Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala: A Status Study of Students, Pass Outs and Training Components

This study analyses the socio-economic backgrounds and entrepreneurial profiles of the students and pass outs of the Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala and the academic achievements of the Vocational Higher Secondary students and pass outs in Kerala in terms of their performance in the examinations. The study also analyses the quality and availability of the various training and support facilities of the Vocational Higher Secondary Schools in Kerala, nature and rate of employment and higher studies among the pass outs of the Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala and the awareness of students, pass outs, teachers and principals regarding the goals and objectives, mode of implementation, apprenticeship training and higher study and employment opportunities of the programme of the Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala.

Professional Associations and Academic Librarianship in Kerala

The library professional in an academic institution has to anticipate the changing expectations of the users, and be flexible in adopting new skills and levels of awareness. Technology has drastically changed the way librarians define themselves and the way they think about their profession and the institutions they serve. In addition to the technical and professional skills, commitment to user centred services and skills for effective oral and written communication; they must have other skills, including business and management, teaching, leadership, etc. Eventually, library and information professionals in academic libraries need to update their knowledge and skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as they play the role of key success factor in enabling the library to perform its role as an information support system for the society.

Continuation and discontinuation of local institution in community based natural resource management

Currently the push toward frontier areas, which until twenty years ago were still largely untouched by commercial agriculture, is taking place on a massive scale. This push is being driven not the least by global economic developments, such as the price increase of agriculture commodities like coffee and cocoa. In most cases the indigenous communities become trapped between the state monopoly in natural resource management and the competition for resources by external actors. In this processes the indigenous communities start to lose their access to resources. Another victim in this process is the environment where the natural resources are imbedded. International and national organizations working to conserve environment have became conscious of the important role that indigenous people could fulfill as partners in this endeavour. This partnership in struggle has produced a new discourse on the relationship between indigenous people and their environment. As a further consequence, programs were set up to develop what became known as Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) with its numerous variations. Based on a case study in a village on the eastern border of the Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, this study questioned the basic assumption behind the concept of Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). Namely the assumption that communities living at the margin of forest are socially and culturally homogenous, still more or less egalitarian, and basically living in harmony with their natural environment. This study was inspired by the persistent critique – although still a minority – on the basic assumption the CBNRM from academicians and practitioners working through the Entitlement perspective. Another inspiration was the mounting critique toward the participatory approach. In its effort the study explore further the usefulness of certain approaches. One of the approach much relied on in this study was the local history of the community studied, through exerting oral and local written documents on local history, legends and local stories. These sources proofed quite capable in bringing the local history into the light. Another was the actor oriented approach, which later came to be supported by the concept of Social Pool Resources. The latter concept proofed to be useful as analytical instrument to integrate social institutions and the common pool resources, as a field of action for the different actors as human agencies.

Private Higher Education in the Sultanate of Oman: Rationales, Development and Challenges

Diese Studie stellt die Entwicklung des privaten Hochschulbereichs im Oman dar und analysiert sie auf die damit verbundenen Erwartungen. Sie untersucht die wesentlichen Herausforderungen, denen sich dieser Sektor zu stellen hat, und formuliert einige Empfehlungen, um die Rolle der privaten Hochschulbildung im Oman zu fördern. Um die Situation in Oman einordnen zu konnen, wurde die Literatur zu Systemen der privaten Hochschulbildung in verschiedenen Ländern vergleichend aufgearbeitet. Der Autor dieser Dissertation hat zudem zahlreiche offizielle Dokumente, Statistiken der Regierung, Berichte, Korrespondenzen und auch unveröffentlichtes Material zum Thema Bildung, Wirtschaft und zur Personalentwicklung geprüft und analysiert. Halb-strukturierte Interviews wurden mit Präsidenten und Dekanen privater Hochschulen sowie mit einigen externen Akteuren durchgeführt, um die Stärken und Schwächen, Herausforderungen und Ziele des privaten Hochschulsektors in Oman zu analysieren.

