Education Policy Reform Research Articles

Connecting policy, practice and professional learning: a case study

ABSTRACT Background A general shift towards competency-based curricula has meant that, for quite some time, skills including critical thinking have been central considerations in educational policy reform internationally. However, what happens at the policy level is only one aspect of change: gaining a deep understanding of how new curricula are approached and interpreted in practice, at the classroom level, is crucial. Purpose This study sought to explore connections between policy, practice and professional learning in the context of a critical thinking policy. The aim was to investigate teachers’ perspectives to address the following research questions: What are teachers’ perceptions and knowledge base of critical thinking? And how, and to what extent, do teachers incorporate critical thinking into their classroom practices? Methods The study employed a collective case study approach. Participants were a sample of six teachers (three beginning and three experienced teachers) in Singapore. Data collection involved teacher interviews, lesson observations and the gathering of students’ work. The data were analysed qualitatively. Findings Through in-depth analysis of data, four major themes emerged, which characterised the teachers’ perceptions, knowledge and classroom practices of critical thinking in relation to the policy context: (i) gaps in teacher knowledge; (ii) contextual factors shaping teacher knowledge; (iii) teacher knowledge shaping practice; and (iv) contextual factors shaping practice. Conclusions This study offers, from the perspectives of teachers, insight into the connections between policy, teacher practice and professional learning, and points to systemic and contextual factors that can represent barriers and enablers to the enactment of a critical thinking policy. More broadly, it deepens the understanding of factors that may shape policy enactment at the classroom level, highlighting the crucial role played by teacher knowledge in effecting educational change.

Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Primary School English Teaching Reform in Japan

In Japan, following several other English language education policy reforms, English language instruction was formally introduced to the elementary school curriculum as a subject in 2020. This change affects not only elementary school pupils but, perhaps more drastically, elementary school teachers, who are now required to teach English as a subject in their role as homeroom teachers. This paper reports on a study of Japanese teachers of English enrolled in in-service training workshops, and examines the degree to which the teachers feel prepared to implement the new curriculum, the challenges they may face in their classrooms, and the degree to which they feel these workshops help prepare them to implement the curriculum changes. The findings suggest that while many of the participants perceived that there was a necessity for the policy changes, they recognized how their agency may be constrained due to a variety of factors at the micro- and macro-level. A concerted effort at the level of policy planning, teacher training, and curriculum design is needed to help teachers develop their professional identities to enable the necessary changes.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of sleep hygiene education and FITBIT devices on quality of sleep and psychological worry: a pilot quasi-experimental study among first-year college students.

College students report disturbed sleep patterns that can negatively impact their wellbeing and academic performance. This study examined the effect of a 4-week sleep hygiene program that included sleep education and actigraph sleep trackers (FITBITs) on improving sleep quality and reducing psychological worry without control group. A pilot quasi-experimental design, participants were randomly selected medical and health sciences from a university students in the United-Arab-Emirates. Students were asked to wear FITBITs and log their daily sleep data and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). Extensive sleep hygiene education was delivered via lectures, a WhatsApp group, and the Blackboard platform. In total, 50 students completed pre-and post-assessments and returned FITBIT data. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of good sleep postintervention compared with pre-intervention (46% vs. 28%; p = 0.0126). The mean PSQI score was significantly lower post-intervention compared with pre-intervention (6.17 ± 3.16 vs. 7.12.87; p = 0.04, Cohen's d 0.33). After the intervention, subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, and daytime dysfunction were significantly improved compared with pre-intervention (p < 0.05). In addition, FITBIT data showed total sleep time and the number of restless episodes per night were significantly improved postintervention compared with pre-intervention (p = 0.013). The mean PSWQ score significantly decreased from pre-intervention to p = 0.049, Cohen' d = 0.25. The correlation between PSQI and PSWQ scores was significant post-intervention (β = 0.40, p = 0.02). Our results may inform university educational policy and curricular reform to incorporate sleep hygiene awareness programs to empower students and improve their sleep habits.

Against authority: Performance art in 1980s China

This article investigates the origins of performance art in China. Early forms of performance art showed a rebellious attitude against authority in the context of social and cultural change in the 1980s. This article examines the social and art historical contexts of xingwei yishu in China and its development as an art form. Through analysing early performance practices, particularly the art group Concept 21, it discusses how performance art was used as a practical approach to reform artistic creation and reception and subvert dominant cultural norms. Given China’s hierarchical art system, this article also addresses the factors that created spaces for radical performances under the art bureaucracy, including administrative reform, ambiguous guidelines, art education reform and exhibition policy.

