Allgemeinbildung, Staat und Politik. Zur aktuellen Diskussion um die angelsächsische "liberal education"

In der angelsächsischen analytischen Erziehungsphilosophie wurde ein Konzept allgemeiner Bildung (Liberal education) herausgearbeitet, das den Bildungsanspruch in wissenstheoretischem Rekurs argumentativ zu legitimieren und zu begründen versucht. Dabei geht sie von einem differenzierten Erfahrungs- und Wissensfeld aus, das an öffentliche Standards der Verständigung gebunden ist. Diese Theorie wird an zwei ausgewählten Beispielen geprüft: Einerseits an den US-amerikanischen Debatten um die „cultural literacy" und andererseits an den Auseinandersetzungen um die Einführung des „National Curriculum" in England und Wales. Abschließend wird der Zusammenhang einer wissenstheoretisch fundierten Theorie der Liberal education mit bestimmten politischen Optionen diskutiert. Dabei wird sich zeigen, daß hinsichtlich politischer Zuordnungen dieser Theorie keine systematische Notwendigkeit besteht, und daß das Konzept einer integrierenden Allgemeinbildung in demokratischen, sozialen Staaten unverzichtbar und gleichzeitig nicht beliebig multikulturell ausrichtbar ist. (DIPF/Orig.)

Alternative media for public pedagogy: "Chief" concerns and human agency

To demonstrate how the growing influence of alternative media in civil society correlates with the rise of social movements and their influence on contemporary manifestations of resistance, this research uses critical ethnographic methodologies to document the narratives of alternative media producers in the pro-Indigenous and anti-“Chief” campaigns at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during the 2006-2007 school year. These narratives demonstrate not only the ways alternative media help transmit dissent by distributing information to diverse populations, but also the manner they facilitate contexts that influence identity formations and strengthen counter-cultural communal practices. Particular lineages of critical social theory are used to situate knowledge construction and social relationships within specific socio-historic contexts to approach issues of subjectivity, human agency, and resistance. These include the Frankfurt School for Social Research, the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, and the Brazilian education philosopher Paulo Freire, who emphasize criticality based on the engagement of ideological analysis, as well as developing capacities to critique and resist oppressive social and political relationships. Thus, this study argues for expanding traditional notions of literacy to include the ability to decode and produce media as a critical element of meaningful democratic participation.

A Figured Worlds Perspective on Middle School Learners' Climate Literacy Development

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between middle school science learners’ conditions and their developing understandings of climate change. I applied the anthropological theoretical perspective of figured worlds (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, & Cain, 1998) to examine learners’ views of themselves and their capacities to act in relation to climate change. My overarching research question was: How are middle school science learners’ figured worlds of climate change related to the conditions in which they are embedded? I used a descriptive single-case study design to examine the climate change ideas of eight purposefully selected 6th grade science learners. Data sources included: classroom observations, curriculum documents, interviews, focus groups, and written assessments and artifacts, including learners’ self- generated drawings. I identified six analytic lenses with which to explore the data. Insights from the application of these analytic lenses provided information about the elements of participants’ climate change stories, which I reported through the use of a storytelling heuristic. I then synthesized elements of participants’ collective climate change story, which provided an “entrance” (Kitchell, Hannan, & Kempton, 2000, p. 96) into their figured world of climate change. Aspects of learners’ conditions—such as their worlds of school, technology and media use, and family—appeared to shape their figured world of climate change. Within their figured world of climate change, learners saw themselves—individually and as members of groups—as inhabiting a variety of climate change identities, some of which were in conflict with each other. I posited that learners’ enactment of these identities – or the ways in which they expressed their climate change agency – had the potential to reshape or reinforce their conditions. Thus, learners’ figured worlds of climate change might be considered “spaces of authoring” (Holland et al., 1998, p. 45) with potential for inciting social and environmental change. The nature of such change would hinge on the extent to which these nascent climate change identities become salient for these early adolescent learners through their continued climate change learning experiences. Implications for policy, curriculum and instruction, and science education research related to climate change education are presented.

