Recent Reforms Research Articles

해외 대학의 학부교육 개편 사례 비교 연구

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to explore the modification of the university model in three post-colonial institutions—the University of Hong Kong, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Melbourne—which share the legacy of the British undergraduate education model that emphasizes specialization in specific majors. This study aims to analyze the background and content of the recent undergraduate education reforms undertaken by these universities and to investigate the similarities and differences in their processes of transformation. [Methods] This study applied a multi-case analysis and compared commonalities and differences between case universities by analyzing various literature data (prior studies, research reports, media articles, university websites, and official documents. [Results] Common drivers for undergraduate education reform include global higher education norms that emphasize competence-based education to enhance graduate employability and bolster internationalization strategies. Consequently, all case universities reinforced the general education component and increased flexibility in curriculum structure, moving away from the British legacy of specialization in specific disciplines. However, the specific drivers and content of the reforms varied depending on the institutional context, resulting in each case university developing distinct formats of undergraduate education models. [Conclusion] The results of this study revealed that, although the case universities incorporated various components from the US education model, these borrowing practices did not necessarily result in homogeneity among the three institutions. Furthermore, the study identified a hybridity in the university education models of some case universities, which selectively integrated educational models from various regions during the process of undergraduate education reform. Based on these findings, theoretical and policy implications were presented.

Saudi Higher Education Accreditation: From Policy to Practice: Cultural Inquiry into Saudi Academics' Practices During the Implementation of Accreditation Standards

This paper investigates the relationships between Saudi cultural factors and the practices associated with the implementation of accreditation standards in Saudi higher education institutions (HEIs). Through a qualitative study involving document analysis, interviews, and observations, data was collected from a sample of 33 academic leaders and faculty members at three Saudi universities. The findings reveal a strong correlation between cultural elements and the practices of Saudi academics during the accreditation process. Using a social practice theory (SPT) approach, the study demonstrates how cultural issues influence common practices and actions, highlighting the integration of Saudi identity, traditions, and contemporary values in the implementation methods. The research underscores the importance of cultural awareness in addressing the gap between policy and practice, suggesting that modifications to accreditation guidelines should consider these cultural factors. The study also discusses the positive impact of recent educational reforms and the empowerment of women in supporting the accreditation process. These insights aim to enhance the effectiveness of accreditation efforts in Saudi Arabia, ensuring they meet international standards while respecting the local cultural context.

How the Use of Fees, Fines and Bail Have Been Used to Criminalize Poverty: Can Reforms Help Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?

The rallying cry of many American politicians is Law and Order. This tactic wins votes. As a result of its Wars on Crime, Drugs, and the Impoverished, America has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. This article explores how, over the past few decades, politicians have charged criminal defendants every imaginable fee and fine as they wind their way through the criminal justice system in order to fund the massive prison complex that the politicians do not want to tax Americans for. These tactics have criminalized poverty, as they disproportionately impact the most marginalized in American society. These abusive and unfair tactics have drawn scrutiny from policymakers in recent years, including the American Bar Association, which adopted stringent guidelines to help inform policymakers of this critical problem in an effort to reign in the abusive use of fees and fines. The paper discusses recent reforms, many at the urging of the Department of Justice, Office for Access to Justice, in conjunction with the ABA. It discusses the main Supreme Court cases that considered the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment.

Crowding out or crowding in? The interaction between public pensions and private transfers in China

ABSTRACT Public pensions and intergenerational family support are among the most important and well-researched income sources for older individuals in many societies. However, the interactions between them have received less attention. A few exceptions discuss if public transfers ‘crowd out’ private transfers. Yet, these studies in developed welfare states are considered misplaced due to their ‘fait accompli’ support arrangements. Furthermore, the cultural and symbolic value of support is often overlooked in these debates. Focusing on the case of China, where family support is institutionalized and public pension coverage is expanding, this study aims to contribute to the ‘crowding-out’ debates by examining intergenerational family transfers following the recent public pension reforms. Based on Heckman two-step regression analyses of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2015), the study shows that the ‘crowding-out’ and ‘crowding-in’ effects of public pensions co-exist. The long-established employee pension schemes reduced child-to-parent transfers, but increased parent-to-child transfers. More importantly, access to the new resident pensions, rather than displacing family support, has in effect ‘crowded in’ more child-to-parent transfers. These findings provide new insights into the dynamics between working-age and older generations, as well as between the state and family concerning their roles in welfare provision.

