Public Education Policies Research Articles

Explaining differences in research utilization in evidence-based government ministries

Studies of evidence-based policy have found that research often fails to influence policy-making and identify a number of barriers to research utilization. Less is known about what public administrations do to overcome such barriers. The article draws on a content analysis of 1,159 documents and 13 qualitative interviews to compare how and why evidence standards affect research utilization in two Danish ministries with available evidence, policy analytical capacity, and broad political agreement on key policy goals. The article finds support for the proposition that more exclusive evidence standards in ministries will lead to higher levels of research utilization by showing that average levels of research utilization are higher in the Ministry of Employment than in the Ministry of Children and Education in the period 2016?2021. In active employment policy the adoption an evidence hierarchy and the accumulating evidence in a knowledge bank has interacted with stakeholder support and a continued coordination with the Ministry of Finance to provide economic incentives for policy-makers to adopt evidence-based policies thus stimulating research utilization. Evidence for public education policy, by contrast, has been more contested and the Ministry of Children of Education retains inclusive evidence standards in an attempt to integrate evidencebased and practical knowledge from stakeholders, which has led to lower average levels of utilization in the period.

Intimate partner sexual violence: the apple and the snake

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is now considered a real scourge by society, particu-larly as the rate of mortality worldwide remains so high. Noticeable by its absence is the phenomenon of intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and this article is there-fore concerned with understanding its nature and the form it takes within couple relationships. To some extent sexual violence is most often a genitalised extension of IPV but it may also exist in its own right. Indeed, certain pathological personality organisations consider the spouse’s body as an object, a property, or an extension of the self. The consequences for both physical and mental health are significant, and although IPSV has much in common with IPV it also presents specific risk factors. Because of this, care must be both comprehensive and multidisciplinary, providing support and protection for the victim, as well as for both members of the couple to help them defuse, individualise, or emancipate themselves from the controlling aspects of the relationship. At a collective level, it is through a strong commitment to public policies of sexual health, education, and justice that we can tackle this complex and hitherto neglected process. Psychotherapy also has an important role to play in providing a secure and safe space for partners to explore the presence of sexual violence within the couple relationship and to address the issues concerned.

“O RIO É A MINHA VIDA”: REPRESENTAÇÕES DE RIBEIRINHOS DA VILA VISTA ALEGRE SOBRE O RIO BRANCO NO SUL DE RORAIMA, BRASIL

Purpose: To understand the representations of residents about Rio Branco, emphasizing social aspects (experience, beliefs and economic importance) in the context of Vila Vista Alegre, municipality of Caracaraí, in Roraima. Theoretical framework: the Amazon riverside people built their way of life around water, making the local natural resource essential to their existence. Water, in addition to being essential to human existence, can also be the main alternative for economic activity, leisure and transport of this population. Method/design/approach: Interviews were carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire using the “Snowball” technique, with the resident who had lived in the area as the initial interviewee, with the data being worked through content analysis. Results and conclusion: The environmental modifications mentioned by the residents have caused changes in fishing spots, as well as in all the old dynamics of this social group, which point to the absence of projects that help in the conservation of it is necessary to include residents in decisions regarding the conservation actions of this water resource, together with environmental agencies, due to their active participation in the emergence of the community. Research implications: The approach involves socio-environmental aspects of a riverside community that coexists with threats from anthropic activities to the Branco River, an essential water source for the maintenance of the material and cultural systems of this social group - fishermen from Vila Vista Alegre. Originality/value: The discussion about the use of water resources by residents, highlighting the meaning of this ecosystem, their beliefs and the environmental damage they perceive, will enable the correct direction of the responsible bodies and public policies for environmental education.

Does extending school time reduce the juvenile pregnancy rate? A longitudinal analysis of Ceará State (Brazil)

