International Education Policy Research Articles

Australian schooling policy: A risky proposition

AbstractThis article utilises recent Australian schooling policies and associated international educational policies as a stimulus to reflect on the extent to which schooling provides genuinely ‘educational’ opportunities for students. To do so, the article draws upon Gert Biesta’s notion of the ‘risk’ of education to analyse the extent to which recent and current key federal government policies in Australia, and significant OECD and UNESCO policies, seem to enable more educationally-oriented schooling. The article reveals that while there are multiple discourses at play in relation to federal government policies, the way in which these policies have become more ‘national’ in orientation, and the attendant prescriptive attention to ‘capturing’ students’ learning in more and more ‘precise’ ways, mitigate against the possibilities for more risk-responsive schooling opportunities for students. While educational policies are always open to contestation in their enactment, more economistic and managerial foci within these texts militate against more productive, ‘risky’, learning. As a consequence, Australian schooling policy is a ‘risky proposition’—not because it places students ‘at risk’ of harm but because it does not draw sufficiently upon notions of risk as a resource to inform educational provision in preparation for living in an uncertain world.

Changing policy, changing plans: responses to the end of fee-free education

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the ending of fee-free higher education in Australia for overseas students in the 1980s, and the ways in which the government managed the diplomatic relationships that were affected by this policy shift. The introduction of fee-free higher education in Australia in 1974 was incredibly popular, and the end of the program in the late 1980s created difficulties for individuals, families and diplomatic relationships.Design/methodology/approachUsing a mix of secondary sources and archival documents, this paper has a historiographical element, and an element of analysis.FindingsThis research finds that the ending of fee-free education created significant diplomatic issues with a number of Australia’s regional neighbours. It also created issues for individual students and families. The solution to these problems was, in large part, a scholarship scheme called the Equity and Merit Scholarship Scheme (EMSS). The EMSS was designed, in part, to address the issues created by the end of the fee-free program. However, the design of the scholarship scheme also created its own diplomatic issues with a different cohort of nation states.Originality/valueThere is limited scholarly research into the history of international education policy in Australia. This research draws on the work of some scholars of international scholarships, as well as historians of universities and education more broadly. This research adds to a growing body of work in the field of Australian international education history.

Imagining inclusion in the university setting: plural discourse among Spanish university lecturers / Imaginar la universidad inclusiva: pluralidad de discursos del profesorado universitario español

Diversity management is a core priority in the definition of international education policies, and educational inclusion is a strategic indicator of quality and excellence. As a contribution to improving educational inclusion in higher education, this study seeks to map out the opinions and positions expressed by university lecturers regarding their teaching action in the classroom with respect to educational diversity and inclusion. To this end, qualitative research was designed and developed in eight Spanish public universities. A total of 17 interviews and eight focus group were held, analysing and interpreting the output by means of mixed deductive and emerging thematic analysis. Findings indicate two stances or positions expressed, identified as conventional logic and critical logic, which point to different conceptions of diversity held by the lecturers, the purpose of inclusion in university and its justification, the difficulties they encounter and their proposals for improvement. Global integrated approaches are necessary for the institutionalization of inclusion, despite conceptual confusion, poor training and institutional difficulties encountered by teachers in the classroom.

Learning to ‘tell China’s story well’: higher education policy and public diplomacy in Chinese international education

ABSTRACT Taking the Learning to ‘tell Chinese’s story well’ narrative prevalent in policies as a starting point, this article draws on data collected from a provincial university and delves into the institutional involvement and support in response to the state’s international higher education policies. By foregrounding the underlying structures of power and control, I illustrate the mechanisms by which the policy was translated into and implemented through the practice of the hidden curriculum – an integrated approach of ‘listening’, ‘watching’ and ‘telling’ at the meso level, where international students’ aspirations were shaped (or not). This ‘implementation study’ offers a valuable contribution to the growing scholarship of recent policy studies, especially in the Chinese context, and thus adds to understandings about how the official discourse becomes integral to mid-level institutions’ routine and everyday practices and processes. The implications of China’s experiences and the direction of further study are discussed.