Have China’s internal migrants been more settled since 2010? A contribution based on migrants’ age profiles

ABSTRACT This Research Note employs age data to assess whether China’s internal migrants have become more settled since 2010. The aim is to answer the crucial question of whether recent hukou reform initiatives have achieved their goals of improving migrant settlement. We extend a method from existing research that examines two key aspects of settlement – family togetherness and long-term stay of migrants – through analyzing age profiles of migrant stock. Specifically, by scrutinizing age data from the 2010 and 2020 censuses, we evaluate whether the child and elderly dependents of migrants are more engaged in migration and whether migrants growing old can better remain in the destinations. The results show that from 2010 to 2020, the age distribution of migrants became slightly more even across all age groups, yet it was still concentrated in young adults – the overall shape remained largely unchanged. This indicates a small improvement in settlement, which is unsatisfactory given the various hukou reform initiatives aimed at substantially increasing settlement opportunities in the last 10 years. Much greater efforts on hukou reform and support for migrants are needed. Furthermore, our research highlights the utility of age data in assessing the actual extent of migrant settlement, as opposed to the exclusive focus on settlement intentions, which are common in existing studies.

Beyond Rhetoric: The European Parliament as a Workplace for Parents and Current Reform Debates

Doing justice to their families and the political mandate is especially difficult for MEPs. Parents struggle to balance family obligations and work, particularly when the children are young. They undertake extensive journeys between their home constituencies and Brussels or Strasbourg. This taxing routine is further compounded by prolonged working hours, often devoid of leisurely weekends. In combination with the absence of a comprehensive parental leave policy, these challenges disproportionately affect parents of young children, particularly mothers, influencing the diversity and representation within the European Parliament. This study critically examines the existing conditions that shape the working environment of MEPs who are parents. It explores recent endeavors to reform these conditions and the underlying obstacles that hinder the progress of these reformative initiatives. Referring to relevant documents, this study first outlines formal regulations governing parental rights in the European Parliament. We then address informal rules and recent reform proposals using insight from MEP interviews. This examination investigates how parent MEPs assess working conditions and balance competing demands. Despite expectations, the European Parliament falls short of being as family-friendly as anticipated. Nevertheless, recent times have witnessed increased attention to the topic and various reform proposals. The obstacles posed by diverse national legacies and variant conceptions of MEP mandates and statuses for reform are highlighted.

Recent reforms of prison work in France: Stepping stones on the way to equal rights

This contribution focuses on the limits to equality that continue to prevail in French law as far as prison workers are concerned. After taking stock of the progress towards equality accomplished in recent reforms, it sheds light on blocks of resistance to the movement towards equal rights. The contributions proposes a typology of arguments that are used to deprive prison workers of social rights and explores grounds that could serve to reverse this traditional approach, and justify buttressing prison workers’ social rights.

The Expansion of Incentive (Performance-Based) Regulation of Electricity Distribution and Transmission in the United States

I examine developments in the application of performance-based regulation (PBR) to electricity distribution and transmission in the United States. Applications of comprehensive PBR to electricity distribution had been slow to diffuse in the U.S. prior to roughly 2000. PBR mechanisms are now being applied more frequently to electricity distribution, which reflects the changing structure of the electric power industry and the increasing obligations that are being placed on electric distribution companies. The new obligations are a consequence primarily of aggressive targets for decarbonizing the electricity sector in nearly half the states and the goal of using “clean” electricity to electrify transportation, buildings, and other sectors. PBR should be viewed as a set of “building blocks” that can be adopted in various combinations and should recognize that PBR and traditional cost-of-service regulation (COSR) are properly viewed as complements rather than substitutes. Recent reforms in the regulation of distribution companies in Great Britain—“RIIO”—have been influential in the U.S. The main reforms contained in RIIO are discussed. There has been essentially no application of PBR by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to owners of transmission assets or to independent transmission operators. FERC has applied targeted incentives to encourage investment in transmission facilities and membership in independent system operator organizations. However, the regulation of transmission rates relies primarily on COSR in the form of formula rates and has poor incentive properties. Regulation of independent system operators is a challenge because they are non-profit organizations with no equity to put at risk. Reforms here are suggested.

