Rationale For Education Research Articles

The European Semester as a Policy Instrument in Education—The Cases of Spain and Sweden

ABSTRACTIn this article we examine the European Semester as an innovative form of policy coordination, with distinct effects on education and skills policies for Member States. We analyse the Semester's framing of education policy, and examine its manifestations in Spain and Sweden, two countries considered to be different in their approach to education. Drawing on a policy instrumentation approach and interviews with policy actors and documentary analysis, our research suggests that while the Semester has given education policy a significant place within the EU's governance, economic rationales for education are clearly dominant in the process. Still, we identify underpinning logics that strengthen the social and educational perspectives represented in the Semester, although these are still treated as productive forces for labour market integration. In addition, there is a strengthening of collaboration between the European Commission and Member States, but also tensions between different parts of the Commission over the definition and direction of education policy.

RESEARCH-ORIENTED TEACHER EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN:POLICY DOCUMENTS AND LITERATURE ANALYSIS

School education is changing in response to the rapidly changing world, therefore, teacher education must change too. Modernization of teacher education in Kazakhstan is caused by curriculum renewal and a focus on research in the light of a knowledge-basedeconomy. Research capacity in teacher education at individual, organizational, and system levels ensures a quality development of the research component, which is discussed in international literature. The purpose of this article is to trace how research-oriented teacher education is discussed in the Kazakhstani context literature and captured in policy documents. Thematic analysis is employed to analyze and synthesize the data. Overall, fifteen articles by Kazakhstani and international authors and six policy documents were analyzed. The key themes drawn from the policy documents analysis include the rationale for research-oriented teacher education, the ways of research-oriented teacher education implementation, and teacher research competencies. In parallel, the literature review reveals the discussion of such topics as the readiness for research-oriented teacher education, barriers encountered, and suggestions for research-oriented teacher education development.

Do educators get it? Examining understanding of compulsory civic education for learners in Zambian secondary schools

This study explores educators' understanding of the rationale for Civic Education to be taught as a compulsory subject to learners in secondary schools in Zambia, as enshrined in the national policy on education. The study was conducted in all secondary schools of Kabwe district, guided by the Advocacy Coalition Framework Theory (ACF). Using a mixed-method approach within a pragmatic research paradigm, data were collected from 239 participants. Quantitative insights were derived from 215 respondents across 32 selected schools, including head teachers, heads of Social Science departments, heads of Civic Education sections, and Civic Education teachers who completed an online questionnaire. Qualitative data involved interviews with 24 educators and 2 Ministry of Education officials, supplemented by document analysis of national policy and curriculum frameworks. Findings underscore a robust awareness among educators of Civic Education's role in fostering informed citizenship and preparing learners for democratic engagement, focusing on four themes: (1) cultivating informed learners, (2) promoting good citizenship and social cohesion, (3) preparing learners for political engagement, and (4) enhancing critical thinking skills. Additionally, findings may inform policy and practice. Recommendations include enhancing professional development through targeted training programs, ensuring curriculum alignment with national policy frameworks, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among departments, and establishing mechanisms for ongoing program evaluation to ensure effectiveness and continuous improvement. These recommendations aim to strengthen compulsory Civic Education implementation in Kabwe District, Zambia, fostering a knowledgeable and engaged citizenry capable of contributing positively to society.

Leisure Education Grounded in Social Justice: A Facilitation Technique that Contributes to Inclusive Leisure and Therapeutic Recreation

Leisure education is an important area of service that encourages people to participate actively in physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally healthy activities. This educational approach empowers people to make decisions, discover new information and resources about leisure, and navigate stressful transitions throughout their lives. The purpose of this paper is to clarify that leisure education is grounded on principles of social justice and facilitates two synergistic service contexts of inclusive leisure and therapeutic recreation (TR). To achieve this purpose, this paper contains supportive literature identifying that leisure education grounded in social justice principles is a facilitation technique used in providing inclusive leisure and TR services. Further, the literature presented in the paper provides a rationale for grounding leisure education on social justice to assist people in achieving goals of leisure associated with authenticity and self-determination, positive health and well-being, and flourishing. The paper increases understanding of leisure education and ways TR practitioners can use it to positively support people to live the lives they value. Therefore, this paper provides a unique contribution to the literature by identifying that social justice can be the basis for leisure education as a component of both TR and inclusive leisure services designed to help participants experience authenticity and self-determination culminating in leisure, positive health, well-being, and flourishing.

