Showing papers on "Compulsory education published in 2014"

Does Education Improve Cognitive Performance Four Decades After School Completion

Abstract: We study the effect of secondary education on cognitive performance toward the end of working age. We exploit the exogenous variation in years of schooling arising from compulsory schooling reforms implemented in six European countries during the 1950s and 1960s. Using data of individuals, approximately age 60, from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we assess the causal effect of education on memory, fluency, numeracy, and orientation-to-date. Furthermore, we study education effects on cognitive decline. We find a positive impact of schooling on memory scores. One year of education increases the memory score approximately four decades later by about 0.2, which amounts to 10 % of a standard deviation. Furthermore, we find some evidence for a protective effect of schooling on cognitive decline in terms of verbal fluency.

Gender Inequality in Education in China: A Meta-Regression Analysis

Abstract: Although there is evidence that there was gender inequality in China's education system in the 1980s, the literature in China has mixed evidence on improvements in gender inequality in educational attainment over the past three decades. Some suggest gender inequality is still severe; others report progress. We seek to understand the progress China has made (if any) in reducing gender inequality in education since the 1980s. To meet this goal, we use a meta-analysis approach which provides a new quantitative review of a relatively large volume of empirical literature on gender educational differentials. This article analyzes differences across both time and space, and also across different grade levels and ethnicities. Our results indicate that gender inequality in educational attainment still exists, but it has been narrowing over time. Moreover, it varies by area (rural versus urban) and grade level. There is nearly no significant gender inequality in the case of girls in urban areas or in the case of the 9 years of compulsory education (primary school and junior high school). Girls, however, still face inequality in rural areas (although inequality is falling over time) and when they reach high school or beyond. (JEL I24)

Social Policy and Regime Legitimacy: The Effects of Education Reform in China

Abstract: Elites often use social policies to garner political support and ensure regime survival, but social policies are not a silver bullet. Using two waves of Chinese national surveys, I find that a recent policy of abolishing school fees has significantly increased citizens’ demand for greater government responsibility in financing compulsory education. I argue that policy awareness, rather than policy benefits, drives citizens’ demand. Finally, I show that policy awareness has enhanced citizens’ trust in China's central government, but not in local governments. This asymmetry in regime support has two sources—the decentralization of education provision and biased media reporting—which induce citizens to credit the central government for good policy outcomes. Given that citizens’ responses are primarily influenced by policy awareness that is promoted by the state media, this study casts doubt on the use of social policies to sustain long-term political support.

Análisis de la ausencia de las mujeres en los manuales de la ESO: una genealogía de conocimiento ocultada

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present the results of an analysis performed at the Universitat de Valencia about the presence of women and men in the Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) textbooks. The purpose of this study is, on the one hand, to measure the presence and the importance that women are given in the worldview transmitted from the compulsory education and, on the other, to delimit the lacks of each of the subjects and their implications. We have analyzed 115 manuals from three publishing houses that correspond to all the subjects of the four years of the ESO. We have used indicators of presence and recurrence, as well as others indicators of place, way and content that allow us to offer a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the stage. The results show a very poor women's presence: 12.8 %. This reveals the lack of social consideration of women and their nearly complete exclusion of the worldview transmitted from the compulsory education. This implies a considerable lack of rigor in the academic contents. Moreover, this exclusion means for women an absence of models that weakens their social situation and perpetuate the inequalities. Last but not least, it is as well a serious collective lack because being unaware of the women’s memory and knowledge, the whole society loses part of its cultural heritage and has less resources to understand the present and to project the future. In order to rectify this lack in the education, as has been showed in the analysis, in the second stage of this project, we are developing a database that can be used by teachers as an instrument of didactic intervention and that will allow the incorporation of the women that are absent and the adaptation of the account of the history in the academic contents.

