Around the Bloc: Croatians March for Educational Reform
Alleged political pressure stalls move for change and tens of thousands demonstrate.
More...We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
Alleged political pressure stalls move for change and tens of thousands demonstrate.
More...
The article under discussion deals with the issues of formation and development of the Chernivtsi School of studying traditional plots and images in arts (TPI). It determines the significance of TPI as a constituent of comparative literary studies, as well as outlines the basic ideas of the Chernivtsi TPI School (along with Kyiv and Ternopil centers) in terms of modern Ukrainian comparative studies. The article also reconstructs the background of the formation of the Chernivtsi TPI School since the foundation of the Department of World Literature in the University of Chernivtsi. Particular emphasis has been placed on the activities of Mykola Hulia, Roman Volkov, Oleksandr Biletskyi, Olha Hulia, on the final design of the TPI scientific school, and on the leading role of Anatoliy Volkov in its emergence and functioning (through his own works, publications in co-authorship, supervision of PhD theses). In addition, the article draws peculiar attention to scientific periodicals (“Problems of Literary Criticism” and other educational-methodological editions), summarizes the main accomplishments of the Chernivtsi TPI School (presented by the Lexicon of General and Comparative Literary Studies, 2001 and the collective monograph Traditional Plots and Images, 2004), as well as outlines the heredity of contemporary scholastic research of Chernivtsi literary critics with the Chernivtsi TPI School.
More...
In recent years, the methods of financing higher education institutions around the world have undergone substantial changes. University autonomy requires a rational management of university funds, but especially of public funds. New approaches to budget financing are discussed both in academia and in various publications. Research shows that a wide and diverse range of models is used in European countries to finance higher education institutions. Research shows that budget-financing systems are becoming increasingly complex and demanding. The practice of funding higher education institutions is performed based on a formula that is calculated on indicators regarding the number of effective students, equivalent students, the number of employment, indicators of academic and research performance or strategic university objectives. Even if block grants based on formulas are the main way of budgetary financing, but also negotiated financing also remains an important financing mechanism. The implementation of a formula for calculating the financing of HEIs in the Republic of Moldova brings an increased interest in being acquainted with the financing practices of other states. In this way, it is possible to notice the differences and similarities of approach of the different education financing systems, as well as to identify possible examples of good practice in overcoming common challenges.
More...
The aim of this study was to assess how and in what extent main aspects of the scientific literacy were represented in Bulgarian science education standards for the junior high school. A content analysis was used as an appropriate method of this particular research. The analysis focused on four dimensions of the scientific literacy – cognitive-epistemic, functional, social and metacognitive. These dimensions were assessed in two national education documents – National education standards (NES) for general education preparation (“Human and Nature” 5th – 6th grade and “Biology and health education” 7th grade) and National education standards (NES) for civic, health, environmental and intercultural education. The results of the study showed that both documents highlighted the cognitive aspect of scientific literacy (factual and conceptual knowledge anature bout ) followed by the functional dimension (skills for scientific inquiry). But at the same time, other important aspects of the scientific literacy such as epistemic knowledge (e.g., knowledge of the nature of science) and metacognitive dimension (e.g., metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive skills) were neglected by these documents.
More...
The article seeks to thematize the relationship between emancipation and education in three and a half steps. The first part presents a brief historical overview of the use of the term “emancipation” and signals its structure, elements and/or figure. The second part of the paper borrows two models of emancipation that offer a tradition of political thought which marked the era of emancipation: these are the proposals for the revolutionary and Zionist emancipation of Jews in the nineteenth century. These models are juxtaposed in the third part with the characteristic advocacies of the educational emancipation of the twentieth century: an Enlightenment and a subversive legacy with appropriate political visions and strategies. The concluding part summarizes the similarities and differences of (thinking about) emancipation in politics and emancipation in education, and suggests a perspective which is a harbinger of the possibility of emancipating education from politically directed demands for emancipation.
More...