La influencia de factores educativos y familiares sobre el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua, y los efectos sobre la inteligencia y cognición

Actualmente, la investigación científica acerca de la influencia de los factores educativos y familiares en el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua (L2) es limitada. En comparación, los efectos que tiene la L2 en la inteligencia y cognición han sido más estudiados. Por esta razón, el artículo presenta una revisión de la literatura empírica existente que relaciona lo mencionado anteriormente, ampliando así la temática del bilingüismo. Se buscaron artículos en cuatro bases de datos (PSICODOC, ISI Web of knowledge y SCOPUS), usando palabras claves específicas, en el periodo de 1990 hasta el 2012. De 79 artículos encontrados, 34 cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión para la revisión. Asimismo, se tuvieron en cuenta dos libros, de los cuales se revisó un capítulo por cada uno según los mismos criterios. En conjunto, los resultados arrojaron importantes datos teóricos y de investigación que relacionan el éxito en el aprendizaje de una L2 con la inteligencia y cognición, según la influencia de los factores educativos y familiares. En conclusión, se identificaron más factores educativos que familiares; lo cual a concepto de la autora evidencia la limitada investigación que se ha hecho sobre los factores familiares en el bilingüismo actualmente.

Aprender a ler, aprender a conviver: aprendizagem da leitura como veículo para a socialização

O trabalho apresentado é decorrente do Projeto de Intervenção realizado no âmbito do Curso de 2º Ciclo em Educação Especial – domínio cognitivo e motor, da Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias. Resumo A referida intervenção contempla a minimização das dificuldades apresentadas por uma menina a nível da leitura e escrita e da sua socialização, numa perspetiva inclusiva. M. é o nome fictício da aluna alvo da intervenção. Atualmente, frequenta o 3º ano de escolaridade numa escola pública, em Lisboa área da sua residência. A revisão da literatura vai sustentar e facilitar a compreensão clara e concisa da intervenção realizada e das posições defendidas sobre esta matéria. Deste modo, são tratados temas no âmbito da exclusão social e escolar, da escola Inclusiva e dos obstáculos que ainda encontramos nas escolas, dos preconceitos, dos alunos com necessidades educativas especiais, das adaptações curriculares, da aprendizagem cooperativa e diferenciação pedagógica, referimo-nos ainda às dificuldades de aprendizagem e, por último, à comunicação e à linguagem oral e escrita. Para obter informações sobre a M. e sobre o contexto da intervenção, bem como sobre todo o seu processo de inclusão escolar, utilizamos como suporte metodológico, a pesquisa documental, as entrevistas semi-diretivas à professora titular de turma e à professora de ensino especial, a observação naturalista, a sociometria e as notas de campo para se poder complementar as informações. A planificação global da intervenção foi elaborada a partir do relacionamento/ cruzamento dos dados que resultaram da análise da informação recolhida. Para uma intervenção fundamentada caracterizamos inicialmente o seu contexto escolar e familiar e posteriormente a M. Os princípios orientadores da intervenção realizada, assentam numa perspetiva de investigação para a ação, e tiveram presentes os objetivos definidos para a M. As atividades foram realizadas, numa perspetiva de aprendizagem muito estruturada, muito refletida e avaliada durante todo o processo, implicando todos os intervenientes. Esta intervenção, levou-nos a estimular práticas educativas, diferenciadas e inclusivas na turma, com a professora titular dessa turma e com a professora do ensino especial com os colegas da M.

Communication breakdowns and repair strategies in oral communication and total communication children with cochlear implants

This study assesses communication breakdowns in children with cochlear implants from oral and total communications backgrounds. More communication breakdowns occurred between the total communication child and the conversational partner than the oral communication child and the conversational partner. Both total and oral communication children used non-specific repair strategies.

Character education for the deaf and hard of hearing

This paper presents a curriculum guide for structured character education for deaf and hearing-impaired children. A list of suggested age-appropriate activities, role play ideas, thematic children’s books, and assistive internet resources are provided.

