A análise do campo de constituição dos princípios da reforma educacional dos anos de 1990, possibilita a investigação do mundo, da sociedade e do sujeito pressupostos no enunciado estética da sensibilidade, apresentado como princípio filosófico dessa nova concepção da educação. Este trabalho visa a analisar, particularmente, o princípio, aqui tomado como enunciado, estética da sensibilidade proposto nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais. A fim de se verificar o que possibilitou a eleição da estética da sensibilidade como um princípio da educação, considerou-se neste trabalho que a resposta a esta pergunta é indissociável da análise das condições de possibilidade do enunciado, o que implica análise do campo de constituição do enunciado estética da sensibilidade, que pode ser compreendida como parte de uma analítica da contemporaneidade. A problemática da sensibilidade em educação, na atualidade, diz respeito ao agenciamento da sensibilidade pelos dispositivos capitalistas de estetização da vida cotidiana: publicidade, marketing, industria cultural. Dentre as esferas da vida estetizadas, à educação é reservado um lugar estratégico pois ela foi convertida num dos mais importantes dispositivos do processo de reestruturação do capitalismo avançado. Assim, este trabalho questiona de que modo a nova concepção de educação opera na fabricação de sujeitos aptos a esta tarefa. / Analyzing the establishment field of educational reform principles in 1990s enables the investigation of the world, the society, or the individual, presupposed in the statement aesthetics of sensibility, presented as a philosophical principle of this new conception of education. This is a study, in special, on the principle of asthetics of sensibility, assumed here as a statement, proposed in the National Curriculum Guidelines. The attempt of understanding how this concept has been chosen as the principle of education made us understand that the answer to this question is not apart from the condition of possibilities the statement, what implies the analysis of the establishment field of the statement aesthetics of sensibility, which can be seen as well as part of an analysis of contemporary times. Publicity, marketing, and cultural industry - capitalist mechanisms which try to aestheticise life - have negotiated with the concept of sensibility. This is the problem of sensibility in education now-a-days. Education takes an essential place among the aestheticised life spheres, once it was converted in one of the most important mechanisms of advanced capitalism restructuring. Thus, this work inquires how the new conception of education operates on the shaping of individuals capable for this task.

Este estudo, bibliográfico e documental, propõe-se a uma reflexão e análise do sistema educacional angolano, desde 1975 a 2005, a partir de uma perspectiva filosófica e política. Com ele pretende-se buscar elementos que permitam compreender as relações e os fatores em torno dos quais se organizou e se desenvolveu a política educacional de Angola; e procura-se analisar as novas perspectivas políticas de reforma do sistema educacional propostas a partir de 2001 (Lei no. 13/01). O trabalho aponta a importância de efetuar-se uma análise dos fatores que determinaram a escolha e as formas de organização do sistema de ensino e sua abrangência nacional. Parte da idéia de que verdades até então incontestáveis não são mais adequadas para justificar os índices elevados de analfabetismo, a não garantia do direito à educação, a falta de acesso e a continuidade de crianças nas escolas, as condições precárias de infra-estrutura educacional, bem como a visão pedagógica que ainda persiste, não obstante o término da guerra (Fevereiro de 2002). Trata-se de uma pesquisa fundamentada em fontes bibliográficas de diferentes autores e documentos oficiais (leis) do ensino angolano e outros documentos pertinentes. O trabalho termina apontando a necessidade de o Estado priorizar um investimento maior para o setor educacional, assim como, para a formação de professores. Aponta ainda a democracia, a liberdade e a autonomia no trabalho educacional como condições fundamentais ao desenvolvimento do ensino e pesquisa. / This bibliographical and documental study aims to reflect about and analyze the educational system in Angola from 1975 to 2005, keeping a philosophical and political view. Its purpose is to bring out elements that will help to understand the relations and factors around which have been organized and developed the educational politics in Angola. Furthermore there is an evaluation of the new political perspectives proposed since 2001 in order to change this educational system (Act 13/01). This dissertation explains how important it is to make a good evaluation of the factors that determined the options and models of educational system organization and its national scope. The starting point is the idea that some truths, until now considered unquestionable, are not appropriate to justify the high levels of illiteracy, the non-guarantee of education to all the Angolan population, the faulty access to education, and the students evasion, the poor conditions of educational facilities, as well as the pedagogical vision still remaining after the war (February, 2002). The research was based in bibliographical resources from different authors, official documents (Acts) about Angolan education system, and other documents. At the end this work shows that the government has firstly to invest more in the educational sector, as well as in the teachers\' background. The final conclusion is that democracy, liberty and freedom in the educational system are basic conditions to develop the teaching and researching fields.