PurposeAdolescent pregnancy stands as a societal challenge, compelling young individuals to prematurely discontinue their education. Conversely, an expansion of high school education can potentially diminish rates of adolescent pregnancy, given that educational attainment stands as the foremost risk factor influencing sexual initiation, the use of contraceptive methods during initial sexual encounters and fertility. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the implementation of the public educational policy introducing full-time schools (FTS) for high schools in the state of Ceará, Brazil, on early pregnancy rates.Design/methodology/approachUsing the difference-in-differences method with multiple time periods, we measured the average effect of this staggered treatment on the treated municipalities.FindingsThe main result indicates a reduction of 0.849 percentage points in the teenage pregnancy rate. Concerning dynamic effects, the establishment of FTS in treated municipalities results in a 1.183–1.953 percentage point decrease in teenage pregnancy rates, depending on the timing of exposure. We explored heterogeneous effects within socioeconomically vulnerable municipalities, yet discerned no impact on this group. Rigorous tests confirm the robustness of the results.Originality/valueThis paper aims to contribute to: (1) the consolidation of research on the subject, given the absence of such research in Brazil to the best of our knowledge; (2) the advancement and analysis of evidence-based public policy and (3) the utilization of novel longitudinal data and methodology to evaluate adolescent pregnancy rates.

Rethinking teacher training from an inclusive and community dialogical perspective

This quantitative survey using a structured questionnaire with closed questions and a sample of 340 participants from 20 courses (bachelor's and master's degrees) at public higher education institutions in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region of the Portuguese university (University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro) and polytechnic (Polytechnic Institute of Bragança) subsystem aims to list a group of proposals for reflection and future implementation that can fill or mitigate gaps and weaknesses identified in the disciplines of the curricula related to internships. The analysis of the data reveals indicators indicating the need for a (formal and conceptual) rethinking of inclusive intervention in the context of supervision in the field of teacher training. These indicators include problems with operating in a multifaceted educational setting, enhancing an interdisciplinary, integrated and inclusive approach, rearranging curriculum and reconsidering the functional profiles and competencies of teaching staff. Therefore, the construction of a professional culture that favors an integrative and inclusive approach through the assumption of a broad profile of professional competence capable of training the teacher in a multidimensional educational context is crucial. We evaluate the necessity of encouraging research of this type involving additional factors, populations and samples in order to enable the extrapolation of data and findings to a national level providing significance and technological foundations for decisions made within the context of public education policy.

Silencing black phenotype and epistemicide in public educational policies in Brazil

Este trabalho discute a relação entre as políticas públicas pós abolicionistas com as políticas públicas da atualidade, por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica, que movimentaram e movimentam forças para o silenciamento do fenótipo negro nos ambientes educacionais, atuando no epistemicídio do grupo étnico racial negro e sua identidade, além da atuação do movimento negro, na escolarização de negros “libertos” em um momento onde as políticas educacionais não permitiam o acesso às letras e à escolarização. Perpassando por ações de fortalecimento com a inserção de temas discutidos na luta por visibilidade e correções históricas com avanços no âmbito inerente às políticas públicas educacionais, culminando com importantes Leis e processos para o fortalecimento identitário negro. Até os últimos acontecimentos políticos e socioeconômicos com a chegada ao governo de grupos de extrema direita que possuem o claro desejo de silenciar o movimento negro e as conquistas conseguidas ao longo do tempo.

Education in the prison system: an analysis of the Amazonas prison system

This study investigates the effectiveness of public education policies for people deprived of their liberty in the state of Amazonas, in the context of a systemic crisis recognized by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) as an unconstitutional state of affairs. The research was motivated by the need to examine the strategies implemented to tackle the widespread violations of fundamental rights within the prison system, with a special focus on education as a means of resocialization. The central objective was to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of public education policies aimed at inmates and former inmates, with a focus on the state education plan for the Amazonas prison system. Using documentary analysis and a literature review, as well as statistical data provided by the National Penitentiary Department (DEPEN), this study identified significant advances in the provision of educational activities, evidenced by the increase in the number of inmates engaged in educational programs. However, the research revealed important gaps, such as the lack of precise indicators for evaluating policies and the need to guarantee the quality of the education offered. It was concluded that, despite quantitative progress, qualitative and strategic improvements are needed if education in the prison system is to effectively promote the resocialization and social reintegration of individuals. Future research suggests analyzing the impact of these policies on reducing recidivism and improving the quality of life of inmates, as well as comparing educational practices between different states to identify successful models.