Emotional education: A critical review of the voices against its implementation in schools

The uncertainty, constant changes and growing diversity that characterize the societies in which we live have a considerable impact on people's lives. Education is no stranger to this situation and, aware of its responsibility and social function of training for life, has echoed the recommendations to promote the development of emotional skills. However, there are voices critical of this initiative considering that they respond to the interest of maintaining a neoliberal economic-social order. The purpose of this article is to deepen our knowledge of these critical positions and to present a rationale for Emotional Education that includes and contextualises them, to conclude with a reflection on the need to reconcile the different views and perspectives for the benefit of the integral personal development of individuals and society. To meet the objective of this proposal a systematic literature review was carried out in the PsycInfo, Education database, Dialnet, ERIC and Scielo databases, and 14 scientific publications in specialized journals and 3 books that responded to the objective of the study were selected. As a result of the analyses of the literature we have made a categorisation of the criticisms into six areas: political, educational, psychological, sociological, philosophical, and, to a lesser extent, linguistic. The need to reconcile different perspectives for the implementation of EE in schools and the importance of teacher training for this purpose is discussed. Finally, the implications of the criticism are pointed out as well as future lines of research.

The Rationale of Physical Education and Aesthetics in the Context of Big Data and the Value and Significance of its Implementation in Colleges and Universities

Abstract This paper first takes the deep learning theory as the basis of the thesis of sports and aesthetic education, constructs the flipped classroom teaching model of sports and aesthetic education based on the theory, and introduces the Bayesian estimation theory and the structural equation model to apply it to sports and aesthetic education. Secondly, the research object and method are selected for the flipped classroom teaching model of physical education and aesthetic education, and the teaching process of the flipped classroom experiment and the assumptions related to students’ learning satisfaction are given. Finally, the application value of physical education and aesthetics in colleges and universities is analyzed through the convergence of path coefficients in Bayesian structural equation modeling and hypothesis testing. When the number of iterations reaches 100*103 times, the H6-H11 path coefficient convergence value interval is [-22.5, 14.2]. The convergence interval fluctuates a lot and shows a more unstable trend than the H1-H5 path coefficient. Students learning satisfaction will have a direct effect on their aesthetic ability and improve their aesthetic awareness, and the path coefficients are 0.629 and 0.524, respectively. Deep learning theory based on sports and aesthetics in colleges and universities under the background of big data can improve students’ learning satisfaction and then promote the enhancement of students’ aesthetic ability and aesthetic awareness.

A narrative review of adaptive testing and its application to medical education.

Adaptive testing has a long but largely unrecognized history. The advent of computer-based testing has created new opportunities to incorporate adaptive testing into conventional programmes of study. Relatively recently software has been developed that can automate the delivery of summative assessments that adapt by difficulty or content. Both types of adaptive testing require a large item bank that has been suitably quality assured. Adaptive testing by difficulty enables more reliable evaluation of individual candidate performance, although at the expense of transparency in decision making, and requiring unidirectional navigation. Adaptive testing by content enables reduction in compensation and targeted individual support to enable assurance of performance in all the required outcomes, although at the expense of discovery learning. With both types of adaptive testing, candidates are presented a different set of items to each other, and there is the potential for that to be perceived as unfair. However, when candidates of different abilities receive the same items, they may receive too many they can answer with ease, or too many that are too difficult to answer. Both situations may be considered unfair as neither provides the opportunity to demonstrate what they know. Adapting by difficulty addresses this. Similarly, when everyone is presented with the same items, but answer different items incorrectly, not providing individualized support and opportunity to demonstrate performance in all the required outcomes by revisiting content previously answered incorrectly could also be considered unfair; a point addressed when adapting by content. We review the educational rationale behind the evolution of adaptive testing and consider its inherent strengths and limitations. We explore the continuous pursuit of improvement of examination methodology and how software can facilitate personalized assessment. We highlight how this can serve as a catalyst for learning and refinement of curricula; fostering engagement of learner and educator alike.