An introduction to the study of education

Abstract: 1 What is education? David Matheson 2 Ideology in education in the United Kingdom Catherine Matheson 3 Theories of learning: constructive experience Reg Dennick 4 Thinking philosophically about education thinking educationally about philosophy Gert Biesta 5 Psychology in education Graham Mitchell 6 Learning styles: implications for teaching and learning John Pelley 7 Assessment Tim Heywood 8 Social and spatial disparity in the history of school provision in England from the 1750s to the 1950s Colin Brock 9 Schooling in Ireland: policy and practice from penal times to the present day Deirdre Raftery and Martina Relihan 10 Education in Scotland David Matheson 11 Education in Wales Alison Murphy 12 Early childhood education and care in the UK Alice Mongiello 13 Compulsory education in the United Kingdom Ian Menter, Carmel Gallagher, Louise Hayward and Dominic Wyse 14 Post-compulsory education (further and higher education) Catherine Matheson and Philip Woodward 15 Lifelong learning Catherine Matheson and David Matheson 16 Comparing educational systems Trevor Corner and Nigel Grant 17 Education and development: the contribution of comparative education Dominique Groux 18 Special educational needs in context: a historical overview Mary Kellett 19 'Race', ethnicity and education: the English experience John Stanley 20 Schooling and social class Michael Wyness 21 Gender in education Jane Martin 22 Debates in educational research Abdeljalil Akkari and Bernard Wentzel 23 Research in professional contexts Catherine Matheson and David Matheson 24 Afterword: now that I have read about education, how do I write about it? David Matheson Online Global health education: a transformative learning challenge in undergraduate medical education Raul Pardinaz-Solis and Adrian Hastings Online Accidentally learning to play the violin or what use is my autobiography in researching lifelong learning? David Matheson Online E-Learning Heather Rai Online Learning from mistakes: the Barrowfield Project in Glasgow, Scotland Online Catherine Matheson and David Matheson

Teachers' care in higher education: contesting gendered constructions

Abstract: There is little research on care in higher education, and yet for many of those who teach in higher education institutions, care is an important part of their work. Care in the compulsory education sector has traditionally been linked to the feminine, and this paper considers whether this is also the case in higher education. It investigates how care is conceptualised and gendered in the literature and in narratives of teaching staff from New Zealand universities. It finds that there is much more to care than traditional models offer, and shows how this complexity of care challenges gendered stereotypes. It concludes that a broader understanding of care can help break the link to the feminine and acknowledge the value of care in higher education and beyond.

The Doubly Disadvantaged: How Return Migrant Students Fail to Access and Deploy Capitals for Academic Success in Rural Schools

Abstract: A growing number of ‘return migrant children’, who have lived in cities where they had access to the compulsory education system, are sent back to their rural hometowns to prepare for higher education in China. This study explores the resources that are available to return migrant students for further educational development and examines their difficulties with activating their educational capitals and translating them into human capital, in the form of academic knowledge and educational success after their remigration (a change in their field of practice). Using a framework based on the work of Bourdieu, this article conceptualizes the educational resources available to migrant families in terms of economic, social and cultural capitals. This article contributes to a better understanding of the transformation and deployment of educational capitals by revitalizing the importance of the concepts of ‘habitus’ and ‘field’ inherent in Bourdieu’s work.

Inequality in social capital: social capital, social risk and drop-out in the Turkish education system

Abstract: This article examines the effects of social capital on the likelihood of dropping out from the compulsory education system (Grades One through Eight) in Turkey. It focuses on the question of whether schoolrelated social capital can provide the means to stay in school in the presence of risk factors such as socioeconomic status, race, or gender that cannot be easily modified. Despite major progress in enrollment rates due to policies enacted in recent years, the overall drop-out rate in compulsory education is close to 15% in Turkey. Data collected from 764 student–mother pairs show that drop-outs are exposed to higher number of social risk factors. We further illustrate that school-related social capital, as measured by quality of in-school teacher–student interactions as well as parental involvement in school, significantly and positively contributes to adolescents’ likelihood of staying in school even in the presence of severe social inequalities.

Federalism and Fidelity: A review of the provisions under the national Model and State rules under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009

Abstract: India has the world’s largest number of child labourers and children out of school. This report provides an analysis of the basic provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and the Model and State rules applicable to most Indian States. It assesses the extent to which the provisions in place adhere to the core principles of the Act (fidelity) and the intentions behind specific clauses within the Act, while also adapting the provisions to state level specifications and recognizing the fact that education is a concurrent issue in India (federalism). This paper covers issues regarding India’s school management committees (SMCs), educational inclusion, and issues affecting children who are out of school and with special needs. It also analyses the regulation of private schools, grievance redressal including the setting up of State Commissions on Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs), provisions related to teachers, and curriculum development.

The School Situation for Students with a High Level of Absenteeism in Compulsory School: Is There a Pattern in Documented Support?