Policy pressure on partnerships: intentions, expectations and legitimisation of Norwegian educational reform policy

ABSTRACT Internationally, the emphasis on school reforms is increasing, and school leaders play a key role in realising reform initiatives for school development and change. Often, the formation of partnerships between researchers and practitioners for school improvement is promoted to facilitate professional development and enhance student learning. However, limited attention has been directed towards the underlying ideas, values and beliefs in government-initiated strategies for partnership in the policy context of educational reform. This paper examines how partnerships between schools and higher education institutions are conceptualised and legitimised in Norwegian reform policy documents. We analyse three government white papers, each coupled with an executive partnership strategy document. The analysis applies a discourse analytical approach to policy as text and transmission. Our findings show a shift in the official national discourse on partnerships in education, underscoring new tensions regarding the power to define focus areas in the local reform work.

The role of the Ibrahimi educational reform in preserving the constituents and characteristics of the Algerian origins

Return to Algeria's history from the beginning to the middle of s 19 to mid 20 s, makes us stand at a critical juncture for Algeria, where clearly reflected an effort when working on removing the French occupation the Algerian nation khssoiat. Which is what Unger about the emergence of elite Algerian intellectuals worked on viruses identification schemes marginalization and distortions which set her France, which worked on the blur of language, religion, customs, beliefs, and even cultural attitudes. It was Bashir Mohamed Brahimi "one of Algeria who they embody an educational reform policy tutorial according to Algerian Islamic Arabic elements. By reviving the broadcasting assets, competencies, individual privacy and Algerian society.Which we will disclose in this article.

Power Dynamics in Higher Education Policy Reforms in Tanzania, 1990s-2010s: Actors and Interests

The education policy domain has attracted the concern of many writers in Tanzania. Although much has been documented on educational reforms, there is scarcity of scholarly works on the politics of higher education policy reforms. In light of this context, this article analyses power dynamics in higher education policy reform processes in Tanzania. Drawing from pluralist theory, elite interviews and documentary analysis, the study reveals that, although donors and the Government of Tanzania emerged as central actors in the policy process, with donors having overriding powers in shaping the policy direction and content especially in 1990s and 2000s, Tanzania higher education policy is an outcome of competing demands and interests as different actors struggle to negotiate space in country’s politics and policy process. The article recommends mitigation of overbearing external influence in higher education policy reforms.

Variation in Experiences and Attainment in Surgery Between Ethnicities of UK Medical Students and Doctors (ATTAIN): Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Study.

The unequal distribution of academic and professional outcomes between different minority groups is a pervasive issue in many fields, including surgery. The implications of differential attainment remain significant, not only for the individuals affected but also for the wider health care system. An inclusive health care system is crucial in meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population, thereby leading to better outcomes. One barrier to diversifying the workforce is the differential attainment in educational outcomes between Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and White medical students and doctors in the United Kingdom. BME trainees are known to have lower performance rates in medical examinations, including undergraduate and postgraduate exams, Annual Review of Competence Progression, as well as training and consultant job applications. Studies have shown that BME candidates have a higher likelihood of failing both parts of the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons exams and are 10% less likely to be considered suitable for core surgical training. Several contributing factors have been identified; however, there has been limited evidence investigating surgical training experiences and their relationship to differential attainment. To understand the nature of differential attainment in surgery and to develop effective strategies to address it, it is essential to examine the underlying causes and contributing factors. The Variation in Experiences and Attainment in Surgery Between Ethnicities of UK Medical Students and Doctors (ATTAIN) study aims to describe and compare the factors and outcomes of attainment between different ethnicities of doctors and medical students. The primary aim will be to compare the effect of experiences and perceptions of surgical education of students and doctors of different ethnicities. This protocol describes a nationwide cross-sectional study of medical students and nonconsultant grade doctors in the United Kingdom. Participants will complete a web-based questionnaire collecting data on experiences and perceptions of surgical placements as well as self-reported academic attainment data. A comprehensive data collection strategy will be used to collect a representative sample of the population. A set of surrogate markers relevant to surgical training will be used to establish a primary outcome to determine variations in attainment. Regression analyses will be used to identify potential causes for the variation in attainment. Data collected between February 2022 and September 2022 yielded 1603 respondents. Data analysis is yet to be competed. The protocol was approved by the University College London Research Ethics Committee on September 16, 2021 (ethics approval reference 19071/004). The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Drawing upon the conclusions of this study, we aim to make recommendations on educational policy reforms. Additionally, the creation of a large, comprehensive data set can be used for further research. DERR1-10.2196/40545.

