Public Education Policies Research Articles

Decadencia y falacia desarrollista en las Políticas de Educación Ambiental en América Latina/Abya Yala

This work addresses the discourse of sustainable development in public policies for environmental education in Latin America / Abya Yala. The systematization of these policies was carried out through a discourse analysis, using the saturation of qualitative information, matrix analysis and the senses to understand the orientation of the EA in the studied policies such as that of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. This study is situated in the decolonial perspective and in the Latin American critical geography as a basis to understand the cover-ups, contradictions and modern paradoxes associated with the question of why developing modern content, not only do we underdevelop, but we dehumanize ourselves? The developmental decline consists of this. Four elements are discussed: the categorical framework that supports the policies, the diagnosis of the environmental crisis, the proposed civilizational transition, the role of interculturality. As a consequence, an interpretation of why the colonization of Nature is constitutive of these policies is proposed. Likewise, a decolonial, intercultural and reproductive environmental education is put into discussion.

Implementation of food-based dietary guidelines: conceptual framework and analysis of the Brazilian case.

This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework of the process of food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) implementation and analyse Brazil's employed measures to implement dietary guidelines for the Brazilian population (2014). Qualitative research. Aiming to develop the conceptual framework, a literature review on FBDG implementation was carried out. Both documents scoped within the macropolitical sphere and scientific articles were reviewed. In the case study, measures took in Brazil were identified through a search on institutional websites and technical management reports of government sectors were responsible for FBDG implementation in the country. This study does not involve humans. The new conceptual framework frames FBDG implementation as a part of a larger set of intersectoral public policies to promote healthy eating and highlights two main implementation ways: educational materials and public policies. Brazil has a range of policies to promote healthy eating guided by the perspective of food as a right. Most of the implemented measures focussed on the concept of 'FBDG as educational materials,' although the recommendations have also been implemented in public policies. The FBDG implementation should be carried out in an integrated manner with multi-sector involvement. The Brazilian's case analysis can be helpful to decision makers in food policy across the globe be inspired by the Brazilian efforts, considering that the Brazilian FBDG was one of the firsts to have adopted a multidimensional paradigm of healthy eating, including diet sustainability.

International organizations and the technical and professional education networks in Latin America: A comparative analysis between Brazil and Mexico

This paper presents the results of a study that investigated technical and professional educational policies in both Brazil and Mexico, and the relations of these two countries with international networks of educational organizations. The focus is on the three international organizations that have had the most influence on public education policies in both Brazil and Mexico: UNEVOC, CINTERFOR/ILO, and REDUCA. Official documents, academic articles, and information available at the websites of the organizations were analyzed. The results indicate that the main objective of these networks has been the search for consensus around educational perspectives aimed at implementing models of technical and vocational professional education that meet the interests of entrepreneurs and the labor market. The results also indicate that the network activity of international organizations has contributed to consolidate educational standards, experiences and very pragmatic and restrictive instruments that directly impact the school realities of countries such as Mexico and Brazil.

Planejamento da educação básica na Espanha 1978-2016: Conceitos, leis e modelos

Este estudo visa à análise do Planejamento da Educação Básica na Espanha (1978-2016), à luz das suas repercussões em três dimensões básicas: teórico-conceitual, jurídico-normativa e metodológica. Respectivamente, objetiva sinalizar os consensos e os dissensos entre as várias perspectivas sobre o conceito de Planejamento da Educação, identificar os contextos e as vinculações das reformas educacionais ao planejamento da educação e distinguir os modelos de planejamento a partir das tipologias de George Psacharopoulos e Hans Weiler. Resulta de levantamento documental exaustivo, realizado no período 2017-2018, in loco, em torno de artigos em revistas científicas, teses de doutorado, livros e capítulos de livro publicados neste país. Como conclusão mais geral, postula que o planejamento da educação vem transitando das abordagens quantitativas para as qualitativas, das estreitas vinculações aos planejamentos econômico-desenvolvimentistas para a consolidação de sentidos e valores político-sociais de maior amplitude, do monopólio das administrações centrais para as esferas regionais e locais, da centralidade dos sistemas de ensino para os contextos intraescolares, dos cartéis da tecnocracia e da expertise para os processos participativos referentes a atores sociais diversos, coerentemente a uma agenda global para as políticas públicas de educação e à integração econômica e cultural da Espanha ao cenário internacional.