PISA Tests and their Impact on Georgian Education System

The article discusses the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) tests and their impact on the Georgian Education System. It analyzes the deplorable results of Georgian 15-yearolds in PISA 2009 and investigates the reasons based on different reports. The article also discusses the reasons for the temporary suspension of the project on the Georgian side. Since certain participatory countries are dissatisfied with the attitudes of this program, the article also refers to the criticism of PISA. The conclusion is that PISA and other international tests contain considerably important information. If these data with a diagnostic feature are used for working out the education policy in an appropriate way, they can become the key instrument for obtaining favourable results in reforming the Education System. Therefore, PISA appears to be essential for Georgia too, as such assessment gives an opportunity to concentrate on the national core curriculum and content analysis. In order to estimate all the strengths and weaknesses of the Education System, it is quite reasonable to conduct such surveys in every country. The article concludes with recommendations for PISA 2015 as to how to use the reports for further progress.

Zwischen Anpassung und Widerstand: Critical Science Literacy in der Wissensgesellschaft

In der gegenwärtigen "Wissensgesellschaft" spielt wissenschaftliches Wissen eine zentrale Rolle, um gesellschaftliche Verhältnisse herzustellen oder zu reproduzieren. Ein kritischer Umgang mit (wissenschaftlichem) Wissen - eine "critical science literacy" - eröffnet Möglichkeiten des Widerstands in der Wissensgesellschaft und kann damit als demokratische Grundfertigkeit begriffen werden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag gehen die Autorinnen den Möglichkeiten einer critical science literacy im Spannungsverhältnis von Anpassung und Widerstand nach. Sie werfen einen Blick auf die historische Entwicklung der Debatte um scientific literacy - ursprünglich nur als naturwissenschaftliche Grundkompetenz gedacht, aber mit einem durchaus kritisch reflexiven und demokratischen Moment - im Kontext demokratisch-kapitalistischer Verhältnisse. Sie verstehen critical science literacy als eine auf allen Ebenen der Wissensgenerierung und -bildung verantwortungsvolle, kollektive und eingreifende Praxis in gesellschaftliche Auseinandersetzungen. (DIPF/Orig.)

Wirtschaftswissen neu verhandeln. Economic Literacy mittels Psychodrama

Economic Literacy ist ein politischer und demokratischer Ansatz. Er entstand in den 1980er Jahren im Kontext der Internationalen Frauenbewegung. Angelehnt an die Pädagogik der Befreiung von Paulo Freire, soll dabei Wirtschaftswissen in gemeinschaftlicher Auseinandersetzung gestaltet und veränderbar gemacht werden. Die beiden Autorinnen stellen in diesem Beitrag ihre Bildungsarbeit vor. Sie plädieren in der Tradition eines feministisch inspirierten Hinterfragens neoliberaler Konzepte für ein Wirtschaftswissen, das die Lebensdienlichkeit der Ökonomie ins Zentrum stellt. Mittels der Methode des Psychodramas suchen sie Antwort auf Fragen wie: Wem wird die Kompetenz (nicht) zugeschrieben, über Wirtschaft zu sprechen? Welche AkteurInnen mit welchen Interessen bekommen den Raum, ihre wirtschaftlichen Positionen kundzutun? Wer hält die Deutungsmacht über das "richtige" Wirtschaftswissen, wer die Macht zu entscheiden? Wirtschaftswissen soll so neu verhandelt werden, die Wirtschaftsexpertise von Frauen sichtbar gemacht und letztlich die Frage virulent werden: Wie wollen wir, als Gesellschaft, die Bereitstellung von lebensnotwendigen Gütern und Dienstleistungen gestalten? (DIPF/Orig.)

