ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Organizing an NGO-Sponsored English-Medium School in South India: Lessons Learned
Author: Gibb, Gordon S.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language of Instruction,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Phenomenology,Foreign Countries,Outreach Programs,Nongovernmental Organizations,Diseases,Elementary School Students,Governance,Middle School Students,Program Descriptions,School Culture,School Administration,Second Language Instruction,International Education

This paper describes lessons learned from the first-year education efforts of Rising Star Outreach of India, a U.S.-based nongovernmental charitable organization (NGO) working with leprosy colonies in Tamil Nadu, India. In 2008, Rising Star Outreach established a residential school to provide English-medium schooling for 180 colony children in Standards K through 8. Using lived experience methods of phenomenological research described by Manen (1990), the author describes six themes derived from personal experience during the a full year of organizing and directing the school, including obtaining government recognition, organizing school governance, working within local school culture, hiring and training teachers, providing English-medium instruction, and establishing and maintaining positive relations with parents and families. The themes include lessons learning that can benefit other organizations endeavoring to establish schools in developing areas.
Access to Education for Children with Disabilities in Uganda: Implications for Education for All
Author: Moyi, Peter
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Children,Disabilities,Foreign Countries,Access to Education,Disadvantaged Youth,Special Needs Students,National Surveys,Multivariate Analysis

Since 1990 many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have witnessed extraordinary progress in school enrollment; however, the progress has slowed in recent years. UNESCO warns that unless new measures are taken, the number of out-of-school children in 2015 will increase from current levels. Inequalities in most developing countries have been found to be a major barrier to universal education. Priority has been given to gender and income inequality; however, to achieve universal education we must focus on all marginalized groups. The disabled are among the least visible of the marginalized children. As the Ugandan government develops a policy on special needs children, it is essential to understand the current schooling status of disabled children in Uganda. Therefore, using 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey data this study examines schooling patterns of disabled children in Uganda. The study finds that disabled children are significantly less likely to enroll, attend and complete Grade 5. The study also finds that the disadvantage disabled children face depend on the nature and extent of the impairment.
Attitudes towards Internationalism through the Lens of Cognitive Effort, Global Mindset, and Cultural Intelligence
Author: Romano, Joan
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Global Approach,Cultural Awareness,Regression (Statistics),Undergraduate Students,Preferences,Travel,Foreign Countries,Employment,Student Attitudes,Curriculum,Schemata (Cognition),Correlation,Reliability

In the current study we examine attitudes towards internationalism through the lens of a specific set of constructs necessary in defining an effective global leader. One hundred fifty-nine undergraduates responded to items measuring need for cognition, cultural intelligence, and a set of items measuring the correlates of global mindset. In addition, they provided their attitudes on items measuring internationalism. A series of linear regression analyses revealed cultural intelligence, need for cognition and traveling abroad predicted students' preference for working full-time in a foreign country. In addition, underclassmen were more likely to endorse the notion that the US culture is superior to other cultures compared to upperclassmen. Results support the importance of exposure to a diverse curriculum in shaping undergraduate students' global mindset.
Party Secretaries in Chinese Higher Education Institutions, Who Are They?
Author: Jiang, Hua
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Politics,Administrators,Higher Education,Classification,Multidimensional Scaling,Multivariate Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Administrator Characteristics,College Presidents,Social Systems,Web Sites,Statistical Analysis

With approximately 30 million students the Chinese higher education system is the largest in the world. In every publicly funded institution there is a communist party secretary, however, little is known about these party secretaries. The purpose of the study was to understand who these people were. We collected data from 1,751 party secretaries in Chinese higher education institutions and grouped party secretaries into eight types according to the institutions where they worked. We conducted multidimensional scaling analysis and cluster analysis to explore the differences among the eight party secretary types and to put them into categories. In addition, we compared the findings from this study to those from another study investigating the characteristics of higher education institution presidents to examine the differences between party secretaries and presidents. We conclude that party secretaries from whom data were collected are on average 55 years old, 92 percent are males, 76 percent are at the rank of professor, 29 percent have a doctorate degree, and 9 percent have an overseas degree. The eight types of party secretaries can be put into two categories; those in the first category are older, have been in position longer, and more of them have a doctorate degree. In comparison, party secretaries are more likely to be administrative leaders whereas presidents are more likely to be academic leaders.
Making Educational Reform Work: Stories of School Improvement in Urban China
Author: Hamilton, Doug
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Change,Educational Improvement,Urban Areas,Change Strategies,Educational Policy,Program Implementation,Photography,Research Methodology,School Administration,Administrator Role,Data Collection,Writing (Composition),School Visitation,Focus Groups,Principals,Graduate Study,Leadership Training,Educational Practices,Coding,Decision Making,Leadership Styles,Capacity Building,Faculty Development,Reflection,Qualitative Research