Awareness of Nutrition and Supplements Among Pregnant and Preconception Women: A Real-World Study in Vietnam.

Few studies have addressed relationships between health literacy (HL) and nutritional awareness in preconception/pregnancy populations, especially within Asia. We explored the rationale for nutrition-related education and/or HL interventions to improve nutritional intake among preconception/pregnant women. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based real-world study was conducted among 100 preconception and 200 pregnant women in Vietnam in January/February 2022. The questionnaire included a validated screening tool for HL (Newest Vital Sign [NVS]), and questions on preconception/pregnancy-related nutritional knowledge and behavior, prenatal supplementation, sources of nutritional advice. Most respondents (62%) had limited HL and only 5% had adequate HL. Respondents with limited HL (NVS 0-1) showed less awareness of benefits of healthy eating before/during pregnancy, such as reduction in risk of birth defects. Most (94%) considered prenatal supplements beneficial, yet 64% were not convinced of supplement safety. The limited HL group reported the lowest use of supplements, including multivitamins, iron, and folic acid/folate. The prevalence of limited HL and the low awareness of preconception/pregnancy-related nutrition suggest an urgent need to invest in nutrition-specific education and improving HL in maternal populations. This will help support adequate maternal nutrition and appropriate micronutrient supplementation before conception and throughout the "first 1000 days" of life.

Settler nation-building through immigration as a rationale for higher education: a critical discourse analysis

ABSTRACT As education-migration (edugration) blurs the line between international student and immigrant recruitment in some jurisdictions, higher education admission is becoming linked to settler nation-building projects. Using critical discourse analysis, this article examines the Canadian higher education sector’s response to COVID-19 through pre-budget submissions to the House of Commons of Canada Standing Committee on Finance for the 2021 federal budget. Findings demonstrate how institutions instrumentalized international students to position themselves as valuable actors in Canada’s immigration regime and justify their requests for public financial support. In this way, nation-building through immigration – both globally, as an imperial power, and domestically, as a colonial power – is now a new societal role of higher education which is becoming hegemonic within institutions. This is significant because, as higher education’s purposes align with those of economic immigration, the sector not only fails to interrupt, but itself reproduces, systemic patterns of border imperialism and settler-colonialism. The article urges higher education institutions to (1) more deeply consider how a reliance on international student enrolment is impacting its societal roles, while also (2) avoid exceptionalizing the present by recognizing that higher education has long functioned in the service of the state as a colonial and imperialist power.

Critical meta-analysis of problem-solving serious games: Clear signs of pedagogists’ disengagement and over-optimistic expectations

Problem-solving is placed at top of the ten most important life skills recommended by World Economic Forum. Serious game has been one of the dominant tools for educating people in different subjects over the last 10 years. This study aims to critically analyse previous empirical studies conducted on Problem-Solving Serious Games (PSSG). Using Constant Comparative Method (CCM) framework, 737 studies in this area are listed; and after applying several filters, 36 studies are refined and finally chosen. The analysis shows that serious games not alone improve people’s problem-solving ability, it also positively impacts on their problem-solving motivation, problem-solving measurement ability, critical thinking, and learning attitude. However, there is a lack of pedagogists’ engagement with PSSG studies. As a result, those studies suffered from lack of educational rationale behind and lack of right direction in choosing their participants, research methods, focus, genre, and expected outputs. Theoretical and practical implications of this critical analysis are outlined at the end of this paper, shedding light on the future directions of PSSG studies. the main conclusions of this study are as following: 1. An inter-disciplinary approach led by pedagogists is needed to design, develop, and examine PSSGs effectively. 2. The over-optimistic viewpoint about serious games in general and PSSGs in specific should be moderated by looking more closely at the negative marginal and side effects of implementing these games on gamers.

