International and Comparative Education Commons^™

Factors Influencing Disciplinary Committee Effectiveness: The Case Of Public Secondary Schools In Ondo State, Nigeria, Akindele Matthew Ige

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study investigated the factors influencing the effectiveness of the Disciplinary Committee in schools, using Public Secondary Schools in Ondo State, Nigeria. Descriptive-survey design was adopted. The 304 Public Secondary Schools in the state were the main population while Principals and Vice-Principals of the schools were targets. Multistage, stratified, and simple-random sampling techniques were adopted to select 40 secondary schools for the study. Three questions and three hypotheses guided this study. A questionnaire, validated, and tested for reliability(r-0.85), and structured on 4-point Likert Scale, was used to collect data, which were analyzed using frequency distribution table, mean, and SPSS package. …

Measurement Of Young Children's Learning For Program Evaluation, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz

Monitoring Learning

The global commitment to early learning has been expressed in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals Agenda (SDG) (United Nations, 2016) and access to support for early learning is considered a human right for all children, whether provided by the family, community, or institutional programs (UNESCO, 2013). Inadequate cognitive stimulation has been identified as one of the key psychosocial risk factors associated with poor child development – a factor that is modifiable, with the right interventions (Walker et al., 2007). Thus, insights into how early learning supports may be delivered effectively in various contexts are essential. To explore the …

Creating Global Citizens Through Returnee Programming, Kristen Foos

Capstone Collection

The purpose of study abroad is to facilitate students’ journey to global citizenship and a large part in doing this is having effective returnee programming. This research focused on what type of program models best facilitate this goal and are of interest to students at Washington State University (WSU). To answer this question, 12 WSU peer advisors, 4 global learning advisors at WSU, and 5 global learning advisors at other institutions were all interviewed. Along with that, a survey was sent out to all WSU student who had studied abroad within the past year. The results demonstrated that when WSU …

Latest From Acer International Offices

International Developments

ACER works through its international offices to deliver a diverse range of results-oriented projects. They are often implemented in partnership with global and local development partners with the goal to advance education outcomes and improve learning.

The Role Of Learning Progressions In Global Scales, Ray Adams

International Developments

Learning progressions are valuable tools for the international assessment community. Ray Adams reports.

Developing A Tool For Analysing National Assessment Systems, Ursula Schwantner

International Developments

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Secretariat appointed the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to develop a tool for analysing national assessment systems and identifying areas for improvement. Known as the Analysis of National Learning Assessment Systems (ANLAS), it provides a framework and tools that help countries, particularly GPE partner developing countries, to examine their national learning assessments and design strategies to address any gaps.

Scottish National Assessments Inform Next Steps For Learning

International Developments

ACER works with the Scottish Government, in partnership with Twig and SCHOLAR, to develop and deliver assessments of literacy and numeracy learning progress. Since 2017, more than a million assessments have been completed by children and young people throughout Scotland.

Building Capacity For Bhutan’S Learning Assessment, Mee Young Han

International Developments

ACER is supporting development of Bhutan’s National Education Assessment Framework (NEAF) and strengthening local capacity for its implementation. Dr Mee Young Han reports.

International Developments (No.9) 2019

International Developments

In this issue of International Developments, we summarise the research evidence gathered through the work of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the impact our projects make around the globe.

Assessing And Understanding Social And Emotional Skills: The Oecd Study On Social And Emotional Skills, Sue Thomson

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

In an increasingly fast-changing and diverse world, the importance of developing social and emotional skills is becoming more evident. The large body of accumulated evidence shows that these skills have strong relationships with life outcomes and they have been referred to as a key component of 21st century skills. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Study on Social and Emotional Skills is a new international assessment of these skills in students at primary and secondary schools. This study also gathers information on students’ families, schools and community learning contexts, aiming to provide information about the conditions or practices …

Improving Young Children's Learning In Economically Developing Countries: What Works, Why, And Where? Scoping Review, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz

Monitoring Learning

This scoping review responds to the increasing interest in improving early childhood education and care (ECEC) in economically developing countries. It examines available research in relation to the question: What effective interventions have been implemented recently in economically developing countries to improve children’s learning in the years before school? As much of the research underpinning ECEC interventions has focused on economically developed countries, it is timely to review available research about the effectiveness of interventions in the economically developing world. The ECEC interventions were categorised as Income supplementation (n=8); Parent-focused interventions (n=37); Child-focused education and nurturing care (n=35); Integrated interventions …

Perceived Teaching Style And Academic Growth In An International School Setting, Jamie Elizabeth Martin

Dissertations

The presence of international schools has grown significantly around the world to accommodate a growing need for academic instruction that differs from that provided in local schools and to meet the rapid demands of globalization. As demands for international schools increase, demands for student performance are also increasing.

