International and Comparative Education Commons^™

Iraqi Education Past And Present: The Role Of Policymakers And Their Ideological Background, Hadi T. Pir

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The history of Iraqi education unmistakably illustrates how policymakers have consistently operated within the same worldview since 1920. Despite apparent differences among Iraqis in terms of race, religion, sect, geography, and social and tribal norms, a shared worldview has emerged, which I term the Traditional Iraqi Paradigm (TIP). This shared worldview comprises a set of interconnected postulates. The divergence among Iraqi groups lies not in the postulates themselves but in how they translate these postulates into actions and behaviors. These translations have become historical, institutional, and psychological aspects of reality contributing to the political, social, and educational differences, conflicts, and …

Transcultural Perspectives In English Language Education: Teaching English In The Czech Republic From An American Lens, Bailey Price

Honors Projects

This project aims to provide a thorough examination of the English language education landscape in the Czech Republic, shedding light on key aspects such as the age of initiation, fluency attainment expectations, and the influence of various educational tracks. It delves into the sociocultural factors shaping English language acquisition, including the perceived necessity of learning English, parental language practices, and generational differences in proficiency. To capture the perspectives of American English teachers working in the Czech Republic, my research explores their attitudes, expectations, and challenges. This considers factors such as the necessity of knowing the Czech language and the perception …

The Challenges Of Conducting Qualitative Research In Quantitative Culture: Saudi Arabia As A Case Study, ِAbdulrahman Awdah Albeladi

The Qualitative Report

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), qualitative research methods are infrequently employed, as researchers in the region are more accustomed to quantitative approaches, with a certain hesitancy to embrace qualitative methodology. This research endeavor focuses on exploring the impediments faced by individuals engaged in qualitative research within the Saudi context. To do so, I conducted semi-structured interviews with eight doctoral students and employed a qualitative case study design for this paper. Utilizing the MAXQDA software, I also applied thematic analysis to the data gathered from the interviews. The primary findings highlight three significant themes: (a) challenges related to organizational …

Gem Centre: Completion Report For Phase 3 Funding, 2020–2023, Australian Council For Educational Research

Global education monitoring

This report describes the focus and outcomes of the third triennium (2020–2023) of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Centre partnership between the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The GEM Centre was founded by ACER in 2013 as a strategic research initiative to provide models of good practice for monitoring United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: education for all. Over the last decade, the GEM Centre has successfully leveraged ACER’s and DFAT’s foreign policy and development expertise to build strong, collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders working on the …

Constructing Refugee Identity: A Heuristic Inquiry Into Experiences Of Ukrainian Refugees, Deana Tsabak

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Besides the despicable atrocities and devastation, Russia’s war in Ukraine caused the emergence of a group of refugees previously unknown in the U.S. and the world. The phenomenon of “Ukrainian refugees” is new to the immigration and resettlement agencies, host communities, employers, and educators. This research explores how five Ukrainians who left their homeland after the beginning of Russia’s war construct their refugee identity in the United States. Furthermore, this study aims to discover in what ways learning English in the English Language Learning (ELL) program at a community college in Nebraska influences refugee identity construction in resettlement.

This study …

Smu Opens Representative Office In Vietnam To Boost Knowledge Exchange With Businesses, Academia And Upskill Talent Pipeline Locally, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Singapore Management University (SMU) announced the establishment of its representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, known as the SMU Overseas Centre Ho Chi Minh City (OCHCMC), taking a significant step in its mission to foster knowledge-sharing and regional collaboration as a gateway university in Asia. This strategic move, which follows the successful launch of SMU's two overseas centres in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2022 and Bangkok, Thailand in 2023 is part of SMU’s Vision 2025 which aims to boost Asian growth by offering a deep understanding of Asia’s economy, polity and society. By utilising the university's resources and offerings, …

Harnessing The Power Of Cliftonstrengths®: How Multinational Corporations Can Use Deep-Level Diversity To Enhance Organizational Inclusion, Trapper Kay Pace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explicitly investigated how multinational corporations can enhance workplace inclusion through the novel use of the CliftonStrengths® assessment as a dimension of deep-level diversity. The study gleaned insights from employees’ perspectives, employing a constructivist grounded theory approach to explicate their experiences in rich qualitative narratives. Through open-ended surveys and intensive interviews, participants were selected using purposeful sampling to ensure meaningful data collection from the study organizations’ three global regions. The researcher conducted the analysis systematically through the constant comparison of data utilizing the NVivo14 software to assist in constructing codes, themes, and a theoretical schema. Results highlighted the significance …

Rural Student-Home Community Engagement Impact As A Result Of Study Abroad Experiences: From Preparation Through Return, Todd M. Karr

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative study utilized a constructivist grounded theory approach to understand how rural students engaged with people in their home community as it related to before, during, and after their study abroad experience and what impact that engagement had on their experiences. Participants included 15 students who self-identified as being from a rural background that studied abroad for a minimum of one semester. Participants included students from one of two large, public universities in the state of New Mexico. Data collection included two semi-structured, in-depth interviews with each participant.

