Education Commons^™

Book Review: The Doctoral Journey, Yvette Daniel

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Book review- abstract not required

Book Review: International Education In Global Times: Engaging The Pedagogic, Michael W. O'Sullivan

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

n/a

Book Review: Critical Perspectives On International Education, Edward R. Howe

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

The Issue Of Mutuality In Canada-China Educational Collaboration, Phirom Leng, Julia Pan

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This paper examines the power relationships in two major Canada-China university linkage programs which ran between 1989 and 2001: the Canada-China University Linkage Program [CCULP] (1989-1995) and the Special University Linkage Consolidation Program [SULCP] (1996-2001). The study adopts the cosmopolitan concept of mutuality as a theoretical lens and employs the analytical method of constant comparison of qualitative data to explore the context surrounding the mutuality evidenced in CCULP/SULCP. The findings show that both programs manifested the four characteristics of mutuality identified by Johan Galtung: equity, autonomy, solidarity and participation. Human values or cultural agency were identified as the key factor …

Internationalization In Canadian Higher Education: Experiences Of International Students In A Master’S Program, Xiaobin Li, Patrick Tierney

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The purpose of this study was to understand the preferences and experiences of international students in a Canadian master’s degree program. We collected data from 38 students in the program through a survey questionnaire, which asked research participants these questions: Why did they leave their own countries for education? Why did they select Canada? Did they plan to stay in Canada after graduation? The questionnaire also asked participants to indicate whether they agreed with 26 positive statements about the program. In addition, participants were invited to make comments about the program. Participants thought Canada had quality education and a safe …

Muslim Parents At Crossroads: Choosing The Right School For Their Children, Ghazala E. Ahmed

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This paper is based on a qualitative study that investigated reasons behind twelve Muslim parents’ decisions to send their children to either an Islamic or a public school in South-Western Ontario. Three major thematic reasons for parents’ choices emerged from the interviews: first, were the parents’ experiences with either the public or Islamic school environment; second, were the parents’ experiences and perceptions of the school’s dress codes; and, third, was the parents’ understanding of the school curriculum content. In addition to these themes, the paper also discusses parents’ views on the language of the school and that of the home …

Empowering Teachers To Become Change Agents Through The Science Education In-Service Teacher Training Project In Zimbabwe, Yovita N. Gwekwerere Dr., Emmanuel Mushayikwa, Viola Manokore

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This paper presents findings from a study of three Zimbabwean science teachers who participated in the Science Education In-service Teacher Training (SEITT) program. At the turn of the century, the SEITT program was designed to develop science and mathematics teachers into expert masters and resource teachers for Zimbabwe’s ten school districts. The study investigated the successes and challenges faced by the three teachers who were in the process of reforming their pedagogical practices as well as writing and using contextualized science curriculum materials to teach secondary science. Data were collected through telephone interviews. The three teachers reported that the SEITT …

Voices Of Youth In An Ethiopian Ngo's Educational Program: A Holistic View At Enabling Factors, Nathalie Piquemal

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This paper explores the impact that a Canadian NGO’s supported educational programs in Ethiopia have had on orphaned and vulnerable young people, socially, emotionally, and academically, as experienced, storied and understood by the children and adolescents themselves. Using Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) bio-ecological theory of human development as a theoretical framework and qualitative inquiry, specifically semi-structured interviews with 37 children and youths between 9 and 17 years old, as a methodological framework, this study explores factors that promote empowerment, resilience, and hope though students’ experiences and perceptions in these NGO’s educational programs. Discussion includes reflection gender, social justice, and implications for practice …

International Students As Lucrative Markets Or Vulnerable Populations: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of National And Institutional Events In Four Nations, Grace L. Karram

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The migration of post-secondary students is an increasingly debated phenomenon as the number of students living outside of their home country has risen to more than three million in the past decade. Governments, regions and institutions have developed new structures and strategies to facilitate and benefit from this worldwide student movement. This research article uses Fairclough’s (1993) notion of critical discourse analysis to explore the relationship between two distinct discourses on foreign students: national-level economic competitiveness and institutional-level student success. A comparative approach examines these discursive events in the four leading, Anglophone destination countries: Australia, Britain, Canada and the United …

How Schools Define Success: The Influence Of Local Contexts On The Meaning Of Success In Three Schools In Ontario, Canada, Sue Winton