This quantitative correlational study seeks to determine if correlations exist between teaching style and student academic growth in mathematics within an international school setting. The study also determines if a dominant teaching style exists and if correlations between teacher grade level and teaching style can be made among international teachers who teach …

Options For Reporting Against 4.1.1 When Using National Assessment Programs, Goran Lazendic

Assessment and Reporting

The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 broad aspirations for social and economic development set by the United Nations in 2015. One of these goals, enumerated SDG 4, is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The progress towards each goal is measured by a set of indicators. In monitoring progress towards SDG 4, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is working on an approach to measuring indicator 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people: (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving …

International Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018 Final Report, Darren Matthews, Ali Radloff, Jo Doyle, Leyna Clarke

Higher education research

The 2018 International Graduates Outcomes Survey (IGOS) provides an insight into international graduates from Australian universities post-study employment, work readiness, and reflections on course experiences, study motivation and overall satisfaction. Over 10,000 international students who graduated from an Australian university in the last decade (international graduates) were asked a range of questions about their current employment status and their opinions on their Australian qualification. In brief the results indicate that: 90 per cent of graduates who are available for employment are currently employed - incorporating 93 per cent who returned home and 85 percent who were still in Australia; 77 …

How Private International School Leaders Meet The National Education Transformation Agenda In Dubai, Marie-Pascale Addison

All Theses And Dissertations

In 2014, Dubai Government adopted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Agenda, a strategic plan for Vision 2021, whereas leaders are associated with improving the quality and accessibility to education, which represents a major priority in sustaining economic prosperity and achieving social development goals (Government of the UAE, 2016). Managing this seven-year transformation plan in the educational context has been reported in part by Litz and Scott (2016), in which their study revealed that Emirati school leaders needed to change their leadership practice in order to align with the National Agenda expectations. This study explores critical challenges and opportunities for …

Cross-National Priorities For Civic And Citizenship Education, Tim Friedman, Gabriella Agrusti, Damiani Valeria, Jennifer Hong

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The ever-changing world we live in has led new challenges for countries in educating their youth to become citizens in the 21st century. This paper explores cross-national priorities for the implementation of civic and citizenship education utilizing data collected across twentyfour countries that participated in the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2016. Information was collected on the main aims and objectives of civic and citizenship education for students at the lower secondary level from educational policy documents as well as how these are perceived at the school level. Results suggest a degree in commonality across countries in the …

Young People’S Use Of Social Media And Internet For Civic Engagement In 21 Countries, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The use of digital technologies for citizenship engagement has become more widespread over recent years and has led to the conceptualisation of ‘digital citizenship’ as an emerging feature of citizenship participation in societies at the outset of the 21st century. This paper uses data from the recent ICCS 2016 survey to investigate the scope of using social media and the internet for civic engagement among lower-secondary students in 21 countries. It analyses its relationship with context factors and other forms of engagement, and models the influence of a range of contextual and other related variables on variation in students’ use …

Out Of School Factors Affecting Indigenous Girls’ Educational Attainment: A Theory Of Change For The Opening Opportunities Program In Rural Guatemala, Emma Z. L. Richardson, Mary Phillips, Alejandra Colom, Ielaf Khalil, Jennica Nichols

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Guatemalans have the lowest education rates in Latin America, and within Guatemala, Indigenous, rural and poor girls have much lower education rates than their peers. The ‘Opening Opportunities’ program attempts to invest in the poorest girls from rural Guatemala to build their personal, social, health and economic assets. Realist evaluation attempts to understand the key mechanisms in complex social interventions, and is under-used in education research. Based on data from life history interviews from graduates, this paper presents a Theory of Change to understand the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of the ‘Opening Opportunities’ Program relating to educational attainment. The four …

Refugee Livelihood: Understanding The Vocational Training Experiences Of Foreign Refugee Women Living In Malawi, Mary Patricia Davis

Theses & Dissertations

With Africa holding 26% of the world’s refugees, it is critical to understand the educational opportunities that are accessible for refugees, especially in the context of African women who are historically excluded as the primary target for education (UNHCR, 2018a).Despite the policies and institutional commitment to education for the refugee population, there is little evidence to ensure quality, or access to education, at the regional or local levels. For women and young girls in displacement, access to education is particularly limited to the secondary level (UNHCR, 2011a).In response to the need for quality education for refugee women, Malawi’s vocational training …

Capability Approach And Teacher Quality: An Analysis Of Female Teacher Experience In A Rural, Malawian Community, Annabelle Hardy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used the capability approach as a lens to understand teacher quality from both the perspective of educational leaders and practicing teachers in a rural community in central Malawi. The overarching question of this research study was “How can the capability approach inform our understanding of teacher quality from both the perspective of educational leaders and practicing teachers?” The focus questions to guide this research were:

1. What do national educational leaders value in a quality teacher?
2. What do rural, Malawian, female teachers value in teaching?
3. How do these teachers pursue and achieve what they value in teaching?