Abstract: This paper is a retrospective descriptive content analysis of all identified school documents for 90 ninth-grade students with a history of truancy, collected from two Swedish compulsory schools. The study investigates individual, school, and psychosocial factors in the documents and three analyses are presented: (1) a general analysis of the documents, (2) a comparison of truant students with and without learning difficulties (LD), and (3) a comparison between students with LD who received no special educational support and those who did receive support. Predictors for truancy were credits in the fall of the eighth grade, difficulties in mathematics, and relationship problems. For 50% of the students, frequent truancy first became evident after the seventh grade. No connections were found between documented educational and social support, learning difficulties, and level of truancy.

The Development of a School for All in Iceland: Equality, Threats and Political Conditions

Abstract: The history of public schooling in Iceland emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century and from the beginning demonstrated a strong commitment to equity and equal educational opportunities for all children. This focus includes the social or economic status of students, their place of living and the impact of gender and perceived learning abilities. This chapter explores significant emphases and obstacles of schooling for all through different periods: conditions of today that might affect future development; understanding the history of the initial concept; and the growth of current situations which uniquely brings together school for all, inclusive pedagogies, active democracy and social justice. International trends have influenced educational policy, lately through 12 years of international comparative studies that have situated Icelandic school development in an international milieu. Achievements of the Icelandic school system have shown continuing respect as equity among comprehensive schools measures highly in international outcomes, as well as the data analysis reveals a high percentage of student success with few students at either end of the spectrum.

The study of technology as a field of knowledge in general education: historical insights and methodological considerations from a Swedish case study, 1842–2010

Abstract: Today, technology education in Sweden is both a high-status and a low-status phenomenon. Positive values such as economic growth, global competitiveness and the sustainability of the welfare state are often coupled with higher engineering education and sometimes even upper secondary education. Negative values, on the other hand, are often associated with primary and lower secondary education in this subject. Within the realm of technology education at such lower levels of schooling in Sweden, different actors have often called for reformed curricula or better teacher training, owing to the allegedly poor state of technology education in schools. Recurring demands for a change in technology education are nothing unique from an historical point of view, however. In fact, the urge to influence teaching and learning in technology is much older than the school subject itself. The aim of this article is to describe and analyse some key patterns in technology education in Swedish elementary and compulsory schools from 1842 to 2010. This study thus deals with how technological content has developed over time in these school forms as well as how different actors in and outside the school have dealt with the broader societal view of what is considered as important knowledge in technology as well as what kind of technology has particular significance. The long period of investigation from 1842 to 2010 as well as a double focus on technology as scattered educational content and a subject called Technology make it possible to identify recurring patterns, which we have divided into three overarching themes: Technological literacy and the democratic potential of technological knowledge, The relationship between school technology and higher forms of technology education and The relationship between technology and science.

Individual and spousal education, mortality and life expectancy in Switzerland: a national cohort study

Abstract: Background Household measures of socioeconomic position may better account for the shared nature of material resources, lifestyle, and social position of cohabiting persons, but household measures of education are rarely used. We aimed to evaluate the association of combined educational attainment of married couples on mortality and life expectancy in Switzerland. Methods The study included 3 496 163 ever-married persons aged ≥30 years. The 2000 census was linked to mortality records through 2008. Mortality by combined educational attainment was assessed by gender-age-specific HRs, with 95% CIs from adjusted models, life expectancy was derived using abridged life tables. Results Having a less educated partner was associated with increased mortality. For example, the HR comparing men aged 50–64 years with tertiary education married to women with tertiary education to men with compulsory education married to women with compulsory education was 2.05 (1.92–2.18). The estimated remaining life expectancy in tertiary educated men aged 30 years married to women with tertiary education was 4.6 years longer than in men with compulsory education married to women with compulsory education. The gradient based on individual education was less steep: the HR comparing men aged 50–64 years with tertiary education with men with compulsory education was 1.74 (1.67–1.81). Conclusions Using individual educational attainment of married persons is common in epidemiological research, but may underestimate the combined effect of education on mortality and life expectancy. These findings are relevant to epidemiologic studies examining socio-demographic characteristics or aiming to adjust results for these characteristics.

