Showing papers in "CEPS Journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal in 2012"

Confronting the Shadow Education System: What Government Policies for What Private Tutoring? Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning

Abstract: Bray, M. (2009). Confronting the Shadow Education System: What Government Policies for What Private Tutoring? Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning. 134 p., ISBN 978-92-803-1333-8.In this publication, Mark Bray, the director of UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) between 2006 and 2010, introduces private supplementary tutoring, a phenomenon that several countries have been facing in different forms and with different intensity for quite some time. Private supplementary tutoring represents the "shadow" of the formal education system, since changes in the education system also change private supplementary tutoring, which would not even exist without the former. Being familiar with the shadow enables the observer to identify changes taking place within the system and its broader context. With the meaningful title, the author also exposes the dilemma that policymakers and planners face in dealing with and responding to this phenomenon and its growth, which demands constant observation and analysis, since different circumstances require different responses and measures. The author supports his observations with explicit and exact analyses and descriptions of the situation and changes in different countries. Moreover, he uses many illustrative real-life examples and student3 experiences, which add to the authenticity and clarity of the text. The publication is based on a UNESCO IIEP forum that was held under the same title in Paris in 2007, and is a continuation of a study from 1999.4 The content refers only to fee-paying private supplementary tutoring of basic (i.e., academic) subjects at the primary and secondary levels of national education systems.Despite many criticisms of private tutoring, there are certainly some positive effects, such as increased focus on the individual and consideration of their specific learning characteristics and needs, more interesting teaching, faster feedback, better student progress, etc., which should also be qualities of the formal education system. Students who are low achievers can benefit from private tutoring by catching up with what they have missed, while high achievers can attempt to attain even higher academic goals. However, the author is critical of private tutoring causing and enhancing social and economic inequality, dominating children's lives and reducing their free time. Furthermore, it can even distort the formal education curriculum, resulting in private tutoring shifting from being a passive shadow to having an active effect on the education system, either supporting or undermining it. It is important that policymakers and planners identify the phenomenon of private tutoring in time, realise the capacity of its (negative) effects and confront them.In the first part of the present book, the author presents the extent, forms and patterns of private tutoring, as well as providing an overview of various countries and regions. Private tutoring can be carried out in a one-on-one setting with direct contact between the student and the private tutor, or in the form of lectures to a larger group of students. It can be organised on the basis of an individual agreement or within a private tutoring centre. With the development of technology, private tutoring is also provided with the help of modern ICT tools. The intensity and frequency of tutoring sessions vary according to (examination) periods, but it is found in countries with low and high revenues and in households with different incomes. Private tutoring is more frequent in urban than rural environments, and in some countries it is received by more boys than girls,5 etc. There are some extreme practices that catch the eye, e.g., the occurrence of corruption in some countries as the result of school teachers providing (or being forced to provide) private tutoring sessions. This often has negative consequences, as during regular instruction teachers omit parts of the curriculum knowing that students will receive tutoring lessons, sometimes even doing so in order to broaden the "market" for private tutoring. …

Attitudes and Motivation in Early Foreign Language Learning

Abstract: This paper focuses on young foreign language learners’ attitudes and motivations. An overview is given of the main issues in this research area, based on key European studies. Approaches to studying these af-fective learner characteristics are described. Some attention is devoted to data elicitation techniques and the importance of triangulation. Research findings are presented through overviews of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies carried out in different European settings. The latter are presented in more detail, because their findings seem to be more revealing of the early foreign language learning process. The overall conclusion of this review paper is that young foreign language learners’ attitudes and motivations are not stable learner characteristics but change over time, creating layers of complexity that warrant further research. Suggestions about possible future directions in researching young foreign language learner attitudes and motivations, and the application of its findings are also made.