Impact of New Education Policy Reforms on Students of Higher Education: An Critical Review

Impact of New Education Policy Reforms on Students of Higher Education: An Critical Review

Framing neoliberalism: A content analysis of Ley de Reforma Educativa de Puerto Rico

The American educational policy agenda has been fraught with neoliberal laws that center educational improvement and innovation (Barros, 2012). Neoliberalism operates on the premise that market competition will spur excellence in educational opportunities and decrease the education debt in marginalized communities (Fejes &amp; Salling Olesen, 2016). Moreover, in the case of urban education systemic reforms, researchers need to endeavor how marginalized communities relay their concerns or endorsements in the media. News articles are one appropriate unit of analysis for investigating this problem. In this paper, I examine how an education reform law in Puerto Rico, Ley de Reforma Educativa de Puerto Rico (LREPR), was reported on in the four most popular newspapers on the Island. Conducting content analysis of newspaper articles produced findings that contribute to the policy literature by describing three central frames found in the media coverage of LREPR: (a) rhetoric on the “Free Selection of Schools” school voucher program, (b) the effects of mass school closures on municipalities, and (c) rhetoric on Alianza Schools—Puerto Rico’s Charter Schools Initiative. I close with how the frames depart from the Republican-leaning political affiliation of the newspapers and present a collective resistance to the neoliberal education reform policy.

Postcolonial Critiques on Globalization and Privatization of Education in Pakistan

Globalization of education puts irrevocable marks on the national identity and sovereignty of post-colonial and low-income countries such as Pakistan. The education reform policies and knowledge production and dissemination through foreign aid and international organizations (IOs) usually move from Western countries to the Global south. These education policies and knowledge also travel along with western cultural hegemony, economic power and dependency, privatization, and neoliberal values. In this paper, I discuss the menace of globalization and privatization of education in the post-colonial country, Pakistan. In order to analyze the economic, cultural, and social implications of globalization and privatization I apply the post-colonial critique through a literature review of studies and analysis, I argue that the increasing role of global forces in education creates more privatization which fosters more inequality and marginalization in Pakistan’s education system. It should be balanced by increasing the state's role in education and strongly regulating the private sector in education.&#x0D;

The influence of tourism and hospitality students’ perceived effectiveness of outcome-based education on their VUCA skills

The mismatch between supply and demand in the tourism and hospitality labor markets becomes increasingly serious in the past few years. The main reason for such a problem is that tourism and hospitality students are equipped with academic knowledge but lack VUCA skills. VUCA are the acronyms of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. However, little research has explored the antecedent mechanism of tourism and hospitality students’ VUCA skills. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to clarify the leading factors that would enhance tourism and hospitality students’ perceived VUCA skills. This study collected data by distributing questionnaires to senior students majoring in tourism and hospitality management (THM) from five universities in China. The results show: First, students’ perceived the effectiveness of outcome-based education (PEOBE) has a significant effect on their perceived VUCA skills and self-concept including cognitive self-concept (CSC) and affective self-concept (ASC). Second, THM students’ CSC is positively related to their perceived VUCA skills. Finally, the relevance of ASC and students’ perceived VUCA skills was not significant. The present study further justified that PEOBE is the prepositive variable of THM students’ cognitive self-concept, supporting the linkage effect of “PEOBE → CSC → self-efficiency → perceived VUCA skills”. From the practical implications, this study focuses on OBE as the entry point to explore the antecedent mechanism of THM students’ perceived VUCA skills, supplying a basic formulation of educational reform policies for the administrative department of higher education around the world.

Changes in English Education Policies in Chinese Higher Education Institutions 1979-1999

The policy of reform and opening up in 1978 expanded exchanges between China and foreign countries, and the importance of English became increasingly prominent. The Ministry of Education decided to change the English education policy to develop English talents that meet the needs of society. This paper reviews the changes in China's education policy from 1979 to 1999. The main arguments of this paper are: 1) the communicative approach to English has been implemented; 2) the proportion of content reflecting communicative purposes in textbooks has increased; 3)a few universities have begun to propose a model for training complex English talents. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is to provide a reference for future education policy reform.

