International Comparative Studies Research Articles

Promoting an equity-based approach for social and emotional learning in physical education teacher education: international teacher educators’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Despite growing attention on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in education settings (Jones, S. M., McGarrah, M. W., & Kahn, J. (2019). Social and emotional learning: A principled science of human development in context. Educational Psychologist, 54(3), 129–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2019.1625776), there also has been an increasing concern that the existing understanding of SEL is not based on diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural perspectives (Hurd, E., Brinegar, K., & Harrison, L. (2021). Equity-based social emotional learning (SEL): A critical lens for moving forward. Middle School Journal, 52(3), 2–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2021.1893994). The purpose of this research was to explore teacher educators’ perspectives on promoting an equity-based approach for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in physical education teacher education (PETE) from an international perspective. Using an international comparative case study design (Penn, R. (2019). International comparative case studies: Multiple methods in action. Sage.), 18 teacher educators were recruited from 10 different countries (Australia; Brazil; Cyprus; China; Finland; Germany; Ireland; New Zealand; South Korea; The United States). Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted using a video-conferencing system to collect data on the participants’ perspectives on promoting equity-based SEL in PETE. Using a systematic process of inductive data analysis by Miles et al. (Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. Sage.), four findings were generated: (a) Respecting differences with culturally responsive pedagogy, (b) Embedding diversity across different phases, (c) Critical introspection on self and others, and (d) Having intentional and difficult conversations. Based on the findings, more research needs to be conducted in the future to investigate how PE teachers incorporate equity elements into their SEL practices in real-time school settings.

Root Morphology and Canal Configuration of Permanent Canines Among Saudi Population: Systematic Review and Comparison with Worldwide Studies.

AimThe root morphology and canal configuration (RMCC) of mandibular and maxillary canines among Saudi population is systematically reviewed and compared with international studies in this research.MethodsThis study was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. The electronic databases of PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Wiley Library, Google website search, and Web of Science were searched. Only local and international cross-sectional, comparative, evaluation, and validation studies or case reports published between 2016 and 2022 that directly evaluated canine RMCC and assessed participants using cone beam computed tomography were included.ResultsForty-three studies that investigated RMCCs (17 local and 26 international) were involved in this review. The original Saudi research recorded that almost 100% of maxillary canines had one root and one canal, whereas 98.4% and 94.1% had one root and one canal in the mandibular arch. Vertucci’s class I had the highest percentages in the maxillary and mandibular arches at 98.3% and 95.8%, respectively, followed by class III with 0.7% and 1.9% for the same arches, respectively. International studies recorded that 100% of maxillary canines had one canal and root; the percentages of the mandibular arch were 92.3 and 98% for single canal and root, respectively; and the highest percentage was obtained by Vertucci’s class I (91.1%), followed by class III (4.7%).ConclusionThis review reports and confirmed the symmetry of the RMCCs of maxillary and mandibular canines between Saudi studies and other populations. Moreover, Vertucci’s classes I and III were the most frequent RMCCs, and two-rooted canines in both arches were considerably less frequently than single-rooted ones.

Contributions to the interpretation of the concept of autonomy in the light of the model change in Hungary

The notion of university autonomy is a principle that is often invoked in higher education discourse, despite the fact that its precise content needs clarification. Although there is a rich domestic and international literature on the autonomy of higher education over the historical period, the principles set out therein cannot provide the necessary starting point, since the concept of autonomy varies from one historical period to another and cannot be regulated definitively. Due to the model changes in Hungary, the concept of autonomy has come to the fore again, so it is necessary to examine what is generally understood by the concept in the Hungarian literature and to what extent it is in line with international terminology. To this end, this study reviews the domestic constitutional court case law on the concept of autonomy and its changes, and then discusses the international standards of university autonomy, as defined by the European University Association, its components and the aspects of international comparative studies. It then discusses the position of Hungarian higher education institutions among European universities and, points to possible changes.

The Mediating Effect of Fatigue on the Nature Element, Organisational Culture and Task Performance in Central Taiwan.