Sex education addresses issues related to human sexuality, including reproduction, reproductive health, reproductive rights, romantic relationships, anatomy of reproductive organs, sexual activity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender roles, contraception, and sexual abstinence. Formal and informal sex education are both important and complement each other. However, although necessary, informal sex education by itself is not enough. Sex education needs to become a formal part of the school curriculum, as schools should play the key role in educating young people about this topic. To examine whether the initiative to include sex education in the school curriculum is justified, we started from these three questions: What are the goals of education and what is its purpose? Do we think that educational institutions should reproduce a preestablished set of values or should the curriculum enable students to evaluate social values for themselves? Should primary and secondary education be designed to allow individuals to choose courses according to their interests, preferences, and abilities, or should the school curriculum be the same for all? In the context of sex education, we tried to answer questions about the goals of sex education and whether or not they are in line with the aspirations of education in general, whether sex education should reproduce generally accepted social values, and whether it should be the same for all students. Education should teach us to use our reason when forming beliefs and making decisions. The main goals of sex education are to provide young people with knowledge on these topics and help them make independent decisions using that knowledge. These goals are in line with the general aspirations of education. The answer to the question of whether sex education should reproduce dominant social values depends on what we mean by sex education. If we accept the definition offered in this paper, then the answer to the question is negative. Sex education understood in this broad sense should strive to change the current value system. To achieve the main goals of sex education, it needs to be the same and mandatory for all young people.
More...
The emergence of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), which is closely linked to particular professions, requires qualified language teachers. Despite the growing demand for courses in ESP in Romania, and the eagerness of universities and private institutions to include these courses in their curricula, insufficient attention has been given to teaching training in this domain. In the absence of under-graduate ESP teacher training programmes, ESP is taught by General English graduates who basically learn as they go. The aim of this paper is to map the territory, that is, to outline the main coordinates on which a framework of ESP teacher training can be developed in Romania. These coordinates refer to the particularities of teaching ESP and to the subsequent teaching practice. The research method consists in combining theoretical considerations with practical advice and suggestions for pre-service teachers.
More...
The present paper aims at briefly summarizing the impact the 2019 - 2020 pandemic outbreak had on the educational field, when, with no prior preparation, all classes in the academic environment moved in the cyberspace, unveiling challenges for both teachers and students. The paper discusses the concepts of both online teaching and learning, their use to meet the needs of a specific category of students in different parts of the world as well as similarities and differences between the traditional and the online means of educating. The shift to mass online education has proved to be challenging, even impossible in certain areas, unveiling difficulties for all stakeholders involved. Though technology is widely used nowadays in all aspects of our lives, special focus is laid on teachers’ and students’ challenges, their expectations as well as their feelings regarding the new reality – that of attending all classes online in order to reach the goal: the acquisition of information and knowledge necessary in their future professional lives.
More...
Druga međunarodna konferencija „Čemu još obrazovanje?“, u organizaciji Laboratorije obrazovnih strategija Instituta za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju Univerziteta u Beogradu, održava se u nezavidnom trenutku pandemije korona virusa i nužno je njime obojena. Pandemija je uzdrmala sve sisteme, pa tako i obrazovni, primoravši ga da se prilagodi novonastalim okolnostima i da načine rada podredi epidemiološkim merama. Umesto ustaljenih načina rada, koncept „učenja na daljinu“ – do sada alternativan – postao je svakodnevica. Pred prosvetne radnike postavljen je novi izazov – u kratkom roku preneti celokupan vaspitno-obrazovni proces online, a da se pritom ne izgubi na kvalitetu ili se, radikalnije govoreći, proces ne obesmisli. Izazov nije zaobišao ni decu, đake, studente, roditelje. Obrazovno iskustvo zatvara se u četiri zida ili se, pak, od dece koja pohađaju obrazovne ustanove zahteva strogo poštovanje fizičke distance čineći da se osećaju usamljenim i izolovanim čak i kada su zajedno. Od roditelja se zahteva da, pored svog posla, ostvaruju intenzivnu podršku svojoj deci u savladavanju zadataka i vrše funkciju jednako druga za igru i mentora.
More...
