Standing Conference Research Articles

The Assessment of Public Health Capacities at Local Self-governments in Serbia

The objective of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of selected factors on the level and state of public health capacities in local self-government units in 2021. This survey included 77 out of 145 local self-government units in the Republic of Serbia and examined six dimensions defined by the Law on Public Health. The results of the Pearson correlation showed that there were statistically significant correlations between the effectiveness of the realized program budget and microbiologically defective drinking water samples from the so-called village water supply systems, defective samples of drinking water from public taps, unsatisfactory analyses of wastewater samples, and the number of mandated fines issued. The results of the logistic regression model showed that the local self-government units that received assistance from the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities were 5.6 times more likely to perform analyses of their health status.

Rise, fall, and resurrection of educational technologies: the curious case of Decroly in Spain

ABSTRACT This article, delivered as one of two keynote lectures at the International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE) in Milan in September 2022, offers an example of an autosociobiographical approach to the history of education, in which the life story of the author is entangled with the collective movement of a generation of pedagogues, to capture “the lived dimension of History”, quoting the winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature, Annie Ernaux. It describes the journey of the “centres of interest”, a pedagogical technology closely linked to the Belgian educational reformer and scientist Ovide Decroly, which evoked positive and negative emotions among the Spanish pedagogical explorers who visited Decroly Schools in the first decades of the twentieth century. This technology found its way into material school culture in Spain, grew into a veritable mania, but died an early death after the Spanish Civil War. It returned in a new guise, the “globalised didactic units”, thanks to textbooks written by the first post-war generations of pedagogues, who rediscovered Decroly’s ideas, and developed an emotional bond with these textbooks, and ‒ without knowing it ‒ also with their pre-war predecessors.

International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE)

The objective of this study is to map the international networks of research, circulation, and scientific communication in the history of education, at a global level. In order to do so, we analyse the activity of the International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE). The focus is placed on the following: the make-up and organisation of the community of education historians; the arenas set up to encourage collaboration, debate and consensus in research in the field; collaboration among researchers, and the influence of transnational perspectives; avenues of research and areas of focus; and the communication channels by which ideas and findings are published and exchanged. The documentary sources used are the minutes of ISCHE annual congresses and general assemblies, alongside other research and previous studies. The main variables are: the language in which papers are published; the countries from which the authors come; international collaboration among authors; the historical period analysed; and the country or region being studied. After examining over 3600 contributions, we conclude that, globally, the international network in history of education is in good health, and there is an appetite for research with an international focus. However, there is room for improvement by promoting more extensive international collaboration among researchers, expanding the scope of research to take a supranational or even global view, and extending the study of the history of education to pre-modern times.

Observatory for the History of Education: looking at the past, analysing the present and reflecting on the future – a transnational perspective

ABSTRACT The Standing Working Group (SWG) “Observatory for the History of Education” was formed in the city of Porto (Portugal) during the International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE) in July 2019. Its essential purpose is to understand and reflect on the current theories and issues that are emerging from this field of knowledge during challenging times of the transition from the twentieth to the twenty-first century. In addition, more than a dose of uncertainty has been caught from the COVID-19 pandemic and affected our thinking about the meaning of history and life cycles. For, as we are duty-bound to admit, “time is the lord of history”. This text seeks to set out the guiding principles of this observatory and open up new avenues of reflection in the context of the current pandemic.

Non-aligned Cities in the Cold War: Municipal Internationalism, Town Twinning and the Standing Conference of Towns of Yugoslavia, c.1950–c.1985

In the Cold War, Yugoslavia was famous for its non-aligned foreign policy. Non-alignment was a policy of balancing between the superpower blocs, but also of forging global collaboration of non-aligned states and actors in international institutions, with a view to increasing their room for manoeuvre at home and abroad. Relying on local and federal archives, this article explores the role of municipalities in Yugoslav foreign policy in two parts. The first part shows that the national municipal association, the Standing Conference of Towns of Yugoslavia, interpreted non-alignment as the pursuit of mediation on an East-West and North-South axis, largely through the two principal international municipal organisations, the pro-Western International Union of Local Authorities and Eastward-leaning Fédération mondiale des villes jumelées—United Towns Organisation. The second part examines the multitude of direct municipal links pursued by Yugoslav cities in the East, West and South. The article finds that municipalities tended to prefer direct links in Europe rather than the Global South, and that Yugoslavia’s republics faced different ways between East and West in terms of their municipal links. These foreign policy divergences at different levels of the state raise important questions for understanding Yugoslav foreign policy in the Cold War.

