Tao Hong, The University of British Columbia

Edwards Hayden, The University of British Columbia

This paper describes a case study of a course where a group of graduate students decoded racism and its impacts through collaborative and peer based learning in a Canadian post-secondary institution. During this course, students first reviewed racism’s historical influence on immigration policy, Aboriginal community, and the evolution of multiculturalism in Canada. Second, they analyzed how multiculturalism was reflected in today’s Canadian society in terms of demographic composition, immigrations trends, and participation in post-secondary education. Third, through decoding racism and stereotypes, students went on a journey to explore their identities, cultural heritages, and status quos.

This course achieved a great amount of success as 1) Students not only developed a deeper understanding of racism theoretically but also related to it personally. 2) Students contributed and benefited from peer based learning. The course was driven by students. Through group discussions, presentations, and additional learning materials students brought, the scope of the learning was broaden and enriched. 3) Learning did not stop after the class ended. Many students acted on what they learned.

Qi Jie, Utsunomiya University

Zhang Sheng Ping, Meijo University

This paper explores the different ways in which the notion of multiculturalism and multicultural education in Japan has been influenced by various social and historical trajectories.

Firstly, my intention in this study is to interrupt the assumptions about homogeneous nation in Japanese educational discourse as have been accepted since the end of World War II. I assert that Japan is not homogeneous nation rather a society with diverse cultural groups. Secondly, this paper traces the path of past notions of Japanese citizenship as embodied in the particular Japanese multiculturalism from the postwar period to the present. Thirdly, my intention in this study is also to demonstrate that modern institutional discourses of multiculturalism in Japan have shifted over time: from the construction of the notion of “social integration” in the 1970’s through the production of the “Japanization” in the contemporary society. There are many ruptures emerging in the discourses. Moreover, different historical discourse conceptualizes different notion of what to be meant “multiculturalism.”

Finally, skepticism is what we need when we read these institutional discourses of multiculturalism and multicultural education. I argue that what has conceptualized the notion of multiculturalism are not the ideological products but are the effects of multiple power relations. It is also important that this study indicates that discourses on multiculturalism and multicultural education engender inclusion and exclusion at the same moment, for example, the particular Japanese multicultural discourse of Japanese language education for immigrant children, inversely, promotes anti-multiculturalism. Through careful textual analysis, we are able to perceive that “multiculturalism” employed by the Ministry of Education of Japan has conceptualized the notions of “anti-multiculturalism.”

The major archives for this study are official and semi-official documents on multicultural education. The theoretical orientation of this study is Michel Foucault’s conception of power and history.

Bapat Mukund Narayan, Regional Institute of Education

Rao N.R.Nagaraja, Regional Institute of Education

In this paper, education is reaffirmed as an effective agent towards achieving national prosperity through improvement of every future citizen. Hence it has been acknowledged worldwide that it is constitutional obligation for a Nation to provide equal access to all citizens for good education.

Indian Government, in particular, had set a target date for providing ‘free and compulsory education’ to all children in the age group 6 – 14 years. This presentation enumerates certain reasons, as to why the slogan ‘Education for All’ could not be materialized in toto. The remedial measures taken by the Government of India as well as by the State Governments are also discussed.

Some data provided analyses the present status of the ‘Education for All’ programme.

In addition, some suggestions are also provided as to how all pupils can be offered equal and justified opportunities for education. Claiming that the education is an agent for social reforms and people need education useful to lead a comfortable life.

Some light is also thrown on as to what kind of reforms are to be made and what should be the ‘vision’ for ‘Education for All’ in India in particular and the world in general, in the coming decade.

May Judy Jackson, Bowling Green State University

The expectations of today’s school leaders move far and above the traditional leadership functions. Recent national policies and local practices promoting the market competition ideology represent a shift in thinking from the manner in which we have previously viewed public schools. A shift toward globalization for the betterment of the entire United States’ student population has become a trendy, but fundamentally different paradigm. Traditionally, the foundation of our public schools was perceived as a “public good,” a system for the betterment of the “common good.” Petersen and Young (2004) suggest that preparation programs are charged with training leaders to “change their practices…..as well as socializing [future leaders] with positive beliefs and attitudes concerning the potential of all students regardless of status issues” (p. 358). Yet, school leaders who fail to proactively market their schools and buy in to the students-as-commodities game stand to lose the only product for which they are charged to serve (Starratt, 2005). Hence, school leaders who seek to nurture the poor and provide opportunities to the under served may lose the competitive edge necessary to be successful. The purpose of this study was threefold. First it examines the historical context of schools that exist for social justice and the common good. Secondly, it discusses the impact of the competitive market ideology on the function and effectiveness of America’s public school system. And lastly the paper examines the role of social justice on the part of selected practicing school leaders and aspiring school leaders. The author asserts that challenging the competitive market ideology can only be achieved through the effective use of social justice pedagogy by school personnel leading to culturally sensitive dialogue that underscores the value that must be placed on satisfied customers.