Scaling-Up Social Learning in Small Groups with Robot Supported Collaborative Learning (RSCL): Effects of Learners’ Prior Experience in the Case Study of Planning Poker with the Robot NAO

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online learning in higher education, making the need to rethink pedagogical approaches to on-campus education stronger than ever before. While online learning offers a wide range of benefits for both teachers and students, social, face-to-face interaction provides a strong rationale for in-person education. This paper proposes a novel approach to enhancing in-person social learning experiences through robot-supported collaborative learning facilitated by a social robot NAO in the case study “Planning poker with NAO”, which is a collaborative game-based activity facilitated by the robot. The case study was designed to provide a scalable social learning experience in small groups of students. The evaluation results from a study with 46 university students who played Planning poker with NAO explore different quality aspects of the learning experience. The results indicate that students valued both the social learning experience and the robotic facilitator. The analysis revealed some significant differences among students with and without prior experience in interacting with NAO, suggesting directions for future research related to novelty and familiarisation effects as well as to scaling up of social learning in small groups by applying social robots.

On the Rationale of Cross-domain Education in the Universities From the Perspective of Basarab Nicolescu's Thoughts on Transdisciplinarity

On the Rationale of Cross-domain Education in the Universities From the Perspective of Basarab Nicolescu's Thoughts on Transdisciplinarity

Growing Up Together: Brooklyn’s Truant School and the Carceral and Educational State, 1857-1924

This article uses the history of Brooklyn’s Truant School from its inception in 1857 to its demise in 1924 to highlight the interconnected rationales for public education and juvenile incarceration in nineteenth and early twentieth century urban America. Drawing on newspaper accounts and Board of Education records, I seek to historicize current understandings of the so-called school-to-prison pipeline by examining how the nation’s modern penal and school systems were developed together during the antebellum and Progressive eras, not in tension, but as two sides of the same coin.

An Epistemological Rationale for Classical Education

The primary aim of this study is to fortify classical education against influential but dangerously constricted conceptions of assessment and accountability. This effort is supported by the strikingly insightful defender of liberal arts education, Harry S. Broudy, a preeminent voice in philosophy of education during the mid to late twentieth century. The article explores Broudy’s call for general or liberal education, highlighting the seminal epistemology of Michael Polanyi, upon which Broudy’s call stands. Exploration of Broudy’s epistemological rationale for classical education offers an occasion for reflection on the sort of person formed by such activity. The article will show that at the heart of comprehensive discussion of the ends, content, and methods of classical education, and manifest in the educational theory of Polanyi and Broudy, is a focus on shaping the moral imagination. Such shaping constitutes the character formation that is the fundamental objective of classical education.

DISCOURSE ON SOCIALLY RELEVANT HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA

From generations back it has been the concept in the society that who are possessing education especially higher education must be reflecting socially acceptable norms in their behaviour. “Being educated you should not talk like this”, “Being educated you should not behave like this”, such type of statements from seniors were often noticeable. Educated people were responsible to maintain peace, resolve the conflicts judiciously and reflect patience and tolerance whenever situations arisen. We believe that this has been the basic goal of education in any society across the globe. Essence and rationale of education could logically be extracted by speculating on the need of a community to establish a school of institution of higher learning. Unquestionably, we find that institutions of education have primary purpose to serve is betterment of society. University education should be explained in terms of the process for the betterment of the universe. Nowadays, we are living in social and environmental crises of universal nature affecting several countries and cultures. In general observations we found that uneducated people are less accountable in bringing big disasters. Neither big disasters nor the highly educated criminals are the subjects to be discussed here, whereas we are trying to find out the substance of the education, provided to present generation, especially living in urban setting but not limited to urban only. Urban youngsters are getting priority over rural because of density of institutions of education in the area. Moreover, civic sense of urban and educated people has often been imitated by non-urban population whenever they are visited and having interaction.

Asking the experts: Indigenous educators as leaders in early education and care settings in Australia

The educational rationale behind the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in early education and care services in Australia is grounded in effective engagement and support of Indigenous families. Additionally, this inclusion aims to promote non-Indigenous understanding and recognition of Indigenous peoples, with a view to strengthening reconciliation and improving outcomes for Indigenous children. However, a lack of confidence and capacity of a largely non-Indigenous early childhood educator cohort has resulted in either the absence or misrepresentation of Indigenous knowledges and/or perspectives. This paper presents research that identifies Indigenous peoples as the owners and experts of Indigenous knowledges and perspectives. Employing a qualitative approach from within an Indigenous methodological framework, the research engaged the expertise of Indigenous educators to identify and recruit additional research participants. From this research, it is clear that specific characteristics related to knowledge, experience and understanding position Indigenous educators as the most valuable and capable leaders in the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in early education and care settings.

