Showing papers in "Education, Knowledge and Economy in 2009"
TL;DR: A discussion of the uses that have been made of the concept "social capital" in educational policy and research can be found in this article, where the implications of these interpretations are explored with respect to policy aimed at enhancing social capital in educational contexts.
Abstract: This article offers a discussion of the uses that have been made of the concept ‘social capital’ in educational policy and research. It does so from a perspective derived from the French social philosopher, Pierre Bourdieu. It draws attention to the language of Bourdieu's terminology, and both the empirical derivation and the epistemological implications of his ‘thinking tools’. ‘Social capital’ is examined in terms of leading theorists of the concept and contrasted with Bourdieu's version. The implications of these interpretations are explored with respect to policy aimed at enhancing ‘social capital’ in educational contexts. Finally, further issues for policy makers and researchers are addressed in assessing the use that may be made of this concept and the wider field of theory of which it forms a part.
67 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the impact of OTTs in London's secondary schools and explored the challenges and benefits of having OTT in English classrooms, and provided a framework within which work on OTT's in London can be examined.
Abstract: The findings reported and discussed in this article extend existing research in the fields of education, migration and identity which focuses on the impact of overseas trained teachers (OTTs) in London's secondary schools. In recent years, researchers have examined the issue of international teacher migration from the perspective of a 'brain drain' to some countries. However, a major limitation of existing studies is that the challenges and benefits of having OTTs in English classrooms were not explored nor was the impact of teaching in London on the OTT. This study attempts to address these shortcomings and provide a framework within which work on OTTs in London can be examined. The findings discussed here regard teacher identity and the experiences of Caribbean OTTs in London. On the one hand these experiences undermined previously held value positions, resulting in a loss of professional status, confusion and turbulence. On the other hand, and over time, OTTs mastered conflicting discourses to combine past and present experiences and knowledge to produce a form of localised 'teacher identity'.
8 citations
TL;DR: The change from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy forced many organizations to change their modus operandi if they were going to survive in a sustainable way as mentioned in this paper, and the introduction of communities of practice (CoPs) by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger shed new light on knowledge sharing and dissemination of information.
Abstract: The change from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy forced many organizations to change their modus operandi if they were going to survive in a sustainable way. The introduction of communities of practice (CoPs) by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger shed new light on knowledge sharing and dissemination of information. Sharing, interacting, actively participating, collaborating and learning from one another become the central activities in a knowledge society. CoPs are everywhere. We all belong to a number of them – at work, at school, universities, at home and in our hobbies. In this sense everyone has experienced a CoP so it can be considered a common experience. Some have a name, some do not. We are core members of some and we belong to others more peripherally. CoPs are informal, naturally occurring, spontaneously evolving groups and the sense of community comes from defining them in terms of practice. A survey was conducted amongst academics in the Faculty of Management, University of Johannesburg,...
8 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that the increasing significance of faith-based schools in combination with their complexity, distinctiveness and controversy makes them a particularly fertile setting for research endeavour; an endeavour which seems to have become an imperative, given that current understandings of these schools are heavily influenced by the media.
Abstract: Political, market and historical forces within Australia have produced a supportive environment for creating a new marketplace for schools, including those that are affiliated with a range of different faiths. Indeed, this sector has now become a significant feature of the Australian educational landscape. This article argues that the increasing significance of faith-based schools in combination with their complexity, distinctiveness and controversy makes them a particularly fertile setting for research endeavour; an endeavour which seems to have become an imperative, given that current understandings of these schools are heavily influenced by the media.
7 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlighted the emerging trends in the global economy, which shows an increasing reliance on the knowledge-driven sectors for growth, focusing on the emerging issues and challenges in knowledge-based sectors.
Abstract: Human capital is a broad and multifaceted concept encompassing many different types of investment in people However, the key aspect of human capital has to do with the knowledge and skills embodied in people Human capital has always been an extremely important determinant of individual and social progress In the present scenario, it is the central instrument for developing economies in an increasingly competitive, services-led, knowledge-driven global economy The degree of responsiveness of the skilled human resources on the overall development and specifically the economic growth has been well established Notwithstanding the known linkages between economic growth and human capital, it is pertinent to understand the significance of the skilled workforce in knowledge economy and hence in economic development This study highlights the emerging trends in the global economy, which shows an increasing reliance on the knowledge-driven sectors for growth It focuses on the emerging issues and challenges in
7 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focused on the institutional logics that influenced how higher education scholars patrolled and shaped the conceptual boundaries of college student movement and activism research published between the years 1967 and 2008.