Sakigawa Masashi, Hiroshima University

In Vietnam, since the introduction of decentralization policy in socio-economic areas, the gap in educational achievement between majority and minority students has become larger. The purpose of the research is to identify the causes influencing the educational gap between majority and minority students at primary school level in Vietnam. In January and February 2006, the researcher administered questionnaires to 1329 grade five primary school students, which comprise 747 majority and 582 minority students, and arithmetic tests to 502 grade five primary students, which comprise 302 majority and 200 minority students. The items of the questionnaire were made by referring to the crucial factors often raised in previous researches. The test was developed based on arithmetic textbooks used in primary school of Vietnam. Both questionnaires and arithmetic tests were developed after the pilot survey.

The research result has been revealed as follows.

On the result of the questionnaire, there is a significant difference observed in parents academic qualification and family economic status between majority and minority students. But even when parents academic qualification and family economic status is controlled for, the tendency is observed that majority students demonstrate better conditions than minority students on several factors such as student engagement in school and locus of control, which is significantly correlated with the test score of arithmetic.

Furthermore, even when parents academic qualification of both majority and minority students is controlled for, family economic status of majority students, which is also significantly correlated with the test score of arithmetic, tends to be higher than that of minority students.

As a result, even after controlling for parents academic qualification and family economic status, the significant difference is observed in favor of majority students on the test score of arithmetic.

Li David Xian-Zhen, Taipei County Hakka Museum

Chien Grace Chin-Wen, Chung-Hu Elementary School

Teaching English to fifth and sixth graders in Taiwan elementary schools became compulsory starting in the fall semester of 2001. Starting from the fall semester in 2005, the whole of Taiwan has launched English education from the third grade in elementary schools. The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced three major goals in elementary and junior high school English education: to obtain basic English communication skills, to cultivate correct learning interests and attitudes and to learn more about foreign and domestic culture and customs.

In addition, the MOE has promoted foreign language learning among all the people that has been emphasized on the white paper called Toward Learning Society. Of the foreign language learning, the MOE has begun to subsidy Parent-Kid English Learning Programs (hereafter PKELP) around the island starting from 2003.

In 2005, a remote elementary school in Taipei County first applied for subsidy on the PKELP. This paper aims to describe in depth how the PKELP was implemented at a remote elementary school in Taiwan? First of all, when and how was the PKELP implemented? What were the contents of the PKELP? Who were involved in promoting this program? Next, what assessments were carried out to evaluate students in the PKELP? In addition, did the PKELP really make a difference in improving students’ English abilities, their attitudes toward English, and their cultural awareness? Furthermore, was there any way to modify the PKELP to make it more effective? Finally, suggestions will be given on implementing the PKELP as a reference for educational policy-making bodies, elementary schools, teacher-preparation institutes and universities.

Tran Linh, The University of British Columbia

As a country with 54 ethnic groups, including 53 officially designated “ethnic minority groups,” Vietnam has recognized the importance of enhancing education for ethnic minorities. Resolution 22/1999 of Vietnam’s Political Ministry codes prioritizes “training ethnic minority staff” as one of its policy objectives (Tran, 2005). Ethnic minority education in Vietnam is designed and controlled by the central Government, and the education of ethnic minority students in Vietnamese universities has become a pressing national demand, especially for provinces that lack human resources but have a high proportion of ethnic minorities. However, despite the Government’s efforts to increase educational opportunities for ethnic minority students, the latter often do not have access to the same educational opportunities as their counterparts of the major ethnic group, the Kinh. In this paper the concept of “imagined communities” (Anderson 1991) is applied in order to analyze the governmental policies and practices in the Department of Ethnic Minority Culture Studies at the Hanoi University of Culture (HUC), Vietnam. Norton (2001) has shown that an individual’s learning is affected by their imagined, future affiliations; Kanno (2003, p. 295) notes that educational institutions are “powerful social agents that can create images of communities for their [students’] future” and act upon these visions through their pedagogical policies and practices. This paper reports on the findings of 3-months of field research conducted in Vietnam on the contested imagined communities of higher education for ethnic minority students. Research included: (a) analysis of national and institutional policy, (b) participant observation and interviews with professors in the Ethnic Minority Cultures program at HUC, and with ethnic minority students enrolled in the program.