Some ethical implications of practicing philosophy with children and adults

This paper acts as an introduction to a dossier centered on the ethical implications of Practicing Philosophy with Children and Adults. It identifies ethical themes in the P4C movement over three generations of theorists and practitioners, and argues that, historically and materially, the transition to a “new” hermeneutics of childhood that has occurred within the P4C movement may be said to have emerged as a response to the ever-increasing pressure of neoliberalism and a weaponized capitalism to construct public policies in education on an over-regulated, prescribed, state-monitored, model. Could a new relationship to childhood provide the ethical and political agenda that our times require for doing philosophy with children with integrity? Could a radical listening and openness to childhood—which has been an intrinsic confessional characteristic of P4C pedagogy from the beginning--sustain the movement through these dark times? Finally, the paper presents a set of articles written in response to these questions: What, if any, should the ethical commitments of the P4C facilitator be? Is political/ideological neutrality required of the P4C facilitator? Is political neutrality possible? What constitutes indoctrination in educational settings? Are children more vulnerable to indoctrination than adults, and if so, what are the implications of that fact for the practice of P4C? What are the uses of P4C in the dramatically polarized ideological landscape we currently inhabit? What, if any, are the ethical responsibilities of a teacher engaging in philosophical practice? Are the philosophical practitioner’s ethical responsibilities similar or different when the subjects are children or adults? Does every methodology have a “hidden curriculum”? If so, what is the hidden curriculum of P4C? What distinguishes dialogical from monological practice? May one have the appearance of the other? Is the “Socratic method” (Elenchus) as we conceive it dialogical? What, if any, are the uses of irony in philosophical practice? Should Socrates (or any other philosopher) be considered a model for P4C practitioners?

Desenvolvimento sustentável e as instituições de ensino superior: Um desafio a cumprir

As políticas públicas educacionais, aliadas à universidade, ampliam subsídios ao progresso civilizatório e ao desenvolvimento nacional. Em todo o mundo as universidades começaram a participar das ações destinadas a atender aos objetivos do desenvolvimento sustentável impulsionadas por iniciativas apoiadas pelas Nações Unidas. Este artigo tem o objetivo de identificar, por meio da bibliografia científica, a implementação do tema desenvolvimento sustentável nas instituições de ensino superior de diversos países. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa, realizada nas bases de dados: Web of Science e Scopus. Os descritores e as estratégias utilizadas para a busca nas bases de dados foram: sustentabilidade AND universidades AND desenvolvimento sustentável AND educação superior; foram utilizados ainda os termos traduzidos em inglês e o booleano ‘OR’ para todos os descritores. Após a avaliação dos critérios de seleção, selecionou-se um total de 34 artigos para o estudo. Os resultados mostraram que a prática de incluir o tema se desenvolve de forma lenta e progressiva nas instituições de ensino superior. Conclui-se que o desenvolvimento sustentável é um tema que necessita da multidisciplinaridade, transdisciplinaridade e interdisciplinaridade, visto que agrega a necessidade de conhecimentos e atitudes que potencializem trabalhos entre gestores e professores junto ao cenário acadêmico. A parceria entre universidades, governo e empresas pode ser um fator essencial na integração do desenvolvimento sustentável nas instituições de ensino superior, principalmente nos países em desenvolvimento, e que muitos estudos e avanços são necessários para que o desenvolvimento sustentável se cumpra dentro de uma concepção dinâmica nas universidades.

