Pluralism In Education Research Articles

Pluralism and the Culture of Education in the United States

ABSTRACT This article describes educational pluralism as a common approach to schooling in which the government funds a wide variety of schools and holds all of them academically accountable. Educational pluralism implies a diverse structure (i.e., schools that differ from one another in meaningful ways) and a common academic content (i.e., all schools teach many domains of knowledge). Second, the article outlines the philosophical premises of educational pluralism, the history of educational uniformity and curricular diversity in the United States, and the risks and potential benefits of educational pluralism for social cohesion. Finally, it highlights current tensions that pertain to both the structure and the content of education in the United States, and offers potential resolutions based on the successes and failures of school systems around the world.

Comparative Educational Pluralism: A Framework for Comparative Policy Analysis

ABSTRACT In the face of ideologically driven inquiry and advocacy, debates about school choice and public-private-partnerships in education have produced more “light than heat.” Although scholars have recently emphasized the need for a greater focus on the particulars of policy design, limitations of existing frameworks have inhibited rigorous policy research capable of enhancing understanding of the effects of different policy designs, particularly when considering cross-national and comparative experiences. This article critically analyzes a set of prominent frameworks from the field before proposing a new Framework for Comparative Educational Pluralism that could inform a more design-sensitive and evidence-rooted approach to policy analysis and design pertaining to the role of non-state actors in education systems.

Safety, Belonging, and Forgiveness: Exploring the Role of Faith-Based Educational Organizations in Mitigating Gang Violence in Central America and the Caribbean

ABSTRACT This paper examines findings from a multi-country study of faith-based education in Latin America and considers the role and contributions of faith-based organizations in addressing the causes and consequences of gang-violence in the Latin American context. Findings point to distinctive attributes of faith-based educational organizations, related to safety, belonging, and forgiveness, that enable them to play unique and effective roles in addressing the threats of gang violence to social cohesion. It considers a set of illustrative organizational cases, before analyzing how the organizational attributes and roles of faith-based actors help prevent or respond to the challenges of widespread gang activity. It then concludes by considering implications for public policy and contributions to understanding the relationship between educational pluralism and social cohesion in diverse contexts.

Representational Pluralism in Science Education

AbstractThis essay analyses the theme of representational pluralism in science education and a possible interpretation through the inferential-pragmatic conception of scientific representations. A brief description of two principal conceptions of scientific representations (the semantic-structural and the inferential-pragmatic conceptions) and their implications for unicity and plurality are presented to compare how those philosophical approaches can help understand representational plurality in science education. Subsequently, a brief analysis of different topics of science education is made to determine relevant classes of representational plurality in science education: Plurality and coexistence of representations in subjects in a school context; plurality in diverse cultural contexts; plurality by approaches and methods of research; plurality and perspectivism. In the discussion and conclusions, those classes of representational plurality are analysed from the inferential conception of representations, and themes such as proliferation, reduction, normativity, and building in plurality are discussed. The conclusions point to the understanding that representational plurality is not a subject’s deviation from the norm of scientific and school representations; instead, it is inherent to the subjects’ construction of representations, individually and collectively. Certainly, this implies that the separation from the semantic-structural approach of scientific representations must be accomplished by cancelling any similarity condition for representations. Plural representations imply that teaching requires the construction of new scenarios for students to consider the intentionality of representations and interpret them more coherently with the expectations of scientific disciplines in diverse cultural contexts.

Catholic Schools in the Marketplace: Changing and Enduring Religious Identities

ABSTRACT Despite controversies surrounding faith-based schooling, religious schools continue to play a prominent role in numerous education systems. Nonetheless, empirical research on nonstate religious schools operating in a market context remains limited and fragmented. On the one hand, while religious and cultural studies investigate the evolution of religious education (RE), they tend to focus on state schools while overlooking the impact of market forces. On the other hand, research on education markets often treats religious private schools as a uniform category with a fixed identity. This study aims to bridge this gap by delving into the responses of religious private schools to competitive pressures, focusing on how these schools negotiate their religious identities in a market context. With this objective, the paper presents a case study of Catholic school networks in Catalonia, Spain. We identify three different approaches to RE and religious identity developed by these school networks—confessional, culture-centric and value-centric. The triggering factors and enabling conditions behind these approaches are examined in detail. The study concludes by discussing the relevance of these findings for ongoing debates around the public funding of faith-based schools and the tensions posed by such policies in terms of social cohesion, educational pluralism, and equity.