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Creating successful schools is a priority for governments, district officials, administrators, teachers and parents around the world, but just what does ‘school success’ mean? Grounded in theories of collective sense-making and learning, this article presents how school success is defined in three schools in Ontario, Canada, and draws on Ball, Maguire and Braun’s theory of policy enactment to explain similarities and differences between the schools’ definitions. A comparative case study of three elementary schools in the same neighbourhood finds that students’ happiness and academic learning (rather than achievement on standardized tests) are common aspects of each school’s multifaceted definition of …

Challenging Problematic Dichotomies: Bridging The Gap Between Critical Pedagogy And Liberal Academic Approaches To Global Education, Michael W. O'Sullivan Dr., Harry Smaller

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This empirical exploration examines two case studies involving secondary school students’ involvement in global education. The paper begins with brief discussions of three related concepts (global citizenship education, study abroad, and international service learning), followed by a description of the case studies and an analysis of our empirical findings. We conclude with some comment on the possible connections between our findings and the ongoing tensions between advocates of explicitly critical/transformative pedagogy, as compared to those favouring a liberal academic perspective – suggesting that, in some circumstances at least, there may be more similarities than differences in outcomes for individual students …

“My Classroom Is A Bigger Place”: Examining The Impact Of A Professional Development Course On The Global Perspective Of Experienced Teachers, Steve Sider, Mary Ashun

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

How do experienced teachers develop a global perspective through a professional development course and how can this perspective impact classroom practice? These are the two key questions which this paper examines. We utilize Guskey’s (2002) model of teacher change as a framework for understanding the results of a study involving experienced teachers who took a professional development course which had a focus on global education. The participants engaged in a number of activities four months after the completion of the course to explore how the course had impacted their classroom teaching practice. Common themes were identified through participant reflective papers …

Book Review - Educating Children In Conflict Zones: Research, Policy And Practice For Systemic Change. A Tribute To Jackie Kirk., Allyson M. Larkin

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Educating children in conflict zones: Research, policy and practice for systemic change is a volume dedicated to the memory of Jackie Kirk, an educational researcher who was killed while working in Afghanistan. This collection of research articles is an excellent contribution to the field of education, conflict and development studies, Kirk's area of expertise. The initial article is by Kirk and is a seminal piece in the field of education and conflict studies, and subsequent contributions by leading researchers in the field such as Lyn Davies, round out a volume that both adds to the growing knowledge of the contested …

Commentary: Cultivating A Defiant Global Research Imagination In International Education, Jane E. Kenway

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Reconceiving International Education: Theorizing Limits And Possibilities For Transcultural Learning, Paul Tarc, Aparna Mishra-Tarc, Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, Roopa Desai Trilokekar

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This multi-voiced paper explores the micro-level dimensions of human learning and becoming from transcultural encounters, lessons and/or curriculum under heightened transnationalism. It posits that mainstream approaches to conceptualizing the ‘education’ of international education lack sufficient theorization of difference, sociality, history and learning in trans-local spaces and suggests that there are expanding networks of transcultural engagements to be examined under the umbrella of international education. To explore this reconceived pedagogical landscape of international education three specific cases are presented: an auto-ethnographic reflection on coming into and making sense of one’s international experience, a conceptual framing of internationalizing preservice education curriculum and …

The Role Of Language In Processes Of Internationalization: Considering Linguistic Heterogeneity And Voices From Within And Out In Two Diverse Contexts In Ontario, Julie Byrd Clark, Eve Haque, Sylvie A. Lamoureux

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This multi-voiced paper considers the role of language and linguistic heterogeneity in relation to larger discourses and processes of internationalization and globalization in Canadian higher education by examining two particular educational contexts in Ontario: newly arrived adult students participating in Immigrant language training programs; and Franco-Ontarian students transitioning to post-secondary schools and gaining access to higher education. The authors argue for a multidimensional conceptual approach to theorizing internationalization; one that takes into account the significance of language from the global, transnational and local levels of the social world whereby linguistic heterogeneity is viewed as the “norm” and one that allows …

North-South International Education Partnerships: Two Canadian Projects With Tanzania., Aniko Varpalotai, Chantal Phillips, Marian Roks

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Abstract

The following is a review of two Canadian-Tanzanian international partnerships working in Tanzania within the education sector. Project TEMBO (Tanzania Education and Micro-Business Opportunity) supports the development of formal and non-formal education for girls and women in collaboration with other local and international non-governmental organizations. The Huron University College/University of Dar es Salaam project is strengthening post-secondary educational opportunities in collaboration with civil society organizations and local government. Both projects are focused on literacy in the broadest sense to achieve critical skills in civic engagement, poverty reduction, problem solving, decision-making and reducing gender imbalances, and as such are in …

Exploiting Globalization While Being Exploited By It:Insights From Post-Soviet Education Reforms In Central Asia, Sarfaroz Niyozov, Nazarkhudo Dastambuev Mr.