Character Strengths and Life Satisfaction of Slovenian In-service and Pre-service Teachers

Abstract: Character strengths and life satisfaction of Slovenian in-service and preservice teachers were researched. The VIA-IS self-assessment questionnaire has been translated into the Slovenian language and has been used for the first time in Slovenia. A total of 173 primary school teachers and 77 student teachers from the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, completed the VIA-IS and the Satisfaction with Life Scale questionnaires. The highest reported strengths in both groups studied were fairness, kindness, integrity and love. Unexpectedly, both in-service and pre-service teachers reported low endorsements of creativity; inservice teachers also showed low endorsement of humour. Surprisingly, the lowest endorsed strength of pre-service teachers was love of learning. Correlations between strengths and life satisfaction were consistent with related research findings. Low endorsement of creativity, teachers’ humour and students’ love of learning are discussed. From the research findings, it can be concluded that professional environment should stimulate, as well as provide support and opportunities for teachers to build not only upon the strengths of humanity and justice, but also on those of wisdom and knowledge. There is a need in the undergraduate level of teacher education for systematic interventions regarding students’ intellectual strengths with a special focus on cultivating their creativity.

The Family-School Relationships in Europe: A Research Review.

Abstract: The literature on research carried out in the field and parents’ and teachers’ declarations all point in the same direction: good collaboration between home and school is useful to the child-student for his education and learning. Despite this, parent-teacher relationships in Europe (and elsewhere), from Spain to Sweden, from Ireland to Greece, and from Italy to the Czech Republic, represent an unresolved issue. This is a complex relationship that calls into play various social spheres: macro (social), intermediary (institutional) and micro (relational); in fact, there are as many diverse realities as there are schools. In Europe, the relationship between individual behaviours (parents vs. teachers), social orientations (neoliberalism) and institutional frameworks (school markets) appears significant: scarce parental participation, lack of adequate forms of home-school communications, and the need to make investments in parent and teacher training. Nevertheless, family and school are called on to create a dialogue in order to contribute to the processes of training new generations. They both need each other in order to carry out that task in the best way. This paper presents and discusses the results of a theoretical analysis conducted on the basis of the international literature concerning research on the school-family relationship, with particular attention on the situation of different European countries, and concludes with suggestions for some practical improvements. (DIPF/Orig.)

Teaching Languages to Students with Specific Learning Differences

Abstract: Kormos, J. and Smith, A. M. (2012). Teaching Languages to Students with Specific Learning Differences. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. 232 p., ISBN 978-1-84769-620-5.Judit Kormos is a senior lecturer at the Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University. She is the editor of the volume Language Learners with Special Needs: An International Perspective. She was the principal investigator of a research and teacher-training project on the language learning processes of dyslexic and deaf learners in Hungary.Anne Margaret Smith is a specialist tutor and assessor for students with specific learning differences. Her research interests include the assessment of cognitive functioning in multilingual learners. Her company, ELT well, offers advice and training for teachers and assessors who want to explore the overlap between language learning and specific learning differences.For at least three different reasons Teaching Languages to Students with Specific Learning Differences can be highly recommended to language teachers, students and researchers:1. This book is unique, because the coupling between basic mechanisms underlying different processes involved in language learning and numerous examples for enhancing language instruction becomes evident in each chapter.2. This book covers all important subjects of teaching languages to students with specific learning differences (SpLDs), i.e. from overview of dyslexia and associated learning differences to discussing language learning difficulties that manifest in four basic language skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing), from the topic of different techniques and strategies used in language learning instruction when dealing with students with SpLDs to a remarkable array of issues concerning assessment and progression.3. This book represents an adequate mixture of more recent research findings and the pedagogical implications of these findings. The book presents a concise review, even for the more advanced teacher or scientist, who will find additional valuable information in the reference list at the back of the book.Teaching Languages to Students with Specific Learning Differences provides a window into issues of language learning of students with specific learning differences. Because until recently language learning was an option open to only a small segment of the populace, an elitism surrounding foreign language learning was maintained in our schools. (Early) language learning was viewed for years as the province of a select portion of students: students considered 'college bound' were encouraged to take a foreign language course (LeLoup & Ponterio, 1997). In light of modern learning theory, coupled with the current educational policy of inclusion and teachers' experience that all students can and should learn foreign languages in order to be fully functional in global society, the paradigm of language learning has changed, and so has the profile of the student population in the classrooms. Due to the transition of foreign language learning from an elite pursuit to a more mainstream educational goal, the students that populate foreign language classrooms have changed enormously over recent decades. Foreign language teachers face increasing numbers of students in their classrooms with diverse needs. We are seeing students exhibiting specific learning differences, who however must not be deprived of equal opportunities in education because of lack of a workable knowledge of another language. For a student who has an SpLD, foreign language learning can cause enormous anxiety and for some, it can be a humiliating experience. While in previous generations, these students may have opted out of language study, research shows that with appropriate accommodations, these students can be successful in learning another language. Although more resources are becoming available to the teachers who teach students with SpLDs, most foreign language teachers are ill-prepared to fulfil those specific differences (LeLoup & Ponterio, 1997). …