Diverse pre-service midwifery education pathways in Cambodia and Malawi: A qualitative study utilising a midwifery education pathway conceptual framework

ObjectivesEducated and skilled midwives are required to improve maternal and newborn health and reduce stillbirths. There are three main approaches to the pre-service education of midwives: direct entry, post-nursing and integrated programmes combining nursing and midwifery. Within these, there can be multiple programmes of differing lengths and qualifications, with many countries offering numerous pathways. This study explores the history, rationale, benefits and disadvantages of multiple pre-service midwifery education in Malawi and Cambodia. The objectives are to investigate the differences in education, roles and deployment as well as how key informants perceive that the various pathways influence workforce, health care, and wider health systems outcomes in each country. DesignQualitative data were collected during semi-structured interviews and analysed using a pre-developed conceptual framework for understanding the development and outcomes of midwifery education programmes. The framework was created before data collection. SettingThe setting is one Asian and one African country: Cambodia and Malawi. ParticipantsTwenty-one key informants with knowledge of maternal health care at the national level from different Government and non-governmental backgrounds. ResultsApproaches to midwifery education have historical origins. Different pathways have developed iteratively and are influenced by a need to fill vacancies, raise standards and professionalise midwifery. Cambodia has mostly focused on direct-entry midwifery while Malawi has a strong emphasis on dual-qualified nurse-midwives. Informants reported that associate midwifery cadres were often trained in a more limited set of competencies, but in reality were often required to carry out similar roles to professional midwives, often without supervision. While some respondents welcomed the flexibility offered by multiple cadres, a lack of coordination and harmonisation was reported in both countries. Key conclusionsThe development of midwifery education in Cambodia and Malawi is complex and somewhat fragmented. While some midwifery cadres have been trained to fulfil a more limited role with fewer competencies, in practice they often have to perform a more comprehensive range of competencies. Implications for practiceEducation of midwives in the full range of globally established competencies, and leadership and coordination between Ministries of Health, midwife educators and professional bodies are all needed to ensure midwives can have the greatest impact on maternal and newborn health and wellbeing.

Soft power as a policy rationale for international education in China

Soft power as a policy rationale for international education in China

Turn on the CC: Increase Inclusion for All Your Students

ABSTRACT Social work education is mandated to provide inclusivity and accessibility to all students. Critical disability theory (CDT) challenges the notion that disabilities should be eradicated; rather, it declares that different abilities should be acknowledged and embraced as contributions. Universal design (UD), originating as a framework for accessible architectural building designs, has become a pedagogical approach in education. UD supports CDT and takes it farther by suggesting how to develop an inclusive environment. Through the lens of CDT and UD, this conceptual paper provides the rationale for educators to increase classroom inclusivity and accessibility by adding closed captions to all learning materials, presentations and videos, Closed captions, the text of verbal language, is beneficial for many different types of students, including those with processing disorder or hearing loss, those who did not learn English as their primary language, and those who have difficulty with focus. Further, this paper seeks to provide a step-by-step instruction manual to assist instructors with immediately including captions in their learning materials.

How post-Bologna policies construct the purposes of higher education and students’ transitions into Masters programmes

In this article, we address the questions: How is the purpose of higher education constructed within policy texts from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), England and Sweden? How does this position students in making the transition from Bachelor to Masters? We do this through analysis of two recent policy documents from each of the EHEA, England and Sweden, identifying key discourses including the meanings, oppositions, contradictions and logics that structure the texts. We look at what aspects of ‘global policyspeak’ are common across them, what are their particularities and how these are shaped by distinct histories. We argue that all the texts represent neoliberal policies in sharing an economic rationale for higher education and in individualising the benefits of university education. Students are, in their transition from Bachelor to Masters, expected to maximise their employability and their ability to contribute to the national and global knowledge economy. However, there are also differences between the policy documents, tensions within them and alternative discourses, such as a focus on dialogue and academic freedom that challenge the reduction of higher education to the economic.