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Building on an examination of comparative and international literature and their research and development experiences, the authors highlight a number of continuities, changes, and issues between Soviet and post-Soviet, international and Central Asian experiences of borrowing and lending of education reforms. Even though Central Asian actors and institutions are not totally helpless victims and though international experts and NGOs appear well-meaning in these globalizing education transfers, the processes are leading toward reproducing global and local dependencies and inequalities.The trajectory of education reforms in Central Asia echo those of other developing countries. In response, the authors urge local policy makers and …

Theorizing International Education: (Shifting) Contexts, Concepts, Methods, Paul Tarc, Julie Byrd Clark, Aniko Varpalotai

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

‘Headmasters Become Noblemen’: Mainland Chinese Teachers’ Perspectives On Changes In Education In The Post-Mao Era, Lorin G. Yochim

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

In this article I report findings of research into the lives and work of Mainland Chinese teachers of English in a broader context characterized by market economic reform. I draw on transcriptions of group interviews to describe and discuss teachers’ lives and work, and forward a critical analysis that posits a connection between teachers’ accounts and the re-structuring of social relations in post-Mao China. The article details one of several themes treated in the study, specifically the broad category of ‘effects of educational reform.’ I suggest that the compliance and resistance apparent in these accounts reveals Chinese teachers to be …

New Curriculum Reform In China And Its Impact On Teachers, Linyuan Guo

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

China, the developing country with the largest and oldest public education system, is transforming its education system through a nation-wide curriculum reform. This large-scale curriculum change signifies China's complex and multi-dimensional processes and endeavors in empowering its educational system to meet the challenges and opportunities in the era of globalization. This paper reports on an interpretive case study with a particular interest in understanding the impact of the nation-wide curriculum reform on teachers in urban areas. Findings from this study present the complex dimensions of teachers’ lived experiences during this dramatic education change and shed new insights on the current …

Education Under China’S Market Economy: A Case Study Of Urban And Rural Teachers In Hunan Province, Qing Li

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The purpose of this article to investigate the working and living conditions of teachers under China’s market economy, with a focus on urban and rural schools. This paper is a case study of teachers in Hunan province, representing Central China. A total of eighteen teachers in seven different schools participated in the study.

The analysis of data shows that teachers experience change of teaching as reflected in the shift to learner-centred approaches, as well as changes of curriculum, textbooks and teacher evaluation. Under market economy, Chinese educational system still possesses urban rural inequalities, for the same or different reasons. The …

Teaching In Northwestern China Under A Market Economy: Opportunities And Challenges, Gulbahar H. Beckett

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This article discusses a case study that explored the impacts of a market economy on some Northwestern Chinese teachers’ working and living conditions as well as opportunities and challenges the new economy presented from teachers’ perspectives. Analysis of surveys, interviews, and documents revealed that the participants believed they had benefited from the market economy, citing pay raises as well as improved working and living conditions. Participants thought opportunities under the market economy included additional earnings as well as improved national and international professional development. However, the participants found the shift from the traditional teacher-centered pedagogy to a more student-centered approach …

Teaching English For Economic Competiveness: Emerging Issues And Challenges In English Education In China, Yan Guo

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Under China’s market economy, English language learning has been adopted as a strategy to promote the nation’s economic competitiveness in a global economy. This development reflects a discourse of linguistic instrumentalism. Based upon individual interviews of 24 English teachers in Zhejiang Province, China, the study reveals that teachers question the assumptions of linguistic instrumentalism, the gatekeeper role of English, the impact of the increasing dominance of English on Chinese language, and their students’ internalization of the belief in the superiority of Anglo culture. In addition, the study suggests that as a result of globalization, the delivery of English education in …

Globalization, Market Economy And Social Inequality In China: Exploring The Experience Of Migrant Teachers, Shibao Guo

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This study explores the experience of migrant teachers in China. In particular, it examines how China’s market economy might have impacted on the status and living and working conditions of migrant teachers. The study adopts a case study approach, drawing on personal interviews with 21 school teachers in Shenzhen and Zhuhai of Guangdong Province. The findings reveal that despite China’s economic miracle, migrant teachers’ status and teaching and living conditions have not improved. On the contrary, they have deteriorated. Migrant teachers are paid less, live in poor housing conditions, and face heavy workload. Many teachers have to tutor outside of …