Perspectives on Educational Quality: Illustrative Outcomes on Primary and Secondary Schooling in the Netherlands

Abstract: Scheerens, J., Luyten, H. and Van Ravens, J. (Eds.) (2011). Perspectives on Educational Quality: Illustrative Outcomes on Primary and Secondary Schooling in the Netherlands. Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, New York: SpringerBriefs in Education. 148 pp., ISBN: 978- 94-007-0925-6.Each time we are confronted with the quality concept in education, with its practices, goals, methods, etc., it inevitably becomes obvious that their realisation starts with, or rather is dependent upon, the accepted definition of quality itself. The notion of quality is, therefore, not without internal tensions. It is strongly dependent upon the relevant context, on the interests, values and believes of the stakeholders involved. However, as the present monograph shows, the relevance of the inter-dynamics between different factors and connected priorities, the organisational infrastructure in the orientation of goals, the choice of methods, developmental activities and the implementation of different approaches to educational quality should be kept in mind at all times. The latter also differ in their connections to particular national systems, as well as on the level of their realisation and relationships between particular levels of education (see Kos Kecojevic & Gaber, 2011).In an effort to apply this, the present monograph could be read as an analysis of the contextual factors that led to the defining and building of the Systems Model of Education. This model can be simultaneously understood as a theoretical framework and guidelines in approaching the quality of education, as well as an example of practical, applied connection to the processes of quality assurance and evaluation. In terms of their theoretical as well as practical approach to quality, the constructed definition and focal points of the Systems Model were, however, in the most part originally presented in 2004 as part of UNESCO's Education for All Global Monitoring Report (see Schereens, 2004).The first part of the monograph considers the importance of different perspectives in defining "quality" in the context of education. "When discussing the quality of education in this book there will be a strong emphasis on what is objectively measurable and practically controllable and emphasizes the importance of objectively measurable and practically controllable. Even within that inevitably reduced frame of reference there are many different perspectives" (p. 4). Attempting to establish the need for further reductionism, the authors refer to Pirsig and put further emphasis on "who, which subject, or which actor poses the quality question", bearing in mind different stakeholders, including national policy makers, school governors, parents, etc. (p. 4). Qualitative aspects of quality are recognised but "hard to grasp" and "not easily captured or measured". Considering the facts, the authors turn to the part of educational quality that can and will be defined in more objective ways and can be captured by the means of scientific methods, and that aims at improving quality through methods of planned change (p. 5).As the quality of education is likely to be defined differently by different stakeholders, the Systems Model puts forward a cross section of collective interests in terms of educational results that are important for all of the parties involved (see Scheerens, 2004, p. 3). The contextual dimension is also included and gives the model flexible and broader applicability, taking into account the situational, organisational and local context. It also includes different interpretations of quality, different anchoring points, and offers a broad set of indicators. Analytically, the model strives for a "meta-framework", using an "input-process-output" logic with regard to the functioning of education and comparing different perspectives on educational quality (p. 3, 5). In the second part of the book, the model is rendered operational through the Dutch national context on the level of primary and secondary education. …

Current policy issues in early foreign language learning

Abstract: The development of policy in relation to language learning at the early primary level of schooling has received only limited attention in the literature on policy studies in general, and within the ...