Hartley Shaheed, Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Over the past number of years there has been increasing pressure to focus on the development of South Africa¡¦s rural communities and improving their quality of life. The Rural Development Strategy and other Presidential initiatives emphasise the commitment from the SA government¡¦s side to developing rural communities. In the light of educational transformation in South Africa many tertiary institutions are obliged to review their various science and mathematics education outreach activities to schools. To ensure that the support provided to schools are still relevant, a systemic evaluation of the support required is central to this process. This project represents one such initiative by the newly formed Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to support science teachers and learners from schools in its rural Eastern Cape region. One of the key questions that beg to be answered in the provision of this service is: ¡§What are the science and mathematics education needs of the schools?¡¨ This paper describes a pilot investigation to a wider study to assess the needs of eight secondary schools in the provision of quality science and mathematics education in the Eastern Cape. The objectives of this investigation are two-fold: (1) to determine the science, mathematics and technology (SMT) needs identified by teachers of the selected secondary; and (2) to develop a SMT needs profile for each of the participating secondary school.

Hung Chih-ping, University of Bristol

Hsu Tsui lien, Linda, University of Bristol

The paper focuses on the formation of gender equity education policies in recent education reform in Taiwan from 1990s to 2006. Gender equity education in Taiwan has been influenced by many factors such as the developments and changes of politics, economy and society. The political, economical and cultural developments and changes also partially contributed to the flourish of social movements including women’s movements, which provided the fundamental basis for giving an impetus to the development of gender equity education. Besides the transition within the country, the factors outside the country also contributed to the Government’s endorsement of gender issues in state policies. For example, gender issues have been taken into account by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) after the Asian Crisis happened in 1997. APEC holds annual meeting and activities in relation to gender issues such as the annual Women Leader’s Network (WLN), Ministerial Meeting on Women, and the conferences. As a member of APEC, the Taiwan government is committed to implementing ‘Gender Equality’ into social policies and values thus the Commission on Women’s Rights Promotion (CWRP) was formed under the Executive Yuan in 1997 in order to respond to WLN and ‘gender mainstreaming’. Both influences within and outside the country has led to the government’s endorsement of gender issues with regard to state policies. It can be said that gender issues have become a mainstream of the state policies including education policies. Accordingly, there have many Acts been passed in relation to gender issues between 1990s and 2006. In this paper, the researchers will draw on parts of the results of their PhD studies to illustrate how gender equity issues have become a mainstream in state policies, with special interests in education policies after the 1994 education reform, and to examine how the policies are perceived at the practical level.

Lau Carrie Ho Yi, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Following the ban on displaying religious symbols in French public schools, doubts have been raised as to the potential violation of the rights to education and religious manifestation of Muslim girls who are residing and receiving public education in France. The rights concerned are enshrined in Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights 1950

The paper would extrapolate into the issues of (i) whether wearing symbols of religious faith in schools violates the constitutional guarantee of secular public education in France; (ii) whether the French policy has challenged the right to education within the framework of international human rights law, and, (iii) to what extent and in what forms should religious manifestation be tolerated in the arena of public schooling, if a margin of appreciation is present.

The analysis would touch upon issues like secular education, the threat of fundamentalism in public school settings, the sociological dimension of veiling in Islamic education and thejurisprudential aspect of the ban as coupled with international human rights frameworks. The paper adjourns with a conclusion which outlines the suggestions to move ahead.

Berger Marie Josée, University of Ottawa

Forgette-Giroux Renée, University of Ottawa

In order to reach the objectives of excellence for all in education in Ontario, the Ministry of Education published several documents : Literacy for Learning (2004), Education for All (2005), Early Reading Strategy (2003), Teaching and Learning Mathematics (2004). These reports offer teaching and learning strategies that will enable professors to better meet students’ needs. They fully focus on the specific issues that surround students of an ethnocultural minority. However, these issues are significant and require an in-depth examination in light of the factors linked to literacy, such as: personal factors, family-related and academic factors. Several studies have centered on a few of these issues (Lareau, A. & Hovat, E.M.,1999; Jeynes, W., 2003). There exists learning practices that maximise the academic achievemnent amongst minority students. This study examines the strategies that underpin these learning strategies and aims to share them with professors who must strive to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse clientele. These strategies seem to take root amidst a culturally responsive pedagogy.

