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Wmu International News April 2008, Haenicke Institute For Global Education

WMU International News

In this issue:

International Festival draws thousands

43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies in May

Three languages not enough for double-major freshman

Russian motherland enriches study abroad work

WMU and Haenicke Institute representatives land in Middle East and India

Succeeding globally theme of 2012 International Education Week

'Be Mission Centred, Market Smart And Politically Savvy': Challenges For Higher Education, Ellen Hazelkorn

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Applying Focus Groups In Educational Research In Africa, Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor

Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor

The study using focus groups in the West African nation of The Gambia was an experiential research, which provided viable data on girl child education practices, problems and prospects in the African sub region. This paper presents an opportunity to explore peoples’ perceptions on issues of interest and concern to Gambians on girl child education. The 2006-2007 study was conducted through the use of focus groups for data collection, covering six educational regions in the Republic of The Gambia.

Concept And Design Of The International Civic And Citizenship Study., Julian Fraillon, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The purpose of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) is to investigate, in a range of countries, the ways in which young people are prepared and consequently ready and able to undertake their roles as citizens. In pursuit of this purpose, the study will report on student achievement in a test of conceptual understandings and competencies in civics and citizenship. It will also collect and analyse, as additional outcome variables, data about student activities, dispositions, and attitudes related to civic and citizenship education. The collection of contextual data will help to explain variation in the outcome variables. The …

Collecting School And Teacher Data In International Civic And Citizenship Study, Gabriella Agrusti, Bruno Losito

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Characteristics of the school context and its impact on the development of students’ knowledge, as well as their dispositions and competencies in relation to their roles as citizens, are especially important for a study of civics and citizenship education. The school in itself represents both the principal institution in which young people are directly involved and, at the same time, the foremost community in which they can actively participate. Various characteristics of school context affect both the development of a formal and informal civic and citizenship curriculum, as well as the students actual learning experience within school in relation to …

Assessing Student Knowledge, Background And Perceptions In The International Civic And Citizenship Study, Wolfram Schulz, Falk Brese

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

It is over the ten years since IEA last investigated civic education, and in that time new challenges have emerged in educating young people for their roles as citizens in the 21st century. These challenges have stimulated renewed reflection on the meanings of citizenship and the roles of and approaches to civic and citizenship education. In many countries there is a growing interest in using evidence to improve policy and practice in civic and citizenship education. ICCS is the third international IEA study in this area and it is explicitly linked through common questions to the IEA Civic Education Study …

Assessing Citizenship Skills In Latin America. The Development Of A Regional Module As Part Of The International Civic And Citizenship Study, Fernando M. Reimers

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

No abstract provided.

Studying Civic And Citizenship Education In The European Context, David Kerr, Joana Lopes

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This paper explores how civic and citizenship education in the European context is being addressed through the new IEA International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS). It sets out the rationale for the inclusion of a European regional perspective as a new and innovative part of the study. It focuses in particular on the rationales for the purpose and content of the European Module. It describes the process of construction of the European Module instruments and outlines how the outcomes will be reported.

The Other China, Vilma Seeberg

Vilma Seeberg

Evaluating primary enrollment figures for rural children particularly girls against sex ration for newborns and NGO reports of lack of birth registrations of girls (hei hukou), produces a net primary enrollment rate (49%) half of the official data (98%). Poverty data and One-Child Policy fines explain the context of the lower enrollment rates.

Awareness Of Global Cultures In The Classroom, Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor

Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor

No abstract provided.

Wmu International News February 2008, Haenicke Institute For Global Education

WMU International News

In this issue:

WMU welcomes 60 Dominican Republic students

Western Michigan University's 19th annual International Festival

Ugly Sweaters Ice Capades

Bi-cultural upbringing complements study abroad work

CELCIS veteran named interim director

Winter fun in West Michigan

Western Guide To Graduate Supervision, Elizabeth Skarakis-Doyle, Gayle L. Mcintyre

Purple Guides

Based on the experiences of Western's graduate supervisors, this 30 page guide addresses the supervision of graduate students and focuses on best practices in mentoring, promoting student progress, and clarifying expectations in the supervisor-student relationship.

The Gambia's Teachers' Handbook On Multi-Grade Teaching, Ministry Of Basic & Secondary Education In Collaboration With The Learning Initiatives For Rural Education

Learning Initiatives for Rural Education

This handbook is designed to be used as a continual resource for the multi-grade teacher. The multi-grade teacher can refer to it at any specific point in time to learn ways and methods of applying certain skills or techniques and to gain knowledge on a particular topic. For example, a teacher planning a lesson could refer to it for specific guidance on how to do so using the samples in this guide. It gives information on how to adapt the syllabus, organize schemes of work, among others. The handbook also provides examples that the teacher can use and reflection points …

The Gambia's Training Manual On Multi-Grade Teaching, Ministry Of Basic & Secondary Education In Collaboration With The Learning Initiatives For Rural Education

Learning Initiatives for Rural Education

This training guide—and its companion; The Gambia’s Handbook on Multi-Grade Teaching—went through a process of development that was uniquely participatory and highly interactive. It was developed under the leadership of project LIRE and the Technical Working Group in The Gambia (TWG). This manual was further enriched with inputs and contributions from education officials and teachers involved in the LIRE multi-grade program. TWG members were drawn from key stakeholders from within and outside the Ministry of Education. Members are seasoned curriculum developers and planners with years of experience in curriculum and materials development.