The curricular reform of art education in primary school in Slovenia in terms of certain components of the European competence of cultural awareness and expression

Abstract: One of the important positions of the last curricular reform in Slovenia, which included systemic issues of education (White Paper on Education, 2011) and curricula for compulsory subjects in primary school, is the fact that Slovenia has been integrated into Europe, and thus education should also include the development of core European competences. One such competence is cultural awareness and expression, which until now has been an issue more in the context of cultural policies than school policies in Slovenia. The purpose of the present article is to critically analyse the curricular reform of art education (i.e., visual art education), through which, in terms of certain components of the competence of cultural awareness and expression, it is foreseen that the student will gain a knowledge of art, develop an ability to experience works of art and develop a creative attitude towards art and heritage. Because the starting point and goal of curricular change is the curriculum, our analysis is derived from curriculum theories, and not from the art theories and pedagogical theories that have predominantly framed previous attempts at curriculum analysis. Critical consideration of the curricular reform of art education in primary school in terms of certain components of the competence of cultural awareness and expression was undertaken by comparing curricula in the field of aesthetic education. We compared art education with music education and literature within the Slovenian language curriculum. Qualitative analysis showed that, despite the reform, the curriculum for arts education does not realise selected components of the competence of cultural awareness and expression, largely due to the curriculum’s conceptual structure. Art education is centred principally on art-making activities, with an obvious neglect of appreciation. The integration of arts subjects at school, as proposed by the White Paper, is therefore not possible, due to the existing model of art education. From a practical point of view, the analysis also raised the question of the knowledge and competences of teachers.

Policy reform efforts and equal opportunity - an evidence-based link? An analysis of current sector reforms in the Austrian school system

Abstract: • The main focus of the present paper is to answer two different questions: From the perspective of Austrian education policy, which core areas of schooling are linked to the demand for equal opportunity? Can these reform efforts sustain the current state of research, and what are the consequences for schooling? The paper draws on an analysis by Hopmann, Geppert & Bauer (2010). Fifteen official self-presentations (political programmes) of Austrian political parties were analysed for statements concerning the improvement of the education system. This resulted in about seventy different statements, which were aggregated into eight core areas. We conducted a systematic analysis of four of these core areas, dealing with the topics of equal opportunity: comprehensive school, all-day schooling, school autonomy and standardisation of students’ achievements. The aim was not to judge the legitimacy or the political content of the claims made. In line with evaluative discourse, we asked whether the combination of political demands and their associated expectations met the current state of research. In many policy programmes, it is assumed that comprehensive schooling, all-day schooling, education standards, standardised general certification for university attendance, school autonomy or language surveys go hand in hand with more equality of opportunity, justice and quality in education, but an analysis of the current state of research could not confirm this. The analysis showed that, with regard to education policy demands, statements having empirically little or nothing to do with each other are often linked.

Education system reforms in an unstable political situation: the case of Serbia in the first decade of the 21st century

Abstract: In the present paper, education reform in the Republic of Serbia since 2000 is presented. The focus is on two major reform waves: 2000–2003 and 2004–2005. We analyse why these broad educational interventions failed. After 2005, there was a lull in the reform process, a period with no major changes (2005–2010). A new phase of improving education policy in Serbia commenced with the adoption of Trends in the Development and Upgrading of the Quality of Education and Upbringing 2010–2020 (2010) and the conception and proposal of the Strategy of Education Development in Serbia to 2020 (2012). The basic innovations in approach and conception in the new “epoch” is outlined. (DIPF/Orig.)

Constructing meaning in interaction through picture books

Abstract: This qualitative study describes and analyses young language learners’ spontaneous comments while sharing picture books during EFL sessions. It also explores teachers’ responses to learners’ comments, and considers reasons teachers may choose to ignore children’s talk in their first language (L1). Data were collected from young Hungarian learners (ages 5–12) and their teachers, through qualitative processes. The main findings give insights into the role of classroom talk in negotiating meaning in the foreign language and in developing literacy. (DIPF/Orig.)