Rejection and mutation of discourses in curriculum reforms: peace education(s) in Colombia and Germany

ABSTRACT Previous work has not yet comparatively studied which forms of peace education (PE) have been adopted in national laws. Through content analysis of policy documents, we seek to find out why the Colombian Congress established PE as mandatory content across all educational levels in 2014 in a postwar phase, while the German Standing Conference of Ministers of Education rejected attempts to implement PE since the Cold War. Whereas the German school curriculum has maintained a strong disciplinary structure that leads to the rejection of the local version of PE developed in the Federal Republic of Germany, either as military indoctrination or critical pedagogy, Colombia’s curriculum based on classical education is now influenced by educational standards and citizenship education—both influences from the United States. Therefore, it was easier for Colombian policymakers and educators to mutate the local fusion of citizenship competences into a psychological version of PE to solve national conflicts at the expense of promoting moral, historical, and political thinking in connection with traditional school subjects. We conclude by reflecting on how socio-political context and didactic traditions matter in explaining why some educational discourses are rejected or mutate with previous institutionalized educational rhetoric.

The Digital Information Literacy Skill Level on College Student (Case: Final-Year College Student)

Nowadays information obtained from digital media is easily accessible through various platforms. People can get information through online simply at the touch of their finger. However, this information can only be useful if the person has sufficient skills in digital information literacy. Information literacy can be defined as a skill to access and evaluate information effectively in solving a problem or in making decisions (Verzosa, 2009). Digital information literacy skills are important for academicians, especially for final year college students.These students have to conduct a research as their final project to achieve a bachelor’s degree. In addition, many university also require this research to be published in well-known journals. To achieve these goals, these university students need good digital information literacy skills. The aim of this study is to find out the level of digital information skills of these students. The findings of this study can be useful as input for universities to improve their student’s ditigal information literacy skills in order to produce a high quality research. This study uses a descriptive quantitative approach and also use The Seven Pillars of Information Literacy which was developed by SCONUL (Standing Conference of National and University Libraries). This study shows that overall digital information literacy skills of these students are at a strong level. They can search for information using a various keywords and identify information needs according to their research topic. However, information and skills about reseacrh papers outside their own university are lacking. These students can only produce research papers based on what is listed in their university’s final research writting guidelines.

Культурно-просвітницька праця Гарвардського інституту українських студій у другій половині ХХ ст. щодо збереження національної ідентичності (на матеріалах україномовної періодики діаспори США)

The article shows the activity of one of the leading Ukrainian scientific institutions in the diaspora, in particular the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, in the sphere of preserving the national identity. The main source base of the study was Ukrainian-language publications of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States. The main directions of cultural and educational activity of this institution are described i.e. activity of Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute, opening of three departments of Ukrainian studies in this prestigious university, scientific researches, publications presenting results of Ukrainian scientists and the ones about Ukraine, increase of library funds of Ukrainian, scientific conferences, book exhibitions, art exhibitions, cultural and entertainment events. The interaction of scientists from the USA and Canada in the field of Ukrainian studies, which resulted in the creation of the Standing Conference of Ukrainian Studies, is presented. The main topics of Harvard Ukrainian Studies in the study period are considered. The focus is on the first publications on the Holodomor, which were made at the Harvard Institute. The activities of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute are useful as it brings the light to the Ukrainian problem or segment of a particular topic from the Ukrainians’ point of view.

Assessing the value of SCOTENS as a cross-border professional learning network in Ireland using the Wenger–Trayner value-creation framework

ABSTRACT SCoTENS (the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South) is a unique network of teacher educators from north and south of the Irish border. Funded by government departments and membership institutions across the island, it is facing a range of potential uncertainties. This study is an attempt to map the values and impacts of a complex boundary object. A framework designed by Wenger–Trayner was adapted to create a bespoke research tool. This was deployed to collect data in semi-structured conversations (cross-border pairs of respondents) and in monologues from individual contributors. The study permitted researchers to access both the breadth (from a range of stakeholders) and depth (from immediate to transformative) of significances and to capture the unique flavours and forms of perceived values across this terrain. Sustaining this vulnerable and valuable network in an uncertain future will be usefully informed by these findings.

