Changes In Education Policy Research Articles

Perceptions of classroom quality and well-being among Black women teachers of young children

Concerns about preschool effectiveness have increasingly led to early childhood education policy changes focused on teacher quality. While these reforms intend to ensure children’s educational well-being, they rarely consider the impact policies have on teachers. Additionally, child care work is a feminized profession with distinct social experiences along lines of race and class. Black women who are early child care teachers live in poverty at rates disproportionate to their white counterparts. Through Black feminist focus group research, this paper documents perceptions of early childhood education quality mandates in Georgia and their impact on the well-being of 44 Black women teachers of infants, toddlers, and preschool age children. Findings suggest that the call for quality complicates Black teachers’ work, adds undue financial and emotional stress that takes a toll on their well-being, and interrupts personal dynamics with their loved ones. The paper calls for antiracist and antisexist structural support to interrupt both the stressors exacted by the field and the sociohistorical processes devaluing Black women’s work with children.

China’s Higher Education Policy Change from 211 Project and 985 Project to the Double-first-class Plan: Applying Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework

This study used multiple streams framework to analyse the motivation of reform from 211 Project and 985 Project to the Double-first-class Plan in China. Results indicate that all the three streams (problem stream, policy stream, and political stream), opening of policy window and policy entrepreneurs’ effort played important roles in promoting the policy reform. However, different from Kingdon's opinion, in China's political system, the independence of the three streams is weakened, and the dual identity of entrepreneurs also makes the boundaries between the three streams blurred. Political stream plays a leading role, while China's special political system is also conducive to the convergence of the three streams. In addition, discussions on Internet also play an important role in educational policy reform. When the public is aware of the reform possibilities, the national sentiment formed by heated discussion on Internet can affect the decision and direction of the reform.

The long-lasting effects of citizenship education

Both policymakers and scholars disagree about the effects and suitability of citizenship education standalone courses. Extant evidence about their effects is mixed and inconclusive. This article exploits the discontinuities generated by changes in Spanish education policies to identify the long-term effects of civic education on multiple outputs usually set as the policy goals of these courses: political engagement, institutional support and political values. In 2007, a new standalone citizenship education subject was introduced in the Spanish school curricula. This subject was then progressively removed from the curricula until its disappearance in 2017. These changes gave rise to exogenous variation in exposure to civic education between young individuals born in different years. In this article these policy changes are exploited to identify the effects of citizenship education through a regression discontinuity design that draws on a 12-wave panel survey. The results point to the emergence of a generation of critical – yet passive – citizens as a result of the implementation of a standalone citizenship education subject in Spanish schools. Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at: https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2021.1917153 .

Status of English speaking skills in Turkish ELT departments: A nationwide survey

The situation of spoken English in both formal and informal settings in Turkey seems to be far from satisfactory. Additionally, the legal arrangements devoted to ameliorate this predicament have proven unsuccessful as far as an acceptable level of competence is concerned. The present study aimed to investigate the situation of English speaking skills at the English Language Teaching (ELT) departments in Turkey, in attempts to attain a descriptive outline for the problems, perceptions, needs, and solutions proposed by lecturers and pre-service teachers. To achieve this, a questionnaire and semi-structured interview were administered to the lecturers and pre-service teachers at seven ELT departments across Turkey, with one department from each of the seven geographical regions. The results indicated that although they had been studying English for more than 6 years, a great majority of the participants could not speak English as proficiently as they were supposed to do. It was also revealed that the participants had difficulty achieving fluency and maintaining confidence when speaking English mainly because they had no appropriate contexts that would allow them to master English speaking skills. On the other hand, an extensive policy change in foreign language education was the most commonly proposed solution.

Equity in music education in Finland: A policy window opened through the case of “Figurenotes”

This article illustrates how a social innovation, Figurenotes, has contributed and can contribute,through conceptual change, to the advancement of equity in Basic Education in the Arts (BEA),Finland’s publicly funded system of extracurricular music education. BEA has traditionally beencharacterised by structures and pedagogical practices–such as the use of Western standard musicnotation–that influence the accessibility of music studies. The theoretical framework for this interviewstudy consists of change-theoretical concepts: namely, social innovation, multiple streams, andpolicy windows. The findings are presented at two levels. First, the innovation process of Figurenotesis described to explain social innovation development. Second, three different strands of discourseon the concept of special music education expose the educational policy change generated by thisinnovation. The findings suggest that the use of Figurenotes has raised awareness of inequity in theinstitutional agenda and has encouraged this problem to be addressed through the public policyprocess. The opening of this policy window is critically discussed in relation to the establishmentof the field of special music education, and in relation to inclusion and equity policies as well asexclusion.