In the current dynamic business environment, managing the physical working environment of the workforce has become an important part of the company. This study seeks to investigate the effects of the nature element and organisational culture on the task performance of employees with fatigue as a mediator, based on a sample of 103 white-collar employees who work in the central district of Taichung City during the spring and using a purposive sampling method. The data were collected through a self-administered subjective measurement instrument questionnaire and were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) path analysis. The results show that organisational culture and task performance were significantly positive. The mediating effect of fatigue caused this relationship to become negative. It was also found that there was a negative relationship between nature elements and task performance. The results provide insights into the importance of employers in providing a healthy workplace which promotes collaboration, health, safety, and the wellbeing of the employee in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The study concludes that future international comparative studies can be performed to identify the best workplace design that can reduce employees’ fatigue and alleviate their current work performance.

RETHINKING TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: LESSON FROM EVALUATION IN MASTER PROGRAM OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

This research is based on the results of the evaluation of the last ten years related to the development of studies in the Mathematics Education Master Program, Tanjungpura University, through a partnership model to develop and implement national and international comparative studies on mathematics teacher education. The aims are to describe the methodology used in the national level study of teacher education through the Teacher Professional Education Program or Pendidikan Profesi Guru (PPG)- Teacher Education and Development of Studies in Mathematics and share key findings related to mathematics preparation for future teachers. The research applied a quantitative approach with cross-sectional survey method with students of the master program of mathematics education class of 2019/2022 and 2020/2021. The results of the study show that future teacher performance: (1) has less opportunity to learn than high achievers in geometry, functions, calculus, and groups with mastery of linear algebra, number theory, analytic geometry, introduction to probability, and statistics and (2) has less opportunity for those who study school mathematics in data representation, calculus compared to linear algebra, analytic geometry, introduction to calculus, calculus, probability, and statistics. Thus, it can be concluded that attention and emphasis are needed on the type and depth of learning materials given to future teachers who continue their studies at the master's level. This pattern represents an extension to better future secondary school teachers.

Notes on Contributing Authors

Michael A. Figueroa is Associate Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He specializes in musics of the SWANA region and its diasporas, with an interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Arab diaspora in North America, and issues related to music, poetry, and multimedia. He is the author of City of Song: Music and the Making of Modern Jerusalem (Oxford University Press, 2022), and co-editor of Performing Commemoration: Musical Reenactment and the Politics of Trauma (University of Michigan Press, 2020).Morgan James Luker is Associate Professor of Music at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He is author of The Tango Machine: Musical Culture in the Age of Expediency (University of Chicago Press, 2016) and the founding director of Tango for Musicians at Reed College (www.reed.edu/tango).Althea SullyCole is an ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist from New York City. She has studied her primary instrument, the kora, a 21-stringed harp from the Mandé region of West Africa, for ten years, three of which were spent in Dakar, Senegal. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Ethnomusicology at Columbia University and the Sylvan C. and Pam Coleman Memorial Fund Fellow in the Musical Instruments Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Deonte L. Harris, assistant professor in the International Comparative Studies program at Duke University, holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research interests include global Black studies, diaspora studies, critical race studies, and the anthropological study of value. These broader interests animate his current book-in-progress, which investigates the local, diasporic, and global dimensions of Caribbean carnival culture in postwar UK, and the value of carnival among Black Britons of Caribbean heritage. Harris is a past chair of the SEM Student Union (2014–2016); former member of the SEM Council and Diversity Action Committee (2017–2020); and current co-chair of the Gertrude Rivers Robinson Network of Black Ethnomusicologists (2020–2022).Katie Young is a postdoctoral research fellow based at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. At present, she is researching experiences of music at night for Black-Irish and Afrodiaporic musicians in Cork and Galway, Ireland, as part of the Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA) NITE research project. She recently received her PhD in Music from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Specific features of teaching the native language in Waldorf school

