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The Confucian Factor And Good Fortune In The National College Entrance Examination In China, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background

Confucianism is highly optimistic about human nature. It teaches that ordinary human beings can become awe-inspiring sages and worthies (Confucius himself lived a rather ordinary life). It believes that human beings are teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor. In ancient China Confucian education was based on hard work, compliance with state laws, and merit. A large number of students who took the Imperial examination at that time were from lower-class families. These observations are still true about the National College Entrance Examination. Confucius. Confucius regarded Heaven (T'ien) as a positive and personal force in the universe; …

Child Soldier Narratives And Critical Incident Themes In Peace Education, Samuel Hinton

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Children are combatants in nearly three-quarters of the world's conflicts and have posed difficult dilemmas for the professional armies they confront. There are moral and strategic arguments for limiting the use of child soldiers. When conflicts involving children end, experts say the prospects for a lasting peace are hurt by large populations of psychologically scarred, demobilized child soldiers. Parts of Africa, Asia, and South America risk long-term instability as generations of youth are sucked into ongoing wars. There is a need to teach about maintaining peace in post-conflict classrooms. The author proposes a lesson plan to develop themes for peace …

Free Textbook Distribution Process In Sindh, Pakistan: A Study Of Stakeholders Perceptions, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid, Halah C. Simon

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Placed amongst the lower middle income countries (The World Bank 2010), a large segment of the population of Pakistan is unable to afford the expenses on basic amenities including education. In year 2003, the Government of Sindh, initiated a free textbooks scheme. This study investigates the transparency and efficiency of distribution process; examines the challenges and opportunities of the procurement and delivery process; and assesses the perceptions and feedback of the stakeholders. The study was conducted in all the districts of Sindh Province. The data were collected through analysis of documents, field survey, focus group discussions and interviews. The study …

Role Of Private Sector In Higher Education Of Pakistan: Predicaments And Insights, Wasim Qazi Dr., Halah C. Simon, Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The nationalization of industry and education in the early 1970s resulted in the deterioration of private sector with minimal investment in this field. This continued into late 90s with Pakistan recording comparatively low public spending on education as a percentage of GDP . Thus the government of Pakistan, in an effort to enhance intellectual capital and enrollments, established the Higher Education Commission (HEC) assigned to evaluate, improve and promote the higher education and research culture in both public and private sectors in Pakistan. Since its establishment in 2002, the HEC has “undertaken a systematic process of implementation of the five-year …

Rehabilitating Closed Schools: A Daunting Challenge For Pakistan, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid Jamil Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are 6034 non-operational schools in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh further complicating the work of the donor agencies; more than half of these non-operational schools (3843) only exist on papers. These shadow schools exist only to usurp international aid earmarked for education. Our research shows that proximity to the population; unavailability of teachers; and lack of infrastructure are some of the fundamental causes driving the closure of more than thirteen percent of schools. Our position is that a large number of these schools can be rehabilitated but that requires a three-phased plan. If implemented, proposed plan would enhance transparency …

Teacher Perception About Implementation Strategy Of B.Ed Teaching Practice In Real School Classrooms: Issues And Challenges, Wasim Qazi, Khalid Jamil Rawat, Muhammad Yousuf Sharjeel, Shila Devi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Teaching practice is the core component of all pre-service teacher education programs. Through teaching practice, a novice teacher is assumed to have inculcated a supposedly viable pedagogic experience to transfer the core competency of the subject knowledge to students in real classroom situation. This study encompasses the challenges and issues that the novice teachers experience at post-training level of their B.Ed programme of studies. The investigations also enlighten the gaps that the trained teachers have shared with the researchers. The study highlights the extent to which the on-training components of teaching practice is reflected in the attitude of the trained …

A Synthetic Teaching-Learning Model: A Contextualized Study, Wasim Qazi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The paper aims at institutionalizing instructional technology with a view to improving the quality of education. The conceptual framework developed in this paper reviews the existing status of training programs in light of the suggested initiatives of education sectors reforms (Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan -August-2003). It has been argued that major purpose of imparting professional training to teachers and administrators should be directed towards improvement of quality of education. In stating the problem the malaise underlining the teaching-learning process has been identified as a core issue. The teaching-learning process which is the hallmark of quality of education has …

Sustainable Teachers' Development: Exploring The Effect Of Follow-Up Support An An Element, Wasim Qazi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A professional development program with built-in follow up support mechanism was offered during years 2004-06 in selected districts of Pakistan. The training reportedly had sustained impact on teachers’ attitude toward teaching. This paper investigates the role of follow up support as an element of sustainable teacher development, and the part of teachers’ learning they could have implemented over the period after the end of project. Data was collected through classroom observations, interviews with these teachers and the head teachers of these schools, and analysis of lesson plans and reflective journals maintained by the teachers. Findings affirm that the follow up …

Kentucky Youth At Risk Transitions: A Report To The Commonwealth, Doris E. Pierce, Norman Powell, Amy Marshall, Ronnie Nolan, Elaine Fehringer

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty and Staff Research

In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, there are over 22,000 youth being educated in programs that are funded, operated or contracted by state agencies. These state agency children come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and bring a multiplicity of social, psychological, behavioral and educational problems that challenge teachers and staffs. These particular Kentucky students, more than any others, are at the greatest risk of not making successful transitions into adulthood. It is critical that all such young people be afforded the highest quality of transition planning and support so that they can become successful and productive adults. This report is …

A Phenomenological Interpretation Of John Dewey's View On Education, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid Rawat

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Education in our times is promoting nihilism. The reason for this conclusion is that modern education is largely knowledge based and asks the learner to learn ideas that have nothing in common with the reality of the learner. Knowledge, on the other hand, does not enjoy absolute value, and, to say that a person who has more knowledge is more valuable is wrong. John Dewey’s criticism on traditional education is equally valid for modern education, for modern education is not performing its functions properly. The function of education is to establish a strong relationship between learner and Being. However, modern …

An International Exchange Program: Self-Esteem Building And Relationship Development For Youth And Staff, Norman Powell, Tony Maciocia

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty and Staff Research

Troubled youth can manage, and benefit from, short intensive relationship-centered experiences. This article reports on an innovative staff and client exchange program involving groups from Montreal, Quebec and Washington, D.C. Such experiences, as well as enhancing the youths' cultural awareness and self-esteem, provide exciting staff-development opportunities.

"A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose": The Definition Debate, Norman Powell

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty and Staff Research

There has been much discussion and debate among child care workers about the definition of "child care workers." Who is a child care worker? What does the child care worker do with children that is unique and different from the teacher, nurse, the social worker, or the psychologist does?