Signifiers of Bildung, the Curriculum and the Democratisation of Public Education

This article argues that curriculum work can benefit from signifiers of Bildung to promote democracy in public education. The argument is built on the premise that cultural and intellectual traditions that value Bildung presume a link between the inner cultivation of the individual and the development of better societies (Horlacher 2017). I start by presenting Mouffe’s (2000) democratic paradox and how pluralism is the defining feature of liberal democracies. Based on how curriculum work is a standard of public education (Hopmann 1999), I state that the curriculum must formalise pluralism in education and convey the democratic paradox in educational terms. With reference to Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory, I then argue that such a laborious task can be achieved in the curriculum with the aid of signifiers of Bildung. Signifiers of Bildung are discursively empty and cannot acquire a definite meaning. Because of this, they make it possible to speak of the student and the society of liberal democracies while impeding a too narrow comprehension of what they are and ought to be. Therefore, to implement signifiers of Bildung in the curriculum can help establish both a standard of public education and limits to popular sovereignty. However, their use must undergo careful scrutiny, and teachers must remain free to interpret them.

Enhancing Islamic Religious Education Through Religious Moderation: Insights from Yudharta University-Pasuruan

The development of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) curriculum with the insight of religious moderation is one of the strategic efforts to face the challenges of pluralism in higher education, especially at Yudharta University Pasuruan which is a public university. This study aims to formulate a model of PAI curriculum that integrates religious moderation values. The research method used is field-research with a qualitative-descriptive approach. Data were obtained through interviews, observations, and documentation studies involving lecturers, students, and managers of PAI study programs at Yudharta University. The results showed that the development of a curriculum with a religious moderation insight was implemented The curriculum development model used at the Yudharta campus uses and applies the MBKM model, because indeed the spirit of MBKM is a form of implementation of Merdeka Belajar, where Merdeka here is to give freedom to students. The forms of implementation applied at the Yudharta campus include strengthening moderation values through both academic and non-academic activities, including lectures, discussions and workshops involving many parties from different religious backgrounds.

Digital literary readings for the promotion of gender and affective-sexual diversity: Predictors of its didactic recommendation in secondary education

This study analyses the frequencies of inclusion of digital literary-educational proposals on the diversification of sex/gender/sexuality expectations by in-service Spanish teachers of secondary education (<i>n</i>=436), and the predictors that determine this inclusion. Based on the application of the instrument <i>Digital Literary Education and the Construction of Gender Identities</i> (DLECGI), the study is developed in non-experimental designs of a cross-sectional nature, and at the relational, explanatory and predictive levels of research, insofar as it seeks to reveal the socio-demographic, formative and didactic causes of the phenomenon or event of interest, and its degree of occurrence. The results obtained indicate the existence of a profile of teachers who promote the recommendation of this type of digital reading based on their belonging to non-binary gender groups with previous training in co-education and equality, and with explicit didactic stances on controversial issues. Likewise, the relationship between socio-demographic variables and the didactic positioning of teachers on the recommendation of digital readings on affective-sexual diversity shows that initial and/or ongoing specific training in co-education and equality is a key predictor of this relationship. These findings attest to the fact that the visibility and recognition of identity plurality in literary education necessarily involves the proposal of counter-hegemonic models regarding gender and affective-sexual identity. In this regard, teacher training must continue to progress towards the adoption of inclusive didactic approaches within the framework of educational principles for democratic citizenship, regardless of the gender or personal and social identity that defines these teachers.