Le Manuel De Formation Des Maitres Des Classes Multigrades En Gambie, Le Ministère De L’Éducation Élémentaire Et Secondaire En Collaboration Avec Le Projet Lire

Learning Initiatives for Rural Education

Ce manuel du formateur et, « Le guide du maître des classes multi-grades » sont des produits d’une collaboration participative et intéractive entre membres du projet LIRE au Etats Unis et en Gambie. La création des deux documents a ete supervisee par le projet LIRE ainsi que les membres du Conseil Consultatif (qui comportaient des acteurs experimentés dans le domaine de l’education) en Gambie. Des inspecteurs sur le terrain et des enseignants multi-grades qui ont participé tout au au long du projet ont beaucoup contribué à la réalisation de ce manuel.

Farmer Literacy Practices: A Comparative Study Of Farmers In Kurnool District Of Andhra Pradesh, India, Konda Reddy Chavva

Master's Capstone Projects

ABSTRACT The goal of the study was to understand farmer literacy practices, and how farmer participants perceive the usefulness of Farmer Water School (FWS) training. Studying the farmer literacy practices was to help identify farmer friendly methods, and design effective messages for dissemination on crop choices, decisions, and sustainable groundwater management. To understand the usefulness of FWS training to farmers, a comparative study of FWS participants and non-FWS pa11icipants' perceptions on crop-water management, crop choices, and agriculture practices was undertaken. The study focused on the farmers of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, India.

The research questions driving this study included: …

Idéias Educacionais Transnacionais E O Ensino Secundário Brasileiro: O Imperial Collégio De Pedro Ii Como Uma Versão Do Ensino Secundário Frances [Transnational Education Ideas And Brazilian Secondary Education: The Imperial College Pedro Ii As A Version Of The French Lycée], Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia

Karl M Lorenz

The paper discusses the adoption of French curriculum models and educational practices, from 1837 to 1889, by the College Pedro II, the premier secondary school of Brazil during the empire. The college was founded in Rio de Janeiro to attend to the children of the elite in the Municipality of the Court and to serve as a model institution for public and private secondary schools in the provinces.
O trabalho discute a adoção de modelos curriculares e de praticas educativas da França, de 1838 a 1889, pelo Colégio de Pedro II, a escola secundaria preeminente durante o Império. O colégio …

A Escola Alemã Versus As Políticas Educacionais Nacionais Na Primeira Metade Do Século Xx: Transformando Imigrantes Alemães Em Cidadãos Brasileiros [The Deutsche School Vs. National Educational Policies In Early Twentieth-Century Brazil: Transforming German Immigrants Into Brazilian Citizens], Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia, António G. Ferreira

Karl M Lorenz

Durante a segunda metade do século XIX e as primeiras décadas do século XX, imigrantes alemães estabeleceram colônias em áreas poucas povoadas nos estados no sul de Brasil. Este grupo étnico criou comunidades que mantiveram suas tradições europeias. Central à este fenômeno foi a “Deutsch Schule”, uma instituição educacional que representou e transmitiu os valores e a cultura da comunidade imigrante. Este trabalho discute a origem e o funcionamento do Deutsch Schule, que tipicamente existia no sul de Brasil, e as medidas tomadas pelo governo brasileiro de impôr às escolas o padrão educacional brasileiro no período de 1937 -1945.
During …

Confronting The Insider-Outsider Polemic In Conducting Research With Diasporic Communities: Towards A Community-Based Approach, Bruce A. Collet

School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications

Researchers focusing on diasporic contexts face the difficult task of wearing their “academic hats” while at the same time building meaningful relationships with immigrant communities. This is no more apparent (and important) than with “non-community” (i.e. outsider) researchers. Here diasporic communities, having already experienced the trauma of forced migration, must see the academic researcher as one they can trust and who is invested in their long-term well being. In this paper I address methodological and philosophical concerns related to the insider-outsider researcher distinction and to conducting research as an “outsider.” The principle aims of the paper are to critically examine …

Research On The Experiences Of International Graduate Students: A Selective Literature Review, Bryan M. Carson

DLPS Faculty Publications

In 2003, there were 586,523 international students in U.S. institutions. International students make up 13 percent of U.S. graduate students, and account for one-fifth of all doctorates. Some students remain in the U.S., while others return to their home countries. Either way, however, international students represent a very significant portion of the U.S. higher education field. Yet the literature on international graduate students is surprisingly sparse. While there are many studies of the international graduate student experience, they tend to focus mostly on language acquisition, academics, acculturation and social adaptation. There are few well-constructed theoretical, qualitative, or quantitative studies dealing …

Western Guide To Mentorship In Academia, Donald Gordon Cartwright

Purple Guides

This guide addresses the importance of mentoring for new faculty members, describes the pros and cons of various mentorship models, and offers advice for mentors and mentees.