Interview with Joyce Goodman

Professor Joyce Goodman is a powerhouse in scholarship on the history of education. On the faculty at The University of Winchester, she is perhaps known best for her scholarship on women and girls’ education, but she also has written on educational cinematography and transnational education. Professor Goodman has served in many different capacities at the university and in her scholarly associations. At Winchester, she was Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice- Chancellor, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Social Care, and Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer. She was also co-editor of the journal History of Education, president of the History of Education Society (UK), and secretary for the International Standing Conference on the History of Education (ISCHE). She is an honorary life member of ISCHE and an honorary member of Network 17 (Histories of Education) of the European Educational Research Association. Professor Goodman’s books include Social Change in the History of British Education (Routledge, 2008) with Gary McCulloch and William Richardson; Women and Education: Major Themes in Education (Routledge, 2011, four volumes) with Jane Martin; and Girls’ Secondary Education in the Western World (Palgrave 2010/2014) with James Albisetti and Rebecca Rogers. Her new book projects focus on women and international intellectual cooperation and women and comparative education. Professor Goodman has also published numerous articles and book chapters. We first met around seven years ago, when we both were invited to serve on the advisory board for the Albert M. Greenfield Digital Center for the History of Women’s Education at Bryn Mawr College (USA). I have always marveled at Professor Goodman’s intellectual dexterity, as well as her keen insight around theory, in which she effortlessly draws on seemingly disparate constructs to evince new and provocative findings in the history of education. Likewise, she embraces the power of technology to advance her scholarly agenda and to support peers and junior scholars. It was an honour to have this opportunity to interview her and learn more about her scholarly trajectory as well as her view of the future of the history of gender in education.

A Consideration of Language Teacher Education in Ireland, North and South

This paper surveys the context of language teacher education in Ireland, north and south, across the sectors (primary and post-primary, Irish, Modern Languages and English as an Additional Language). The discussion and analysis that follows arose through the contributions by language teacher educators to a conference organised by the Queen’s University of Belfast under the auspices of the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South (SCoTENS)1. The authors suggest that a traditional view of diversification in language education, focusing on Irish and the main European languages, must be reconsidered in light of the new demographic and linguistic landscape of Ireland, North and South.

Languages in Northern Ireland Education: A Brief Overview

This article reviews some relevant aspects of modern foreign language education policy and provision in Northern Ireland, as presented at the conference organised by the Queen’s University of Belfast under the auspices of the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South (SCoTENS)1. It explores some key shifts in uptake and considers the policy implications of such shifts over the past several decades.

The Standing Conference of Eastern, Central, and Southern African Library Associations (SCECSAL) XXIII 2018: lessons learned

PurposeThis paper reports on highpoints of some of what emerged at the XXIII Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library Associations (SCECSAL) conference held in Entebbe, Uganda. It presents narratives that evolved from selected presentations from over 40 papers scheduled for presentation at the conference and experiences of librarians working with people in different libraries within or outside the SCECSAL region in line with the theme of the conference. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain lessons learned by delegates at the conference, session delegates found most memorable, number of times respondents have been to SCECSAL and intent to attend the SCECSAL conference again.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents viewpoints from the conference and adopts a quantitative approach to ascertain specific lessons learned by delegates. The survey method was used to obtain data from library and information services (LIS) professionals who attended the conference. The population for the study was drawn from delegates met by the author at the conference. An online questionnaire created with the SurveyMonkey software was used for data collection. In total, 60 delegates were invited to voluntarily participate in the survey. A nine-item questionnaire was emailed to respondents. Of all, 27 people responded within the time limit for the study, giving a total response rate of 45 per cent.FindingsFindings revealed that over half of the respondents were attending SCECSAL for the first time. Respondents indicated that the sessions that were the most memorable were Inclusive Library and Information Services for National Development; SDGs and Library and Information Services in the SCECSAL region; and Indigenous knowledge and the preservation of cultural heritage. LIS professionals who participated at the conference dispersed with the following lessons among others: there is need for inclusive LIS and domestication the Marrakesh Treaty. Another lesson is that librarians have a major role to play in the attainment of the United Nations 2030 agenda on sustainable developmental goals (SDGs).Originality/valueWith SCECSAL, LIS professionals in southern, eastern and central Africa are increasingly gaining access to information, exchange of ideas, skills and collaboration in the region. However, the future of the LIS sector depends on the determination by delegates to put into practice all the lessons that have been learned so as to meet the needs of the community where they find themselves. The XXIII SCECSAL has exposed LIS professionals in the region and beyond to services and trends that should be embraced in the SCECSAL region and beyond. This paper implies that effort put into organising the SCECSAL conference is worthwhile.

Frank Simon: una historia personal sobre las realidades educativas cotidianas

Frank Simon (1944) es profesor emérito de Historia de la Educación en la Universidad de Gante desde 2009. Es conocido internacionalmente por un amplio grupo de académicos por su implicación en la revista Paedagogica Historica y por el papel que jugó en la International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE). En este artículo habla de algunos acontecimientos personales que han moldeado su vida y sobre la gente que le ha inspirado durante su carrera académica. También da sus puntos de vista sobre el futuro de la historia de la educación como disciplina y el trabajo histórico que todavía debe hacerse.