Abstract: This study has focused on the institutional logics that influenced how higher education scholars patrolled and shaped the conceptual boundaries of college student movement and activism research published between the years 1967 and 2008. A keyword search of four prestigious higher education journals (The Journal of Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, Higher Education, and Research in Higher Education) produced a preliminary sample of 538 original research articles published between 1967 and 2008 that included some discussion of college student movements and/or activism. The systematic scanning of the abstracts and findings of each of the 538 articles resulted in the selection of a final sample of 48 articles that included college student movements and/or activism as a topical field of interest. A discourse analysis of the final sample of articles revealed how higher education scholars have through their research shaped and reshaped the conceptual boundaries of college student movement and activis...
5 citations
TL;DR: The authors conducted a qualitative study using the Grounded Theory tradition to build a model always mindful of the plethora of findings related to storytelling in the professional literature and found that stories in problem-solving abound.
Abstract: There is plenty of evidence in many fields of knowledge that storytelling is a bona fide human activity for problem-solving. We believe that a storytelling model for problem-solving can be constructed to organize this discourse. To that end, we carried out a qualitative study using the Grounded Theory tradition to build such a model always mindful of the plethora of findings related to storytelling in the professional literature. Our study finds that stories in problem-solving abound. Building on the existing literature and the results of our study, we develop a model that can serve as a foundation for more storytelling research and discussion.
4 citations
TL;DR: Motivation and meaning at work as discussed by the authors explores the process of meaning-making from within the "narrative" mode and in particular considers the difficulty or even impossibility, in certain kinds of organisational and social situations, of constructing viable narratives.
Abstract: ‘… we become preoccupied with motivation when people cannot find meaning in their work.’ This article explores the process of meaning-making from within the ‘narrative’ mode and in particular considers the difficulty or even impossibility, in certain kinds of organisational and social situations, of constructing viable narratives. This experience is sometimes referred to as ‘losing the plot’, hence the subtitle of the article. When this happens, the ensuing feelings of despair and meaninglessness inevitably have deleterious effects on the motivation and morale of those individuals concerned, on the functioning of the organisation as a whole and upon the wider society. This article originated in an earlier version presented at an international psychoanalytic conference with the theme ‘Motivation and Meaning at Work’, and was a motivated response to the quotation at the top of the page that had been included in the Call for Papers. This hypothesis, that motivation is a surrogate for meaning, comes from a pa...
3 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored a critical incident in relation to a Further Education Funding Council inspection during 1995 and attempted to identify the FEFC discursive patterns as a cultural arbitrary and describe the way in which this surveillance based "strong discourse" was used in an effort to reconstruct the subjectivity of teaching staff.
Abstract: This paper explores a ‘critical incident’ in relation to a Further Education Funding Council inspection during 1995. The FEFC's short lived and under-researched ‘project’ is discussed against the background of the Major Government's ‘Back-to-Basics’ policy. The FEFC, through its inspection regime and the ways in which that inspection informed ‘good’ practice in relation to appraisal, self assessment and annual subject review, had the discursive power to construct a commonsense reality that it then attempted to insert into the cultural life of the further education sector. Making use of a critical incident, the paper attempts to identify the FEFC discursive patterns as a cultural arbitrary and describe the way in which this surveillance based ‘strong discourse’ was used in an effort to reconstruct the subjectivity of teaching staff. The FEFC could engage in this form of symbolic violence because of their dual role as controllers of the inspection regime and the financial distribution body that could determ...
3 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors found that education has a direct impact on economic condition, because education changes the attitude and direction of thoughts of an individual, which is a powerful instrument to boost the economy in the form of providing positive attitudes and perceptions.
Abstract: Literacy is a powerful instrument to boost the economy in the form of providing positive attitudes and perceptions that can contribute to an improved daily life Further, it plays an important role in determining the ecological condition, use and uptake of health-care facilities, awareness of different aspects of socio-religious and taboo practices and use of immunization and level of awareness Interviews were conducted in 400 Baiga households from five different blocks of the Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh, India The aim was to find out how education plays a role in determining the economic condition The findings revealed that education has a direct impact on economic condition, because education changes the attitude and direction of thoughts of an individual
3 citations
TL;DR: The authors examines the changing purposes of schooling and explores the role of businesses in that regard, and highlights the contradictions in purpose and practice of business involvement in schools and questions how narrow economic rationalities, as pursued by businesses in schools, could contribute to education for sustaina...
