy development under normal circumstances, contrasting this with the approach taken during the emergence of the epidemic and how the unfolding situation impacted on those policies. It demonstrates how the application of management tools for scenario planning and crisis management can be used effectively to develop a clear and prescriptive policy for staff. It also demonstrates how the use of such tools, combined with careful analysis and planning, can minimize disruption to student learning, teaching, and assessment. The paper then goes on to explain the creation and implementation of policies addressing three main areas: learning and teaching, Final Year Projects, and assessment. Finally, it reflects on the student and staff perspectives on the policies, considering how this information might be used to enhance the policy development process in future.

Global education policy in African fragile and conflict-affected states: examining the Global Partnership for Education

ABSTRACT The study detailed in this paper examines the role of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in the transnational policy-making landscape in relation to African fragile and conflict-affected states. Data collection was based on content analysis of a corpus of documents – Education Sector Plans (ESPs)/ Transitional Sector Plans – examining to what extent the main categories identified in the literature concerning global education policy and international development, emerge from the documents. We conclude that certain terms and constructs that emerge from global education discourses recur frequently in the ESPs. The article argues that there is a depoliticisation strategy in the development of the ESPs, making it possible to identify a façade of precision, a façade of rationality and a façade of universality.

The Impact of Socioeconomic Determinants on the Quality of Life of Moroccan Breast Cancer Survivors Diagnosed Two Years Earlier at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat.

Introduction The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of socioeconomic determinants on the quality of life of Moroccan women with breast cancer two years after their diagnosis who are followed up at the National Institute of Oncology (INO) in Rabat. Methods This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted between May 2019 and September 2020. The sample size was 304 women. Data were collected using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR 23 questionnaires in the Moroccan dialect. Results The mean age of participants was 53.5 ± 12.4 years, where the majority resided in urban areas and more than half were illiterate. Moreover, three-quarters of the survivors were not working, and almost all have basic medical coverage. Nearly one-third of the respondents had experienced discrimination from those around them, and nearly half attributed the decrease in income to their state of health. In addition, 38.2 percent of participants stated that they had great difficulty living on their monthly income after the illness, whereas more than half of the survivors had a good quality of life in terms of overall health (GHS/QOL). Besides, social function obtained the highest score, while emotional function obtained the lowest score. Furthermore, financial difficulty was the most distressing symptom. Indeed, income adjustment after the disease, discrimination, distance between home and treatment center, professional status, and medical coverage were correlated with GHS/QOL. Regression analysis revealed that income adjustment after illness and discrimination were significant predictors of GHS/QOL. Conclusion The data suggest establishing a financial support program and the development of education and awareness-raising policies to combat discrimination.