In Egypt, the school educational system has been suffering a deteriorating quality over the last few decades. Since the revolution that took place in Egypt in 2011, political tensions and conflicts have consumed so much energy and time, making it hard for Egyptians to focus on development. Therefore, through this doctoral study that follows an action based methodology, I aim to contribute to the current efforts to improve the Egyptian educational system. In this study, I introduced an intervention that draws upon the principles of school improvement, reform strategies and non-positional teacher leadership. This is done through adopting and adapting the ‘teacher-led development work’ (TLDW) approach. In this study, a group of 50 teachers from four different Egyptian schools took part in the programme for one academic year. Through this programme I supported them to lead innovations in their classrooms and schools as a whole. Each teacher/participant was expected to initiate and lead a development project that improves teaching and learning in their schools, and other teachers could benefit from as well. Data was collected throughout the academic year to continuously monitor and adapt the programme, and to explore what the programme made possible and the conditions that made it possible. The programme usefully supported teachers in taking action that had a positive impact on the students, teachers and school as a whole. However, the most significant impact observed was on the participating teachers themselves: their professionality, self-confidence and self-efficacy that underpinned growth in their own skills and pedagogic repertoires. There were a set of conditions that were required for this programme to have an impact. Practitioners and policy makers interested in educational reform through teachers could benefit from considering these factors in their own development.

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Apresentamos, nesse estudo, uma reflexÃo sobre a racionalidade pedagÃgica que produz a formaÃÃo do professor na Universidade a partir de uma anÃlise sobre o processo de corporificarÃo dos currÃculos das licenciaturas no contexto de reforma curricular da Universidade Estadual Vale do AcaraÃ, situada em Sobral-CE. Analisamos os elementos constituÃdores dessa racionalidade a partir das formas de subjetivaÃÃo docente, produzidas pelo discurso pedagÃgico presente nas polÃticas de formaÃÃo do professor nas licenciaturas no Brasil e no processo de corporificaÃÃo dos currÃculos desses cursos no contexto de reforma curricular institucional. Defendemos a tese de que a racionalidade pedagÃgica produzida no processo de corporificarÃo dos currÃculos das licenciaturas na Universidade institui regras e modelos de ser e de conhecer do professor, à histÃrica, regionalizada e produzida no campo de luta e produÃÃo cultural; portanto, ela à uma epistemologia socialmente construÃda. Com base em nossos estudos teÃricos, compreendemos que o discurso pedagÃgico sobre a formaÃÃo do professor à uma prÃtica que envolve poder-saber e tÃcnicas de efeitos produtivos e prÃticos sobre os sujeitos e objetos. à um discurso que disputa formas de subjetividades e demarca diferenciaÃÃes, presenÃas, exclusÃes, saberes e verdades acerca do como pensar, ser e agir do docente. Identificamos esses âdispositivosâ no discurso oficial das Diretrizes Curriculares para formaÃÃo de professores, que estipula regras de poder que normatiza verdades sobre os professores e sua existÃncia e produzem formas de saberes que disputam modelos hegemÃnicos de subjetivaÃÃo docente, cujo poder de regulaÃÃo està no papel que o prÃprio docente passa a exercer quando sua competÃncia à vinculada a desenvolver formas inventivas para o seu prÃprio aprisionamento. No entanto, a anÃlise sobre a recontextualizaÃÃo desse discurso no contexto da prÃtica de reforma curricular identificou campos discursivos de novas relaÃÃes de saber-poder instituÃdas para resistir a essa regulaÃÃo. Constatamos que as decisÃes curriculares nas licenciaturas da UVA foram frutos de relaÃÃes conflituosas que disputaram territÃrio, identidade, autonomia e autoridade curricular com o conhecimento pedagÃgico na formaÃÃo do professor e a racionalidade pedagÃgica produzida no processo de reforma emergiu das condiÃÃes institucionais, a partir das quais houve interesse de mudanÃa, mas tambÃm de regulaÃÃo. AlÃm disso, entende-se que o conhecimento corporificado no currÃculo à tanto o resultado de relaÃÃes de poder quanto o constituidor das mesmas. A contribuiÃÃo dessa pesquisa à fornecer elementos para compreender que a racionalidade pedagÃgica que forma o professor na universidade se estrutura em um processo arenoso de disputa de subjetividade docente.

Abstract This single, embedded case study focused on educators’ experiences of educational change as they adopted, implemented, and sustained a one-to-one computing innovation over 20 years. The purpose of the study was to explore the innovativeness, the capacity of a school community to take on change for continuous educational improvement over time. Through interviews and focus groups with administrators, teachers, students, and graduates, observations of current classroom practices, and archival data, the study provides an understanding of how individuals experienced change and how a school sustained change over an exceptionally long period of time. Data analysis revealed multiple rationales for the implementation of one-to-one computing, including the development of a constructivist environment, the empowerment of women, preparation of students for college and the 21st century work force, and the need to keep the school’s educational program on the “cutting-edge.” The study of this individual school community suggests the importance of a strong educational philosophy, flexibility of implementation, an environment that encourages risk-taking, and collegiality. The study also demonstrates that change occurred on a continuum and continued to progress as hardware, software, and the Internet evolved, and as faculty became more knowledgeable of the application of the program to teaching and learning.