Home Literacy Activities in Latino Immigrant Families: Contributions to Toddlers’ Expressive and Receptive Language Skills

The development of language is a critical component of early childhood, enabling children to communicate their wishes and desires, share thoughts, and build meaning through linguistic interactions with others. A wealth of research has highlighted the importance of children’s early home experiences in fostering language development. This literature emphasizes the importance of a stimulating and supportive home environment in which children are engaged in literacy activities such as reading, telling stories, or singing songs with their parents. This study examined the association between low-income Latino immigrant mothers’ and fathers’ home literacy activities and their children’s receptive and expressive language skills. It also examined the moderating influence of maternal (i.e., reading quality and language quality) and child (engagement during reading, interest in literacy activities) characteristics on this association. This study included observational mother-child reading interactions, child expressive and receptive language assessments, and mother- and father-reported survey data. Controlling for parental education, multiple regression analyses revealed a positive association between home literacy activities and children’s receptive and expressive language skills. The findings also revealed that mothers’ reading quality and children’s engagement during reading (for expressive language skills only) moderated this association. Findings from this study will help inform new interventions, programs, and policies that build on Latino families’ strengths.

The library of the Institute of Alajuela address the information and communication technologies: User training and information literacy

The Library of the Institute of Alajuela made an induction experience and training of users and ventured into the information literacy and engaged in the work of the teaching-learning as an integral part of the curriculum. The actions of the library in developing search strategies, location, selection and use of information brought inthe health service, changes to the role of the library, the librarian, the book and the information in the educational environment.By sharing this experience is intended to provide information that can motivate staff of educational institutions that wish toenter the field of information literacy as a strategy to support the development oflifelong independent learning skills and meaningful learning. Currently, the library should be a proactive part in the education of students but also teachers, administrative and family.This will result in a benefit to Costa Rica: the development of youth and their proper integration into the workplace.

Possibilities and problems of teaching the history of the present time through media and information literacy.

Le système éducatif encourage une histoire positiviste, ordonnée, unilatérale et universelle; par l´incorporation de le découpage chronologique de l´histoire en quatre étapes. Mais, est-ce qu´il serait posible que les élèves puissent étudier leur propre présent? Mon commuication poursuit d´exposer, comme Saab affirmait, le présent est “le point de départ et d´arrivée de l´enseignement de l´histoire détermine les allers et les retours au passé”. La façon d´approcher l´enseignement de l´histoire est confortable. Il n´y a pas de questions, il n´y a pas de discussions. Cette vision de l´histoire interprétée par l´homme blancoccidental-hétérosexuel s´inscrit dans le projet de la modernité du Siècle des Lumières. Par conséquent, cette histoire obvie que nous vivons dans una société postmoderne de la suspicion, de la pensée débile. En ce qui concerne la problématique autour de la pollution audiovisuelle et la façon dont les enseignants et les élèves sont quotidiennement confrontés à ce problème. Par conséquent, il est nécessaire de réfléchir à la question de l´enseignement de l´histoire quadripartite. Actuellement, les médias et les nouvelles technologies sont en train de changer la vie de l´humanité. Il est indispensable que l´élève connaisse son histoire presente et les scénarioshistoriques dans l´avenir. Je pense en la nécessité d´adopter une didactique de l’histoire presente et par conséquent, nous devons utiliser la maîtrise des médias et de l´information. Il faut une formation des enseignants que pose, comme Gadamer a dit: “le passé y le présent se trouvent par une négociation permanente”. Una formation des enseignants qui permette de comprendre et penser l´histoire future / les histoires futures. À mon avis, si les élèves comprennent la complexité de leur monde et leurs multiples visions, les élèves seront plus tolérantes et empathiques.