Fairbrother Gregory P., The Hong Kong Institute of Education

This paper will take the case of Gansu, one of China’s poorest provinces, to examine provincial-level measures designed to implement recent centrally-promulgated guidelines on ideological and moral education. In 2004 the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council jointly promulgated “Some Opinions on Further Strengthening and Improving the Development of Ideology and Morality Among Minors.” These guidelines, the latest in a steady series of political education policy documents issued by the Party and central government, incorporate the latest Party ideologies and call for schools and other societal actors to address the needs and problems arising from the latest national developments. They call for schools to undertake a variety of measures including developing new teaching materials, improving teaching methods, revising school rules for students, and carrying out research into students’ ideological and moral development.

This paper analyzes the measures taken by the Gansu provincial government to put these central guidelines into effect. Based on published accounts, the paper first describes the general practice of ideological and moral education in Gansu’s schools, focusing on characteristics which differentiate it from the practice in more prosperous provinces. The paper then describes the “Gansu Province Action Plan for the Healthy Development of Minors,” put forth by the Gansu People’s Government and Party Committee, as well as other associated documents specifically addressing the implementation of the central government’s “Opinions.” Analysis will focus on the measures taken by the provincial government to implement national-level ideological and moral education policies in a resource-limited environment.

Marsh David, University of Southern California

Many countries have established learning outcome standards for high schools and aligned their assessment and curriculum to these standards (TIMSS-R; Fuhrman, 2005). Within the context of a larger study of the flow of high school students into science and engineering careers (Tucker, 2006), the proposed paper will examine three high school case studies in two large metropolitian areas: New Delhi and Los Angeles. Public and private high schools (in the US sense of public and private) prepare students for university in the context of systemwide policy about high schools (graduation requriements, curriculum, assessment, and attendance) and university admission (requriements, assessment of qualification, connection to high school assessment). The proposed paper will describe the high school and university admission requirements for these case study high schools and analyze the impact of these policies on schooling and studnet engagement. The methodology for the study involved extensive teacher and student interviews anddocument analysis at the school level, and interviews document analysis and web information/data access. The author lives in Los Angeles, but has lived in India for a year, and collected data in New Delhi last March.

This analysis revealed a number of important findings: Curriculum policy in India links high school learner outcoomes, curriculum and assessment in a much more coherent manner. Students and teachers are working toward the same student outcomes--the best analogy in the US is the advanced placement (AP) exams. Students in India see their futures in science and engineering careers and are willing to choose those subjects despite very intense competition for entrance to the best university programs in those areas. Less intense student engagement and focus on careers in science and engineering in the US was found. The paper explores numerous policy implications for high schools, university admission, and student engagement efforts.

Lee Haeyoung, Korean Educational Development Institute

This study was designed to analyze the effects of the support programs provided in education welfare action zones. Education welfare action zone policy came into effect by government from 2003 to guarantee actual educational opportunity to disadvantaged children in urban areas by providing educational, cultural and welfare service. Educaiton welfare action zones were selected in low-income group area in metropolis. These zones were originally launched in 2003 in eight pilot zones and then extended to an additional seven areas in 2005 for a total of fifteen.

In this regard, both quantitative and qualitative analytical methods were used to ascertain the effects of the program. The qualitative analysis included a preliminary examination of conditions prior to the actual commencement of the program, which was then followed by an investigation of specific schools used as case studies in order to identify the changes that had taken place during the program's implementation process, and the program's effect. Meanwhile, a quantitative analysis was employed to verify the actual changes which took place in several different aspects, changes which were revealed by the case studies. Thereafter, based on the results of this analysis, this study suggested measures which could be taken to improve the overall management of these programs, as well as to heighten their overall efficiency.

The qualitative analyses were conducted on two elementary schools and two middle schools which were selected from four areas in Seoul that were part of the eight zones in Seoul and Busan where the program was originally launched three years ago. Based on on-the-spot observations and interviews at the individual school level, this study for the most part focused on aspects such as the structure and operational methods employed to implement the support programs provided in education welfare investment priority zones; the main programs in progress; as well as future tasks.