Republic of Sudan Education System Reform: The Causal Effect on Welfare of Women and Children

This paper explores a change in education law in the Republic of Sudan, also known as Northern Sudan, to estimate the causal effect of compulsory education on the welfare of women and children. The aim is to investigate the impact of education policies on women and children’s well-being and point out the limitations of these policies in conservative societies. The policy extended the duration of primary education from five years to eight, made it compulsory and reduced the entry age from seven to six. It was proposed in 1995 and implemented in 1998, affecting individuals born from July 1993 onwards. The birth-date Regression Discontinuity Design is implemented as the main methodology to investigate the engagement with education and outcome variables of interest after versus before the cut-off point, by using the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Survey Data. This methodology enables overcoming the endogeneity problem when dealing with observational data. The results suggest that the policy increased completion rates of primary education and participation of women in the labour force but did not increase participation in education. Moreover, there is limited evidence of any welfare effect of the policy. The paper also investigates possible reasons for the policy being ineffective in increasing participation rates. The paper recommends that before taking an essential step towards the goal of universal primary education, the government failed to address existing problems such as the unavailability of schools, long distances to schools, school fees and child labour, which discourage families from sending their daughters to school to increase the effectiveness of the policy. In Muslim societies where informal institutions dominate written rules, compulsory education policies are not likely to yield the expected outcomes, such as equal access for girls to education, unless they are accompanied by huge investment. This paper contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the impact of educational reform policies, discussing issues that limit their effectiveness and making propositions to improve the impact of these policies in such societies.

Cascading effect of upper secondary education policy reform: the experiences and perspectives of university teachers

ABSTRACT In 2014 the Icelandic government implemented a reform that reduced the time of all academic programs of upper secondary education from an average of four years in duration to three, aiming to increase efficiency in the education system. Drawing on critical policy analysis, this study explores wider consequences of the reform’s enactment for higher education, with reference to the strong connection between the two school levels. Teachers at the University of Iceland were interviewed about perceived changes, if any, in students’ preparation for university studies in the wake of the reform and whether any measures were needed to adapt to such changes. The findings highlight the importance of policy makers considering the interconnectedness of different school levels and the wide-reaching effects of education reforms. They indicate that the policy reform has had consequences in higher education that vary between different academic subjects and disciplines and that there is considerable tension within the University in how to adapt to them. The findings call for further exploration into the content of the academic programs in upper secondary education which may provide valuable information on the interplay between policies that aim for decentralised curriculum-making and efficiency in education systems.

Policy reforms in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for sustainable development in Abia State, Nigeria

The study determined the relevance of policy reforms in Technical Vocational Education and Training for sustainable development in Abia State, Nigeria. The survey research design was used. The population of the study consisted of 4,302 persons made up of 300 officers of Vocational Technical Education Boards and 4,002 teachers of vocational subjects in all the Vocational Technical schools in Abia State in the 2020/2021 academic year. The sample comprised 356 respondents made up of 32 Vocational Technical Education Boards staff and 324 vocational teachers. The sample was selected using stratified random sampling technique. A questionnaire titled “TVET Policy Reforms for Sustainable Development in Abia State Questionnaire” was used for data collection. The questionnaire which contained 31 items structured on a four-point scale was validated by three experts and its internal consistency reliability index was 0.88 determined using Cronbach alpha statistics. The mean with standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while independent t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that reforms are needed in 10 areas of the TVET policy; and that TVET policy reforms are useful for sustainable development in 10 ways. Also, 10 challenges against achievement of TVET policy objectives were found. The researchers concluded that there is dire need for reforms in Nigeria’s TVET policy in the ten areas identified in this study in order to facilitate sustainable development in Abia State and the entire country. It was recommended among others, that the Federal Ministry of Education should initiate moves for significant reforms in Technical Vocational Education and Training policy in Nigeria as soon as is practicable.