Assessing the impacts of EU agricultural policies on the sustainability of the livestock sector: a review of the recent literature

AbstractHow do agricultural policies in the EU need to change to increase the sustainability of livestock production, and what measures could encourage sustainable practices whilst minimising trade-offs? Addressing such questions is crucial to ensure progress towards proclaimed targets whilst moving production levels to planetary boundaries. However, a lack of available evidence on the impacts of recent policies hinders developments in this direction. In this review, we address this knowledge gap, by collating and evaluating recent policy analyses, using three complementary frameworks. The review highlights that recent policy reforms, and especially those of the Common Agricultural Policy, have had a large impact on the sustainability of the livestock sector by contributing to intensification and simplification. This has often resulted in negative impacts (e.g. on greenhouse gas emissions and animal welfare) and while financial support has enabled production, it can also lead to a culture of dependency that limits innovation. At the same time, a lack of regulation and concrete targets, and low levels of stakeholder engagement in policy design have led to delays in the delivery of sustainability objectives. Future policies could take on-board more innovative thinking that addresses the interrelatedness of society, animals, and the environment, to deliver effective targets and support.

Towards a New Criminal Offence of Intimate Intrusions

This article suggests a new approach to tackling women’s experiences of harm and abuse, particularly online, namely a criminal law of ‘intimate intrusions’. It seeks to reinvigorate Betsy Stanko’s (1985) concept of intimate intrusions, developing it particularly in the context of the ever-increasing prevalence of online abuse against women and girls, as well as establishing how this conceptualisation might manifest in law reform. Intimate intrusions, it is argued, provides a valuable umbrella concept that may better encompass both the range and nature of existing harms, as well as, crucially, the yet-to-be-imagined modes of abuse. Further, in suggesting a new criminal offence of intimate intrusions, this article challenges the common process of piecemeal criminal law reform, with each new manifestation of abuse resulting in a specific offence tackling that specific behaviour. While such an approach provides new redress options, it remains limited. Following an examination of recent reforms in Northern Ireland, where three distinct new criminal offences were adopted covering downblousing, upskirting and cyberflashing, this article suggests that the concept of ‘intimate intrusions’ provides a better foundation for a new criminal offence and outlines its potential nature and scope.

Participative rights in Welsh primary schools: Unpicking the policy rhetoric

This paper presents the findings from the initial stage of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project which examines the pedagogic practices that embed young children’s participative rights in lower primary classrooms in Wales. An evaluation of relevant legislation and policy in Wales from 2000 to 2022 was undertaken to explicate the positioning of teachers and their responsibilities regarding children’s participative rights. Data analysis detailed here sets out the legislative and statutory context within which teachers work, as well as the curricular and pedagogic framework which steers classroom activity. The Welsh Government has, for two decades, been explicitly sympathetic to embedding children’s rights in policy development, yet there is limited research evidencing the changes in educational curricula and practice. The gap between policy intention and implementation is not unique to Wales and therefore of universal interest. We report that although there is evidence of the increased inclusion of children’s participative rights in more recent legislation and policy, the move to education about, through and for human rights is only significantly pronounced in recent reforms such as the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021. We advocate that the commitment to human rights education made in the Curriculum for Wales is perpetuated and ongoing critical appraisal of legislation and policy is needed, alongside further research to understand how that commitment is being interpreted in Welsh education settings.

Will Proclaimed Changes to Multinationals’ Taxation Have an Actual Effect and What Will Really Change for Africa?

Abstract The article is a comment to Conceptualising the behaviour of MNEs, Tax Authorities and Tax Consultants in respect of transfer pricing practices. A three-layer analysis, by Wealth, Smulders, and Mpofu. The latter deals with transfer pricing but in the African perspective while the most part of articles frequently analyze the issue from the point of view of most developed and OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. The paper focuses on the qualities of the commented article and proposes a resume on the state of art of the complex recent reforms of transfer pricing rules disposed by the OECD.

Our Never-Ending Pathway to Innovate Calculus 1: Course Coordination and Active Learning to Specifications Grading and Growth Mindset

ABSTRACT In this paper, we detail the implementation of initiatives designed to support instructional strategies aimed at fostering more fair and inclusive learning practices in Precalculus, Calculus 1, and Calculus 2 courses at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. We discuss the progression of course coordination efforts intended to improve students’ learning and mitigate the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ mathematics education. Prepandemic early coordination initiatives involved adoption of common textbooks, syllabi, and content coverage across all sections of each course. Subsequent course improvements involved the incorporation of active learning to engage students in collaborative problem-solving sessions with the support of undergraduate Learning Assistants. We have adopted Specifications Grading, an alternative grading system, as part of our most recent reform endeavor to invigorate students’ success in Calculus 1.