Institutionalizing school failure: From abandoning to reintroducing a failing grade\u2014the rationales behind Swedish grading reforms

The article aims to depict the political framing of three grading reforms in Swedish compulsory school, in terms of the political problem they are supposed to solve and what kind of attention is given to the lowest performing pupils. Discourse analysis is employed, focusing on statement producers. The empirical material consists of policy documents from the late 1930s to 2010. The analyses show that three cases of the same type of policy change, a new grading system, rely on very different problem representations. The changes were launched as an equality tool, an accountability measure and a remedy for declining results, respectively. The discourse about the least successful pupils differs. Reasonable demands and a ranking scale without a failing grade characterize the introduction of a norm-referenced system; a first criterion-referenced system rests on a belief that virtually all pupils will meet the formulated levels for passing, an expectation not met, and a changed focus behind the second criterion-referenced system normalizes that some pupils will fail compulsory school. The article also illustrates the merits of studying educational policy change through the theoretical lens of problem representations and directs attention to how reforms can have discursive effects as well as unintended side effects that matter substantially for some people.

História da educação no Brasil: da Constituição Federativa de 1988 a Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC)

As sucessivas mudanças nas políticas educacionais brasileira, têm ocasionado consequências agravantes na educação. Diante disso, o presente artigo tem como finalidade evidenciar como se deu o processo de elaboração da Base Nacional Comum Curricular através dos documentos educacionais publicados desde a Constituição de 1988. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, de natureza avançada, de caráter exploratório e explicativo, e com uma abordagem qualitativa, onde foram estudados diversos documentos desde a Constituição de 1988 até a última versão da BNCC, e artigos científicos. Para uma melhor compreensão acerca da pesquisa foi construída uma ordem cronológica entre os principais documentos educacionais. Diante de todo trabalho conclui-se que o processo de implementação da BNCC é algo que foi sendo planejado durante os anos por apenas uma parte da sociedade, que deseja que nossa população passe a seguir todo o pensamento capitalista, realizando inicialmente mudanças nas políticas educacionais, visto que quando fazemos alterações nos métodos educacionais estamos realizando mudanças no modo de pensar da sociedade.

Program directors' reflections on national policy change in medical education: insights on decision-making, accreditation, and the CanMEDS framework.

BackgroundOutcomes of national policy change impact all levels of the organizational hierarchy. The medical education literature is sparse on how reflections from program directors (PDs) on past large-scale policy changes can inform future policy initiatives. To fill this gap, we conducted a national survey on PDs’ perceptions of, and reflections on, decision-making in medical education, accreditation procedures, and the CanMEDS framework implementation.MethodsThe survey was distributed to former Canadian specialty medicine PDs (N = 684). Descriptive analysis was performed on quantitative data, thematic analysis was performed on qualitative comments, and comparisons between the quantitative and qualitative findings were performed to identify areas of convergence and/or divergence.ResultsA total of 265 (38.7%) former PDs participated. Quantitative analysis revealed that 52.8% of respondents did not feel involved in decision-making regarding policy changes, 45.1% of respondents did not feel prepared to assess the CanMEDS Roles, and PDs were divided on the reasonableness of accreditation documentation. Qualitative analysis produced four themes: communication, resources, expectations of outcomes, and buy-in. Nine sub-themes were also identified. A high level of convergence was identified across the content, with only four areas of divergence identified.ConclusionsOur findings have the potential to inform future policy and/or accreditation changes. Without the lens of those charged with overseeing the implementation, policy evaluation and quality improvement will remain uninformed. PDs, therefore, bring unique insights into our understanding of national policy changes, and without the voices of these frontline implementers, the true success of policy change implementation will be hindered.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Laryngeal Cancer Care.