Is the existence of special schools for deaf students threatened? Selected aspects of international research in the field of surdopedagogy

In this article, an attempt is made to analyse selected factors influencing the current situation in the education of children with hearing impairment in Europe and worldwide. The attention is focused on exploring the importance of the impact of modern technology in providing children with hearing aids, hearing implants, undertaking early rehabilitation intervention and in the light of international education policy as a foundation for inclusive education. The key questions sought to be answered concern the dilemma of whether deaf/hard of hearing pupils need a special school or whether its existence is in jeopardy.

Looking at the Margins: Is Inclusive Education for All?

Over the last 30 years, international education policies have emphasised the need for more inclusive environments, especially for previously marginalised and excluded populations. This article explores the status of culturally and linguistically diverse students with special educational needs in Spain between 2009 and 2019. Disaggregating the data by gender and origin (Spanish, EU, and non-EU), we compare the relative risk ratio (RRI) of ending up in a special education pathway for each group and relate it to the poverty risk index. The results reveal that male students from non-European backgrounds are more likely to attend a special school and that poverty has a different impact on the schooling of students depending on their origin. Therefore, while all Spanish laws support the rights-based anti-discrimination principle of equitable education, international and national policy objectives do not appear to be confirmed by educational practices. We conclude that the findings indicate a Eurocentric perspective that reads ‘difference’ as a form of deficit and propose to begin to question the role that colonial culture can play in developing inclusive policies and practices.

Study of teachers’ readiness for tutoring support of pre-professional programs for students of psychological and pedagogical classes

Introduction. Pre-professional pedagogical training of schoolchildren is a relevant issue of international educational policy, since it ensures students’ early professional self-determination based on the principle of individualization and stepwise inclusion in the profession. Obviously, it is necessary to develop a mechanism of support for high school students’ professional self-determination and to organize their psychological and pedagogical training with the use of tutoring and mentoring technologies when implementing individual preprofessional programs. The paper aims to present the results of the study of teachers’ readiness for tutoring support of pre-professional programs for students of psychological and pedagogical classes, as well as to reveal promising ideas and directions for professional training. Materials and methods. The study, aimed at assessing the level of teachers’ readiness for tutoring support of pre-professional programs for students of psychological and pedagogical classes, involved 74 teachers from educational organizations of higher and general education in Chelyabinsk (Russian Federation). The generalization and reflection of their own pedagogical experience made it possible to identify diagnostic tools for revealing the components of teachers’ readiness. Results. Using the developed diagnostic toolkit for determining the level of teachers' readiness for tutoring support of pre-professional programs, it was revealed that only 16.6% of teachers were ready for this activity. A low level of the cognitive-practical component of readiness was revealed in 56.7% of teachers, which is related to insufficient theoretical knowledge and practical skills of tutoring support. The motivation-value component was formed only in 18.9% of teachers who consistently showed interest in tutoring support and understood the importance of tutoring activity in the pre-professional training of schoolchildren. The analysis of the results of the reflexive component showed the basic level of teachers’ readiness (47.3%) and, as a consequence, sufficient skills of organizing reflexive activity in different situations of communication with students of profile classes in the process of mastering the future profession. Conclusion. The results of the empirical study show the relevance of the need to optimize the content and forms of retraining and advanced training of teachers implementing tutoring support for pre-professional programs and individual routes for students of psychological and pedagogical classes. It is required to shift the focus from formal organizational functions to targeted tutoring functions, assuming individualization and personalization of high school students’ professional self-determination.

International education policy and/as the limits of humanism: A posthuman critique from the Anthropocene

ABSTRACT Critiques of international education policy frequently take issue with how it stabilises neoliberal values at the expense of the progressive aims of education. Yet the humanism underpinning these debates can work to exclude environmental concerns from the remit of educational policy. This article offers a posthuman critique of the Australian Strategy for International Education 2021–2030 that does not take for granted that international education policy should be humanistic but considers how it comes to be affirmed as such. Through a discourse analysis of the Strategy and supporting materials, this article identifies three manoeuvres that affirm the policy as humanistic. Firstly, neoliberal values and notions of wellbeing are wedded together in a shared understanding that the Strategy must be student centred. Secondly, the Strategy reinscribes divisions between humans and nature by casting land as a passive backdrop for human activities. And thirdly, the Strategy makes a claim to perpetuity by linking the acquisition of human skills with a sustainable and prosperous future. The conclusion contends that international education policy cannot ignore the impacts of human activity on the world and must nurture the vast range of interdependencies that sustain life.