Educational Governance in Denmark

Abstract: Denmark has entered global competition by expanding collaboration with European countries, which is profoundly impacting the public sector and school governance. Relations between the state and institutions are transforming from traditional democratic, public-sector models of governance into new forms characterized as corporate and market-driven approaches (e.g., strategic planning, accountability, social technologies, quality standards, and reports). Another important change is the trend toward treating schools as freestanding, self-governing institutions managed directly from the Ministry of Education rather than indirectly through municipalities. Consequently, the transformation of public sector governance in education has brought with it new influence patterns, relations, and positions.

‘Never really had a good education you know, until I came in here’: educational life histories of young adult male prisoner learners

Abstract: This article focuses on the educational life histories of nine prisoner learners aged between 18 and 21 years which were collated as part of doctoral work which sought to access the life histories of adult male prisoners who were attending a prison school while incarcerated in prison. The nine life histories of the young men were collated not only in two Dublin prison sites: St. Patrick's Institution (mainly) but also Mountjoy Prison and their educational life histories are explored in this article with the specific aim of offering insights into young adult male prisoner learners' experiences of education. Negative experiences of compulsory education were reported by the nine prisoner learners interviewed, none of whom had completed upper second level education. The average age of the young adults was 19 years. Two had no experience of secondary school education and six of the nine reported being expelled from school. The intergenerational impact of imprisonment and cycle of disadvantage was illustrated a...

Nature of Science in the Science Curriculum and in Teacher Education Programs in the United States

Abstract: This chapter considers the complex educational landscape in the United States and presents the results of an examination of the rationale for and history of the inclusion of nature of science (NOS) in the science curriculum, standards, and teacher education programs in the United States. The analysis begins with a definition of NOS and recommendations for its inclusion in school science and moves into a discussion of the context for the control of education in US K-12 schools (K-12 refers to public compulsory education in the United States which generally begins in kindergarten (K) at about age 5 and ends in grade 12 generally at age 17–18). A subsequent section of this chapter provides a detailed view of the nature of science in the most recent state standards resulting in a consensus recommendation for key NOS elements. A similar analysis tactic is applied to the new science education Framework for K-12 Science Education and the resulting Next Generation Science Standards. The chapter concludes with an examination of NOS in several key curriculum projects designed to incorporate this important topic.

Transitions to school: reframing professional relationships

Abstract: Systemic splits between pre-compulsory and compulsory early years education impact on transitions to school through discontinuities in children’s experience. This paper presents data from a critical participatory action research project about transitions between pre-compulsory and compulsory early education schooling in Australia. The project aim was to investigate how transitions to school might be enhanced by developing deeper professional relationships and shared understandings between teachers from both sectors. Within the communicative space afforded by a professional learning community, the participants engaged in critical conversations about their understandings of transitions practices and conditions, including systemic differences. Data analysis provides a snapshot of changes in teachers’ thinking about professional relationships, continuity and factors influencing cross-sectoral professional relationships. Findings suggest that affording opportunities for teachers to re-frame cross-sectoral prof...