Gênero e história da educação: itinerários de Rebecca Rogers

Resumo Professora, desde 2006, de um dos mais prestigiados departamentos de educação franceses (Université Paris Descartes), Rebecca Rogers tem sua trajetória acadêmica marcada pelos estudos sobre mulheres e gênero, traçados sempre na relação com a história da educação. Nascida nos Estados Unidos da América, fez sua carreira na Europa, em particular na França. Cursou o doutorado na École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, sob a orientação de Dominique Julia. Iniciou a atividade docente na University of Iwoa. Em 1994, obteve uma posição na Université de Strasbourg como maitre de conference. Em 2015, assumiu a presidência da International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE), sociedade científica internacional de maior relevância na área de história da educação. Sua formação e trânsito na arena educativa, bem como as escolhas teóricas e metodológicas são abordadas nesta entrevista, que se estende ainda sobre as relações tramadas com pesquisadoras brasileiras em projetos realizados nas Faculdades de Educação da Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP e Universidade de São Paulo. Os debates atuais sobre gênero emergentes na esfera pública na França e os desafios enfrentados pela investigação histórico-educativa, seja na dimensão de uma história transnacional da educação, seja na consolidação de um campo de pesquisa também emergem no discurso de Rebecca Rogers. Este rol de temáticas torna a entrevista densa em problematizações, abrindo um leque de interrogações que instigam o leitor na sua reflexão acerca do cenário político e acadêmico internacional.

Briefing: Non-standard rock groynes between Durlston Bay and Hurst Spit

This briefing article highlights some of the findings of the report produced by Harlow on the use of non-standard rock groynes as part of a Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline-funded research project, supplemented with additional examples from other reports, in order to disseminate to a wider audience and to stimulate discussion on the application of non-standard rock groynes and coastal defences in general.

Student Engagement and Success across the United States and Australia

FROM THE COLUMN EDITORSWelcome to the Global Postcards column! We are so excited to bring you news and projects from around the world. We have three contributions for this column: one contribution from Australia that covers the similar challenges that the United States and Australia face in student engagement and success, another from Uganda and Nigeria detailing the impact of the SCECSAL Conference (Standing Conference of Eastern, Central, and Southern African Library Associations) held in Swaziland, and a third about the Library in a Box concept developed by Jane Mirandette of the USA while working in Nicaragua. Thanks to the contributors for this issue, and please keep the submissions coming! If you would like to send a submission, please contact either of the column's co-editors: Jacqueline Solis, jsolis@email.unc.edu, and Robin L. Kear, rlk25@pitt.edu

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ISSUES, PRACTICES AND CONCERNS IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT – A CONCEPTUAL STUDY

This paper is a conceptual paper and is an attempt to make the concept of Corporate Governance understood in a very simple manner. The paper looks at the issues like how the concept of Corporate Governance is important in organizations, the objective of this concept, the performance expectation of all the stakeholders, and the need for corporate governance for Strategic Thinking and Strategy Implementation in an Organization. The mechanisms and controls, the impact of corporate governance on productivity for an organization and the recent research done in the Indian context is also looked in this paper. The various codes on corporate governance, which have evolved in India is also looked into in the paper. Implementation issues in the context of Indian companies are part of the paper. The role of corporate governance in Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) and the role of the apex body for public sector enterprises in India, Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) are also highlighted in the paper. This is contrasted with existing corporate governance practices in the Private Sector operating in India.

The Baltic Historians of Pedagogy and the International Standing Conference for the History of Education

ISCHE, which is the leading organization in the field of history of education in the world, was founded in 1979 in Leuven, Belgium. The initiators to establish the organization were scholars mainly from Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany and the UK. The “socialist block” in this first meeting was represented by Poles and Hungarians. In the later years, the conference was organized annually in a different country sometimes gathering tens and even hundreds of participants (Luth, n.d.). The first president of ISCHE was a fascinating personality, British lord and communist, one of the most outstanding historians of education in the 20th century Brian Simon (1915–2002) (see McCulloch, 2011, pp. 41–54).

Paedagogica Historica: trendsetter or follower?

This article considers the role Paedagogica Historica has played in stimulating new approaches in the history of education within the international community since the emergence of the new series in 1900. Particular focus is placed on the volumes published in the wake of ISCHE (International Standing Conference in the History of Education) conferences and the special issues, which the editors began to promote in 1990 as a way of highlighting innovative scholarship in the field. The article considers a total of 55 issues. In addition to a presentation of the diversity of topics addressed, the article assesses the following: editorial strategies to reach a broader public and connect with specialised networks internationally; efforts to achieve international ranking for the journal; the ways individual scholars or national communities showcase certain approaches or themes in the history of education. Finally, the article will consider the limits to the journal’s efforts to establish trends in our contemporary digital age.