The quantitative analysis consisted of a comparison of selected schools where the program was not in effect but which shared similarities in terms of their social and economic conditions, with those schools where the program has been in effect since the pilot project stage. The total sample size consisted of ninety schools, which can be broken down into forty-five pilot project schools and another forty-five schools where the program was not implemented, but which exhibited similar conditions. A total of 10,570 students and parents were surveyed, as were 1,800 teachers, which roughly breaks down to twenty teachers per school, with only those students who received lunch subsidies used for the final analysis. Given the general conditions of this study, which made it impossible to conduct a longitudinal analysis, a comparative analysis of schools with similar conditions was also employed.

Greger David, Charles University in Prague

This paper presents 13-14 year-old-pupils’ perspectives about what they consider to be a fair and equitable national education system. It is based on responses to a questionnaire, as well as open-ended comments, involving 6,579 pupils in 6 countries ( Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom). The emphasis in this paper is given on the responses of the Czech pupils and we use their responses to the open-ended question to ilustrate some major findings. Although the Czech educational system is by researchers judged as being inequitable, the question that we deal with in this paper is, whether the system is also perceived as unjust by pupils and their teachers. Our findings show that pupils have a clear notion about what constitutes a fair and equitable national education system. In general, most students in all countries were of the opinion that a fair and equitable national education system would be one in which all students were treated in the same way, although there was also considerable support for the notion that the less able students should receive a disproportionate amount of the teacher’s attention. However, the extent to which the students report that this was what they actually experienced in school differ strongly to what they report to want in terms of equity. This gap between desired equity and pupils’ experiences in schools is particularly strongest among the Czech students. In the responses of all students across the nations, a common view was that teachers had pupils who were their favourites, that rewards and punishments were not always applied fairly, and that certain groups of students were treated less fairly than others.

Ng Siew Peng Irene, Eunos Primary School

Research on the practice of ability grouping, banding, setting, tracking, or to use the Singaporean term, streaming in Singapore has been predominantly concerned with pupils, that is those who are at the receiving end of the education system. Teachers’ perceptions and discourse about streaming have been largely unexplored and a comparison of their views against the views of the pupils’ is noticeably absent. This case study thus attempts to fill these gaps by investigating perceptions of both the teachers and EM3 pupils (the lowest stream) in a Singapore primary school with respect to streaming and the effects streaming has on the EM3 pupils, the construct of the EM3 pupil and his/her attributes and the contributing factors to EM3 children’s literacy development. Furthermore, it also seeks to find out teachers’ choice of pedagogy in the EM3 classroom.

The findings revealed that while teachers feel that streaming is beneficial to pupils, the pupils themselves dislike being streamed because of labelling and stigmatisation that comes from family, friends and society at large. The way society views the EM3 pupils appears to affect them and their self conception becomes a primary reflection of the attributes as they are mirrored in society. The investigation also saw how teachers’ accounts often locate literacy problems within the pupil’s family which systematically triggers off a causal chain that affects their views on the contributing factors to literacy development and ultimately their choice of pedagogy in the classroom.

Do Bach, University of Oklahoma

Zhao Yi, University of Oklahoma

Trytten Deborah, University of Oklahoma

Internships commonly provide engineering students with financial support, practical experience, and motivation to complete degrees. The qualities employers seek in interns go beyond high grade point averages to include participation in campus organizations and technical societies, as well as leadership skills. Whether Asian students are aware of the importance of internships and the experiences they should seek to obtain internships is an interesting question. In the first year of a three year longitudinal ethnographic study to determine the factors that contribute to differential success among students from racial and ethnic minorities, we performed one to two hour semi-structured interviews of eighty ethnic and racial minority students in the College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Participants were surveyed to obtain factual information related to their background and college experience, and their academic transcripts were reviewed. Twenty-one students were Asian. Asian students who had been offered internships in engineering or an undergraduate research assistantship had participated in technical societies related to their major or were heavily involved in campus activities. Asian students who applied for an internship, but were not offered one, had not participated in a technical society related to their major. Students who had not applied for internships were not active in technical societies. Participation in the Asian American Student Association (AASA) does not help students obtain an internship in the same way that participation in a technical society does. Our College has no Asian specific technical society, although we do have technical societies for other racial and ethnic minorities. None of the students interviewed had a leadership role in any technical society, on-campus student organization or in AASA. Many of our Asian students are not seeking the campus experiences that will support the next phase in their career development.