There is a long history of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare and they continue to persist in contemporary society. These disparities have the potential to negatively affect morbidity and mortality in racial and ethnic minorities diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. Diagnosis, medical treatment, and rehabilitation for laryngeal cancer have improved considerably, leading to improvements in overall survival rates and physical, social, and psychological functioning. Yet members of minority and underrepresented groups are at an increased risk for experiencing reduced access to quality care and delays between diagnosis and treatment, and as a result have lower survival rates. Increasing health providers' awareness of racial and ethnic disparities in laryngeal cancer is necessary to facilitate changes in patient and provider education, clinical practice, and health policies. The purpose of this review is to summarize current literature on disparities in laryngeal cancer diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation among Black and Hispanic patients. We present recent data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to examine trends in laryngeal cancer and patient, provider, and health systems factors that may perpetuate these disparities. In addition, we offer interventions to address racism and other racial and ethnic biases in laryngeal cancer care and describe research and legislative actions that are needed to reduce disparities in this area.

Exploring an elementary ESL teacher’s emotions and advocacy identity

ABSTRACT Scholars, activists, and communities strive for educational equity and justice for emergent bilinguals. The pursuit of advocacy, however, is often fraught with emotional tension, leading many teachers to question their identities as advocates. Relatively few studies have focused on language teachers of color, and on how they navigate their emotions as they construct their identity as advocates – even though teachers of color are disproportionately called upon to act as advocates. By drawing attention to discursive and emotional aspects of identity positionings related to raciolinguistic ideologies, this study shows how one Latinx teacher’s emotions shaped her identity as an advocate in support of emergent bilinguals. The participant, an experienced elementary ESL teacher, constructed her identity as an advocate in her striving to address issues of equity and social justice during a period of shifting language policy in Massachusetts. The analysis reveals that she variously adopted, appropriated, or resisted normative discourses around advocating for emergent bilinguals and power relations over her career, and over the changing education policy context. This study is a step toward giving minoritized language teachers greater institutional support in their pursuit of advocacy work, by focusing on their emotions and identities.

Exploring the Rhetoric: How State Gender Diversity Laws Address Rights for Gender-Diverse Students

In 2017, the Trump Administration withdrew Obama-era civil rights protections for transgender students in public school in the United States (US). Thus, policies regarding the rights and treatment of sex-/gender-diverse persons—primarily gender non-conforming students—were left in the hands of states and school districts. This article begins with a summary of recent changes in US state educational legislation and policies that purport to help protect gender-diverse students. It then analyzes over twenty hours of public comment at community school district meetings, highlighting opposing rhetoric associated with gender diversity via state educational policy reform for one state in the US—Nevada. Understandings of “rights” and of “safety” are at the core of public statements on gender diversity policies. We analyzed these statements to support the argument that social justice-oriented approaches to educational learning environments are key to empowering administrators, educators, students, and communities—both conceptually and practically. Discussions and findings are intended for use in gender diversity policy education, future advocacy, research, and training. We ask: after passing such legislation, how does the state enforce holistic inclusion based on gender identity? We argue that examining strategies initiated by communities, educators, students, parents, and schools to counteract the marginalization of disadvantaged youth might help in this endeavor.

중국 내 한국어 통·번역 인재 양성을 위한 교육 정책의 변화 -MTI와 CATTI를 중심으로-

본 연구는 한국어 통·번역 인재양성 정책을 중심으로 중국에서 실시되고 있는 ‘한국어전공 4급과 8급(TKM4/8) 시험’, ‘한국어 MTI 교육과정’ 그리고 ‘한국어 CATTI 시험’을 살펴보고자 한다. 중국의 외국어교육 정책의 변화 방향에서 한국어교육도 예외가 될 수 없다. 한국어교육은 20세기 소수민족 언어로서의 조선어와 외국어로서의 한국어라는 모호함을 벗어나 외국어 정책에 맞춰 TKM 시험이 실시되고, MTI 교육과정에 포함되었다. 그리고 2020년에는 국가 통·번역사 자격증인 CATTI에 한국어 편입되었다. 이로써 한국어는 다른 주요 외국어와 동일한 정책적 범주에서 다루어질 수 있는 기틀이 마련된 것이다. 하지만 CATTI의 한국어 편입이 모두 긍정적일 수만은 없다. 이 시험은 중국 정부의 교육 국제화 정책과 국가 공인 자격이라는 강한 경쟁력이 더해져 국내 한국어교육 현장에 적지 않은 영향력을 미치게 될 것이다. 그리고 이 문제는 한국어교육에서 TOPIK 6급 이상의 한국어 학습자에 대한 평가와 인증에 대한 준비가 필요함을 이야기 하고 있다.