The Impact of Computer and Internet at Home on Academic Results of the Saber 11 National Exam in Colombia

The use of a computer and internet connection allows high school and university students to access more relevant information. However, there is no consensus on the effects of the use of these tools on academic results. This work evaluates the impact of computers and the internet at home on the results of the Saber 11 test, a national exam taken by all students finishing their secondary education in Colombia, between 2017 and 2019. This impact was estimated from a pooled two-stage least squares (pooled 2SLS) model, applied to data from 1,578,460 Colombian high school students. We found that computers and the internet at home had a positive impact on English language performance in the Saber 11 test in Colombia. This work allows a better understanding of the technological effects on educational achievement and provides information for the design of public policies for education in developing countries.

Strategies to promote pedestrian safety from the viewpoints of traffic and transport stakeholders in a developing country: A mixed-method study

IntroductionPedestrians are among the most vulnerable groups in traffic accidents. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies associated with pedestrian safety from the perspective of traffic and transport stakeholders. MethodsIn 2018, this mixed-method study with an explanatory design was conducted in two phases: a quantitative cross-sectional study (the first phase) was conducted among 508 residents in Tabriz, Iran. The valid and reliable Pedestrian Safety Behaviors (PSB) scale was used to collect data through self-report. In the second phase, the quantitative results were presented to twenty-four urban traffic and transport stakeholders during individual interviews (as the qualitative phase) to explore the strategies to promote the safety behaviors of pedestrians. The qualitative data were analyzed applying the conventional content analysis approach. FindingsIn the quantitative phase, the residents acquired more than 62% of the maximum possible score in all constructs. Among all the domains, aggressive behaviors (85.6%), distractive behaviors (77.2%), violation (21.56%), and PSBs (70.5%) were found with the highest scores. Age, gender, and educational level were significant predictors of safety pedestrians' behaviors (p ≤ 0.001). In the qualitative phase, the strategies to promote pedestrian safety were explored and grouped into four main categories: building public education policies on traffic safety, developing traffic safety infrastructure, improving the traffic management system, and strengthening urban traffic safety legislation. ConclusionOur findings provided strategies to promote pedestrian safety for urban traffic and transport systems of developing countries with specific complexities, particularly in the management system. The mixed-method approach used in the present study was helpful in identifying the most relevant strategies for promoting safe behaviors of pedestrians in Iran, as a developing country. These strategies may be considered while traffic safety policy-making and/or designing pedestrian safety promotion programs within urban environments. The strategies reported here may pertain not only to the Iranian community but also to other potential sectors in developing countries that have the responsibility of providing pedestrians with a safe roadway environment.

Políticas públicas educativas durante la pandemia: Estudio comparativo México y Ecuador

La situación atípica producida por la pandemia de Covid-19 ha llevado a los gobiernos a tomar decisiones en el sector educativo para solventar con inmediatez las contingencias producidas por la crisis sanitaria. Este estudio realiza una sistematización comparativa-descriptiva entre dos países, Ecuador y México, analizando 60 documentos oficiales con base en 4 unidades de análisis conectadas a las políticas públicas educativas: competencia social, diagnóstico, programa y acciones propuestas. Los resultados vislumbran que, si bien existen acciones comunes como la suspensión de clases y teletrabajo, programas de aprendizaje virtual - “Aprende en Casa” México y “Educación en Casa” Ecuador-, también existen acciones contrastables en ambos países, entre ellas se evidencia que la toma de decisiones sobre políticas educativas en Ecuador se encuentra más descentralizada que en México, y que las competencias sociales en Ecuador se orientan a personal administrativo, estudiantes, familias y docentes, mientras que en México, además de las mencionadas, incluye a los Medios de Comunicación y empleados gubernamentales de la Secretaría de Educación Pública. Estos hallazgos confirman que la operacionalización del marco legislativo expedido durante esta emergencia en el ámbito educativo servirá como recopilatorio de mejores lecciones para el regreso a las actividades pospandemia.