The latest national educational policy in the People's Republic of China calls for comprehensive educational reforms aimed at building the foundation for a modern learning society throughout China over the next 10 years. This research examines school leaders' efforts to implement school improvement initiatives that directly respond to the policy's focus on expanding school-level autonomy regarding leadership practices, curriculum development, student learning opportunities, parental involvement, and community relations. The goal of the research was to learn about the change management and leadership strategies that recent alumni from a graduate-level educational leadership program found to be most helpful in implementing new school-based initiatives relevant to educational reform. The study employed a photo narrative methodology to assist participants in expressing their perspectives about their experiences working as school administrators implementing educational reforms. Other data gathering methods included think-aloud protocols, free-writing sessions, school visits, and focus group discussions. Key themes related to the role of the principal in developing the conditions of success that lead to effective and meaningful policy implementation related to school improvement are reported. As well, the implications for the design of graduate-level leadership programs focusing on school improvement are explored.
Democratic Leadership in Middle Schools of Chihuahua Mexico: Improving Middle Schools through Democracy
Author: Delgado, Manuel Lopez
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Democratic Values,Middle Schools,Instructional Leadership,Likert Scales,Questionnaires,Semi Structured Interviews,Foreign Countries,Simulation,Educational Change,Educational Improvement,Participative Decision Making,Student Participation,Teacher Participation,Parent Participation

The purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of the implementation of a democratic approach to lead and manage middle schools in Chihuahua, Mexico. This research was based on a Likert questionnaire and semistructured interviews to explore the level of involvement of students, teachers, and parents in schools participating in a programme based on democratic leadership. A typology emerged of the style of democratic culture that is prevalent in schools participating: democracy in simulation, democracy in construction, and democracy in consolidation. Schools participating in the programme conceive that school improvement must be based on a shared responsibility of all members of the learning community. However, the results suggest that this aspiration has not been totally consolidated since findings showed that in general these schools are modestly performing as democratic schools.
Preparation for Transnationalism: Changes in China's Top Secondary Schools
Author: Gordon, June A.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary Schools,Educational Practices,Educational Change,International Education,Foreign Countries,Public Schools,College Preparation,Advantaged,Networks,Ethnography

This article argues that new international programs within public secondary schools in China represent a vigorous and legitimatized approach to meeting the demands of newly affluent Chinese families for pre-collegiate education that equals the best international standards and constitutes preparation for higher education at the leading universities of the U.S., U.K., Australia, and beyond. From a transnational perspective, it offers insights into the changes that have taken place within China over the last decade as well as provides an overview of some of the variation in educational programs and practices as they relate to the internationalization of secondary education in China.
Memorization or Discussion: Chinese Students' Struggle at American Academic Setting
Author: Cheng, Baoyan
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Memorization,Asian Culture,Learning Processes,Cultural Differences,Graduate Students,Student Attitudes,Cognitive Style,Group Discussion,Rote Learning,Foreign Students,Educational Background,Teaching Methods,Student Adjustment,Guidelines,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries

Using cultural frameworks, and based on the author's personal experience and conversations with fellow Chinese and American graduate students, this essay analyzes the struggle for Chinese students who have to strike a balance between the American style of learning which is characterized by class discussion and the Chinese style of learning which encourages rote learning and memorization. To memorize or to discuss, that is the question, the question faced by nearly all Chinese university students who are displaced from their Chinese educational background into an American academic setting. It is much more than an issue of memorization or discussion; it is a matter of how one explores and interprets the world. An appropriate combination of the two will make an effective way of learning.
Quality Virtual Instruction: The Use of Synchronous Online Activities to Engage International Students in Meaningful Learning
Author: Weiler, Spencer C.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Synchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Foreign Students,Learner Engagement,Web Based Instruction,Learning Activities,Cultural Differences,Leadership Training,Educational Benefits,Barriers,Educational Quality,Student Attitudes,Preferences,Learning Experience,Delivery Systems,Access to Education