Voices from Graduate School and the Workforce: Identified Student Outcomes from Completing a Multi-Semester Undergraduate Research Experience Capstone

Recent reforms in undergraduate science education have highlighted the need for student-centered learning that challenges students to take ownership of the scientific process through conducting authentic research. As such, Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs) have become more prevalent in higher education. However, extensive variations in the structures, durations, and contexts of UREs exist and long-term implications are not well documented. We used the Social Cognitive Career Theory to guide our exploration of student outcomes from completing a required three-semester capstone URE at a predominantly undergraduate institution located in the Midwest, United States. We sought to answer two central research questions: (1) What skills and competencies do alumni perceive to have gained from completing the URE capstone, and (2) What is the impact of the URE capstone on alumni success in the workforce and/or graduate school? We conducted in-depth, one-on-one interviews with 16 alumni who recently completed their undergraduate research capstone and who were currently in a science-based career or attending graduate school. Results indicate long-term benefits from URE capstones and are described through three primary themes: technical skill acquisition and future application, soft skill acquisition and future application, and scientific pursuits.

Chinese Academy of Science Journal Ranking System (2015–2023)

This work examines China's mainstream journal ranking system from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), including its history, recent reforms, and current operation, with a particular focus on Physics of Fluids. Using official statistics, this paper analyzes the Physics of Fluids standings in the CAS system from 2015 to 2023. During these years, Physics of Fluids experienced a significant increase in both popularity and impact. Meanwhile, the CAS system underwent substantial reforms, including the newly proposed Advanced edition, which universally boosted fluids journal academic weights in China. Most notably, the brand-new Field Normalized Citation Success Index (期刊超越指数 or FNCSI) offered a new lens through which to assess academic journal impact. Statistics reveal that Physics of Fluids is in a promising position to become the fourth Tier 1 fluids journal to enter any of CAS's Major Categories (after the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, Nuclear Fusion, and Plasma Sources Sciences and Technology) and the first-ever non-review-only Tier 1 fluids journal to enter the Engineering and Technology (工程技术 E&T) Major Category. Finally, this paper suggests several directions for Physics of Fluids to direct future endeavors as it enjoys heightening popularity in China.

Slogans as a policy distractor: a case of ‘washback’ discourse in English language testing reforms in Japan

ABSTRACT This paper examines recent reforms in English-language testing in Japan using a policy distraction framework. We identify the term ‘washback (effect)’ and other related discourses as major distractors and investigate how ‘washback’ discourses have functioned as political slogans or catchphrases in policy deliberation processes and how they have diverted attention and resources from more essential issues. By analyzing advisory panel minutes and other policy documents, we demonstrate how policy distraction operates. Some committee members initially introduced ‘washback’ discourse in a deliberation meeting, citing studies on language testing. However, this discourse quickly became a political slogan, transforming into a dubious rationale for advocating the use of commercial four-skills English tests in university entrance exams. This ‘washback’ discourse led to policy distraction and the overlooking of more significant issues, such as class size reduction and the improvement of teachers’ working conditions. Additionally, our analysis reveals underlying factors triggering this distraction, including Japanese ideological views on English education and budgetary austerity in education. We discuss the political and pedagogical implications of these findings, particularly regarding the identification of political distractions, their potential threat to teacher agency, and strategies for addressing and correcting these distractions to facilitate social change.

Societal Resilience as Intangible Critical Infrastructure

The concept of societal resilience – the central concept of the National Defence Strategy – is, to a certain degree, not only semantically, but especially pragmatically ambiguous, as the concept has not been operationalised in the literature, on the one hand, and the state societal resilience, implementable through formal, non-formal and informal education, has not benefitted from adequate levers for application, on the other hand. The recent educational reform, achieved through the two laws, on pre-university education and on higher education, adopted in 2023, does not directly contribute to societal resilience. Under these circumstances, of an inadequately designed security education and of a pragmatic ambiguity of the strategy, which means that the communication intentions (obligation, recommendation, suggestion) are not clarified, it is necessary to exceed the classical normative framework that regulates the national educational system and to design the education-resilience binomial as critical national infrastructure. Resilience, coming from the field of safety culture studies, can be considered intangible critical infrastructure, which needs a tangible system defined or possibly defined in the Romanian legislation regarding critical infrastructure, so that it can trigger the mechanism for implementing the projection of the National Defence Strategy. The present article contributes to the identification of possible projective directions of the education-resilience binomial as critical infrastructure.