Duquette Cheryll, University of Ottawa

Stodel Emma, University of Ottawa

Fullarton Stephanie, University of Ottawa

Hagglund Karras, University of Ottawa

The purpose of this session will be to provide participants with information about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and to describe the findings of research on the school experiences of adolescents with this disability. FASD is a term that encompasses the neurodevelopmental disorders experienced by individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure. Individuals with FASD may or may not have the characteristic facial features, however they all have brain damage. FASD is estimated to occur at the rate of 3-4 cases per 1,000 live births. Students with FASD experience learning and behavioral problems, and many do not graduate from high school.

This research explored the educational experiences of individuals with FASD as told by the 16 adolescents and 36 adoptive parents from Canada and the US. Participants responded to open-ended items in questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The findings of this qualitative research revealed that those with FASD were educated in a variety of settings including special education classes, general education classes with resource support, special schools for those with learning disabilities, and at home. For the most part, the adolescents were passing their courses and were on track to complete their programs. The findings also showed that the adolescents viewed success as passing their courses, and they were able to do so when teachers implemented testing accommodations, such as extra time. A significant finding was that parental support and advocacy was a protective factor against dropping out of high school. Parents provided emotional and academic support for their sons and daughters at home. They also noted that despite having a diagnosis and an Individual Education Plan, they had to be strong advocates for the educational programs and accommodations that were required by their children. Without their advocacy, these adolescents would not have received the accommodations to which they were entitled.

Ratanaroutai Thasaneeya, Kasetsart University

Yutakom Naruemon, Kasetsart University

Roadrangka Vantipa, Kasetsart University

Barker Miles, The University of Waikato

Campbell Alison, The University of Waikato

The purposes of this interpretive research were to explore the existing situations of teaching and learning genetics including basic genetic concepts, to develop social constructivist approach based genetic instructional units (GIU), and to study their impacts on the teaching and learning of advanced genetic concepts and communication skills of disadvantaged high school science students in welfare schools of Thailand. Phase I-survey on teaching and learning were completed by 18 biology teachers and 129 disadvantaged students, and 157 disadvantaged students were asked survey on basic genetic concepts. Phase II-the GIU were implemented to complete for 23 Grade 10 disadvantaged students in a welfare school in Bangkok and 8 Grade 12 disadvantaged students in Nonthaburi Province. The data from classroom observations, interviews, students’ work, and advanced genetic concepts survey were analyzed.

The findings revealed that the difficult concepts for teaching and learning which teachers and students agreed upon were ‘Chemical Structure of DNA’, ‘DNA Properties and DNA Synthesis’, ‘DNA and RNA in Protein Synthesis’, and ‘Genetic Codes’. Most of genetics teaching and learning strategies the teachers used were teacher explanations, together with student discussions and presentations. Most of the instructional materials used were from students’ handbooks. Tests and practical worksheets were mostly used for evaluation. From the Basic Genetic Concepts Survey, the majority of students did not have ‘Scientific Conceptions’ in genes, chromosomes, dominant and recessive alleles, genetic diseases, inheritance traits, sex chromosomes, and genetic engineering concepts. To teach genetics for disadvantaged students, the teachers need to motivate students into the lessons, check students’ prior knowledge, use practical-inexpensive-durable instructional materials, promote social interactions through a variety of teaching strategies, use periodically dynamic assessments, and put students in groups where they are capable of communicating with others. The GIU was shown to assist in promoting students’ learning in genetic concepts and communication skills.

Arai Keiko, Ochanomizu University

Tabata Yoshinori, Hirosima University

Many countries and international organizations have been making efforts to achieve goals of Education for All (EFA) since 1990, but it does not seem to be easy to realize it. One of the major reasons that make realization of EFA difficult seems to be the limited access of girls to school education, especially in South Asia and Africa. Dakar Framework of Action 2000 also indicated that EFA goals could not be achieved without promotion of girls’ education.

Researches have been made to identify factors affecting girls’ accessibility to schools, but most of them seem to have been focusing on the conditions of school education for girls identifying the factors such as the lack of schools for girls and the shortages of female teachers. To tackle with this problem, however, research should also be made from different aspects such as socio-cultural dimension of education.