School Libraries in Evolving Education Systems: An Activity-Theoretical Approach

Changes in educational policy and practice demand that we examine school library programs from a new perspective. As a model that takes a developmental view of minds in context, activity theory is particularly well suited to the study of school libraries and the learning that occurs therein. This paper presents an activitytheoretic model of the school library and delineates its elements and relationships. Case examples drawn from an ongoing study of libraries in the midst of school reform demonstrate the application of this framework and suggest how it may be employed to guide research and the development of library services and practices.

Differences in Basic Life Support Knowledge Between Junior Medical Students and Lay People: Web-Based Questionnaire Study.

BackgroundEarly cardiopulmonary resuscitation and prompt defibrillation markedly increase the survival rate in the event of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). As future health care professionals, medical students should be trained to efficiently manage an unexpectedly encountered OHCA.ObjectiveOur aim was to assess basic life support (BLS) knowledge in junior medical students at the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine (UGFM) and to compare it with that of the general population.MethodsJunior UGFM students and lay people who had registered for BLS classes given by a Red Cross–affiliated center were sent invitation links to complete a web-based questionnaire. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in a 10-question score regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge. Secondary outcomes were the differences in the rate of correct answers for each individual question, the level of self-assessed confidence in the ability to perform resuscitation, and a 6-question score, “essential BLS knowledge,” which only contains key elements of the chain of survival. Continuous variables were first analyzed using the Student t test, then by multivariable linear regression. Fisher exact test was used for between-groups comparison of binary variables.ResultsThe mean score was higher in medical students than in lay people for both the 10-question score (mean 5.8, SD 1.7 vs mean 4.2, SD 1.7; P<.001) and 6-question score (mean 3.0, SD 1.1 vs mean 2.0, SD 1.0; P<.001). Participants who were younger or already trained scored consistently better. Although the phone number of the emergency medical dispatch center was well known in both groups (medical students, 75/80, 94% vs lay people, 51/62, 82%; P=.06), most participants were unable to identify the criteria used to recognize OHCA, and almost none were able to correctly reorganize the BLS sequence. Medical students felt more confident than lay people in their ability to perform resuscitation (mean 4.7, SD 2.2 vs mean 3.1, SD 2.1; P<.001). Female gender and older age were associated with lower confidence, while participants who had already attended a BLS course prior to taking the questionnaire felt more confident.ConclusionsAlthough junior medical students were more knowledgeable than lay people regarding BLS procedures, the proportion of correct answers was low in both groups, and changes in BLS education policy should be considered.

Changes in Brazilian education policy and the rise of right‐wing populism

This article shows the intersections of right‐wing conservative discourse and evangelical religious proselytism in shaping right‐wing populist discourse in Brazil and its implications on the education policy in the last decade. Since re‐democratisation in the 1980s, the policy path sought to guarantee progressive and inclusive public education, which became under threat due to the escalation of right‐wing populist activism. In the last few years, the ‘No Party School Movement’ (NPSM) and the ‘Evangelical Parliamentary Front’ (EPF) established a tactical alliance. Affiliated members have been trying to pass various bills in different states and cities, stating that educators should not rely on ideological, political and partisan views, and should respect the ‘traditional values’ of families. Othering was a fundamental articulating mechanism of right‐wing populist movements and politicians’ actions to forge a discourse that attacks Paulo Freire’s pedagogy, gender ideology and ancestral African religions. Through the analysis of different types of data, this interpretative case study deepens our understanding of the importance of right‐wing discourse in forging influential political alliances influencing education public policy in Brazil. Understanding how right‐wing populist activism creates enemies through othering educators, women, LGBT and black people is essential to analyse its influence on recent policy changes.

Entropy of Co-Enrolment Networks Reveal Disparities in High School STEM Participation.