It has been identified that the holistic approach is the fundamental feature of teaching the native language in Waldorf school. According to the holistic approach, person's mental structure is manifested in the unity of mental activity, emotional-sensory and volitional spheres. This involves setting both educational and developmental goals for the subject. The educational goal means to master the literary language, form grammatical, spelling and punctuation skills and abilities, learn to express the thoughts freely and convey feelings orally and in writing, get an idea about the distinctive features of the native language, development of it etc. The developmental goal means full intellectual, emotional-sensual and volitional development. Moreover, the holistic approach includes a clear correlation of the content of education with children's age characteristics, interdisciplinary integration and use of artistic and practical elements (reciting, painting, drawing forms, eurythmy, singing, playing musical instruments, participating in plays etc.) in teaching the native language.
 It has been noted that the rhythmic organization of the educational process is another specific feature of teaching the native language in Waldorf school. It means the planning of the academic year, week and lessons, taking into account the natural psychophysiological human rhythms (breathing, memorization and forgetting, sleeping and activity state, alternation of a person's ability to concentrate and need for activity).
 It has been found that Waldorf school brings up a person with individual understanding, independent and responsible actions, with a developed culture of cognitive activity and creative abilities. This is confirmed by the data of the international independent comparative pedagogical studies of the quality of schoolchildren's educational achievements, in particular PISA, which studied the quality of perception of information, reading, understanding of texts etc.
 The expediency of introducing the Waldorf experience of teaching the native language into the activities of the New Ukrainian School has been emphasized.

The Education Act and the norms in Swedish education: power struggles between students’ knowledge development and personal development

ABSTRACT According to the Swedish Education Act, schools should support both students’ knowledge development and personal development. Students’ levels of knowledge are measured and compared through their examination results and formal grades as well as through international comparative studies and other tools. However, students’ personal development is not measured. The purpose of this study is to explore the efforts of local governance chain actors – the Local Educational Authority (LEA), superintendents, principals and teachers – to realise these two normative requirements and to learn more about the tensions and power struggles between these actors. The overarching question is: How do the actors in the governance chain prioritise and act with regard to the requirements for developing students’ knowledge and students as individuals? This study is designed as a case study in a compulsory school setting. The empirical data were collected by interviewing LEA chairs, superintendents, principals and teachers in a small town in the south of Sweden. The results show that the LEA and the superintendents focus on students’ knowledge development, but principals and teachers resist a too strong focus on knowledge development. The normative requirement – students’ personal development – is not explicitly discussed at any level in the governance chain.

Measuring accounting educators’ views on the teaching–research nexus (TRN): an international comparative study

ABSTRACT The relationship between teaching and research in the modern university has been the subject of vigorous scholarly enquiry in the education literature for several decades. Few international comparative studies are reported in the literature. This study compares and discusses the teaching–research nexus (TRN) in accounting in three international regions: the UK and Ireland (UKI); Australia and New Zealand (ANZ); and South Africa (SA). The purpose of this study is to provide evidence of that the TRN empirical model operates in the different regions, and more so to describe the TRN that remains challenging for the accounting academic profession globally. Positive synergies from the TRN are evident in all jurisdictions in this study but are largely ignored by academic institutions and professional accounting bodies (PABs) that influence the university accounting curriculum. Formal government research assessment measures, coupled by PABs pressures, result in accounting becoming more a teaching-led rather than research-informed academic discipline. This has implications for: the status of accounting academics; the public perception of the professional standing of accounting in society; and the learning experiences of accounting students.

What does it take to learn about teaching and learning in classrooms across cultures?

Beginning in the 1960s and early seventies, classroom research contributed to understandings and insights concerning the complexities and diversities of teaching. In the late 1990s, classroom research began to also include student voices in the classroom. Socio-cultural theory turned the empirical focus toward student interaction, and methodological development made new insights possible. The impact of this paradigmatic change is still in progress. At the same time, a rapid growth in international comparative classroom studies emerged, where the two most recognized comparative classroom research initiatives have been the TIMSS Video Studies, the first one initiated in 1995 at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Learner’s Perspective Study (LPS), initiated in 1999, at the University of Melbourne’s International Center for Classroom Research (ICCR). In this paper, we ask what it takes to carry out successful international classroom research, using the LPS as an example. The analysis shows that the LPS project design made it possible for research groups from different countries and cultures to participate in building a sustainable community of research practice specialized in working with the complexities in the study of teaching and learning in classrooms. Of particular importance was the intense and sustained collaborative work on data, where researchers of varying seniority and experience met and carried out scholarly work in relation to a shared dataset. While also having disadvantages, the heavy emphasis on data was crucial for creating and sustaining a reflexive international research community.