Abstract: The last few decades have seen an unprecedented transformation in business involvement in education, particularly in Western industrialized societies where privatization, commercialization and neo-liberal discourses continue to dominate educational thinking and practice. This paper foregrounds the growing perception of math and science as ‘economic subjects’, and discusses that within the context of school–business partnerships. Focusing primarily on the United States, and using the current No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy as an example, the paper examines the changing purposes of schooling and explores the role of businesses in that regard. Business involvements in education are located within the emergent business practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The contradictions in purpose and practice of business involvement in schools are highlighted. In the end, the paper questions how narrow economic rationalities, as pursued by businesses in schools, could contribute to education for sustaina...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore skills investment policy and practice in the UK 'welfare to work' programme and conclude that the vision of a recent report to provide opportunities for welfare recipients to acquire skills in order to adapt to change, find new work and opportunities, and progress in work could founder on the philosophy that the primary purpose of training programmes and active labour market intervention for welfare recipient is to ensure the pace and progress of participants into work and that any educational element or advancement in work is secondary.
Abstract: Drawing upon interviews with key stakeholders including policy makers and providers of the flagship welfare reform programme – the New Deal for Young People, this article contributes to analysis and debate through an exploration of skills investment policy and practice in this key UK ‘welfare to work’ programme. It concludes that the vision of a recent report to provide opportunities for welfare recipients to acquire skills in order to adapt to change, find new work and opportunities, and progress in work could founder on the philosophy that the primary purpose of training programmes and active labour market intervention for welfare recipients is to ensure the pace and progress of participants into work and that any educational element or advancement in work is secondary.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a framework for sustainable learning community based on practicalities, guidance, radicalism, and transition, and conclude with the first formulation of a sustainable learning framework based upon these and earlier observations and insights.
Abstract: It was more than a decade ago that I first explored the notion of a ‘learning community’. Whilst the overall goal remains the same, there are now important new ecological insights that can be added to our earlier understanding, which heighten the urgency for a more radical consideration of learning community to ensure that practice is both educationally sound and ecologically sustainable within such a community. This paper serves as reference to some of this new thinking. To provide a context, it will refer to the earlier work and indicate the limitations and breakthroughs of the earlier work which, with the benefit of retrospect, have become apparent. The paper is structured around four themes that I continue to draw upon as the basis of my own learning – themes of practicalities, guidance, radicalism and transition. The paper concludes with the first formulation of a framework for sustainable learning community based upon these and earlier observations and insights.
TL;DR: In this article, an explanatory research was carried out based on survey strategy to identify and analyze institutional orientations, strengthening mechanisms and problematic challenges of university agricultural research in the agricultural research system of Iran.
Abstract: According to empirical evidence and noted implications of sustainable agricultural development as a systemic and multi-actor process, integration of the research function of higher agricultural education in Iranian agricultural research systems seems to be an ongoing and considerable necessity. With the aim of identification and analysis of institutional orientations, strengthening mechanisms and problematic challenges of university agricultural research in the agricultural research system of Iran, this explanatory research was carried out based on survey strategy. The population of this research consisted of all faculty members of public agricultural faculties and colleges of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT). Using a multi-phase sampling method, 183 faculty members were selected in order to participate in the research by completing the questionnaires used as a research tool. Collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Based on the calc...
TL;DR: The School Leadership for Quality Global Learning (SLEQGL) project as mentioned in this paper was designed to challenge the student teachers' thinking about leadership in an increasingly globalised society, how the education system should respond and the implications for learners and education leaders.
Abstract: This article introduces a project, School Leadership for Quality Global Learning, which focuses on the relationship between leadership at different levels within educational institutions and quality global learning. The article outlines briefly the changing societal context within which education is operating currently before exploring key ideas, issues and strategies by reporting on a workshop involving some 25 student primary teachers. The workshop was designed to challenge the student teachers' thinking about leadership in an increasingly globalised society, how the education system should respond and the implications for learners and education leaders. It also raised questions about the purposes of schools and the roles of learning and of educational leadership. Following introductory activities that allowed the participants to share their initial perceptions about globalisation and raise their overall awareness, the student teachers used a ‘World Cafe activity’ to investigate in greater depth the edu...