The current study uses a network analysis approach to explore the STEM pathways that students take through their final year of high school in Aotearoa New Zealand. By accessing individual-level microdata from New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure, we are able to create a co-enrolment network comprised of all STEM assessment standards taken by students in New Zealand between 2010 and 2016. We explore the structure of this co-enrolment network though use of community detection and a novel measure of entropy. We then investigate how network structure differs across sub-populations based on students’ sex, ethnicity, and the socio-economic-status (SES) of the high school they attended. Results show the structure of the STEM co-enrolment network differs across these sub-populations, and also changes over time. We find that, while female students were more likely to have been enrolled in life science standards, they were less well represented in physics, calculus, and vocational (e.g., agriculture, practical technology) standards. Our results also show that the enrollment patterns of Asian students had lower entropy, an observation that may be explained by increased enrolments in key science and mathematics standards. Through further investigation of differences in entropy across ethnic group and high school SES, we find that ethnic group differences in entropy are moderated by high school SES, such that sub-populations at higher SES schools had lower entropy. We also discuss these findings in the context of the New Zealand education system and policy changes that occurred between 2010 and 2016.

Instructors’ Voices: Experiences with State-Mandated Accelerated Integrated Developmental Reading and Writing Coursework in Texas Community Colleges

ABSTRACT A state-wide educational policy change in Texas mandated that the exit levels of developmental reading and writing coursework in every public institution of higher education in the state be merged into one accelerated and integrated developmental reading and writing course. This project examined that curricular shift through the perspectives of the instructors of the new course structure. Through interviews with, and course materials from, 30 instructors from 28 community colleges we sought to understand how the curricular policy was addressed in practice, including in terms of how participants’ own instructional perspectives and approaches intersected with the new curricular structure. We describe several themes that arose from our analysis, paying particular attention to the issue of time.

Yapay Zeka Alanındaki Güncel Gelişmelere Uygun Eğitim Politikaları: Arnavutluk Örneği

Recent developments in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence have brought changes in education policies. To avoid the creation of an unemployed generation many countries are trying to create education policies that orient students to choose fields of studies that are better suited to the latest technological developments. This study analyzes the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the creation of new education policies in Albania. The official data published by the Ministry of Education and the Albanian Institute of Statistics have been analyzed. These data show what are the most chosen departments in Albanian universities. New educational policies have been undertaken in Albania to orient students in choosing university fields that promise a secure job in the future. These policies have made it possible to open many vocational schools in Albania. This study shows that despite law and economics remaining among the most chosen professions by Albanian students, there is an increase in the demand of students to enroll in these vocational schools.

Pedagogical Technologies for the Development of the Speech Competence of Future Specialists in Non-Linguistic Universities

The main task of modern society, the change in educational policy in general and in the field of teaching speech disciplines are discussed in this article. An analysis of pedagogical practice and the results of special studies suggest that the problem of using these technologies to develop the speech competence of future specialists of non-linguistic universities in the process of teaching the Russian language has not yet been adequately reflected in the research of scientists. It is also said that many problems in higher education, in particular, the use of pedagogical technologies in teaching the Russian language, are poorly solved in both theoretical and practical aspects.

Examining the Use of Wheeler-Model Based Curriculum Development in a Learning Management System for Vocational Study Program

This research is a survey of vocational higher education curriculum based on Learning Management System (LMS) adapted to government policy of "independent learning - independent campus" (ILIC). Previous researches have advocated that educational curriculum must conform to any changes in education policy, scientific development, educational models, and labor needs. During the pandemic, Indonesia applied the new policy of online learning and implementing using an LMS. In this context, the objectives of this study were (1) to know the perceptions of lecturers and students towards LMS-based online learning, (2) to ensure conformity of Wheeler-Model based curriculum in producing graduates who meet the needs of workforce, and (3) to ensure conformity of government policies in vocational higher education programs. The sample constituted 16 lecturers and 61 students of Mechanical Engineering Vocational Study Program. The data was obtained using questionnaire instruments over the google form. The findings suggest that LMS is not carried out properly and facing issues of communication, variations in IT, network limitations and control of learning outcomes. An analysis of Wheeler-Model based curriculum development indicators showed that its objectives were fulfilled and the curriculum could still be used to produce graduates with good competencies required to meet the needs of the workforce. It also became evident that ILIC program were significant and relevant. This study recommends implementation of LMS needs to be improved and trained by lecturers and priority should be given to the relevant ILIC programs for vocational higher education (VHE) students in Indonesia.