Reflections on Economics Education in China and Suggestions for Its Reform

Abstract Although the current economics education system in universities in China differs from developed Western countries, China has been deliberately emulating the economics education system in the West over the past two decades, a system that has been repeatedly criticized by international movements such as the “Post-Autistic Economics Movement” and the “International Student Initiative for Pluralism in Economics.” This article argues that the dominant position of mainstream Western economics in Chinese higher education contradicts the scientific principles of pluralism and does not align with China’s national conditions and the necessity for the development of a philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Based on the proposals put forward by faculty and students involved in the international movement for the reform of economics education over the past 22 years, this article recommends reforms to address the major weaknesses of economics education in China. The reforms address ten areas for improvement, including the overall goals of pluralism in economics education, curriculum design, teaching methods, an independent academic evaluation system, faculty development, and the evaluation of academic disciplines. The purpose of these reforms is to destabilize the dominant position of mainstream Western economics in higher education in China and gradually establish a new economics education system with a curriculum based on a plurality of approaches, a variety of critical pedagogies, and a methodology of problem-based learning.

ISLAMIC ETHICS AS ALTERNATIVE EPISTEMOLOGY IN INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION: EDUCATORS’ SITUATED KNOWLEDGES

ABSTRACT This paper explores the epistemological affordances of Islamic ethics as alternative knowledge within intercultural education. Despite the calls for epistemological plurality in intercultural education that centre epistemologies of the South, educators may find it hard to reaffirm their situated knowledges and practices because they may have been overwhelmed by the wide endorsements of the mainstream literature. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 25 EFL teachers, this study aims to (a) unpack educators’ perspectives around the adoption of alternative knowledges anchored in local epistemologies and sensibilities, (b) foreground educators’ epistemic positioning around alternative knowledges and how they are perceived as sites for cognitive and pedagogical renewal to account for local particularities and conditions and (c) examine inter-epistemic tensions within educators’ reasoning in terms of how they navigate (in)congruencies between the mainstream and Islamic philosophy at the conceptual, pedagogical and practical levels. Findings reveal that educators acknowledge the legitimacy of Islamic ethics and their epistemological/pedagogical significance in intercultural education. However, some factors may problematize educators’ attempts at making use of Islamic ethics including the additional burden of reflecting alternative knowledges while attending to contextual factors (class size, the course’s orientation, exams, time constraints, etc.) and the lack of sufficient training in intercultural education.

Reflections on Economics Education in China and Suggestions for Its Reform

Although the current economics education system in universities in China differs from developed Western countries, China has been deliberately emulating the economics education system in the West over the past two decades, a system that has been repeatedly criticized by international movements such as the “post-autistic economics movement” and the “International Student Initiative for Pluralism in Economics.” This article argues that the dominant position of mainstream Western economics in Chinese higher education contradicts the scientific principles of pluralism and does not align with China’s national conditions and the necessity for the development of a philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Based on the proposals put forward by faculty and students involved in the international movement for the reform of economics education over the past twenty-two years, this article recommends reforms to address the major weaknesses of economics education in China. The reforms address ten areas for improvement, including the overall goals of pluralism in economics education, curriculum design, teaching methods, an independent academic evaluation system, faculty development, and the evaluation of academic disciplines. The purpose of these reforms is to destabilize the dominant position of mainstream Western economics in higher education in China and gradually establish a new economics education system with a curriculum based on a plurality of approaches, a variety of critical pedagogies, and a methodology of problem-based learning.

Syakur Yasin’s Perspective on Religious Pluralism in Developing Islamic Education in Indramayu, Indonesia

Background: The issue of pluralism has always been a topic of conversation from time to time, along with scientific developments. Likewise, theological thinkers and Islamic thinkers have highlighted pluralism to date regarding pluralism in Islamic education. Pluralism is an essential issue because it has contributed to developing the world of Islamic education. Purpose: This article examines the understanding of the concept of religious pluralism put forward by one of the Islamic leaders, namely Saykur Yasin or Buya Sakur. Methods: This qualitative research uses content analysis with data sources from books, journals, and YouTube related to Buya Sakur’s thoughts. Results: The concept of religious pluralism of Buya Sakur in developing Islamic education can be seen from the concepts he teaches at Islamic boarding schools, public recitations, and da’wah through Chanel YouTube. The uniqueness of pluralism thinking, according to Buya Sakur, is that the reality of life in this world shows pluralism and various ethnic groups, skin colors, languages, and different religions that receive recognition from God as reality Conclusion: The concept of religious pluralism that he conveyed was very different from that of other figures or scholars. Some claim that he has a concept of understanding, especially regarding religious pluralism which is liberal in orientation and adheres to relativism.