Documenting the development and achievements of early and preschool children: Different curricular approaches

The public education policy of an individual country determines, among other things, the ways of documenting the educational process and children’s outcomes. This paper explores the opinion of preschool teachers about documenting children’s development. The sample included preschool teachers from two systems, or two different curricular approaches. One exists in the Republic of Croatia (curriculum based on the competence framework) and other in Bosnia and Herzegovina (curriculum based on normative outcomes). The measuring instrument Questionnaire of Preschool Teachers’ Opinions on Monitoring the Psycho-physical Status of Children (α= .847), was constructed for research purposes. The Questionnaire was based on relevant literature and insights into existing educational practices. On a dichotomously structured 4-level scale, preschool teachers estimated that the most important purpose of documenting children’s development is the planning of developmental incentives (M=3.63; SD= 0.495). They agree that monitoring should be continuous throughout the entire academic year (M=3.53; SD= 0.666). Likewise, preschool teachers are less inclined to one-time assessments of a children’s psycho-physical status, considering “a testing” unlikely to provide a realistic image of their development (M=1.88; SD=0.797). No correlation was found between preschool teachers’ age, length of service, and level of education. Using the t-test of independent samples, a mild/weak, but statistically significant difference in the preschool teachers’ assessment between the subsamples was determined.

Improving the Usefulness and Use of Meta-Analysis to Inform Policy and Practice.

This chapter begins with an overview of recent developments that have encouraged and facilitated greater use of research syntheses, including Meta-Analysis, to guide public policy and practice in education, workforce development, and social services. It discusses the role of Meta-Analysis for improving knowledge of the effectiveness of programs, policies, and practices and the applicability and generalizability of that knowledge to conditions other than those represented by the study samples and settings. The chapter concludes with recommendations for improving the potential of Meta-Analysis to accelerate knowledge development through changing how we design, conduct, and report findings of individual studies to maximize their usefulness in Meta-Analysis as well as how we produce and report Meta-Analysis findings. The paper includes references to resources supporting the recommendations.

Attitudinal barriers of teachers towards inclusive education in Ecuador

This research has two objectives. First, to recognize the position assumed by teachers in the presence of students with specific educational needs in regular classrooms; and second, to determine the state of teaching attitudes required to implement educational inclusion. This work is ascribed to the critical reflective paradigm and uses the quantitative approach of scientific research. The instruments used were the Knowledge Questionnaire on Inclusive Education by Escarbajal et al. (2020) in survey format, and the Battery of Teaching Attitudes towards Educational Inclusion by Lavela & Sánchez (2014) in Likert-type questionnaire formats and contextualized observation sheets. The informants were 961 teachers from district 13D02 of the Ministry of Education of Ecuador, who participated in this process in 2022-2024. From the results, it is inferred that teachers prefer that students with specific educational needs attend special schools, but are not opposed to their presence in conventional schools, in coherence with public education policy. In addition, it was determined that teachers require technical advice, tutoring, and permanent motivation from specialists to implement inclusive practices with greater security. It is concluded that the persistence of attitudinal barriers in teachers limits the legitimate positioning and sustainability of specific educational needs in schools despite favorable advances in public policy for education in Ecuador.

Exploring Multiculturalism and Intolerance: Understanding the Dynamics of Diversity

Amidst growing global challenges, multiculturalism and intolerance play a significant role in shaping a diverse society. Conflicts of interest and cultural differences often lead to intolerance, affecting social interactions and public policy. This research explores multiculturalism and intolerance to understand diversity dynamics in society. It utilizes a literature review, analyzing various journal articles and books relevant to the research topic. Additionally, this research reveals the complexity of the relationship between multiculturalism and intolerance. Factors such as cultural differences, identity politics, conflicts of interest, and social injustice are the main influences on the tolerance level in society. This research aims to analyze how these factors interact, evaluate their impact on multiculturalism and tolerance, and create strategies to enhance multicultural education and inclusive public policies. These findings emphasize the importance of multicultural education and inclusive public policy in promoting cross-cultural understanding and reducing prejudice. The implications of this research are the need for collaboration between the government, educational institutions, and civil society to strengthen multicultural education and implement inclusive policies that support tolerance and harmony between cultural groups. This research provides essential insights for strengthening multiculturalism and addressing societal intolerance through an approach focused on inclusivity and social justice.

‘For Once We’re Asking for MORE Testing’: organisational infrastructure in the safe schools movement during COVID-19

ABSTRACT This article explores organisational infrastructure in the movement for safe schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on several qualitative studies of educator organising during the pandemic, this article shows that educators across the United States have organised through a range of social movement organisations, including national grassroots networks, regional grassroots networks, unions, social justice caucuses, and building-based committees. Through these organisations, they have advanced demands for more equitable public health and education policies, including safety mitigations and wraparound services1 for students. Building on the literature on social justice unionism, contentious co-governance, and social movement organisations, this article finds that the diverse array of organisational structures and strategies within the movement enabled educators to advance their demands and build power.