Patterns of Time Use among 12-Year-Old Children and Their Life Satisfaction: A Gender and Cross-Country Comparison.

Despite the importance of children’s time use to their quality of life, relatively few international comparative studies have focused on the patterns of children’s time use and their relationship with quality of life. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the typologies of time use among 12-year-old children by gender and their relationship with their quality of life. We used the second wave of data from the International Survey of Children’s Well-Being collected from 16 countries. Children’s time use, gender, satisfaction with time use, and life satisfaction were included as the key variables. Latent class analysis using MPLUS 7.0 was utilized. Gender differences in the classification of time-use patterns were identified. Three latent classes (G1, G2, and G3) were identified for girls. Overall high activity group (G1) had the highest level of satisfaction, whereas family helpers (G3) had the lowest level of satisfaction with their time use and life in general. Boys, however, were classified into four classes (B1, B2, B3, and B4). Overall high activity group (B4) had the highest levels of satisfaction with their time use and life in general. The results show that children who actively engage in various activities experience the most satisfaction with their lives and time. Substantial gender differences in time use, particularly around typical gender roles (e.g., housework and family caring), are noteworthy. Programs and policies that encourage children to reduce digital time and enhance activities in other areas are also discussed.

Training teachers in the design of experimental tasks for the development of students’ science literacy

Introduction. An analysis of the results of international comparative studies showed that the use of experimental tasks in the educational process ensures that students achieve higher levels of science literacy. The research purpose is to study the technology of designing experimental tasks for the development of students’ science literacy to improve teachers’ professional competencies in the field of monitoring, control and evaluation of the quality of students’ educational achievements, taking into account modern international standards. Methods. Theoretical methods included as follows: content analysis of scientific and methodological literature on the formation of students’ science literacy; generalization of the analysis of results of Russian schoolchildren’s participation in international studies. Observation, pedagogical experiment and questioning were used as empirical methods. When developing diagnostic tools, the structure of teachers’ professional competencies was considered as a combination of three components: knowledge, skills and practical experience. Statistical processing of the results of the pedagogical experiment was carried out using the sign test (G-criterion). The study involved 102 teachers from educational institutions of the Perm Krai (Russian Federation). Research results. A technology for designing experimental tasks for the development of students’ science literacy was developed and tested, and a typology of experimental tasks was described. The results of the pedagogical experiment on testing the task design technology revealed the development of a cognitive component of teachers’ professional competencies (with a significance level α=5% Gemp<Gcr, 47<72). All participants in the experiment demonstrated a positive trend in the development of the ability to analyze PISA tasks and correlate them with the main components of science literacy (with a significance level α=5% Gemp<Gcr, 65<102). Conclusion. The conducted research makes it possible to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of the developed approaches to the design of experimental tasks. Using the design technology, teachers can prepare formative and summative assessment tasks for the systematic development of students’ science literacy.

SITUATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN BRAZIL AND CANADA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed the world in a public health emergency since the beginning of the year 2020, posing a challenge to education, especially to Special Education. This study aimed to analyze the situation of special education in Brazil and Canada during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research was part of a postdoctoral project in education. Methodologically, it is an international comparative study in education. It was carried out from April 2020 to November 2021, based on a literature review and official documents. The search was carried out in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and in the Institute of Educational Sciences (ERIC), and 233 articles were found. After analysis and following the inclusion criteria, 217 articles were excluded. In the end, 16 studies were selected. The results show that the more structured the educational system and Special Education, the greater the chances of success. In addition to returning to face-to-face classes earlier, Canada also provided more support for families and students, but it was still insufficient. In both countries, children with disabilities are in a fragile situation owing to social isolation. Aspects such as choice of tools, internet connection quality, user skills, virtual spaces for collective support, school and family communication, strengthening of special education policies and programs, adequate support, among others, led to the success of remote education. This research is intended to contribute to an increase in the number of studies in Brazil and abroad, serving as a basis for the scientific production of other international comparative studies. Keywords: Covid-19, special education, comparative study, literature review, Brazil and Canada