Somos Dign@s and Trayecto Dignidad: a National Campaign for Advocating Human Rights in Puerto Rico.

Somos Dign@s, a collective, composed by students, professors, and human rights activists, concerned about the crisis of human rights and civil liberties in Puerto Rico designed a successful national campaign for human rights known as: “Trayecto Dignidad” or “The Journey toward Dignity.” This educational campaign emulated the Freedom Riders initiative of the 1960s. Throughout this article, we discuss the participatory action research (PAR) methodology designed by Somos Dign@s which frames the work of our Trayecto Dignidad campaign. Our methodology is based on the theoretical approaches of De Sousa-Santos (2002) and his conceptualization of human rights as having to rise through a process of “Globalization from below”; that is, a process of globalization that allows oppressed classes to advocate for their human rights. Five campaigns have been implemented since 2011. Some results have shown the need: (1) to continue educating about human and civil rights; (2) to educate and reinforce public policies to address discrimination based on race, social class, and gender particularly in the work setting; (3) to universalize health services; (4) to conduct a debt audit and advocate for the right of people of Puerto Rico to self-determination (UN Resolution 1514 XV); and (5) to integrate a public policy education based on gender perspective on schools and declare the State of Emergency for the femicides.

Food and meal policies and guidelines in kindergartens in Norway and China: a comparative analysis

ABSTRACT Kindergarten has the potential to influence children’s food choices and habits at an early age and prevent nutrition-related diseases later in life. This paper comparatively analyzed the goals and requirements for kindergarten food and meal policies and guidelines in Norway and China based on the author’s self-constructed ‘NES’ analytical framework, including nutritional, educational, and social aspects. The findings suggest that while Norway and China both acknowledge the importance of nutritional importance of food and meals in kindergartens, Norway has paid significant attention to the social aspects of meals. There were also a number of differences between Norway and China in terms of specific educational goals related to food and meals. This analysis aimed to inform future policy direction across the fields of public health and educational policy and practice in Norway, China, and beyond.

Analysis of the formulation of education policies of second degree

The analysis of the process of formulating educational public policies from methodological proposal of constructivism approach based on the contributions of Niklas Luhmann’s theory of social systems is a rarely explored technique in El Salvador and Latin America. Analysis exercises like this can help the understanding of the formulation processes already concluded, also it is an opportunity of improvement for future processes. In addition, they allow the modeling of interactions, relationships, operations, distinction codes and the place taken by each element in society regarding the political, economical and legal systems. In this model people only interact with the process of formulating a public educational policy through the roles they take in any of the interacting entities. Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 157, 2021: 11-31

Participação do Ministério do Turismo nas políticas de educação profissional em turismo

A educação profissional supõe a possibilidade de empregabilidade dos indivíduos, bem como o aumento da qualidade dos serviços no turismo e da competitividade dos destinos turísticos nacionais. Dessa forma, é objetivo deste trabalho analisar a participação do Ministério do Turismo nas políticas públicas de educação profissional em turismo. Foram utilizados como metodologia os procedimentos de: pesquisa bibliográfica; análise documental nos Planos Nacionais de Turismo; e coleta de dados secundária em páginas, publicações e reportagens oficiais de Ministérios. Como resultados, observou-se que as políticas do Ministério do Turismo neste campo revelaram raras ações no ensino superior e médio, nenhuma na pós-graduação e uma forte concentração de ações em qualificação profissional. Sua análise confirmou a postura desarticulada com as demais pastas e políticas públicas.