Políticas Públicas Educativas en Chile desde la Mirada de Profesores

ABSTRACT This qualitative study on teaching trajectories explores Chilean teachers’ perspectives on public policies implemented in the education system during the past two decades. Findings reveal that teachers interpret and adopt policies in unique ways, with a contextualized characterization of policies identified. Three major processes of educational policy were identified: Educational Reform, General Education Law, and Teacher Professional Development Law. The study underscores the complex relationship between public educational policies and teacher practices in the Chilean education system. This research can inform education stakeholders and policy-makers about teachers’ perspectives and experiences with policy implementation.

Teachers’ Viewpoints on Educational Public Policy in Chile

RESUMEN El artículo busca responder cuáles son las principales políticas educativas identificadas por profesores durante los últimos 20 años en Chile, cómo han vivenciado los efectos en sus trayectorias docentes, qué características destacan. El estudio cualitativo sobre trayectorias docentes levanta categorías y subcategorías emergentes del discurso de los maestros para comprender cómo viven los procesos de reforma educativa. Los hallazgos muestran una caracterización situada en sus contextos escolares, identifican tres grandes procesos de política educativa: Reforma Educacional, Ley General de Educación y Desarrollo Profesional Docente. Por último, se ha observado que interpretan, adoptan y adaptan de manera idiosincrática dichas políticas.

Does Left- and Right-wing cleavage explain the choices of public policies for higher education in Brazil?

RESUMO Introdução: Existem padrões partidários e ideológicos nas escolhas de políticas públicas para a educação superior? A partir de um modelo adaptado da teoria dos governos partidários, utilizado para explicar o caso dos países desenvolvidos, o artigo verifica se a clivagem esquerda-direita se aplica também ao caso brasileiro. Materiais e métodos: Para testar empiricamente a teoria, utilizaram-se dados de acesso à graduação e informações documentais sobre as políticas públicas adotadas para o ensino superior pelos ocupantes do governo federal, de diferentes inclinações ideológicas, ao longo de quase trinta anos (1990-2018). Resultados: O artigo conclui que a clivagem direita-esquerda explica as escolhas dos governos federais no Brasil para a educação superior, mas que os cálculos dos partidos são diferentes para esse nível de ensino: ampliar o acesso pode ocorrer tanto em governos de direita quanto de esquerda. Quando o nível de acesso ainda era elitizado, governos de centro-direita no Brasil expandiram as vagas, com o cálculo de que os beneficiados de tal política seriam seus potenciais eleitores no futuro. Os governos de esquerda também adotaram a expansão de vagas e incluíram o crescimento privado e a adoção de ações afirmativas com o cálculo de que essa forma de expansão produziria uma inclusão mais rápida de seus potenciais eleitores no futuro, mesmo em um cenário em que o acesso ao ensino superior não estava massificado. Discussão: Quatro governos (FHC 2, Lula 1 e 2 e Dilma 1) foram responsáveis por mais de 80% do incremento de novas matrículas no ensino superior em quase três décadas, indicando que a expansão não foi exclusiva de governos liderados por partidos de esquerda. A principal diferença está na adoção de critérios redistributivos: governos de esquerda adotaram medidas para reduzir a dependência da renda para o ingresso com ações afirmativas e outros instrumentos, promovendo inclusão social e racial. Essa forma de expansão não foi adotada, nem iniciada, por governos de direita ou de centro-direita. O texto contribui para entender quem foi incluído ou excluído no ensino superior brasileiro como resultado de escolhas políticas ideologicamente orientadas pelos diferentes ocupantes do Executivo federal desde a redemocratização.

Fundação Itaú Social, Renaissance 2010, desigualdades e segregação: análise crítica da aplicação do modelo educacional estadunidense no Brasil

Abstract This article performs a critical analysis of the projects advocated by business organizations that propose public education policies in Brazil (in this case, the Itaú Social Foundation). To this end, the article presents, based on documents signed by the FIS, how this institution defends that measures implemented in the U.S. (such as Chicago’s Renaissance 2010) serve as a model for the country. Then, based on quantitative and qualitative data, derived from bibliographic research in primary and secondary sources in Brazil and the USA, the paper discusses results of these projects in their place of origin (especially Chicago). Thus, it is shown how, contrary to what their proponents indicate, such guidelines can be related to the maintenance and worsening of social issues, such as racial segregation. Finally, the paper demonstrates that, despite these reforms being presented as the expression of a social consensus, in the USA, the school community has led intense mobilizations against them. Therefore, considering this scenario, the article reflects how the insistence on maintaining these guidelines is not justified by data, but by the political and economic interest of capital and its institutions.