The Planned and the Emergent: An Alternative Model of Learning and Literacy

Within academic institutions, writing centers are uniquely situated, socially rich sites for exploring learning and literacy. I examine the work of the Michigan Tech Writing Center's UN 1002 World Cultures study teams primarily because student participants and Writing Center coaches are actively engaged in structuring their own learning and meaning-making processes. My research reveals that learning is closely linked to identity formation and leading the teams is an important component of the coaches' educational experiences. I argue that supporting this type of learning requires an expanded understanding of literacy and significant changes to how learning environments are conceptualized and developed. This ethnographic study draws on data collected from recordings and observations of one semester of team sessions, my own experiences as a team coach and UN 1002 teaching assistant, and interviews with Center coaches prior to their graduation. I argue that traditional forms of assessment and analysis emerging from individualized instruction models of learning cannot fully account for the dense configurations of social interactions identified in the Center's program. Instead, I view the Center as an open system and employ social theories of learning and literacy to uncover how the negotiation of meaning in one context influences and is influenced by structures and interactions within as well as beyond its boundaries. I focus on the program design, its enaction in practice, and how engagement in this type of writing center work influences coaches' learning trajectories. I conclude that, viewed as participation in a community of practice, the learning theory informing the program design supports identity formation —a key aspect of learning as argued by Etienne Wenger (1998). The findings of this study challenge misconceptions of peer learning both in writing centers and higher education that relegate peer tutoring to the role of support for individualized models of learning. Instead, this dissertation calls for consideration of new designs that incorporate peer learning as an integral component. Designing learning contexts that cultivate and support the formation of new identities is complex, involves a flexible and opportunistic design structure, and requires the availability of multiple forms of participation and connections across contexts.

Geographical literacy, attitudes, and experiences of freshman students: A qualitative study at Florida International University

The purpose of the study was to explore the geography literacy, attitudes and experiences of Florida International University (FIU) freshman students scoring at the low and high ends of a geography literacy survey. The Geography Literacy and ABC Models formed the conceptual framework. Participants were freshman students enrolled in the Finite Math course at FIU. Since it is assumed that students who perform poorly on geography assessments do not have an interest in the subject, testing and interviewing students allowed the researcher to explore the assumption. ^ In Phase I, participants completed the Geography Literacy Survey (GLS) with items taken from the 2010 NAEP Geography Subject Area Assessment. The low 35% and high 20% performers were invited for Phase II, which consisted of semi-structured interviews. A total of 187 students participated in Phase I and 12 in Phase II. ^ The primary research question asked was what are the geography attitudes and experiences of freshman students scoring at the low and high ends of a geographical literacy survey? The students had positive attitudes regardless of how they performed on the GLS. ^ The study included a quantitative sub-question regarding the performance of the students on the GLS. The students’ performance on the GLS was equivalent to the performance of 12th grade students from the NAEP Assessment. There were three qualitative sub-questions from which the following themes were identified: the students’ definition of geography is limited, students recall more out of school experiences with geography, and students find geography valuable. In addition, there were five emergent themes: there is a concern regarding a lack of geographical knowledge, rote memorization of geographical content is overemphasized, geographical concepts are related to other subjects, taking the high school level AP Human Geography course is powerful, and there is a need for real-world applications of geographical knowledge. ^ The researcher offered as suggestions for practice to reposition geography in our schools to avoid misunderstandings, highlight its interconnectedness to other fields, connect the material to real world events/daily decision-making, make research projects meaningful, partner with local geographers, and offer a mandatory geography courses at all educational levels.^

The Music and Reading Connection: Improving Literacy with Rapid Naming of Words and Music Notes

This poster presentation is an action research study about improving literacy with rapid naming of words and music notes for ESE students at a Title 1 Elementary school.

The Relationship of Instructor Technical Literacy to the Academic Performance of Students in Career Academies

Career Academy instructors’ technical literacy is vital to the academic success of students. This nonexperimental ex post facto study examined the relationships between the level of technical literacy of instructors in career academies and student academic performance. It was also undertaken to explore the relationship between the pedagogical training of instructors and the academic performance of students. Out of a heterogeneous population of 564 teachers in six targeted schools, 136 teachers (26.0 %) responded to an online survey. The survey was designed to gather demographic and teaching experience data. Each demographic item was linked by researchers to teachers’ technology use in the classroom. Student achievement was measured by student learning gains as assessed by the reading section of the FCAT from the previous to the present school year. Linear and hierarchical regressions were conducted to examine the research questions. To clarify the possibility of teacher gender and teacher race/ethnic group differences by research variable, a series of one-way ANOVAs were conducted. As revealed by the ANOVA results, there were not statistically significant group differences in any of the research variables by teacher gender or teacher race/ethnicity. Greater student learning gains were associated with greater teacher technical expertise integrating computers and technology into the classroom, even after controlling for teacher attitude towards computers. Neither teacher attitude toward technology integration nor years of experience in integrating computers into the curriculum significantly predicted student learning gains in the regression models. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice suggest that identifying teacher levels of technical literacy may help improve student academic performance by facilitating professional development strategies and new parameters for defining highly qualified instructors with 21st century skills. District professional development programs can benefit by increasing their offerings to include more computer and information communication technology courses. Teacher preparation programs can benefit by including technical literacy as part of their curriculum. State certification requirements could be expanded to include formal surveys to assess teacher use of technology.