Researching Oral Production Skills of Young Learners

Abstract: This chapter focuses on the development of young learnersÂ’ ability to communicate in a foreign language. An empirical study was carried out to determine whether, after four years of learning English as a compulsory school subject, children are ready to engage in oral interaction in a semicontrolled task and produce answers and questions in English. A convenience sample of ten-year-old children was selected from 180 participants in ELLiE2 in Poland. Six learners from one class of each of seven schools were selected on the basis of teachersÂ’ reports to ensure equal proportions of learners with low, medium and high ability. Schools were chosen to represent different socio-economic milieux. The results of the Year Four oral test (an interactive task) showed that almost all the participating children could respond to questions but only half were able to ask questions. Considering generally positive attitudes to speaking activities, the results suggest that ten-year-old children are already developing their interactive skills and could benefit from more interaction-focused classroom activities. Further experimental classroom-based studies are necessary to gain better insight into potential oral achievements in this age group. The results are discussed in the context of national curriculum requirements, drawing on the Common European Framework of Reference level descriptors. (DIPF/Orig.)

Teacher development in Slovenia for teaching foreign languages at the primary level

Abstract: The introduction of foreign languages into the first three-year cycle of primary school has spurred the need for qualified teachers, and is one of the main discussion points among experts in foreign language teaching. Most of the contemporary studies report that there is a global gap between the supply of qualified teachers of foreign languages to young learners and the demand for them as programmes expand. These studies emphasize the paramount importance in assuring the quality of early foreign language instruction. Therefore, the authors of this paper first present some of the models of initial and in-service training of teachers of foreign languages to young learners across the world and then focus on a more in-depth presentation and analysis of the training of teachers of foreign languages at the primary level in Slovenia. All the existing national programmes for teacher development are compared and discussed. Finally, some guidelines and recommendations are given regarding training teachers to teach foreign languages to young learners.

The complexity of policy mirroring: the connection between international and Slovenian higher education policy discourse

Abstract: The contemporary economic imaginary of the ‘knowledge-based economy’ is changing the perception of higher education in Europe. The goals of higher education are changing and reform of institutions is predicted. The present article examines these reforms and conceptualisations of higher education by presenting the results of discourse analysis of 47 international policy documents at the European level and two comprehensive national strategies of the Republic of Slovenia for higher education, research and innovation. Based on the analysis of the European documents, the article suggests that two main discourses are constructed: a) ‘the research-based society and economy’, and b) ‘reforming the university’. These present the emergence of a new idea of higher education at the international and national levels. The article investigates the extent to which these discourses are present in Slovenian higher education policy. The findings show that Slovenian discourse hesitates to embrace them fully. In particular, the idea of the managerial university is marginal in Slovenian discourse.

Teacher Education Reforms between Higher Education and General Education Transformations in South- Eastern Europe: Reviewing the Evidence and Scoping the Issues

Abstract: The present paper considers reforms and developments in teacher education in South-Eastern European countries as part of overall reforms in higher education, and in light of changes in general education that impact teachers and their preparation. The paper reviews the literature and reports from the region that offer some evidence of and insights into the issues surrounding teacher education reforms in the contexts of postsocialist education transformations in South-Eastern Europe. It scopes the issues relating to: structural and curricular changes in teacher preparation; coordination of reforms across different levels; development of a common vision of good teaching in cooperation between teacher education institutions, schools and communities; and quality assurance of teacher preparation. The identified issues include: the superficial nature of structural reforms and the neglect of substantial curricular changes; the dearth of opportunities for reflection linking theory and practice; insufficiently developed cross-curricular approaches to teacher education reforms; the fragmentation of teacher education along a number of lines; the absence of a common vision of quality teaching, and of formative links between quality assurance systems for teachers, schools and teacher education providers. Finally, the paper outlines potential avenues for future developments and implications for teacher education policies and practices. (DIPF/Orig.)

Failure of the Croatian Higher Education Reform

Abstract: The authors analyse the reasons for Croatian higher education reform since 2003, as well as its consequences. The main proposition of the paper is that the implementation of the Bologna Process in Croatia has failed due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the goals of the process, a lack of correspondence between the cycles of higher education and the European Qualifications Framework, and a lack of international pressure, resulting from the nature of the open method of coordination. The authors present the internal market rules of the European Union and how they affect the national regulation of higher education. The paper deals with the main characteristics of the higher education reform and how it has affected the structure of higher education programmes, the comparability of degrees and qualifications, and student mobility. The authors propose an agenda for a “reform of the reform” that could bring the Croatian system of higher education back onto the European track. (DIPF/Orig.)