A Comparative Analysis of Education Reform Policy Paradigm between Conservative and Progressive Governments

본 연구의 목적은 보수정부와 진보정부의 교육개혁 정책패러다임을 도출하고 그 특징을 비교 분석함으로써 향후 교육개혁 정책 개선에 대한 시사점을 얻고자 하는 것이다. 이를 위해 보수정부인 이명박 정부와 박근혜 정부 그리고 진보정부인 문재인 정부의 교육개혁 정책에 나타난 정책패러다임을 비교 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 이명박 정부의 교육개혁 정책패러다임인 ‘교육 다양화와 경쟁 강화 신자유주의 패러다임’으로, 박근혜 정부의 교육개혁 정책패러다임은 ‘행복교육과 창의인재 양성 패러다임’으로, 그리고 문재인 정부의 교육개혁 정책패러다임은 ‘교육복지와 학생성장을 내세운 교육자중심패러다임’이라고 그 특징을 규정하였다. 아울러 각 정부 간의 교육개혁 정책패러다임의 공통점과 차이점을 도출하고 분석하였다. 이러한 연구 결과에 근거하여 향후 교육개혁정책 개선을 위한 시사점을 제안하였다.The purpose of this study is to derive the educational reform policy paradigm of the conservative government and the progressive government, and to compare and analyze their characteristics to obtain implications for future education reform policy improvement. To this end, the policy paradigms of the conservative Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye governments and the liberal Moon Jae-in government's education reform policies were compared and analyzed. According to the analysis, the Lee Myung Bak government's educational reform policy paradigm is 'Educational Reform and Competition Strengthening neoliberal Paradigm', the Park Geun Hye government's educational reform policy paradigm is 'Fantastic Happiness Education and Creative Talent Training Paradigm', and the Moon Jae In government's educational reform policy paradigm is 'Educator-centered paradigm disguised as educational welfare and student growth'. In addition, the commonalities and differences in the educational reform policy paradigm between each government were derived and analyzed. Based on these research results, implications for improving future education reform policies were proposed.

“May I Contribute Some Data to the Discussion?”: Negotiating Data Politics Through General Education Reform

ABSTRACT We present a historical case study of “data-driven” general education policy reform at the City University of New York, where within-system transfer issues prompted the need for curricular reform that was debated and eventually implemented from 2011 to 2017. Through an empirical examination of artifacts such as meeting minutes, internal memoranda, institutional reports, speeches, testimonies and position statements, and recordings of public meetings, we trace the emergence of a policy problem, contests over its framing, and the development of a policy solution for a curricular crisis across competing strands of collaborative governance and conflict over curriculum-making. We illustrate how administrators and their allies engage informatic power to unify the means and ends of curriculum reform- producing curricular policy and new language practices for discussing curriculum that facilitate increased managerialism and the rise of audit culture. When curricular conversation primarily focuses on the use of data, normative questions about the purpose and organization of undergraduate curricula are elided. In this case, policy proponents and opponents focused on a narrow definition of what kind of data “counts” for policy making. We argue that governance actors need to allow for and incorporate an array of data resources into their curricular conversation.

Racially diverse educational pathways and STEM college outcomes: A quantitative analysis of students in North Carolina

AbstractThis article investigates whether attending a sequence of racially diverse schools predicts science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college outcomes. Such a relationship is important because of the increasingly diverse population of school‐aged children who are likely to attend racially segregated K‐12 schools and colleges, the benefits for individuals and society of STEM college graduates, and the projected shortage of people trained for future STEM workforce demands. We use a unique panel data set (N = 14,980) of the University of North Carolina graduates. Our main analytical approach is multilevel modeling to examine the relationship between attending a sequence of racially diverse educational institutions and the odds of declaring and/or graduating with a STEM major. We find that students who attended a diverse sequence of schools are more likely to declare and graduate with STEM majors than those who did not. Framing our results with theories of cumulative advantage and intergroup contact theories, we offer science education policy reform recommendations.

The dilemmas inherent in curriculum design: Unpacking the lived experiences of Australian teacher educators

Teacher educators often find themselves struggling to enact a continually shifting teacher education reform policy agenda in relation to increasing standardisation and more strident accountability measures. This has to be balanced with best trying to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population in different community settings and to be well prepared for current and future challenges. We are three teacher educators who use narrative inquiry to interrogate these dilemmas and the ways in which they play out in teacher education curriculum design work. We analyse the stories and identify the three themes of contexts, currency, and connection. We offer a number of pro-active strategies to help teacher educators to make an agentive response to the task of curriculum planning. We suggest a variety of ways in which teacher educators can use their knowledge of place, policy, and working in partnerships to navigate through this highly regulated space.