Determinants of School Choice: Evidence from Rural Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract: (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)1. Introduction and MotivationPakistan has pledged to achieve "education for all" such that all children (particularly girls) have access to free and good-quality primary schooling in line with the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education by 2015. In the wake of such international initiatives, the country has made some progress in education indicators over the past decade: the gross enrollment rate at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels increased by 15, 6.3, and 3.9 percent between 2001 and 2009. Nonetheless, the country still ranks lowest in terms of education indicators relative to its South Asian comparators (Table A1 in the Appendix). Thus, it is likely Pakistan will miss the deadline for meeting the goals of education for all and universal primary education by 2015.In 2010, under Article 25-A of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, access to free and compulsory education was declared a fundamental right for all children between the ages of 5 and 16 years. But with public expenditure on education declining instead of increasing (from 2.2 percent of GDP in 2005/06 to 2 percent in 2009/10), the current bleak status of education in Pakistan indicates that guaranteeing this right remains a formidable challenge (Pakistan, Ministry of Finance, 2010).In recent years, many developing countries have seen a surge in low-fee private schooling (LFP). De, Majumdar, Noronha, and Samson (2002), Kingdon (2007), and Srivastava (2006) find support for increasing trends in LFP schooling in India. Nearly 30 percent of the rural populace in India "can access a fee-charging primary private school in the same village" (Muralidharan & Kremer, 2006). Srivastava (2007) notes that, although the state of Uttar Pradesh is educationally backward, it has a private school enrolment rate of 57.6 percent-the second highest in the country. The rise of private schooling has also been witnessed in Bolivia where nearly one fifth of all students at the primary and secondary levels are enrolled in private schools (Psacharopoulos, Arieira, & Mattson, 1997). Pakistan has undergone similar trends: in 2010/11, 25 percent of all school- going children were enrolled in private schools (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2011). To consider these trends in a global context, the private enrollment rate in developed countries is generally low; for example, private school enrollment in OECD countries stands at 3 percent due to substantial public investment in education (Checchi et al., 2004).The rise in private schooling has stirred a debate on the merits and possible demerits of this expansion. On the positive side, the private sector offers a cost-effective means of providing education,1 thereby filling the void created by the inadequate supply (both in terms of quality and quantity) of public education services (Tooley, 2004; Tooley & Dixon, 2006; Tooley, Dixon, & Gomathi, 2007). On the other hand, critics of private sector expansion emphasize that the provision of education is one of the core responsibilities of the government; they have also raised concerns about equity (Lewin, 2007; Rose, 2009). Since private schooling entails greater expenditure relative to public schooling, there are doubts about the extent to which the private sector can include the poorest in the economic growth cycle.In the context of Pakistan, however, with shrinking education budgets and weak commitment to education reforms, the private sector has emerged as an important provider of education services for the rural poor (Andrabi et al., 2007; Alderman, Orazem, & Paterno, 2001)2 with 15 percent of all school-going children in the bottom 20 percent of the population attending private schools in rural Pakistan (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2009, Table A2). Against this backdrop, our objective is to assess why parents choose LFP schools for their children when free public schools are available. …

Teachers Competency for Inclusive Education

Abstract: SEN student have right for appropriate education, based on their interests, needs and abilities together with their peers. Does teacher in regular school possesses required general and specific competency and knowledge for SEN student teaching is the main question in the field of compulsory education. To work in inclusive classroom, teacher has to know specific characteristics about disabilities, strategy of teaching and develop personal competencies to create stimulating environment for learning. This study want to discuss teacher personal perception of their own competency for teaching SEN student in early and compulsory regular education. Sample is conducted from 100 early and compulsory teachers, employed in regular schools. For this study questionnaire was created. In first part there are general questions about age, level of education, experience working in school. Second part includes 47 items divided in 7 areas, experience with SEN students, attitudes about disabilities, knowledge, acceptance, professional support in school. Results shows that about 70% of examined teacher have none or very little knowledge about teaching SEN students, and their attitudes are mostly negative but younger teachers experience higher competencies. Further, some teachers that have positive attitudes about inclusive education would not accept SEN student if could make choice. Competencies of examined teacher in regular school are not equally developed. Reason for those findings, in some aspect, could be found in teacher training college program which has been changed in last decades. According to results, and teachers personal perception of their own competency, conclusion that teachers do not have necessary skills and competency can be made.

What do we mean by school dropout? Early School Leaving and the shifting of paradigms in school dropout measurement

Abstract: The audit, evaluation and regulation of education systems is becoming the rule inEurope, strongly increasing demand for data production and even considered by some as a major policy-development in itself Data production and its use produce changes in the governing of the education and training systems throughout Europe,contributing to the Europeanization of the national educational systems and to the empowerment of some international organizations, like the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) In the moment that European and global goals around quantified goals related to education are being drawn, thereare some warnings regarding excessive focus on measurable results and thus the risk of losing sight of what is truly important in education and promotion of educationalsuccess Early School Leaving (ESL) is the indicator used by Eurostat to measureschool dropout and by the European Union to establish targets for education policiesIt is an indicator that holds as reference the schooling-level certification and,as such, a measure of school achievement based on a comprehensive perspective ofeducational/training activities, including informal and non-formal learning Until the adoption of this indicator, the yardstick for measuring school dropout in Portugal was the legally-established age for compulsory education As such,it was a measure of access, not of school success On the one hand, it does not consider the degree of schooling reached; on the other it does not recognize informal and non-formal learning as integral parts of education in general We believe that these are very relevant differences that imply distinct conceptions of education and training and their role in society, with important consequences both forscientific research and for public policies in the field of education This change of paradigm implies a series of challenges for research on school drop out and as well for the devising and tuning of public policy aimed at combating it Also it introduces some complexity to the analysis of the effects of Europeanization in education in countries like Portugal, which was recovering from significant delays in the development of its education system, suggesting the establishment of benchmarks and quantification of educational outcomes resulting from Portuguese participation in the international-institutions set, induced transformations in the paradigm of dropout and school retention, facilitated by the process of convergence with European Union (EU) centre countries

Office Disciplinary Referral Patterns of American Indian Students from Elementary School through High School.