Policy and prediction: the case of institutional diversity in Romanian higher education

Abstract: Presenting key elements of post-1990 historical developments in the Romanian higher education system, the emphasis is put on recent (2011) policies of increasing higher education institutional differentiation. The view is that, in policy design, due attention should be paid to both historical roots and predicted developments. Building on an institutional analysis approach, we put forward a theoretical model that aims to explore the predictive implications of some recently promoted higher education policies. These policies are expected to increase institutional differentiation at the systemic level and enhance quality in teaching and research at university level. The predictive capacity of a model of reference is tested against a concurrent model. The key assumption of the latter is that of considering higher education institutions (HEIs) as “cooperative systems” that are unable to generate those outputs and outcomes that, by aggregation, would contribute to the construction of an institutionally diverse and heterogeneous higher education landscape. (DIPF/Orig.)

The relationship between social gender and the world of values in higher education

Abstract: • The differences between male and female students in the field of education can be studied from several points of view. The aim of the present study 2 is to approach the issues of mobility closely connected to the educational institution, institutional existence and school, using the filter of value sociology, thus bringing us closer to the different school attitudes and behaviours of the two genders, focusing on higher education. In our analysis, we used the ‘Campus-let’ Research database 3 (2010) of more that 2,000 students (N=2,384). In the course of completing questionnaires, students responded to the Rokeach Value Survey, which includes 18 terminal and 18 instrumental values evaluated on a five-grade scale. The techniques used were value averages and ranking, factor analysis and analysis of variance. We identified three factors with the use of ter minal values (humanist-integrated, seeking happiness in individuals, hedonistic-egoistic) and four with the use of instrumental values (philanthropic, rational, open minded-creative, bureaucratic), with the factor scores indicating a significant relation to gender in five cases.

Reading ability, reading fluency and orthographic skills: the case of L1 Slovene English as a foreign language students

Abstract: This study examined the difference between less-skilled and skilled L1 Slovene English as foreign language (EFL) students in foreign language (L2) fluency and L2 orthographic skills; 93 less-skilled Grade 7 L1 Slovene students and 102 skilled Grade 7 L1 Slovene students participated in the study. The results showed that skilled readers performed better in all fluency and orthographic skills tasks, as the differences between groups were statistically significant. The correlations among all variables showed that L2 fluency and L2 orthographic skills are positively interrelated among both groups, suggesting that higher L2 fluency scores are associated with higher L2 orthography scores. This outcome implies that less-skilled readers need to be greatly exposed to L2 language and be ensured necessary opportunities in- or outside the classroom in L2 learning. (DIPF/Orig.)

Education, Disability and Social Policy

Abstract: Haines, S and Ruebain, D (Eds) (first published 2011) Education, disability and social policy Bristol: Policy Press 208 p, ISBN-13: 978-1847423375"The authors () consider the advances, challenges and difficulties that make up current experience of disabled students and look to the future of what might come next in the pursuit of greater educational opportunities"Steve Haines and David RuebainEducation, disability and social policy 2011, p 1The question of educating children with disabilities and special needs is becoming more and more discussed, both in the field of education and among various stakeholders in society With this in mind, we cannot be surprised at the growing number of books, articles and journals dedicated to debating this issue from various standpoints The book Education, disability and social policy, edited by Steve Haines and David Ruebain, contributes its share to this diverse corpus of works In the words of the editors, the book "considers the progress that has been made since the 1980s in educational provision in the UK for disabled students ()" (Haines & Ruebain, 2011, p 1) Despite the fact that it mostly considers UK policy and legislation regarding the education of children with disabilities, this publication may also be of interest to students, researchers, theorists, practitioners and other interested individuals from other countries, as it offers a view on some topics relevant to education, as well as cautions about some possible (unwanted) consequences that can be produced by various policiesEducation, disability and social policy includes contributions by authors from various backgrounds - theorists, practitioners, activists - enabling a discussion rooted in the perspectives of various levels and fields of engagement in the education of children with disabilities, thus giving the book a specific value While it seems that, at least implicitly, the common denominator of all of the authors is a tendency towards the meaningful and efficient realisation of inclusion, they debate different topics related to education in general and to that of children with disabilities in particular They do so mostly through the prism of existing policy and legislation regarding children with disabilities from the Warnock report on, focusing primarily on the effects of the most recent policy and legislation (such as The Children's Plan: Building Brighter Futures (2007), The Lamb Inquiry: Special Education Needs and Parental Confidence (2009), Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability: A Consultation (2011), Removing Barriers to Achievement: The Government's Strategy for SEN (2004), Disability Discrimination Act (1995), Aiming High for Disabled Children (2007), Every Disabled Child Matters (2009), Equality Act (2010), The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, and others), with an eye on the outcomes they bring for inclusive educationThus the first article in the book, entitled Disability and education in historical perspective by A Borsay, briefly presents the history of schooling of children with disabilities in Britain, with a particular focus on the inability of legal entitlements to enforce inclusive schooling, on the contribution of professions to this failure, and on the impact on human rights brought about by the weakened participation of children with disabilities in their families, communities and employment due to segregated schooling The role of professions and multi-agency working in educating children with disabilities is further elaborated in the article by L Todd, Multi-agency working and disabled children and young people: from 'what works' to 'active becoming' The article by C Booth, M Bush and R Scott offers an insight into policy and legislation concerning children with disabilities that have mostly developed in the fields of education, care and disability discrimination …