The push-pull factor model and its implications for the retention of international students in the host country

PurposeDue to high demand for international talents and skilful workforces, many countries around the world, especially the ageing populations are now looking for new ways and strategies to attract more international talent. Drawing on push-pull factor theory, integrated with theory of reasoned action (TRA), this research examines international students' intention to stay or to leave the host country after completion of the students' studies.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model has been proposed and evaluated aimed at understanding the factors that influence the decision-making of international students studying in Finland. Data were collected from a sample of 292 international students in Finland and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and examine the relationships between various constructs in the model.FindingsThe SEM results show that several factors influence students' decision to stay or leave the host country after graduation. Aspects related to host country, institutional and economic factors and social influence (norms) directly impact students' attitude towards staying. In addition, attitude towards staying not only has a direct impact on the intention to stay, but also mediates the relationship between different pulling factors and students' intention to stay in the host country. Moreover, challenges and barriers (such as local language, challenge of finding employment and challenge of assimilating into the community or making friends) have a negative impact on the decision to stay in the host country.Originality/valueThis study uses push-pull theory in the Finnish context, contributing to the growing body of literature on international education policies and practices. The findings highlight the need for a more holistic approach to supporting international students, one that considers the students' unique needs and experiences in the host country and provides the students with the necessary resources and support to succeed.

Transformation of Education Management System and Education Administration in Finland

This article discusses the near future of education systems from a planning and administrative perspective. It is thought that the interests of education bind the education system in such a way that no major upheaval is seen. These changes are considered to be the result of the activities of external and internal groups. Thus, attempts were made to draw a caricature picture of the current ideology of education. Another way to look at the direction of change is the position of international education policy. Despite the fact that the change is essentially considered a reformulation, the article concludes that changes in educational administration are possible. Improved market governance and self-governance are thought to have occurred to some extent, but the deregulation of bureaucratic governance and its consequences remains an open question. Finally, appropriate adult schools and educational institutions as organizations and strategies for their development are examined. According to the article, the question of what kind of organization the school is is diverse. In Finnish discourse, the harmonious and open nature of schools may have been exaggerated. The article concludes with a conclusion about the need for changes in educational administration and the importance of studying municipal education administration.

A caring transformation of international education: possibilities, challenges and change

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on all facets of international education. Not only has it highlighted the inadequacy of existing care arrangements but it has also created new care needs. There is increased recognition among policy makers and education providers that they need to understand and support the wellbeing of international students more effectively – and indeed with greater care. Drawing on sociomaterial theories of care, this article considers the possibilities of care as a guiding principle for orienting the transformation of international education in more productive directions. Its central contention is that a focus on care will be vitally important for fostering the wellbeing of international students and for creating an institutional environment that more successfully attracts, retains, and supports them. Yet more than this, it will be crucial for redefining and realising the ambitious aims of international education itself. This article substantiates these claims by offering three ‘sketches’ of how a focus on care might reframe international education policy, institutional support, and point to new directions in research on international student mobility.

Reviewing Teachers’ Competency for Distance Learning during COVID-19: Inferences for Policy and Practice

Following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020, distance learning has gained more attention from national and international education policies. This timely paper aimed to review the literature about digital competencies that K-12 and pre-service teachers require in order to succeed in supporting online learners during and post COVID-19. A critical question in this review pertained to how contemporary teacher education programs and teacher professional development can respond to the evolving needs of online learners. The findings showed that currently practicing K-12 teachers need more support around the technical, pedagogical, and content development associated with distance learning. In contrast, teacher education programs are urged to ensure that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) knowledge is well integrated into their curricular courses. Further, teacher educators must have the necessary ICT skills and experience to prepare competent K-12 teachers for distance learning. Conclusion and recommendations for teacher education policy and practice for distance learning are offered.