O curso de literacia da informação da NOVA Escola Doutoral: The road to information literacy

Descrevem-se as diversas fases do “Projeto para uma Estratégia de Literacia Informacional na NOVA” com vista à implementação de uma estratégia transversal de literacia da informação que abrangesse todas as Unidades Orgânicas da NOVA e o modo como a sua orientação de topo, dinâmica, metodologia e objetivos conduziram, posteriormente, à inclusão de um curso de Literacia Informacional no programa da NOVA Escola Doutoral. Realçando que a implementação do curso de Literacia Informacional nesse projeto passou a constituir um dos poucos exemplos de oferta formativa e de efetiva concretização de um projeto de intervenção curricular e pedagógica ao nível da literacia da informação no ensino superior em Portugal, promovendo a colaboração entre colegas e indo ao encontro de uma transferência de saberes e de uma partilha de competências abertas à colaboração de doutorandos e orientadores, enunciamse os objetivos do curso de Literacia Informacional e de cada módulo que o constitui e os resultados esperados ao nível do ensino e da aprendizagem. Conclui-se que a diversificação dos percursos formativos em contexto universitário, em estreita convergência com outras aprendizagens ao nível sociocultural, confere aos bibliotecários a responsabilidade de desempenhar um papel ativo no ensino e na promoção e consolidação das competências transversais dos estudantes, contribuindo a literacia da informação para o sucesso académico também ao nível do ensino superior.

A critical search for the ‘self’ in adult education: Bourdieuian insights into transformative possibilities

This study investigates the ‘self’ of six Irish working-class women, all parenting alone and all returned to the field of adult education. Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field and capital are the backdrop for the study of the ‘self’, which is viewed through his lens. This study commenced in September 2012 and concluded in August 2014, in a small urban educational setting in an Irish city. All of the women in the study are single parents, most of them did not complete second level education, and none of them had experienced adult or third level education. Their ages vary from 30 to 55 years. The study pursues the women’s motivations for returning to education, the challenges they faced throughout the journey, and their experiences, views and perspectives of Adult Education. The methodology chosen for this research is critical eethnography, and as an emerging ethnographer, I was able to view the phenomena from both an emic (inside) and an etic (outside) perspective. The critically oriented approach is a branch of qualitative research. It is a holistic and humanistic approach that is cyclical and reflective. The critical ethnographic case studies that developed are theoretically framed in critical theory and critical pedagogy. The data is collected from classroom observations (recorded in a journal) and interviews (both individual and group). The women's life experiences inform their sense of self and their capital reserves derive from their experience of habitus. It also attempts to understand the delivery of the programmes and how it can impact the journey of the adult learners. The analysis of the interviews, observations, field notes and reflective journals demonstrate what the women have to say about their new journey in adult education. This crucial information informs best practice for adult education programmes. This study also considers the complexity of habitus and the many forms of capital. The theme of adults returning to education and their disposition to this is one of the major themes of this study. Findings reflect this uncertainty but also underline how the women unshackled themselves of some of the constraints of a restricted view of self. Witnessing this new habitus forming was the core of their transformational possibility becoming real. The study provides a unique contribution to knowledge as it utilises Bourdieuian concepts and theories, not only as theoretical tools but as conceptual tools for analysis. The study examined transformative pedagogy in the field of adult education and it offers important recommendations for future policy and practice.