Abstract: * The compulsory education years of a child's life are important for social, emotional, and academic development (Baker, 2006; Ladd, Kochenderfer, & Coleman, 1996) and provide the experiences that will set the stage for the rest of that child's life (Lubinski, Benbow, Webb, & Bleske-Rechek, 2006). School is not only where students learn basic academic skills and knowledge but also where they are taught to interact appropriately with adults and their peers. It is also where they are taught to advocate for themselves and where they are introduced to discipline and justice (and often injustice), possibly for the first time outside of their own homes. All of these experiences, whether positive or negative, may influence students' short-term and long-term success in school, their interactions outside of school, and their adult lives (Lubinski et al., 2006).Students who are frequently disciplined face exclusion from the classroom environment (Wallace, Goodkind, Wallace, & Bachman, 2008), and according to the Office of Civil Rights (2013), throughout the United States there were more than three million suspensions and more than 100,000 expulsions in 1 year alone. These types of exclusionary consequences can place students at a great disadvantage in comparison with their peers, as they are often linked to negative life outcomes, such as entry into the criminal justice system (Rocque & Pasternoster, 2011).A convenient and widely used tool for the assessment of disciplinary characteristics within schools has been the office disciplinary referral (ODR; McIntosh, Campbell, Russell Carter, & Zumbo, 2009). McIntosh et al. (2009) provide a thorough definition, as well as the strengths and limitations, of ODRs and the disciplinary referral process. Essentially, an ODR is the printed or electronic form used to record student behavior. It provides school personnel with the systematic means for documenting and assessing student behavior (Sugai, Sprague, Horner, & Walker, 2000). For decades, ODR data have been analyzed from elementary schools (e.g., Skiba et al., 2011), middle schools (e.g., Skiba et al., 2011), and high schools (e.g., Wallace et al., 2008). Several researchers have also studied patterns across all three school types (e.g., Kaufman et al., 2010). Researchers have found that several groups have been overrepresented in school disciplinary actions for generations, most notably students who are male, students who are African American, and students in special education (Vincent, Sprague, & Tobin, 2012). Previous ODR-based disciplinary pattern research has paid particular attention to African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic/ Latino students. Although some researchers have also included disciplinary findings for American Indian students, their proportions in the populations are substantially low, and American Indian students in particular often are not the focus of the research.American Indian ResearchThe 15th-century introduction of European settlers, to what is now the United States, led to a substantial reduction in the American Indian population, initially due to disease, ethnic cleansing, and the effects of slavery (Oberg, 2010). Later, the 19th-century westward expansion brought legally sponsored forced removal of American Indians from lands east of the Mississippi River to those west of the Mississippi River. The promotion of staunch ideals, such as Manifest Destiny, and historical events, such as the Trail of Tears, placed American Indians in further danger. Mass removal made them susceptible to disease, exhaustion, starvation, and violence, leading to an additional decline in the American Indian population (Oberg, 2010). The American Indian and Alaska Native population now comprise just 1.7% of the total US population, with the majority located in clusters spread throughout the portion of the United States west of the Mississippi River (US Census Bureau, 2010). Research can be difficult to conduct for these small populations. …

Effective pre-school, primary and secondary education project (EPPSE 3-16+): report on students who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)

Abstract: Executive Summary: This research on young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) is a sub-study of the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE 1997-2014) programme of research. EPPSE is a longitudinal, mixed methods research study, funded by the Department for Education (DfE) that has followed the progress of 3000+ children from the age of 3 to 16 years. Details of the earlier phases of the study can be found at http://eppe.ioe.ac.uk. A focus for EPPSE has been the influence of different phases of education (preschool through to secondary school) on children's cognitive/academic and socialbehavioural outcomes, as well as other important background influences such as gender, family characteristics and the home learning environment etc. The final phase of the study followed the participants to their post age 16 destinations (six months after they completed their Key Stage 4 GCSE or equivalent exams). This research was commissioned to explore why some young people from the EPPSE sample became NEET 6 months after finishing compulsory education by examining some of the factors that might have contributed to this as well as the barriers and facilitators to these young people getting into education, employment or training.