The study used a constant comparison method to generate a theory …

Exploring Purpose, Practices, And Impacts Of Non-Formal Education In Egypt, Mariam Hussien Sayed Abdelhamid

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores non-formal education in Egypt, analyzing its alignment or divergence with prevalent human capital and modernization discourses. Using a narrative approach, the study explores the practices of four organizations that offer non-formal education opportunities in greater Cairo: San3a Tech, Wataneya Society, Alwan wa Awtar, and AlAthar Lina. The study explores the narration of 9 educators and 10 learners from these organizations to understand from educators’ perspectives how they design their experiences and its relation to the culture and needs of the targeted audience. It also looks at what kind of impact do these experiences have on the learners. …

Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention Of Women In Stem, Kira Carter, Jane Kelley, Jason Vasser-Elong, Rc Patterson

Dissertations

Our co-authored research ‘Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors’ analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and while careers in (STEM) are an integral part of the US economy, women are underrepresented in these career fields. The purpose of our dissertation is to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM majors. Our methodology included homogeneous sampling to collect qualitative data. More specifically, we consulted with academic advisors and …

Transformative Visions Of Qualitative Inquiry: Performative, Philosophical, And Artistic Transformations, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

I am writing this review, Transformative Visions for Qualitative Inquiry, considering performative, philosophical, and artistic transformations as an essential reading for faculty and students—novice and veteran. It inspires readers, writers, and novice and veteran researchers in various social sciences disciplines and educational landscapes to envision innovative approaches to healing from crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and/or earthquakes. These processes encourage resisting, recovering, connecting, finding joy, and embracing life. Likewise, Transformative Visions for Qualitative Inquiry centers on the concept of transformation and its potential for the future of qualitative research amidst a world grappling with the multifaceted implications of COVID-19, …

Associating Academic Identity With Language Socialization In Virtual Community: A Case Study Of A Chinese Graduate Student’S Learning Experiences In Religion Studies, Xiaolong Lu

The Qualitative Report

This longitudinal case study explored the academic identity and language socialization of a Chinese graduate student enrolled in an online religion course at a U.S. university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected via online classroom observations, oral interviews, and artifacts. The theoretical framework was taken from language socialization and identity, together with positioning theory. The study differs from previous research, arguing that instead of language competence, the constructed academic identity is occasionally crucial for the successful academic discourse socialization of international students in bilingual and virtual settings. Moreover, the inclination toward interactive positioning between students and instructors can arise …

Young Citizens’ Views And Engagement In A Changing Europe: Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study 2022 European Report, Valeria Damiani, Bruno Losito, Gabriella Agrusti, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA's International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) investigates the ways in which young people around the world are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens. This report presents the European results from the third cycle of the study (ICCS 2022). Eighteen countries and two benchmarking participants (the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein) administered the European student questionnaire to target grade students in this study cycle. ICCS 2022 studied contexts for and learning outcomes of civic and citizenship education in a wide range of national contexts at the beginning of the third decade of the 21st Century. …

Community-Based Organization (Cbo) Partnerships And Their Role In The Postsecondary Education Experiences Of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Students From One Public School District, Kristin Labs

Dissertation Collection

This qualitative case study explored the partnerships of the Public Education Foundation, a community-based organization (CBO), and how the CBO’s educational public private partnerships (ePPPs) affected the postsecondary education experiences of socio-economically disadvantaged students from a local public school district in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The research took a critical approach to understand the CBO’s role through partnerships and programs focused on creating access and opportunity to postsecondary education.

My study, informed by the neo-Marxist, socio-cultural reproduction, theory of fields, and cultural production theories, situates the CBO in a pivotal space in ePPPs to explore students’ postsecondary education experiences and demonstrates the …

Supporting Out-Of-School Girls And Children And Youth From Marginalised Groups In The Asean Region: A Review Of Promising Practices, Anna Dabrowski, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Payal Goundar, Debbie Wong, Jeaniene Spink

International Education Research

Investing in girls’ and women's education can transform the experiences of individuals, as well as shape communities into the future. Girls who are given opportunities to receive an education are more likely to lead productive lives, participate in decision making processes, and shape the trajectories of others. The work of the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme reflects an overarching aim to better understand the challenges facing different types of girls and women in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, identify promising practices that can support girls and women, and create tangible recommendations for those responsible for supporting girls and women's …

Baseline Study For A Refugee Children’S Programme In Sudan, Acer India

ACER India

This is a brief report on a project to measure the baseline metrics of UNICEF’s Integration and Mainstreaming of Refugee Children into the Sudanese Education System (IRCSES) programme.