Strategy clusters and sources of knowledge in French L2 listening comprehension

This article reports on an exploratory investigation into the listening strategies of lower-intermediate learners of French as an L2, including the sources of knowledge they employed in order to comprehend spoken French. Data from 14 learners were analysed to investigate whether employment of strategies in general and sources of knowledge in particular varied according to the underlying linguistic knowledge of the student. While low linguistic knowledge learners were less likely to deploy effectively certain strategies or strategy clusters, high linguistic knowledge levels were not always associated with effective strategy use. Similarly, while there was an association between linguistic knowledge and learners’ ability to draw on more than one source of knowledge in a facilitative manner, there was also evidence that learners tended to over-rely on linguistic knowledge where other sources, such as world knowledge, would have proved facilitative. We conclude by arguing for a fresh approach to listening pedagogy and research, including strategy instruction, bottom-up skill development and a consideration of the role of linguistic knowledge in strategy use.

The experiences and priorities of young people who care for their siblings in Tanzania and Uganda

This report presents key findings from a small-scale pilot research project that explored the experiences and priorities of young people caring for their siblings in sibling-headed households affected by AIDS in Tanzania and Uganda. Qualitative and participatory research was conducted with 33 young people living in sibling-headed households and 39 NGO staff and community members in rural and urban areas of Tanzania and Uganda. The report analyses the ways that young people manage transitions to caring for their younger siblings following their parents’ death and the impacts of caring on their family relations, education, emotional wellbeing and health, social lives and their transitions to adulthood. The study highlights gendered- and age-related differences in the nature and extent of young people’s care work and discusses young people’s needs and priorities for action, based on the views of young people, NGO staff and community members. Meeting the basic needs of young people living in sibling-headed households, listening to young people’s views, fostering peer support and relationships of trust with supportive adults, raising awareness and advocacy emerge as key priorities to safeguard the rights of children and young people living in sibling-headed households and challenge the stigma and marginalisation they sometimes face.

Comparative and international education: policy transfer, context sensitivity and professional development

This paper examines the intellectual and professional contribution of comparative and international studies to the field of education. It explores the nature of the challenges that are currently being faced, and assesses its potential for the advancement of future teaching, research and professional development. Attention is paid to the place of comparative and international education (CIE)-past and present-in teacher education, in postgraduate studies, and in the realms of policy and practice, theory and research. Consideration is first given to the nature and history of CIE, to its initial contributions to the field of education in the UK, and to its chief mechanisms and sites of production. Influential methodological and theoretical developments are examined, followed by an exploration of emergent questions, controversies and dilemmas that could benefit from sustained comparative analysis in the future. Conclusions consider implications for the place of CIE in the future of educational studies as a whole; for relations between and beyond the 'disciplines of education'; and for the development of sustainable research capacity in this field.

Farm productivity and efficiency in rural Bangladesh: the role of education revisited

This article reassesses the debate over the role of education in farm production in Bangladesh using a large dataset on rice producing households from 141 villages. Average and stochastic production frontier functions are estimated to ascertain the effect of education on productivity and efficiency. A full set of proxies for farm education stock variables are incorporated to investigate the ‘internal’ as well as ‘external’ returns to education. The external effect is investigated in the context of rural neighbourhoods. Our analysis reveals that in addition to raising rice productivity and boosting potential output, household education significantly reduces production inefficiencies. However, we are unable to find any evidence of the externality benefit of schooling – neighbour's education does not matter in farm production. We discuss the implication of these findings for rural education programmes in Bangladesh.

School effectiveness and the displacement of equity discourses in education

An essential aspect of school effectiveness theory is the shift from the social to the organisational context, from the macro- to the micro-culture. The school is represented largely as a bounded institution, set apart, but also in a precarious relationship with the broader social context. It is ironic that at a time when social disadvantage appears to be increasing in Britain and elsewhere, school effectiveness theory places less emphasis on poverty, deprivation and social exclusion. Instead, it places more emphasis on organisational factors such as professional leadership, home/school partnerships, the monitoring of academic progress, shared vision and goals. In this article, the authors evaluate the extent to which notions of effectiveness have displaced concerns about equity in theories of educational change. They explore the extent to which the social structures of gender, ethnicity, sexualities, special needs, social class, poverty and other historical forms of inequality have been incorporated into or distorted and excluded from effectiveness thinking.