Hidden Gains: Effects of Early U.S. Compulsory Schooling Laws on Attendance and Attainment by Social Background.

Abstract: Research on early compulsory schooling laws finds minimal effects on attendance but fails to investigate heterogeneous effects. Similarly, research proposes limited contexts in which expansion poli...

ICT in India's elementary schools: The vision and realities

Abstract: As India aspires to emerge as the information and communication technology (ICT) leader among the knowledge-based societies, it does so with the education of children as a primary concern. With the passage and enforcement of the 2009 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), the Indian government has affirmed its commitment to ensuring universal elementary education for all Indian children. Part of India’s RTE commitment includes the vision of preparing Indian children with 21 st century skills such as learning to operate a computer. Yet, realities exist, including a lack of empirical research on Indian elementary schools, which impedes this vision. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the barriers to and possibilities of ICT programs in India’s elementary schools.E

Changes in Achievement in and Attitude toward Mathematics of the Finnish Children from Grade 0 to 9—A Longitudinal Study

Abstract: Recent years, Finland has been one of the countries of interest in education because of its success in international comparisons. Several attempts have been made to explain what could have been behind the positive results. However, some of the challenges of Finnish education, such as the productivity (achievement/costs) or its uniformity throughout the school years have not been emphasized. Further, it is under examined in Finland, as well as worldwide, the development of the performance and the attitude during the school years. Here, 3,502 stratified sampled Finnish students’ achievement and attitude regarding mathematics were followed up from the beginning of the school (grade 0, age 7) to the end of the compulsory education (grade 9, age 16). The test scores from the different measurements were equated by using IRT modelling. The sharpest change in achievement happens during the lower grades and it evens out towards the upper grades. The achievement level of the student population entering the school is very heterogeneous. The actions during the first two years make the differences between the students disappear almost totally. The attitudes are declining during the years. During all the grades, boys feel themselves more self-efficacy in mathematics than the girls.

The higher education system in Iraq and its future

Abstract: Despite the fact that higher education in Iraq has suffered from the scourges of many wars (1980-1988, 1991, 2003), international sanctions (1990-2003) and governments' interference, since 1968, the vast majority of its members struggled to keep the universities and colleges as effective instruments in teaching, researching and providing the society with qualified graduates. But one cannot deny the many obstacles and challenges that faced these institutions. After 2003, neither the occupying forces nor the political parties they imposed on Iraq showed any real interest in developing this sector. One main reason was, perhaps, because the United States feared the educated and skilled Iraqi brains that were the main reasons behind the successes the country had achieved in the past. {(One could cite the words of the former US secretary of state, Madeline Albright, who answered a question about why the sanctions were still imposed on Iraq while admitting that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) were destroyed; she said it was because the brains were still there (Al-Rubaie 2008). Also, the declaration of President Bashar al-Asad who said that following the occupation of Iraq in 2003 he received Colin Powell, then US secretary of state, who warned him against receiving or sheltering Iraqi scientists and academics (al-Mayadeen 2013)}. Also, because of their conservative religious attitudes, the ruling clique after 2003 alienated the technocrats fearing that their role in developing the society and the state could be a real challenge to their own parochial ideologies. The result was an acute deterioration in the field of education in general and higher education in particular. In general, the higher education system in Iraq was faced with a major challenge, which was represented by the insistence of the different regimes to control the education system. However, the official interference was not always harmful to education in general and higher education in particular. For example, in 1968, the government approved a law requiring the free and compulsory education at all levels, and in 1977, it passed the law for the eradication of illiteracy. UNESCO duly presented Iraq with the prize of the year for eradicating illiteracy in 1982 (Ranjan and Jain 2009). Also, between 1970 and 1980, the regime took a very positive step by sending thousands of students abroad to study for higher degrees. By the end of the decade Iraqi higher education was self-sufficient in all fields of knowledge. The aim of this essay is to show how the education system has been neglected since 2003 till the present. The article will try to discuss the reality of the higher education system, compare it to the past and look at its future, by examining the main challenges that male and female academics faced during the occupation and the domination of religious-conservative movements in the post-occupation government. The authors' experience as former members of Baghdad University staff has been the main source for this essay.