Online instruction offers students a convenient way to access higher education. However, convenience must never trump quality when it comes to participation in a graduate program. Synchronous learning activities in graduate online courses are an effective way to enhance the learning experiences of all students, and especially those from different countries. Synchronous learning activities enable international students to overcome cultural differences and fully engage in the curriculum. Student observations related to synchronous learning activities are shared to illustrate the value of this sound online pedagogical strategy.
The Zone of Proximal Development in the Learning of Mathematics
Author: Siyepu, Sibawu
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Achievement,Academic Failure,Mathematics Instruction,Learning Theories,At Risk Students

South Africa has a huge shortage of skilled workers in various fields such as engineering, applied sciences, accountancy, architecture, medicine and law. Mathematics is a requirement for entry in these careers to enable learners to grasp the content of various subjects in these disciplines. Despite that, in South Africa, learners' performance in mathematics is shocking. This article highlights the high failure rate of mathematics in a South African context. It suggests possible causes of learners' poor performance based on the literature. The article brings a socio-cultural theory of learning focusing on the zone of proximal development as a possible solution in the development of instructional practices. It makes recommendations on what should be done to tackle anticipated problems as suggested in the discussion.
High School Learners' Mental Construction during Solving Optimisation Problems in Calculus: A South African Case Study
Author: Brijlall, Deonarain
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,High School Students,Problem Solving,Calculus,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Rural Schools,Grade 12,Worksheets,Semi Structured Interviews,Misconceptions,Secondary School Mathematics,Cognitive Structures

This qualitative case study in a rural school in Umgungundlovu District in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, explored Grade 12 learners' mental constructions of mathematical knowledge during engagement with optimisation problems. Ten Grade 12 learners who do pure Mathemat-ics participated, and data were collected through structured activity sheets and semi-structured interviews. Structured activity sheets with three tasks were given to learners; these tasks were done in groups, and the group leaders were interviewed. It was found that learners tended to do well with routine-type questions, implying that they were functioning at an action level. From the interviews it appeared that learners might have the correct answer, but lacked conceptual understanding. Exploring learners' mental constructions via their responses to activity sheets and interviews enabled common errors and misconceptions to be identified. Themes that emerged were that learners: 1) lacked the understanding of notation dy/dx, 2) had not constructed the derivative and minima/maxima schema, 3) had some difficulty in modelling problems, 4) preferred rules and formulas, and 5) applied algebraic notions incorrectly. Inferences are drawn for curriculum developers and teachers. This study also formulated itemised genetic decompositions for particular tasks, which contribute to APOS theory.
The Curriculum Ideology of the South African Secondary School Biology
Author: Mnguni, Lindelani
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Science,Biology,Ideology,Grade 11,Student Centered Curriculum,Qualitative Research,Student Role,Teacher Role,Student Evaluation,Teaching Methods

South Africa has had a number of curriculum reforms since 1994 which have been based on both political and education grounds. However, there is a dearth of knowledge about the nature of the envisioned graduates, especially with respect to social challenges. This can be addressed by exploring the curriculum ideology which outlines the vision of subjects within an education system by clarifying the aims of the subject, the content knowledge taught, the instructional process, the roles of teachers and students, as well as the assessment processes. There are at least four curriculum ideologies, namely, the scholar academic ideology, efficiency ideology, student-centred ideology and social reconstruction ideology. The aim of the current study was to investigate the curriculum ideology of the Grade 11 Biology curriculum by analysing the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. Results show that Biology adopts a multi-curriculum ideology approach with greater emphasis on scholar academic and student-centred ideologies. Characteristics of the social reconstruction ideology were the least observed. This implies that Biology is designed to advance the discipline but will probably not lead to social and student empowerment with regard to current social challenges.
Consistencies Far beyond Chance: An Analysis of Learner Preconceptions of Reflective Symmetry
Author: Mhlolo, Michael Kainose
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High School Students,Grade 11,Geometry,Secondary School Mathematics,Taxonomy,Student Reaction,Geometric Concepts,Foreign Countries