Child-Centered Approach through Slow Education Principles: A View to Child Personality Development in Early Childhood

We are preoccupied with early childhood education policies at the international level in general, but in particular with early childhood education in Romania. Therefore, the research direction of our study focuses on how early education teachers can integrate the principles of slow education into the development of child-centered competence. The formation and development of the child’s early ontogeny personality occur at the natural pace of development and learning rather than in an accelerated manner. While preparing for the research, we reviewed relevant articles circumscribed to the same topic: slow, child-centered education, deep learning, constructivism, and the enthusiasm of children and teachers. Most of them conclude that the use of child-centered competence in early childhood significantly contributes to slow education principles and characteristics. At the same time, the research aims to provide quantitatively and qualitatively validated arguments for verifying the incidence of child-centered competence from the perspective of sustainable education, in connection with the constructivist orientation of the teachers. Our research included a group of 376 teachers selected from early childhood education institutions in the North-West of Romania, all of them with initial preparation in the field. Using the focus group method, we identified differences in the perception of the two paradigms (child-centeredness and slow pedagogy), the link between these two, and the connection with the constructivist orientation. At the same time, we intended to identify the degree of continuous professional development training according to these paradigms that are not studied and practiced together in early education in Romania, because only the child-centeredness principle is mentioned in the initial teacher training. Therefore, in-service training activities were conducted and they were focused on facilitating and raising awareness of the value of using child-centered competence and the principles of slow education among training participants. At the end of the program, through the quantitative method—the survey—we concluded that the activities included in the training program led to a significant increase in the teachers’ capacity to appreciate the natural pace of development and learning of children to such an extent that the participants themselves adopted the promotion of sustainable slow education in a dynamic society. The methods used helped us deduce that all teachers with a constructivist orientation improved their child-centered competence, and teachers who gave children the freedom to choose activities from the proposed educational offers, according to their needs, interests, and potential, identified the development of the ability to consider children’s natural pace of development and learning as a result of the training. In conclusion, our research complements the literature, proposing a new and useful perspective to approach early childhood education practices by respecting the child’s natural pace of development and learning, which provides a suitable context for promoting international sustainable educational policies. We encourage teachers around the world to reflect on an important issue in the holistic development of the child—if faster means better—in the race to performance.

Teacher and parental views on inclusive education policy lending in the Czech Republic

AbstractIn international education policy articulations by organisations such as the UNESCO, inclusive education is defined rather vaguely, usually in terms of human rights. Yet, national reception it is more or less taken for granted. Analyses of policy lending show that when national education traditions are not respected, the lack of clarity about the concrete form of inclusion is further augmented by resistance to a foreign import. Taking the example of the implementation of inclusive education in the Czech Republic, a secondary analysis of survey results on responses from teachers and parents is presented. This analysis contributes to a better understanding of the reactions of two groups of actors who have had only a marginal involvement in preparing the implementation of inclusion; specifically, teachers at ordinary schools and parents of pupils with special education needs. Teachers are critical of inclusion, which they regard as special care for individual pupils with special education needs. It is only in schools which have lengthy experience with integration that a transformation of the school culture and the teaching profession in the direction of greater teamwork has taken place. The imperative of inclusion coming from above is regarded more as interference with what is a spontaneous development. The view of parents to pupils with special education needs was that systemic support to inclusion was lacking. Parents are forced to be intermediaries between other actors, but often do not have enough information and are not respected by teachers as experts on their children.

Threat or necessity: an analysis of the development of International Baccalaureate education in Shanghai

ABSTRACT With the global expansion of International Baccalaureate (IB), tensions have emerged between IB and the national education systems. This poses challenges to international education governance in many countries. In mainland China, IB programmes have rapidly become more prevalent since their introduction in 1991. However, new policies have imposed censorship and restrictions on international programmes regarding international education as a potential threat to China’s educational sovereignty, cultural identity, and educational equity. Shanghai has the highest number of IB schools and the strictest policies in mainland China. To understand China’s international education policy governance, this study traces the policy evolution of Shanghai’s IB education through document analysis and interviews. Furthermore, this study examines the responses, perceptions, and demands of non-governmental stakeholders regarding current restrictive policies. Results show that the development of IB education in Shanghai has undergone three stages of policy transformation: support, regulation, and restriction. Against this policy transformation, non-governmental stakeholders believe that IB education is a “necessity”. Therefore, this study suggests that IB education governance in China should incorporate the elements of network governance.