INNOVATION LINKAGES AS A COMPONENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENSURING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF INNOVATIVE ECOSYSTEMS

Objective. The objective of the present article is to analyze the state and features of the development of innovative ecosystems in the world in 2011-2021 based on the indicator of innovative linkages. Methods. The following methods and techniques of cognition were used in the research process: theoretical generalization and comparison, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, grouping, analysis of variational series. Results. According to the results of the conducted research, it is substantiated that the concept of "innovation ecosystem" should be understood as a national innovation system of a new generation, characterized by openness, dynamism, self-regulation, interaction of its components; the concept of "innovation ecosystem" is most often understood from the standpoint of two approaches: static (as a network of certain institutions, a system) and dynamic (as a process, affiliated communication); the most important parameter of innovative ecosystems, which determines their effectiveness and distinguishes them from other phenomena of innovative development, is interactivity. It is substantiated that international comparative studies on the development of innovative ecosystems can be carried out on the basis of the indicator "Innovation linkages", which is systematically calculated and published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) within the Global Innovation Index Report. It was established that in 2011-2021the world as a whole did not advance in the direction of the development of innovative ecosystems, but on the contrary worsened its indicators (by 9.8 points), if ecosystems are evaluated on the basis of innovative linkages, which was associated with global crises (2014 and 2019) and their destructive impact on national economies. It was established that during 2011-2021, an increase in the asymmetry of the development of ecosystems in the world was recorded; among the macro-regions of the world, North America was characterized by the most developed network of innovation linkages and, as a result, the innovation ecosystem; during the analyzed period, there were not only asymmetries, but also significant disproportions in the development of innovative ecosystems - innovative linkages through clusters and cooperation of higher education institutions with enterprises were comparatively more successful, linkages associated with financing R&D from abroad and the functioning and development of strategic alliances.

The sustainable development goals as criteria for the global ranking of universities

The aim of this article is to survey and interrogate the university sector of the world ranked by international rankings critically as to the sector’s pursuit of the sustainable development goals. Universities have a unique and indispensable role to play in the pursuit of the lofty objective of the sustainable development goals. However, when dealing with the global impact rankings, three provisos should be kept in mind, namely that academic autonomy is a prerequisite for a university and cannot be sacrificed, the sustainable development goals do not capture the entire round of challenges facing humanity and social metrics should be treated with circumspection, as these too have their shortcomings. Most universities, with the possible exception of a few very top-tier universities, seem not to be geared to make their contribution to the realisation of the sustainable development goals. However, pockets of excellence exist, also in the Global South, and in terms of internationalisation and comparative international studies, these should be capitalised on.

Навыки чтения первоклассников в России и Казахстане: кросс-культурное исследование

This article assesses the intercultural comparability of reading assessment results taking into account the specifics of the test content in relation to the child’s cultural environment. The reading skills of first graders in two countries were assessed using the reading scale of the computerized instrument “Start”. The sample of students from Kazakhstan included 1102 first-graders from Russian-language schools in the city of Almaty. The sample of students from Russia included 2247 first-graders from the city of Novosibirsk. Pearson reliability and Chronbach’s alpha were in the range from 0.89 to 0.96. Subsequently, Differential Item Functioning analysis was carried out on a combined sample in order to investigate whether the scale tasks work identically for the students from Russia and Kazakhstan when the levels of their reading skills are taken into consideration. Logic regression showed that there are no items with DIF effect size reaching beyond 0,13 (under Zumbo-Thomas classification). The research outcomes may be of interest to international comparative studies of reading skills development.