What Would Vincent Do? Vincentian Higher Education And Poverty Reduction, Marco Tavanti, Craig Mousin

Mission and Ministry Publications

The worldwide Vincentian major higher education institutions have best practices and pedagogical innovative strategies for linking their educational mission with poverty alleviation. This edited volume includes experiences from DePaul University, St. John;s University, Niagara University, Adamson University, Santa Isabelle University and All Hallows College.

Los Límites De La Autonomía Universitaria, Imanol Ordorika

Imanol Ordorika

Uno de los resultados políticos de los conflictos que tuvieron lugar a lo largo de los años setenta, los cuales marcaron de cierta forma la pauta para las relaciones entre la Universidad y el gobier- no para la siguiente década, fue el refuerzo de los vínculos entre el gobierno federal y los grupos dominantes en el seno de la Universidad. En este contexto es posible señalar, contrariamente a lo que afirman Levy y otros, que durante los ochenta la intervención gubernamental en los asuntos políticos, académicos y económicos de la Universidad se hizo de forma más encubierta, pero su influencia …

Development And Validation Of Physical Education Achievement, Dr. Uche J. Obidiegwu

Dr. Uche J. Obidiegwu

This study sought to develop and validate a Physical Education Achievement Test (PEAT) which will be used for accurate assessment of adult learners in basic education. Eight items were developed and pilot tested. Validation and reliability were determined using Kuder-Richardson formula ‘21’. Based on the results some recommendations were made.

"Barack Obama’S Dual Triple Heritage,", Amadu Jacky Kaba

Amadu Jacky Kaba

Contributing to Ali A. Mazrui’s (1986) Africa’s triple heritage concept, this paper argues that United States Senator Barack Obama from Illinois has a dual triple heritage: (1) race or ethnicity (ethnic origin) and (2) religion. The paper argues that the new positive friendship or partnership between the people of Africa and the people of the United States in the first decade of the 21st century is a contributing factor to the Barack Obama phenomenon. Finally, the paper claims that Barack Obama has the potential to help in uniting: (1) the United States; (2) Africa and the United States; (3) a …

"Religion, Immigration And Assimilation: The Hispanic/Latino Population In The United States And The North African/Muslim Population In Europe,", Amadu Jacky Kaba

Amadu Jacky Kaba

This paper argues that there are geographic and human (racial makeup) similarities in the emigration of Hispanics/Latinos to the U.S. and that of North Africans/Muslims to Europe. The paper argues, however, that compared to their counterparts in Europe, the Hispanic/Latino population in the U.S. tends to be more assimilated, with shared religious history (Christianity) being a big part of the reason for such assimilation. To put differently, unlike North African/Muslim immigrants in Europe, Latin American immigrants are more integrated in the U.S. because most of them share with the majority of the population similar beliefs in conservative traditions, Christianity and …

"Culture, Economic Progress And Immigration: The Hispanic/Latino Population In The U.S. And The North African/Muslim Population In European Countries,", Amadu Jacky Kaba

Amadu Jacky Kaba

This paper explores the rising populations of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and of North Africans/Muslims in European countries. It examines the “push” and “pull” factors contributing to the increase in emigration of Hispanics to the U.S. and North Africans/Muslims to Europe. Examining social and economic data for both immigrant groups, the paper argues that due largely to cultural similarities, the Hispanic population in the U.S. tends to be more easily integrated into the mainstream population than the North African/Muslim population in Europe.

"Sex Ratio At Birth And Racial Differences: Why Do Black Women Give Birth To More Females Than Non-Black Women?,", Amadu Jacky Kaba

Amadu Jacky Kaba

The two important questions that this paper will attempt to answer are: (1) why is it that regardless of race/ethnicity or geographic location, the sex ratio data at birth show more males than females?; and (2) Why is it that regardless of geographic location compared to other racial/ethnic groups, Black women or Women of sub-Saharan Black African descent tend to give birth to more females? Or to put this question the other way around, compared to Black women, why do non-Black women give birth to more males? (

Research On The Experiences Of International Graduate Students: A Selective Literature Review, Bryan M. Carson

Bryan M. Carson

In 2003, there were 586,523 international students in U.S. institutions. International students make up 13 percent of U.S. graduate students, and account for one-fifth of all doctorates. Some students remain in the U.S., while others return to their home countries. Either way, however, international students represent a very significant portion of the U.S. higher education field. Yet the literature on international graduate students is surprisingly sparse. While there are many studies of the international graduate student experience, they tend to focus mostly on language acquisition, academics, acculturation and social adaptation. There are few well-constructed theoretical, qualitative, or quantitative studies dealing …

A Escola Alemã Versus As Políticas Educacionais Nacionais Na Primeira Metade Do Século Xx: Transformando Imigrantes Alemães Em Cidadãos Brasileiros [The Deutsche School Vs. National Educational Policies In Early Twentieth-Century Brazil: Transforming German Immigrants Into Brazilian Citizens], Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia, António G. Ferreira

Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.