PARENTS - FOUNDERS OF ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

The traditional school system has not met the needs of students for many years. Parents, in order to allow their children to move away from the rigid class-subject-hour system, established schools. The founders of alternative schools can be citizens, parents and teachers, religious communities as well as other legal entities. These are the so-called free schools, civic educational initiatives, reform pedagogical attempts, educational boarding schools, etc. The aim of this paper is to present the pedagogical concepts and ideas of schools in the Republic of Croatia whose founders are parents. The paper presents the basic pedagogical principles and aspects of teaching Waldorf and Montessori pedagogy based on educational pluralism, a brief overview of partnership between parents and schools in Croatia and the educational model of primary Catholic schools “Ružičnjak” and “Lotrščak”. The observed schools are located in Zagreb and have only one goal - to adapt the school to the child. An effort is made to provide each student with an individual approach. The starting points are the child’s needs and interests. These are the schools where students have freedom of choice. The goal of ing and education is the holistic development of the child. The emphasis is on active learning methods and abandoning didactic scenarios in which the child is only a passive observer. Keywords: alternative schools; catholic schools; educational pluralism; partnership; parents

The impact of education reform in Romania between 1989-2020 on the regulation and decentralization of early childhood education

Romania inherited a tightly controlled and strictly regulated mass education system from socialism, which inevitably has gone through a systematic reform. However, transformation or change of any education system does not take place for its own sake, but it is intended to meet certain social and political challenges and requirements. Therefore, the present study investigates the significant changes that have taken place in early childhood education (ECE) in Romania since the collapse of the Ceausescu regime in 1989. Specifically, the impact of the reform measures on ECE provision is examined in relation to curriculum content and structure. Explanation of how to investigate education have been central to the present research. The analysis of documentary data corpus identified three main themes reflecting the changes that took place: (i) the introduction of education reforms, (ii) the emergence of educational pluralism, (iii) the various iterations of the early childhood curriculum. Findings suggest that decentralisation processes led to the spread of alternative pedagogies in ECE add the findings about curriculum content change our investigation offers a detailed picture of the educational processes of decentralization and the changes it has brought in the early childhood curriculum.

Cultural Foundations of Education in the Conditions of Society Digitalisation

The purpose of the work is to explore the cultural foundations of modern education in the context of digitalisation of all spheres of society. The research methodology is based on the application of a systemic approach, as well as analytical, cultural, and axiological methods, which allow a comprehensive consideration of the given issue and draw justified conclusions. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the generalisation of statements regarding the definition of the key role of cultural studies and culture at the current stage of education development, in particular in the context of digitalisation of society and all spheres of its life. It is substantiated that the culturological paradigm provides an understanding of pluralism in education; the relationship between education and culture is revealed, first of all, through a person, who is a systemic connecting link of the cultural and educational systems. Conclusions. Education as a social and cultural phenomenon is an integral part of the evolutionary development of mankind. The goal of education as a socio-cultural phenomenon is the reorientation of its cultural function, which should be a priority, to correspond to new trends of socio-cultural development, to focus on such cultural dominants of today’s world as anthropocentrism, humanism, democracy, spirituality, morality, variability, and integrativeness. This understanding of modern education corresponds to the trends and dynamics of modern culture, changes the nature of actions in the educational space, expanding the boundaries of its design. Awareness of the cultural foundations of education contributes to the creation of such an educational space where different cultures interact most fully, tolerance and respect are formed, there is an awareness that global culture consists of different cultures, the plurality of which creates its unique mosaic, providing the ability for self-development as a culture of humanity as a whole, as well as each of its components.
 Key words: cultural studies, cultural knowledge, education, digitalisation, cultural paradigm, creative personality, personal development.