Reziliența societală ca infrastructură critică intangibilă

The concept of societal resilience – the central concept of the National Defence Strategy – is, to a certain degree, not only semantically, but especially pragmatically ambiguous, as the concept has not been operationalised in the literature, on the one hand, and the state societal resilience, implementable through formal, non-formal and informal education, has not benefitted from adequate levers for application, on the other hand. The recent educational reform, achieved through the two laws, on pre-university education and on higher education, adopted in 2023, does not directly contribute to societal resilience. Under these circumstances, of an inadequately designed security education and of a pragmatic ambiguity of the strategy, which means that the communication intentions (obligation, recommendation, suggestion) are not clarified, it is necessary to exceed the classical normative framework that regulates the national educational system and to design the education-resilience binomial as critical national infrastructure. Resilience, coming from the field of safety culture studies, can be considered intangible critical infrastructure, which needs a tangible system defined or possibly defined in the Romanian legislation regarding critical infrastructure, so that it can trigger the mechanism for implementing the projection of the National Defence Strategy. The present article contributes to the identification of possible projective directions of the education-resilience binomial as critical infrastructure.

This Land is My Land: Teachers' integration of game and novel in English instruction

AbstractBackgroundThe most recent Norwegian educational reform, in force from 2020, was the first to include games alongside more traditional language learning resources (e.g., novels, films, music) in the English curriculum for secondary school. This educational emphasis on games provided a unique opportunity to examine how games are actually used in secondary English instruction in combination with other resources.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate how the digital commercial game This Land is My Land was used alongside a printed novel in naturally occurring English instruction in two lower secondary classes during a two‐week project labelled ‘The Native American Experience’.MethodsParticipants involved one teacher, nine student teachers and 52 students (aged 13–14). Using a mixed methods design, we integrated quantitative and qualitative analyses of classroom video recordings (N = 20), screen recordings during gameplay (N = 32), student texts (N = 32) and retrospective student interviews (N = 7). We used the validated Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation (PLATO; Grossman, 2015) for analyses of video and screen recordings and reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) of student texts and interviews.Results and ConclusionsThe combination of digital game and printed novel during English instruction provided a dual perspective on the Native American experience. While the novel provided a window for observing the topic historically, the game provided a playground to experience the topic interactively. Although the combination of game and novel offered students different perspectives on the Native American experience, we identified missed opportunities for those who gamed before reading, whereas students who read before gameplay used their knowledge from the novel when they engaged with the game content. In the broader context of educational technology and language instruction, this study identified how to combine digital and traditional literacies that acknowledge students' prior knowledge with diverse literacies.

"It's the Wild West Out There": A Qualitative Study of the Views and Preparedness of Health Professionals in Helping Young Adult E-cigarette Users to Quit.

Young adults (YA) are attempting to quit vaping, with many accessing smoking cessation programs with a lack of reported efficacy, highlighting the need for targeted vaping cessation support. Young people report seeing health professionals (HPs) as potential sources of support in the quitting process. Additionally, the current changing regulatory landscape around vaping in Australia potentially increases the number of those seeking health professional help for cessation. However, limited research exists on HPs' views and preparedness to assist YA with their vaping cessation; thus, this exploratory study aimed to gain insights into their readiness to support YA in quitting vaping. Data were gathered via eight co-design workshops (two groups each of two hours duration and six semi-structured interviews of 1-hour duration), facilitated online with 12 HPs. Data underwent thematic analysis. HPs expressed a need for more information in supporting YA to quit vaping, with them presently relying on informal pathways of support and information for their practice. Participants reported a lack of evidence-based guidelines and a reluctance to prescribe nicotine vapes, expressing conflict with the changing regulatory landscape in Australia. Our findings identify a significant gap in health professional preparedness in supporting vaping cessation. HPs are working within a rapidly evolving regulatory environment and are feeling unprepared to address the widely spread issue of vaping, especially among young people. We demonstrate the critical need for guidelines and training of HPs to enable them to better support young people in quitting vaping. This qualitative study offers unique insights into the views and readiness of Australian HPs to support young people to quit vaping, specifically in the context of recent regulatory reforms. The results highlight the need for evidence-based guidance and training for HPs to inform their vaping cessation support practice.