Entrepreneurial education is considered as one of the priority directions for the development of the education system both at international level and in the Republic of Moldova. Research has shown that investing in entrepreneurial education is one of the most profitable investments, and young people who have benefited from entrepreneurial education are more likely to start their own business at some point in their lives. Over the last decade, the governments of several states have paid particular attention to the aspects of legislative support for the entrepreneurial training process in the education system. Given the context of global change and the pronounced demographic decline in the Republic of Moldova, lifelong learning is considered an important concern of the education system. Thus, in recent years, various projects have been launched at national level to support the development of entrepreneurial education. The European Union funded and recently launched Collaborative Entrepreneurial Education project that aims to increase access to quality entrepreneurship training, development students’ entrepreneurial skills, and train a new generation of entrepreneurs for the textile industry, which is a key industry in Moldova. Through this project, the importance and necessity of entrepreneurial education for students were identified based on a survey conducted at the Faculty of Textiles and Polygraphy in the Technical University of Moldova, and the results were compared with the results of the survey from the Faculty of Industrial Design and Business Management within the ”Gheorghe Asachi“ Technical University of Iași, Romania.
More...
Recently, universities are under increasing public and government pressure to demonstrate the implementation of quality processes. In the present study we analyze what represents the concept of quality in higher education, how we differentiate the services offered by universities in terms of quality, what is the role of risk management in quality assurance. Several researches provided by various scientific sources, international standards in the field of quality, the experience of some foreign universities regarding the implementation of risk management are analyzed. The experience of the public institution, the Academy of Economic Studies from Moldova, was also presented, although not very extensive in the analyzed field. The conclusions we reached relate to the need to promote an effective communication in the field of quality assurance and risk management at the institutional level, the implementation of a risk culture at the institution level. Only in such conditions, the efforts made by the management of the institution can bring the expected results.
More...
Professional training through dual education is considered to be one of the most successful forms to anticipate the demands of the labor market. Dual education is organized on the basis of a partnership between the educational institution and the economic entities that have the capacity to provide professional training through the dual system. The key document underlying the dual partnership in professional technical education is the Agreement on cooperation in dual education. Considering the fact that the Agreement is concluded between the technical professional education institution and the economic entities based on the provisions of the legislation, the main aspects related to the elaboration and perfecting of the Cooperation agreement in dual education will be highlighted in the article.
More...
Dropping out of school remains a complex and multidimensional phenomenon because of the multitude of factors involved in its study. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the various factors that may be involved in the study of school dropout (focus on African context). The definitions of this concept vary from one country to another in view of these realities. In addition, the factors listed have been divided into three main dimensions, starting with individual factors, i.e., those specific to the child, and family factors, which correspond to the child's family environment and the role of parents in the child's schooling. And finally, factors specific to the school environment (teacher-principal relations, principal's leadership, infrastructure, etc.). The indicators of dropout can be grouped into six points: lack of investment in learning, negative representation of the school, academic arrhythmia, learning difficulties, and poor academic performance, and refusal of school status outside of school.
More...
Human Resource Development integrates and aligns training and development with organisational goals and strategy to improve performance. However, ingrained suboptimal skills and training opportunities in the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) negatively impacts learning achievement outcomes. The purpose and objective of the study is to establish the relationship between training effectiveness and educator performance in the ECDoE.The study adopts a quantitative research strategy with 270 respondents. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The survey questionnaire’s internal consistency and reliability were measured using Pearson's coefficient and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. Results show that most respondents did not view the trainings provided by the ECDoE as relevant to job performance, and the attainment of the Department’s strategic goals. The study concludes that ECDoE’s training should be closely aligned with educators’ Key Performance Areas, Performance Development Plans and individual needs analysis.
More...
Aim. The purpose of this article is to challenge the notion that a largely Eurocentric education is the best one for African universities. It is not by any means suggested that Eurocentric notions should be discounted, but rather that African education should be devoid of any form of subordination and be allowed to assume its rightful equal place and space, in an interconnected global education arena alongside a range of epistemologies and ontologies. Methods. A literature review was conducted on the topic and the researchers surveyed scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to the area of research. The review conducted to a lesser or greater extent enumerates, describes, summarizes, issues relating to the theme. Results. Knowledge should be sought for its value to communities through individuals and it should perpetually produce sensible, empathetic, and responsible citizens. African education must inter alia reflect a multiplicity of perspectives and notions that are grounded on local knowledge. Conclusion. The existing form of Eurocentric university education in Africa certainly has defects when viewed Afro-centrically. Originality. Decades after the demise of colonialism [if it has in fact ended], African universities still embrace a Eurocentric epistemological paradigm and are for the most part consciously or unconsciously disparaging or ignoring Indigenous African knowledge systems. This is far from liberating, and it is argued in a novel way that what is required is a vigorous promotion of African scholarship which is infused with African values, philosophies and knowledge that can also be promoted to our erstwhile colonisers and others.