Educational Pluralism, Education Preferences, and the Origin Story of an American Movement: Congratulations to the Winners of the 2022 Patrick Wolf ISCRC Best Paper Prize

Educational Pluralism, Education Preferences, and the Origin Story of an American Movement: Congratulations to the Winners of the 2022 Patrick Wolf ISCRC Best Paper Prize

Toward Understanding the Global Landscape of Educational Pluralism

ABSTRACT This paper explores the global and cross-national landscape of educational pluralism, its grounding in human rights law and contemporary debates, and conceptualizes how it might be measured cross-nationally. It first articulates how educational pluralism is central to the right to education in foundational human rights instruments, with a focus on understanding the role of educational pluralism in protecting cultural rights, religious liberties, and parental rights, while also embracing the rights of the child and duties of states. It then traces emerging debates at an international level, particularly related to ideas of the autonomy of children and concerns about privatization in education systems. It then conceptualizes a means of mapping and measuring educational pluralism cross nationally, and concludes by sharing analysis of PISA data to offer a preliminary picture of the cross-national landscape, noting limitations with the available data.

Prior Learning Assessment of Immigrants Competences—a Systematic Review

As immigration increases around the globe, the assessment and recognition of prior learning experiences become inevitable to incorporate foreign-trained professionals. However, even though Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is claimed to be a source of social inclusion, it encourages a dividing practice—potentially building more barriers than bridges. This systematic review analyzes the practice of PLAR in the case of recent immigrants using 39 articles published between 1990 and 2020. The research reviewed was primarily conducted in Canada and Sweden, followed by other European countries. The systematic review synthesizes the context in which PLAR is used, the difficulties encountered during the process, and the impact of the process. By doing so, it pinpoints a new baseline for future innovative research. The analysis focuses on three identified difficulties: (1) language influence, (2) labour market demands, and (3) systemic limitations. The findings raise the question whether PLAR is an appropriate tool for the assessment of immigrants’ prior learning, as the plurality in knowledge and education is not valued during the process. Therefore, overall systemic change is needed to enable social inclusion.

Education for Religious Pluralism in Islam: One Book or Series of Books, a Singular Message or Myriad Messages?

As the literature on the philosophical and theological aspects of religious pluralism concerning Islamic education is indeed scarce and sporadic, this article discusses the complexity of religious pluralism in the Quranic discourse, while highlighting the tension between inclusive and exclusive interpretations. In doing so, the article reflects on the notion of religious pluralism, arguing that this notion should not be approached as a truth to be verified, but as a hypothesis to be tested. Additionally, the article presents various educational implications as to how to encourage religious pluralism in Islamic education. Specifically, I will advocate for a new type of education: education for religion.

KONSEP PLURALISME PENDIDIKAN ISLAM DI INDONESIA DALAM PERSPEKTIF ABDURRAHMAN WAHID (GUS DUR)

The issue of pluralism has become an important issue specifically discussed throughout the ages and along with the development of the scientific world. Pluralism has been in the spotlight, especially among theological and Islamic thought, so that the issue of pluralism has entered Indonesia and has even reached the implementation of Islamic education. Talking about the term pluralism universally becomes an important point because today's problem is the concept of pluralism is not only a concept that leads to theology. But especially in Indonesia, pluralism is the main knife that must be developed, especially in Islamic education. This paper is here to discuss the pluralism figure in Indonesia, namely Abdurrahman Wahid who is familiarly called GUSDUR the intelligent idol who is one of the figures in Indonesia who gives the concept of pluralism to Islamic education. The focus of this research explores several issues that are quite urgent, namely: First, how is Abdurrahman Wahid's concept of pluralism in Islamic education. Second, what is the basis for Abdurrahman Wahid's thoughts on pluralism in the context of Indonesia. This basic assumption is the main reference which is studied in depth in this research. The type of research is library research with a descriptive analytical research approach that explains the roots of thinking critically. Specifically, it can be concluded that pluralism in education is the most effective institution and media in managing this diversity. The function of education is nothing but an effort to transform the values of a nation. Educational pluralism is an effort to inculcate national and human values, which must be pursued both in the family, community and educational environment. Islamic education in Abdurrahman Wahid's perspective is a sub-system of national education that has quite a big role in the transformation of religious values to students. This should start from Muslims, considering Islam as the majority religion. Changes in the paradigm of Islamic education must be pursued. This is because the paradigm that has been used so far turns out to be more selfish, closed (exclusive), intolerant, and oriented towards personal piety. In facing the plurality of society: multi-ethnic and multi-religious, according to Gus Dur, an educational paradigm that is tolerant, inclusive and oriented towards social piety is needed, not forgetting individual piety.