This article reports on regularities observed in learners' preconceptions of reflective symmetry. Literature suggests that the very existence of such regularities indicates a gap between what learners know and what they need to know. Such a gap inhibits further understanding and application, and hence needed to be investigated. A total of 235 Grade 11 learners, from 13 high schools that participate in the First Rand Foundation-funded Mathematics Education project in the Eastern Cape, responded to a task on reflective symmetry. Our framework for analysing the responses was based on the taxonomy of structure of the observed learning outcome. The results indicated that 85% of learner responses reflect a motion understanding of reflections, where learners considered geometric figures as physical motions on top of the plane. While this understanding is useful in some cases, it is not an essential aspect of mapping understanding, which is critical for application in function notations and other analytical geometry contexts. We suggest that if this gap is to be closed, learners need to construct these reflections physically so that they may think of reflections beyond motion.
Strangers in a Strange Land: How Non-Traditional International Adult Students See a United States University
Author: Birnbaum, Matt
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nontraditional Students,Foreign Students,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Educational Attitudes,Study Abroad,Latin Americans,Universities,Student Experience,Culture Conflict,Learning Experience,Data Analysis,Student Adjustment,Peer Relationship,Peer Acceptance

Little is known about Central American adult international students' perceptions of their U.S. host institutions. This is problematic because international students' perceptions of an institution's students, faculty, facilities, and the broader social environment may shape their overall learning-abroad experience. This constructivist case study used collaborative inquiry to explore the perceptions that 20 adult international students from Central American countries had of a medium sized public university in the Rocky Mountain west. The participants actively worked to make sense of the institution during their learning-abroad experience process. They perceived that the undergraduate students and the local community possessed a mixture of values, behaviors, and self-expressions that were difficult to reconcile with their own traditions.
International Student Mobility in Europe in the Context of the Bologna Process
Author: Teichler, Ulrich
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Students,Student Mobility,Higher Education,Foreign Countries,International Cooperation,Standards,Study Abroad

The Bologna Process is the newest of a chain of activities stimulated by supra-national actors since the 1950s to challenge national borders in higher education in Europe. Now, the ministers in charge of higher education of the individual European countries agreed to promote a similar cycle-structure of study programmes and programmes based on the strategic aim to enhance student mobility in two directions: to increase the attractiveness for students from other parts of the world to study--primarily for the whole study programme--in European countries and to facilitate intra-European--primarily temporary--mobility. Studies aiming at establishing the results of this policy face various problems. Statistics move only gradually from &quot;foreign&quot; to &quot;mobile&quot; students, but remain insufficient with respect to temporary mobility. Individual European countries opt for so varied solutions that an overall overview is hardly feasible. Yet, some general trends are visible. First, Bologna contributed to increased inwards mobility of students from other parts of the world, but not to a more rapid increase of intra-European student mobility. Second, the event of outwards mobility during the course of study up to graduation has turned out to be more frequent than expected by many experts, but differences by country do not fade away. Third, the value of student mobility gradually declines as a consequence of gradual loss of exclusiveness.
Finding Leadership for the Internationalization of U.S. Higher Education
Author: Smithee, Michael B.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: International Educational Exchange,Higher Education,Leadership,International Education,Stakeholders,Leadership Role,Advocacy,Leadership Training

The internationalization of U.S. higher education has depended on leadership from a variety of sources in different strengths and purposes over time. The leadership shifted from President Lyndon Johnson's sponsorship of legislation, as part of a trilogy of legislation known as the Great Society, to a collaborative and at times competitive leadership marked by a struggle to establish international education as legitimate focus for higher education institutions. Leadership came in the form of advocates for international education who were drawn from the stakeholders. These advocates included practitioners, researchers, professional organizations, and alliances. Leader-advocates also contended with philosophical changes in the way higher education perceived itself and its actions. The struggle to articulate the nature of international education in U.S. higher education institutions improved once it was realized that the focus should not be a thing, but a process. However, the struggle continues regarding who is to benefit from internationalization. In spite of the best arguments put forth by advocates, in high and low positions, internationalization has become a priority in U.S. higher education based on factors internal and external to the institution but related to more survival of the institution and its core mission.