A Validation Study of the National Assessment Instruments for Young English Language Learners in Norway and Slovenia

Abstract: CEPS Journal 2 (2012) 3, S. 75-96 Padagogische Teildisziplin: Empirische Bildungsforschung; Fachdidaktik/Sprache und Literatur; als elektronischer Volltext verfugbar

Planning and evaluating educational work in Slovene preschools

Abstract: The present article examines the changes in Slovene preschools subsequent to Slovenia’s independence in 1991. In the socialist period, the national education programme for preschools was highly structured, goal and content-oriented and subject to schoolization. The Curriculum for Preschools (1999) brought conceptual changes towards education “based on the child” and the process approach, as well as giving more autonomy to preschool teachers and their assistants. In the empirical study, we examine changes in planning and evaluating educational work compared to the past. The results show that the majority of professional workers have reduced the high level of structure and rigidity in planning, and that there is better cooperation between preschool teachers and teachers’ assistants. Unlike in the past, most professional workers regularly evaluate their educational work. As the data was gathered in two phases, before and after the training of professional workers in the Reggio Emilia concept, we also search for the (probably indirect) influences of this training. We conclude that after the training the participation of children in planning and evaluating educational work is higher. (DIPF/Orig.)

The “New Doctorate” in Austria: progress toward a professional model or status quo?

Abstract: • Until recently, both policy direction and public awareness of the Bologna Process has been focused almost unilaterally on the introduction of the Bachelor’s degree to European universities This is understandable, as for most European countries, the Bachelor is a new academic degree However, commencing with the Berlin Ministerial Conference (Realising the European Higher Education Area, 2003), reform of doctoral studies has been highlighted as a second equal pillar in the Bologna reform process In this paper, we begin by providing an overview of the general policy background and the rationales that under lie the attempts to restructure doctoral studies in Europe Next, we focus on the specific situation in Austria, where peculiarities of the status quo collide with uniquely Austrian approaches to reforming doctoral education Finally, through two case studies, we examine initial attempts – and related challenges – to implement the “New Doctorate” in Austria

A forgotten moment in education policy. A Hungarian-Swedish case study from the early 1970s

Abstract: • After the brutal uprising of 1956, there was a decade of gradual reform in Hungary under the Kadar regime. As part of this decade of reform, Hungary received permission to join the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievements), an organisation that had been established in the late 1950s by the well known Swedish educator and researcher Torsten Husen, who played an intermediary role in education policy between the West and the East. One step in fulfilling this role was his initiation a summer school under the umbrella of the IEA in the Swedish resort area of Graenna. The Hungarians were the only delegates from behind the Iron Curtain to participate. For them, it was a unique experience to view the centralised Swedish welfare state with contributions of American liberal democracy and education. This summer school of 1971 has since been forgotten, yet most of the initiatives of education policy after the political turn of 1989/90 have their roots there. This is especially true of the work and career of the well known Hungarian educator and a follower of Husen, the late Zoltan Bathory.