Contradictions in Chilean public education policy: physical education and health case.

The purpose of this text is to point out the contradiction existing in Chilean educational public policy regarding the curricular reform that converted the subjects of Physical Education and Health, History, Arts, and Religion into optional subjects for the 3rd and 4th years of high school. As far as Physical Education is concerned, scientific evidence shows that such conversion to the status of optional subject goes against the policies of other executive ministries and against the possibilities of reversing the statistics that show Chile as one of the countries in America with the highest percentage of overweight and obese children and adolescents.

Pibid e Pnaic: arranjos institucionais de implementação com parceria entre universidades e escolas

Abstract This article presents a comparative study of two Brazilian public educational policies aimed at valuing the teaching profession and encouraging teacher training: the Institutional Teaching Initiation Scholarship Program ( Pibid , in Portuguese), aimed at the initial training of undergraduates, and the National Pact for Literacy at the Right Age ( Pnaic , in Portuguese), focusing on the continuing training of literacy teachers. Using the approach of institutional implementation arrangements and the concepts of the third space and the teacher training triangle as a theoretical and methodological reference, we investigated how their institutional implementation arrangements were configured, focusing on governance, state political capacities and their main instruments, and the teacher training models involved in these arrangements. This is a comparative study with a qualitative approach, based on case studies of these programs at two federal universities. The main results point to similarities between Pibid and Pnaic in their governance structures and the role of universities in their implementation. Between 2017 and 2018, these programs experienced important changes in terms of formulation associated with the political context within Education Ministry ( MEC , in Portuguese) and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Staff (Capes, in Portuguese). In their arrangements, the changes coincided in time frames and in the effects of political capacities. However, in the contexts investigated, we observed innovations for the continuity of the programs associated with previous experiences of the implementers at these universities, which pointed to more fruitful results when there were closer links between universities and schools.

Formação da força de trabalho na economia primário-exportadora brasileira

Abstract This study presents the results of a research on the jobs that have been generated by an economy undergoing a process of deindustrialization and reprimarization, concomitant with strong influxes in scientific and technological education. The objective was to evaluate the impact of the Brazilian economic structure on public educational policies for the formation of the labor force necessary for this market, especially for those graduating from high school and vocational education. Because it is a period in which insertion into the world of work becomes equivalent to education, the last stage of basic education plays an important role, especially for those who live from work. However, between expectation and reality, occupations have been of low and medium complexity, even in the face of rising juvenile schooling. With low technological intensity of its productive structure, the education for young people tends to be oriented to supply the human resources for this economy. This study is based on data available from the Ministries of Labor, Education, and the Economy, IBGE, IPEA, and ILO, anchored on a theoretical framework related to the themes of education and labor. As a result, it is possible to infer an economic (re)taking of low technological activity underway, and a corresponding pressure on technical-scientific education for the training of workers destined for this growing market.

Profile and career path of graduates from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation master's and doctoral courses (2013-2020)

This study aims to analyze the profile of graduates and identify factors associated with positive performance regarding training and professional insertion among those who have completed face-to-face master's and doctoral courses at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Brazil). A total of 2,462 graduates participated in the study (1,402 master's and 1,060 doctoral graduates), who answered a digital questionnaire containing questions about individual characteristics and professional insertion before entering the course and after completion. A measure on "positive post-course performance" was created. The results show that Master's graduates with a positive impact from the course tend to be men; to have a specialization degree before entering the course; to have paid employment after finishing the course in the areas of research, education, assistance, and management; and to be civil servants. In the Doctorate, the following profile is evident: graduates with paid employment after finishing the course in the areas of research or education; hired under a single legal regime or temporary contract as a legal entity; and with a scientific publication or patent. Evaluating/monitoring graduates must be established as an important public educational policy, incorporated into the institutional self-evaluation process, which makes it possible to review directions and priorities in the institution's educational and pedagogical agenda.