Learning from comparative ethnographic studies of early childhood education and care

ABSTRACT International comparative ethnographic studies of ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) are difficult to conduct but worth the effort. Comparative studies featuring thick description and polysemic interpretations can challenge taken-for-granted assumptions, expand the menu of the possible, expose the provincialism of national approaches, and illuminate the global circulation of ECEC practices and ideas. Based on reflections on four major comparative international studies I have led, in this paper I describe effective strategies for conducting comparative ethnographic research in ECEC settings, explicate the rationale for doing so, and provide examples of how this approach can impact research, practice, and policy. Issues I address include the rationale for selecting countries for comparison, the formation of a research team, and distributing interpretive voice and power.

Analysis of the external context of educational organizations that significantly affects educational outcomes in regional education management systems

Introduction. The relevance of the study is due to the contradiction between the presence of common strategic objectives for the education development to ensure the competitiveness of Russian schoolchildren in international comparative studies and the lack of a mechanism that allows one to objectively assess the differences between educational organizations due to the peculiarities of the student body and the characteristics of the territory where they are located. The research purpose is to form a list of characteristics that are consistent with international and Russian monitoring studies and forms of statistical reporting, making it possible to identify educational organizations operating in different socio-economic conditions. Materials and methods. The study was carried out on the databases of the results of monitoring studies and procedures for assessing the quality of general education in the Tomsk region. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the statistical significance of differences in data. Research results. An information base has been formed, including aggregated socio-economic characteristics correlated with the educational achievements of the student body from 273 general education organizations of the Tomsk region (data as of 2019). The revealed statistically significant differences (p<0.001) between small, rural and urban educational organizations will make it possible to objectively analyze the educational achievements of a particular educational organization, specifically identify deficiencies and effective management practices, as well as coordinate the socio-economic policy of the Tomsk region. Discussion and conclusion. The agreement of the list of socio-economic characteristics with international studies initiated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will allow regional education authorities, regardless of participation in international comparative studies, to calculate a quantitative index reflecting educational advantages or disadvantages due to external factors relating to the educational organization. The index calculation in Russian practice is a new urgent task, which is difficult and resource-intensive without special software tools.

Social mix in context: Comparing housing regeneration programs in Australia and Israel

ABSTRACT During the past 30 years, social mix has been on the policy agenda of many countries as a tool for deconcentrating urban disadvantage and enhancing social inclusion. However, these projects often take diverse forms in different institutional and policy contexts. In this article, we compare two separate studies of current urban regeneration programs in Australia and Israel. The comparative analysis reveals major similarities and differences regarding the physical and social outcomes of social mix. Our findings suggest that although both projects did not declare to create socially mixed communities, the resulting resident makeup was mixed. Despite differences in the projects’ physical designs, both resulted in two communities living side-by-side but not interacting meaningfully, and therefore not gaining from the possible benefits of social mix. We argue that international comparative studies of social mix policies in different contexts allow for a better understanding of the practicalities of social mix processes for policymakers and planners.

CULTURAL HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF IRANIAN SCHOOL MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM: THE ROLE OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING

In this paper, six mathematics curriculum changes in Iran will be reviewed, spanning from 1900 until the present time. At first, change forces, barriers, and the main features of each curriculum reform will be represented. The first five curriculum changes are described briefly and the sixth and most recent curriculum reform will be elaborated. In this paper, we call the last reform as contemporary school mathematics curriculum change. This recent (contemporary) curriculum reform will be explained in more detail, followed by a discussion of the effect of globalization and research finding in the field of mathematics and mathematics education (in the Iranian mathematics curriculum). In total, three key ideas are distinguished as an effect of globalization which is “New Math”, “International Comparative Studies”, and “Computational Thinking”. Finally, the paper comments on the necessity of paying more attention to information and communication technology as part of globalization; in particular, recall policy-makers to consider “Computational Thinking” as an important component of future curriculum design.