COVID-19-related stigma and its sociodemographic correlates: a comparative study

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is closely associated with physical and mental health problems; however, little is known about the severity of stigma caused by COVID-19 among its survivors. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare differences in stigma experiences of COVID-19 survivors versus healthy controls after the COVID-19 outbreak peak in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study comprised 154 COVID-19 survivors and 194 healthy controls recruited through consecutive and convenience sampling methods, respectively. COVID-19 related stigma was measured by the Social Impact Scale (SIS). Stigma differences between the two groups were compared with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and a generalized linear model (GLM) was used to identify independent correlates of COVID-19-related stigma in this study.ResultsCompared with healthy controls, COVID-19 survivors reported more overall stigma (F(1,347) = 60.82, p < 0.001), and stigma in domains of social rejection (F(1,347) = 56.54, p < 0.001), financial insecurity (F(1,347) = 19.96, p < 0.001), internalized shame (F(1,347) = 71.40, p < 0.001) and social isolation (F(1,347) = 34.73, p < 0.001). Status as a COVID-19 survivor, having family members infected with COVID-19, being married, economic loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, and depressive symptoms were positively associated with higher overall stigma levels (all p values < 0.05).ConclusionCOVID-19-related stigma is commonly experienced among COVID-19 survivors even though the outbreak has been well-contained in China. Routine assessment of stigma experiences should be conducted on COVID-19 survivors and appropriate psychological assistance, public education, and anti-stigma campaigns and policies should be enforced to reduce stigma within this vulnerable subpopulation.

Relações étnico-raciais em Limoeiro: o caso do festival da educação de jovens e adultos (FESTEJA)

Esse artigo é fruto de uma pesquisa mais ampla que investigou a existência de políticas públicas educacionais direcionadas à temática relações étnico-raciais voltadas para Lei 10.639/03 na Educação de Jovens e Adultos no município de Limoeiro-PE. Nos baseamos em teóricos como Passos e Santos (2018), Rodrigues e Abramowicz (2011), Souza (2016), Oliveira (2010), Reis (2017), Ferro e Pinheiro (2015) e Gil (2008). Optamos pela abordagem qualitativa com a utilização de análise documental, entrevista e questionário. Partindo de análises documentais, discutimos sobre a legislação nos documentos municipais, assim como a efetivação da temática no âmbito da EJA, através dos depoimentos do secretário municipal, da técnica em educação, dos docentes que atuam na EJA e dos projetos encontrados sobre o FESTEJA (Festival da Educação de Jovens e Adultos). Como resultado, constatamos a existência da Lei 10.639/03 no currículo da educação de jovens e adultos, assim como a efetivação da temática relações étnico-raciais no âmbito da EJA, concretizando-se como política pública educacional através do projeto FESTEJA que já se encontra no terceiro ano de realização.

Melhores práticas e performance de escolas municipais do ensino fundamental no Ceará: Análise da eficiência na gestão escolar

No Brasil, há uma preocupação com a qualidade da educação, principalmente, ao se analisar os resultados das avaliações em larga escala tanto em nível nacional, pelo Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (Ideb), quanto em nível internacional, pelo Programa Internacional de Avaliação de Estudantes (PISA). Assim, como forma de contribuir nessa questão, este estudo teve como objetivo identificar as melhores práticas que possam auxiliar na melhoria do desempenho das escolas municipais do ensino fundamental brasileiro, consideradas de baixo nível socioeconômico (NSE) no Ideb. O método utilizado foi quali-quantitativo, onde se utilizou modelos matemáticos, tais como, Análise Envoltória de Dados (DEA), Análise do Quintil, Regressão Logística e estudos de caso. Como resultado foram identificadas 14 melhores práticas que podem ter contribuído para o desempenho das escolas consideradas eficientes. Espera-se que o estudo possa contribuir para o enriquecimento das pesquisas na área, além do processo de decisão de investimento financeiro, alocação de recursos públicos e políticas educacionais, por meio de uma gestão escolar eficiente e que vise melhorar a qualidade da educação no Brasil.