This study …

The Influence Of Sense Of School Community On Korean Students’ Life Satisfaction And Comparison Of Sense Of Community For Students’ Gender And High School Specialties, Hwachoon Park, Sangsoo Lee

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The purpose of this study was to compare the sense of community of South Korean high school students as measured by a Korean version of the Sense of Community Index 2 (KSCI2) and examine the effect of two factors of the KSCI2, reinforcement of needs and influence, on students’ life satisfaction as measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A total of 375 Korean high school students provided usable data from three vocational high schools specializing in agriculture, electronics and engineering, and business and marketing, and one Meister high school specializing in automotive. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way …

Russian University Efl Students’ Perceptions Of A Two-Week Online Academic Writing Course, Nataliia Borozdina

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study analyzes Russian university EFL students’ perceptions of a two-week online academic writing course. The researcher investigated 13 students’ attitudes towards an online academic English writing class offered at Kursk State University, Kursk’s oldest higher education institution, founded in 1934. In 1994 it was transformed into Kursk State Pedagogical University, and in 2003 it became Kursk State University. Along with the two-week online course assignments, the students completed pre- and post-questionnaires, reflections about the course, and participated in individual and group interviews. The findings of the study indicate that all of the participants had positive perceptions about the …

Understanding Chinese International Undergraduate Students’ Experiences At The University Of Missouri - St. Louis, Yujia Wang

Dissertations

This study examines the challenges and stressors Chinese international undergraduate students face while attending the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL) in relation to their study abroad experience. Surveys were initially used to gather information and to gauge students’ familiarity and use of university support services available to help with specific challenges and stressors. Follow-up interviews were conducted to collect additional in-depth data. As consistent with the literature review, the study found that UMSL students confronted language barriers, academic challenges, and cultural differences when transitioning to UMSL’s academic culture and social environment. Additionally, financial stresses were exacerbated by issues …

Young People’S Trust In Institutions And Their Dispositions Toward Civic Engagement Since 2009, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This paper discusses ICCS results regarding students’ dispositions toward civic engagement and changes in their perceptions of traditional vs. alternative forms of political participation since 2009 as well as factors explaining their variations. It focuses on the role of two important variables that potentially influence students' expectations: trust in civic institutions and political. ICCS 2016 results confirm earlier observations that trust and civic knowledge tend to be either more negatively or positively related depending on general perceptions of corruption, and multivariate also show how expectations to engage in politics in later life are associated in different with these two variables …

Pisa 2018 Australia School Questionnaire Data [Sas] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This dataset (SAS zipped) is a data source for the report: PISA 2018: Reporting Australia’s Results. Volume I Student Performance.

Pisa 2018 Australia School Questionnaire Data [Spss] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This dataset (SPSS zipped) is a data source for the report: PISA 2018: Reporting Australia’s Results. Volume I Student Performance.

Pisa 2018 Australia Student And Achievement Data [Spss] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This dataset (SPSS zipped) is a data source for the report: PISA 2018: Reporting Australia’s Results. Volume I Student Performance.

Pisa 2018 Australia Student And Achievement Data [Sas] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This dataset (SAS zipped) is a data source for the report: PISA 2018: Reporting Australia’s Results. Volume I Student Performance.

Brookings, South Dakota: Learning Lab, Doriane Paso

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper explores the possibilities of education in one local setting using both an insider and outsider perspective. Education is a part of society, and as society changes, why should education not change with it?

Alexa?: Possibilities Of Voice Assistant Technology And Artificial Intelligence In The Classroom, Patrick D. Hales, Melissa Anderson, Tonya Christianson, Amber Gaspar, Billi Jo Meyer, Beth Nelson, Krista Shilvock, Mary Steinmetz, Makenzi Timmons, Michelle Vande Weerd

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper represents the combined effort of 10 educators exploring the experience and use of voice assistant technology in classrooms. This reflection and study of our classrooms looks to better understand both our use of technology and students’ use of technology in very specific ways. Is there a place for voice assistant technology in our classrooms? What benefits are there? What obstacles exist? We tell our stories and experiences here with the intent to provide context and continue the discussion among more of our colleagues.