More...
Aim. The purpose of the work is to find, study, thematically, chronologically present, and analyse the place of education and especially school education in Georgian politics in the post-Soviet period in Georgia, as well as to determine the attitude to the issue, highlight the ongoing activities, and show the existing results and future perspective. Methods. The work is presented based on several researched-studied official government documents, empirical materials, analysis of scientific research papers, and the use of the comparative method in the Georgian reality of the post-Soviet period. Results. The paper identifies the current situation at the level of public education in Georgia following the goals of modern-sustainable development since the 1990s, which is known as the most difficult period of Georgia’s history; it highlights the existing legal framework in the school education system and the implementation of the set plans; it shows effective steps of the state to develop and implement education policy. Conclusion. By studying a number of materials, it is confirmed that the political course of Georgia for the promotion of school education in Georgian reality, despite the existing difficult political situation, was characterised by great support when all political teams were in power because the mentioned issue is a part of the domestic policy in the country, which is always important and relevant.
More...
Aim. This research paper aims to identify the role of Saudi universities in spreading the culture of social responsibility based on the experiences of Malaysian and Canadian universities. Methods. The author adopted the descriptive analytical approach based on the literature review and analysing the experiences of Saudi, Malaysian, and Canadian universities. Results. The results showed that the Saudi Ministry of Education should play its role in institutionalising social responsibility in Saudi universities and the higher education sector, e.g., promoting social responsibility practices at universities as a part of the ministry’s strategy. Conclusion. In the light of the results obtained the officials of Saudi universities can benefit from the experience of Malaysian and Canadian universities to spread the culture of social responsibility. This research recommends raising the awareness of university students of the importance of university social responsibility as a strategy to motivate them to participate in various community activities and programmes. Originality. This research is considered one of the fewest studies that analysed the experiences of Saudi, Malaysian, and Canadian universities.
More...
Education in emergency and extremely difficult situations, during prolonged crises, is not only an opportunity for children and young people to acquire knowledge, skills, contributes to their development, but also strengthens their resistance to stress and negative emotions. Moreover, well organized and delivered education could also provide direct physical and mental protection and could also be a source of life saving knowledge and skills. One of the main tasks of carrying out organized educational activities at an early stage of a crisis situation is to reduce the psychosocial impact of traumatic experiences on the mental condition of young people. Disturbances in everyday functioning, in stability, loss of home and often loss of parents or friends, and uncertainty, which are inextricably linked to the situation in which refugees find themselves, can adversely affect the physical, intellectual, mental and social development of children and youth. The priority task of the school and the teachers working in it in the era of the refugees’ crisis is not only the necessity to ensure the development of Ukrainian children and youth, to create educational experiences that prevent exclusion, but also and perhaps above all – to provide hope for a better future and a sense of security and relative normality
More...
The article presents the views of pedagogical specialists supporting students with severe and profound multiple disabilities in the Bulgarian and Flemish education systems about the priorities in education and support of the target group of children and youth. The analysis of the results obtained from the empirical research provides valuable information about the direction in which the greatest efforts are directed in the process of inclusive education in Bulgaria and Belgium, brings out some differences in the prioritization of support and training in the two groups of respondents and opens opportunities for discussion in a comparative plan and taking into account the point of view of the specialists as a key factor for the implementation of an effective process of support and education for students with severe and profound multiple disabilities.
More...
This paper aims to explain the inadequacies of the traditional approach to moral education in the military and present an optimal approach to teaching military ethics. Author provides a short review of key notions, the subject, and the importance of military ethics in armed forces, followed by a short analysis of both traditional approaches - aspirational and functionalist - to teaching military ethics identifying their weaknesses. Author concludes that it is necessary to transcend the traditional approach and include both moral philosophy and character development in moral education in order to develop a military ethos based on solid ethical foundations. Finally, author offers a solution to the identified problem and proposes an optimal approach to military ethics education, which includes both basic formal education in moral philosophy and meaningful integration of ethics in various other classes and forms of military training, in order to develop the desired ethics-based military ethos.
More...