Rhizomic Communication Practices Bridging International Students And The Host Society And Beyond, Suvi Jokila, Charles Mathies

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted international student communities while reflecting wider societal inequalities. This study in the Finnish context examined international students’ experiences of the published national crisis communication and media usage during the first year of the pandemic. Using the national COVID-19 crisis communication practices as an example, we examined what kinds of strategies the international students deployed to access information in this non-English-speaking country and how they perceived the information communicated. Theoretically, we based the analysis on the theories of crisis communication and information inequality, which identify communication practices, such as language choice, that …

Social Media Sanctuaries: A Discourse Analysis Of Indian International Students' Agency And Liminality During The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict, Bhavika Sicka, Nadiya Ungo, Dennis Gregory

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study used a social media discourse analysis approach to illuminate the narratives of Indian international students in Ukraine who experienced displacement and upheaval because of the Russo-Ukrainian war. We used agency and liminality as analytic lenses to highlight how this uniquely situated population used Facebook to navigate conflict, voice their demands, support each other, challenge hegemonic narratives, re/construct their diasporic identities, and re-orient their futures. Findings indicate that Indian international students in Ukraine displayed insurmountable courage and resilience during the war, enacting agency from the margins to amplify their voices and actuate desired futures. Furthermore, South Asian students in …

Jufon Vaikutus Yliopistoissa Työskentelevien Tutkijoiden Julkaisukanavia Koskeviin Päätöksiin, Melina Aarnikoivu, Charles Mathies, Nelli Piattoeva

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Yliopistojen rahoitusmallissa tärkeää roolia näyttelevä Julkaisufoorumi (JUFO) on virallisesti tarkoitettu laajempien julkaisumäärien tarkasteluun. On kuitenkin viitteitä siitä, että JUFOa käytetään laajasti myös yksittäisten tutkijoiden arviointiin. Tässä monimenetelmätutkimuksessa tarkastelemme sitä, miten JUFO-tasot vaikuttavat yksilöiden julkaisukanavia koskeviin päätöksiin, sekä sitä, miten tutkijat kokevat JUFOn roolin omassa työssään sekä tiedejulkaisemisessa laajemmin. Aineistonamme on keväällä 2023 toteutettu verkkokysely (N = 276), johon vastasi eri uravaiheiden ja alojen tutkijoita ympäri Suomea. Analysoimme vastaukset sekä määrällisiä (T- ja ANOVA-testit) sekä laadullisia (induktiivinen sisällönanalyysi) menetelmiä käyttäen. Tulosten perusteella JUFO-tasot vaikuttavat merkittävästi tutkijoiden enemmistön (54,9 %) päätöksiin siitä, millä perusteella julkaisukanava valitaan. Tasoilla oli suurempi merkitys tekniikan ja …

Education Out Loud Case Study: The Gear Alliance, Alexander Towne, Sladana Krstic, Sam Boering

International Education Research

This case study is part of a larger body of work funded by the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) Education Out Loud (EOL) programme. It explores the advocacy and policy influencing (API) activities of the GEAR Alliance, a transnational alliance of four East African civil society organisations (CSO) receiving funding from EOL, and the process, results and impact of action research project they conducted in partnership with MDF/ Australian Council for Education Research (ACER), an EOL ‘Global Learning Partner’ (GLP). EOL is the GPEs fund for advocacy and social accountability. The fund aims to support CSOs to be active and …

Civil Society Contributions To Improving Learning Outcomes: An Education Out Loud Global Learning Partner Report, Alexander Towne, Sladana Krstic, Desmond Bermingham, Jolanda Buter, Miriam Linder, Sam Boering

International Education Research

This report shares the findings from an action research project conducted on behalf of Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) Education Out Loud (EOL) programme by the Management for Development Foundation (MDF) and the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) Consortium, in its capacity as global learning partner (GLP). The project involved working directly with three organisations (grantees) in receipts of EOL funds, across five GPE countries. The Consortium supported them to conduct action research projects, which tested the underlying assumptions of their programme’s theory of change, in order to validate their approaches to advocacy and policy influencing (API) and support …

Education Out Loud Case Study: Iid, Alexander Towne, Sladana Krstic, Miriam Linder

International Education Research

The education system in Bangladesh has undergone significant change since the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. In 1973 the community-sponsored school system, in which communities felt a moral obligation to take an active role in schools, was transformed into a centralised national system. This caused a shift in the sense of ownership of the education system and a disconnect between community and school. This in turn led to the development of a system, which lacks accountability and community monitoring, and has left the system vulnerable to shocks that disproportionately affect already disadvantaged students. Nevertheless, there have been some notable …

Family And Peer Social Capital And Child Behavioral Outcomes In Japan, Jared M. Poff, Jonathan A. Jarvis, Mikaela J. Dufur, Shana L. Pribesh