Noticing the very limited access of girls to school education as well as gender disparity in Pakistan, the survey was conducted in September 2005 to the parents in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan to identify social-cultural factors that might have affected on them. The result of the survey revealed that:

(1) The level of recognition on the importance of education of their daughters was generally low for both families sending their daughters to public schools and families not sending their daughters to any schools.

(2) Parents who have a conservative view of marriage for their children and parents who have limited access to the outside information had negative attitude to the education of their children.

Parents sending their daughters to public schools and parents not sending their daughters to any schools seem to have been influenced by the custom of female isolation “Puldha” on the education of their daughters.

Shaydenko Nadezda, Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University

Sergeyev Alexander, Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University

The government of the Russian Federation has approved documents which define the main tasks and the ways of the development in the principal areas of the system of education as well as a system of measures which ensure their implementation. In accordance with these documents the main aim of education is to ensure the accessibility of quality education for all Russian citizens.

The priority national projects in the sphere of education set out by President Vladimir Putin presuppose an innovative approach to achieving this aim. The implementation of these projects in a short time may and must become a catalyst of long-term changes in the principal areas of the development of the system of education in Russia.

Under the Federal Program of the Development of Education, a system of new mechanisms of regulating the sphere of education is supposed to be created as well as the development of fundamental and practical orientation of educational programs and the formation of the system of life-long education. The project can be summarized along the following lines:

1)encouragement of innovative programs;

2)further introduction of information systems in education;

3)state support of youth initiatives;

4)heightening of the importance and quality of extra-curricular work;

5)introduction of bonuses for best teachers.

At present the system of higher education in Russia is developing its network and carries out a multi-level training of specialists. Last year, In Russia there were 662 public and municipal higher educational institutions with 5.9 million students.

The fee-paying sector of higher education is also growing. In the academic year 2004-05, half of the students at the public and municipal higher educational institutions were fee-paying.

Serious changes are also under way in connection with the Bologna process.

Keiser Nancy, North Central College

Cambodia has made gains in education in the past 15 years but continues to face many challenges. One challenge is sheer numbers. A large percentage of the overall population of the country is comprised of school-age children as an estimated 37% percent of the population is under the age of 15. Another challenge is a severe shortage of qualified teachers.

The impetus for this paper came about after a brief, almost “chance” meeting with a program director of a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Cambodia, in December of 2003. The NGO is working to provide basic education for children in Beoung Tum Pun, Cambodia, near Phnom Penh. Observations were made of a number of educational programs operated by this NGO and teachers and administrators were interviewed. Follow-up observations and interviews were conducted in December of 2005.

This NGO uses nonformal education strategies as well as partnerships with the local government schools to provide basic education to school age children. The NGO also works to facilitate educational opportunities for older children who have not previously attended school. Some of the types of strategies include health education programs for children in rural/outlying areas, scholarship programs to assist parents with costs associated with schooling, accelerated programs to help overage learners “catch up” to students closer to their own age, financial assistance programs to support teachers who teach double shifts, and educational experiences for students with AIDS or HIV.

The paper examines the various program components and attempts to determine which of the components provide a worthwhile return on the investment. The discussion also addresses the issues and challenges associated with the various programs.

Margalit Malka, Tel-Aviv University

In order to promote educational equity and inclusion opportunities for students with learning disabilities (LD), research focused attention at the need for identifying empowering predictors for students, their hopes, self beliefs, effort and struggle with loneliness. The Salutogenic paradigm examines the dynamic movement along health ease/disease continuum. In extending the traditional children's loneliness conceptualization, which related loneliness with social status and social difficulties, new studies emphasized the interacting role of academic and social challenges, and the paradoxical resilience factors. The pathogenic approach focused effort at the assessment and remediation of specific disabilities in reading, writing and mathematics. Yet, our approach is rooted in the resilience conceptualization, striving to empower students with LD, without denying their specific difficulties. Our research group demonstrated the value of hope and the challenges of loneliness in explaining resilience, pinpointing attention at the teacher sensitizing and training implications.

The goals of the current study were to compare hope, loneliness, sense of coherence and effort between 123 seventh-grade students with LD (75 boys and 48 girls) and a matching group of 123 typically achieving students who attended the same general education classes. The groups were matched for average achievement levels and gender. The results showed that students with LD reported lower levels of hope, decreased investment of effort in their academic work and lower self perceptions (sense of coherence). They also experienced higher levels of loneliness. The analysis of factors that predict effort and the follow-up case studies revealed the interactions between hope, sense of coherence and loneliness and strongly suggest the need for comprehensive examination. The study implications within new resilience trends in education will be discussed, pinpointing attention at teachers' education for promoting equal opportunities for students with LD.