Poor Kids versus Bad Teachers: Vergara v. California and the Social Construction of Teachers

Background In the past decade, the laws governing teachers’ employment have been at the center of legal and political conflicts across the United States. Vergara v. California challenged five California state statutes that provide employment protections for teachers. In June 2014, a California lower court declared the statutes unconstitutional because they exposed students to “grossly ineffective teachers.” Purpose The purpose of the article is to document and analyze how Vergara was presented in the print news media. It is important to understand how the print news media presents education policy debates to the public, because the print news media shapes the general public's understanding of education and other public policy debates by providing frames and themes for interpreting the issues in question and people associated with them. Research Design Using the social construction of target populations and political spectacle as conceptual lenses, we conducted a content analysis of print news media articles on the Vergara case published between June 2012 and November 2014. We provide a descriptive overview of the full corpus of articles published during this period and a thematic analysis of the 65 unique news articles published in the aftermath of the decision. The latter focuses on news articles because they are intended to provide more objective coverage of the case than opinions or editorials. Findings In the print news media coverage, the word “teacher” was often paired with a negative qualifier, which suggests that Vergara was an effort to change the relatively advantaged social construction of teachers. Similarly, metaphors and the illusion of rationality associated with political spectacle were used in ways that bolstered the plaintiffs’ claims. While Vergara consumed a substantial amount of philanthropic and public dollars, ultimately it did not change the policies that govern teachers’ employment in California. Vergara may have been more successful in shaping the general public's perceptions of teachers and the conditions of teachers’ employment in the period following the trial.

An Empirical Analysis of the Service Efficiency of Basic Public Education Based on the BCC-DEA Model of Neural Network Computing Principles

Aiming at the problem that the performance ranking analysis method in the traditional BCC-DEA model will produce infeasible solutions under the assumption of variable returns to scale, this paper proposes to apply the neural network calculation principle to the DEA performance ranking analysis, thereby establishing a BCC based on the neural network calculation principle -DEA model, and then use this model to analyze the efficiency of basic public education service investment in Jilin Province during the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” period, and studied the details of the nine-year compulsory education service. The implementation measures and implementation rules examine the relationship between the government’s interactions between educational resources and economic benefits. The layer is facing empirical research in Jilin Province as a whole. The study found that the overall high speed of basic public education services in Jilin Province is insufficient, and the education system, management level, and pure technical efficiency of resource allocation are the main factors affecting overall efficiency. Various investments made by the government during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the efficiency changes in the whole period: the overall comprehensive efficiency changes in Jilin Province decreased during the five years, and the direct influencing factors were insufficient progress in education and through a variety of training, and a variety of multimedia education and new technology application. To this end, the paper puts forward the following suggestions: explore the public policy of sufficiency education, improve the performance of resource allocation; build a public policy of responsive education, improve the financial security mechanism; esTablelish a public policy of binding education, improve the system management; promote learning education Public policy to improve the development of capabilities.

En teoría, modernización; en la práctica, regresión

Sob a luz da teoria social crítica e mediante revisão de literatura, objetivamos discutir a política de Educação brasileira pós-golpe de Estado, ocorrido em 2016, evidenciando as iniciativas direcionadas para a educação básica sob os pilares da regressão, desestruturação e desmonte da política pública educacional, acarretando o seu esvaziamento ontológico, a flexibilização do currículo e a precarização das condições de trabalho retratados no Movimento Escola sem Partido, na Base Nacional Comum Curricular e na Reforma do Ensino Médio. Sinalizamos, por fim, a necessária articulação da classe trabalhadora em defesa da educação pública e de qualidade.

Assessing the educational performance of different Brazilian school cycles using data science methods.

Educational indicators are metrics that assist in assessing the quality of the educational system. They are often associated with economic and social factors suggested to contribute to good school performance, however there is no consensus on the impact of these factors. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the factors related to school performance. Using a data set composed by Brazilian schools’ performance (IDEB), socioeconomic and school structure variables, we generated different models. The non-linear model predicted the best performance, measured by the error and determination coefficient metrics. The heterogeneity of the importance of the variable between school cycles and regions of the country was detected, this effect may contribute to the development of public educational policies.