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Child problem behaviors have been linked to immediate and long-term negative outcomes. Research has found that family and peer social capital have a strong influence on child behavioral outcomes. However, most research about social capital and child behavior problems has been conducted in Western contexts. Social capital may influence child behavior problems differently in non-Western sociocultural environments due to different family and peer dynamics. Methods: Using a sample from the Japan Household Panel Survey and Japan Child Panel Survey (N = 182), we expand this literature on various forms of social capital to the Japanese context with data that …

What Factors Limit American Study Abroad Student’S Ability To Adapt To Host Countries Outside North America & Western Europe, And How Can Institutions Help Students Adjust?, Aidan E. Keller

Capstone Showcase

Ever since the turn of the 21st century, the amount of American students studying abroad has increased tremendously. Western Europe in particular had been the hub of American study abroad programs, with high-quality teaching, rich culture, a remarkable ease of travel, various sights to see, and more. Despite this, students began flocking to destinations all across the globe, from Asia to South America to Africa in unprecedented numbers. Student preferences on where they wanted to learn and experience the world had changed forever.

The American study abroad community have begun to desire unique curriculums not found in North America & …

De Aquí, Y De Allá: Education, Culture, And Identity Development Of Transnational Latinas, Elizabeth Harris-Medina

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

De Aquí, y De Allá: Education, Culture, and Identity Development of Transnational Latinas This ethnographic case study examines the experiences of three transnational Latina women, descendants of families from Degollado, Jalisco, Mexico, exploring how their migration history and educational backgrounds influence their life trajectories. Focusing on these three women, the study aims to better understand their challenges and inform the development of resources to support their success in the U.S. education system. Using ethnographic interviews and Ecological Systems Theory, the research highlights how places and social systems shape views and life paths, offering insights into how best to support these …

Does Learning About Social Policy In A Global Context Change Students’ Views On U.S. Social Policies?, Dirk De Jong, Dennis Kao

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reviews the development and implementation of a course titled “Social Policy Without Borders” and an evaluation of students’ attitudes toward social policies as a result of having taken the course. “Social Policy Without Borders” is an undergraduate social work elective and involves a cross-national analysis of social policies and an examination of the impact of neoliberalism on social policies and social welfare systems globally. This paper reports on an evaluation of outcome in terms of possible changes in students’ views on social policies in the United States as a result of learning about their global context. The evaluation …

Tracing Global Experiences To Employer Favorability, Sarah E. Mccord

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Globalization has elevated society's workforce contributions, forcing employees to have global competence for career success. Global competence is a term used to describe the proficiencies an individual can gain from experienced-based learning opportunities, like study away. This form of experiential learning has proven to have many benefits for students in secondary and higher education. Existing evidence suggests cross-cultural and international experiences provide travelers with professional, intellectual, and integral traits, increasing their working social capital and aiding in experiential learning. However, research is lacking if employers desire study abroad experience in their new hires and/or if global competence is a skill …

Public - Private In Vietnamese Universities: Exploring Sectoral Distinctiveness In Program Offerings, Lan Hoang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The public-private issues in higher education have been a longstanding important topic of academic and policy interest, especially in the context of the public - private duality in most higher education systems. With PHE’s impressive growth over the past few decades, now enrolling one third of global HE enrollments, the study of PHE has also been expanded, with several national case studies and world/regional edited books yet being mostly ad hoc with minimal synthesis or comparative analysis (Levy, 2024). The current case study of Vietnam, employing Levy’s double distinctiveness approach in sectoral distinctiveness analysis with the intrasectoral dissection on the …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Perceived Stress And Academic Performance Among English Language Students In Central Asia, Laurie Wolfe

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The current study investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness training in reducing stress and increasing academic performance among Uzbek English language students. The researcher partnered with four English faculty at Tashkent State Pedagogical University (TSPU) to conduct a quasi-experimental study using a convenience sample of sixty 2^nd year students studying English as a foreign language. One group of students (n = 30) received mindfulness training while the acted as an active control group (n = 30) and received study skills training. Both groups received 20-minutes training in their English classes, four days a week, for 4-weeks. All participants …

Is The Declining Birthrate Really An Issue For The Economy?, Harsh Ramesh Pednekar, Theodore Lee, Darrion Chin

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

This study aims to explore the complex implications of declining birth rates on the economy, focusing on GDP per capita as a crucial metric, and aims to uncover both potential opportunities and challenges stemming from this demographic transformation using regression analysis. Using a quantitative methodology and secondary data from OECD.stat, World Population Review, and World Bank, the study explores the relationship between declining birth rates and economic impacts. GDP per capita serves as an essential dependent variable, and it accounts for control variables such as labour force participation, literacy, and education levels, child dependence ratio, and physical capital. Past studies …