Reganit Arnulfo, Ateneo de Naga University

Education has been treasured by the Filipino people as basic to the strength and survival of the nation. This is evidenced by the interest shown to it by the Philippine government and by the multi-sectoral leaders in education. Numerous resarches have been devoted to the assessment of our school system. These reports do not hesitate to identify the flaws of the public school system and call for widespread reforms.

Admittedly, Philippine educational system leaves much to be desired. Quality basic education continues to be formidable challenge to the Department of Education (DepEd).

This paper is an honest assessment of the state of basic education, particularly in the Bikol Region, aimed to facilitate an understanding of and response to the basic educational concerns.

Basically, there are three major issues confronting basic education in Bikol region namely, access, progress and quality. Access deals with thequestion of whether all children of school age can be accommodated or gain entry to the schools in the region. Progress deals with the problems of whether those who enter Grade One finish at least the first six years of basic education, which is free and compulsory. Quality deals with the level of performance of our students measured mostly by achievement tests and reported as Mean Percentage Scores (MPS).

The status of education in the region calls for a collaboration between that of basic education and that of higher education to address gaps so as to truly achieve the kind of quality education that is responsive and relevant ot the needs and call of the region. We cannot raise the level of quality of higher education until we have quality basic education. Therefore, the interfacing of school professionals from both sectors should be given importance and urgency.

Rose Richard, University of Northampton

Garner Philip, University of Northampton

In recent years international efforts to promote a more equitable and inclusive education system have resulted in changes in policy, with an emphasis upon ensuring that pupils who would in the past have been educated in segregated provision receive greater opportunities in mainstream schools (Ballard 1999, Mitchell 2005). As a focus upon inclusive schooling has increased, so has a debate about efficacy and the management of schools to become more accessible to a diverse range of learners ensued (Allan 1999, Skidmore 2004). The views of teachers, educational policy makers and other professional colleagues have inevitably influenced the discourse in this area and have had an impact upon the pace of change both in schools and at national policy level. Within the debates, which have surrounded the development of inclusion, the voices of service providers have been dominant. This paper examines progress towards inclusion by considering the views of young people described as having special educational needs who have recent first hand experience of schooling. The paper draws upon evidence from several research projects conducted in England and Ireland (Garner 2000, Kenny et al 2000, Shevlin and Rose 2003, Rose and Shevlin 2004, Rose and Jones 2007) in which young people have reflected upon and described their educational experiences. Consideration is given to the challenges of researching the voices of learners and in particular the difficulties of interpretation.

Sin Kuen Fung, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

Ho Fuk Chuen, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

Leung Yan Wing, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

In response to reform of the senior secondary school curriculum, parents, professionals and schools voiced out the significance of the learning equity and opportunities of school graduates in special schools. Different parties urged the government to clarify the academic structure, curriculum arrangement and resources for these SEN students in senior academic structure reform.

This was a territory-wide study on parental views and preferences of the senior secondary curriculum among special schools for students with mental handicap, physical handicap and visual impairment in Hong Kong. In the study, it was found that at the initial stage of policy planning, the further education opportunities of children with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities after the 9-year basic education were not fully considered. The opportunities remained unchanged and were of limited variety. Other than the extension program in the special schools, there was no innovative policy and practice in offering further education for these students. Parents were dissatisfied the limited choice of the further education and career placement for their children after the graduation at the age of 18. They expressed their strong view on the equal opportunity in the reform of senior secondary academic structure. With regard to the scenario of development, the study further reported the views and expectations and preferences of parents. Parents expected a clear division of secondary education into junior and senior, two stages, as opposed to a six-year education without such distinction. The curriculum, arrangements and assessment of senior secondary education should be further enriched and strengthened. Education and vocational training for schools leavers were expected. The results were significant and the empirical data provided teachers, school administrators, curriculum planners, teacher educators and the authority with the insights for further actions. The teacher education in empowering teachers meeting the special needs of disabled children in senior secondary education, particularly in the areas of transition program, curriculum and teaching and learning for SEN adolescents were also concluded.