School improvement and school efficiency: reflections and evidences in the liquid society (Mejora de la escuela y eficacia escolar: reflexiones y evidencias en la sociedad líquida)

ABSTRACTDiscussions on the improvement and effectiveness of schools are high on the national and international education policy agendas. Despite the social and cultural complexity that frames educational processes, there is now sufficient research available on how to correctly orient theory and practice. The aim of the study is to reflect on the change and improvement of schools in the compulsory stage, based on the accumulated knowledge of the School Improvement and School Effectiveness Movements. The methodology used was that of documentary analysis of scientific production, based on the review, analysis and critical reflection of texts. The results show that in the current context of a liquid society, it is essential to have a management team that supports improvement processes, that the school as a whole is committed to renewal and, finally, that there is a participatory school culture. The conclusions reflect on and outline possible measures for improvement and innovation in schools, mainly related to the change of cultural imaginary.

A Comparison of Policies for International Education between Taiwan and South Korea

In the face of globalization, Taiwan and South Korea promote international education in primary and secondary schools. The authors conduct a comparative study of international education and its policies in Taiwan and South Korea based on relevant theories and literature. This paper is based on the part of the findings from the comparative study. The purpose of the comparative study was to examine the similarities and differences in the international education policies of Taiwan and South Korea under different social and cultural environments. For the above purpose, methods used include document analysis and comparative research. Concluding remarks are made based on the results of the comparison of policies for international education between Taiwan and Korea.

L’université du 17 novembre à Prague : les étudiants du tiers monde en Tchécoslovaquie, 1961-1974

During the Cold War, Czechoslovakia’s policy in Africa, Asia and Latin America was not restricted to military and economic cooperation. Hundreds of scholarships were offered to international students to pursue higher education in Czechoslovakia, and in 1961 the government founded the University of 17 November, especially designed for students from developing countries. Inspired by the international education policies of the Soviet Union and Western countries, Prague assumed that this school would train a socialist and Czechoslovak-friendly elite which would occupy key positions in newly independent countries. The article examines the creation, aims and functioning of the University of 17 November. It also sheds light on its shortcomings and shows how the change in Czechoslovakia’s policy towards developing countries led the government to shut down the school in 1974. Still, the article argues, the University of 17 November embodied Prague’s ambitions for a close relationship with the Third World and had significant legacies on the country’s academic landscape.

A technology of global governance or the path to gender equality? Reflections on the role of indicators and targets for girls’ education

ABSTRACT Since 2000, girls’ education has been an increasingly high-profile concern in international development policy. At the same time, there has been a trend towards the greater production and reliance on quantitative data, indicators and targets in national and international education policy. Scholars have raised concerns about the rise of ‘performance-based’ approaches to accountability in education, and potential counterproductive effects of this for social justice and equality. However, few studies have explored how this trend plays out in practice within international organisations, particularly in relation to the heightened focus on girls’ education. This paper explores the implications of the increasing reliance on quantitative measures for policy actors and draws on a set of interviews with key stakeholders working in organisations concerned with gender and education to explore their divergent understandings of accountability processes. The paper concludes by reflecting on the prospects for a transformative approach to measuring gender equality and girls’ education.

THE WORLD BANK’S KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY POLICY OBJECTIVES IN CAMEROON’S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES 1993-2016: CASE STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BUEA

In conjunction with the neoliberal prescriptions of the Berg Report of 1981, most African countries adopted the World Bank’s knowledge economic policy as a defining tool for university’s contribution to economic development amid a wide range of challenges. Through the lens of the international regime theory and non-positivist theoretical approach, this study uses a case study design and qualitative research paradigm to investigate how Cameroon’s public universities responded to the knowledge economy objective and how it affected their processes between 1993 and 2016. Using semi-structured interviews to collect primary data from academics, top management, and administrative support staff at the University of Buea, including documents and secondary data sources, results indicate that overall, reduced, and irregular public expenditure has weakened the ability of Cameroon’s public universities to create, valorise, disseminate, and apply knowledge to enhance economic development. Particularly, the policy has induced a complex-type relationship between the higher education governing structure and public universities, giving rise to new and confusing dimensions in the character of public universities in Cameroon. Hence, the study concludes that international education policy strategies could be a potential source of diversion and confusion in the national education systems of receiving countries.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0269/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>