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The advent of democratic governance in South Africa necessitated changes in all sectors of the country; the education sector also required urgent reform. The policy framework for education reform was passed nationally and implementation strategies were cascaded to provinces and districts nation-wide. The outcome of national policies manifests itself at district levels where implementation takes place in schools. This study assesses the manner in which public high schools in Ekurhuleni South District of the Gauteng Department of Education, implement educational reforms. The research was conducted as a qualitative study to determine the role and experiences of key stakeholders in the implementation of educational reform in the district. The investigation focused on what I termed the „basic drivers of reform‟ in education, namely: school governance (SGBs); performance management (IQMS); Outcomes Based Education (OBE); and redeployment of teachers. Other aspects that influence change in education were not excluded from the discussions, but were treated as complements of these basic drivers. An in-depth literature review was conducted to assess the views of other researchers on the topic. The study found that there has been lot improvement in the education system, especially in public high schools, since 1994. However, there are serious challenges related to policy directives and implementation strategies, which need to be addressed in order to reap the full benefits of a reformed education system. Some of these challenges are the results of policies formulated out of excitement for the newly created democratic order after 1994 while others are associated with shortage of skills and resources. Underestimation and exaggeration of education-related challenges also seem to prevail in public discourse, hence the reality is sometimes distorted. The results of the fieldwork and literature review were used to formulate recommendations to improve implementation of the reform process. Building the confidence of teachers in the education system by involving them in all reform initiatives seems to be a realistic solution.

As the need for educational reform is increasingly recognized, so too is the need for effective professional development (Guskey, 2000). Historically the evaluation of professional development experiences has been limited to exit surveys, noticeably failing to examine the long-term impact of the effort. This study assessed the impact on the classroom learning environment of a yearlong, job-embedded professional development opportunity for middle-school mathematics teachers. The application of learning environment instruments to the evaluation of professional development is a unique feature of this study. The research employed the Questionnaire on Teacher Interactions (QTI) and a modified version of the What Is Happening In this Class? (WillIC) survey with over 1000 middle-school mathematics students in 57 classrooms in the state of Washington. Both instruments were administered at the beginning and end of the school year. Teacher interviews were conducted with a sample of participants in order to further illuminate the impact of the professional development. Data from the study were examined for changes in the learning environment and to cross-validate the QTI and WIHIC with this specific population. Results indicate that the QTI and WIHIC are valid and reliable with the middle-school population is this study. Statistical analyses of learning environment data indicate that any pretest-posttest changes that were observed are mostly likely too small to be of educational significance. This study contributes to a better general understanding of the impact of this professional development, and its findings could be utilized in the preparation of future professional development opportunities.

This thesis examines the historical relationship between government and self-government, and the contemporary role that Action Research (AR) occupies as a liberal technology of government. It draws upon the Teaching for Effective Learning in Senior Schooling (TELSS) project as the example. This project, which was based on a 'collaborative' AR methodology, was just one of the many national post-compulsory schooling reform initiatives that emerged during the late 1980s and 1990s. At that time, AR and Participatory Action Research (PAR) were preferred methodologies by education faculty personnel, and some teachers, as practical alternatives to 'positivist' social science approaches. This is still the case, both locally and internationally. The initial focus of the thesis is to trace the role of the school and the family in the government of populations, and show how AR is currently positioned as a mechanism for establishing and installing new forms of self-management within these historical institutional arrangements. This includes enticements and inducements to participate in one's own self-management. The AR perspective seeks to make a practical intervention in the re-organization and management of schools, as well as other workplaces and organizations, as a means to promote and develop ongoing professional learning within these organizations. The thesis highlights some confusing issues surrounding contemporary attempts by schools to open themselves to the community, however. AR has achieved considerable success to the extent that expert AR consultants have been commonly employed by Education Departments in many countries to foster new ways of attaining educational goals. Drawing upon other examples, as well as this case study, the contrast between the high expectations of project participants, and their limited outcomes, suggests the need to query AR's representations of participation. This includes some contemporary conceptions of how 'the school community' operates. Is there another way that we can understand this particular territory, and parent involvement in schools more generally, other than in political terms such as the need to 'democratize the community'? The AR commentary focuses on the 'egalitarian' ideal of emancipation and empowerment via participation. AR's preference for participation through human self-determination over that of statist instrumental rationality is questioned, however, by drawing upon empirical evidence generated by the case study, as well as other theoretically informed material. The thesis moves to an account of the role of different forms of government which enable self-management, particularly the role of the school community within the field of education and its administration. By situating the TELSS case study and its limits in what Michel Foucault (1991) terms the history of 'governmentality', AR is described as part of government and an aid to social reform programmes. Inside this discussion, some of AR's self promotions and understandings will re re-defined. These include an anti-bureaucratic rhetoric, concerns about hierarchical power relations, and aspirations of self-autonomy, emancipation and social justice. How is it that educational bureaucracies are so amenable to taking on board goals for educational reform expressed in the form of frequently anti-bureaucratic radical critique? The thesis undertakes the task of investigating this peculiarity, as well as some of the negative outcomes of such liberal governmental undertakings.

The Field Study Report records the establishment of a theoretical model for examining aspects of complex innovations, the application of that model to the Commonwealth Participation and Equity Program in the ACT government sector using an historical perspective, and the drawing of conclusions occasioned by that, application. Based on the literature of the management of change, educational administration and educational politics as well as the history of the program, it is argued that specific groups of factors influencing the delivery and impact of the program may be identified and their effects described, with a view to guiding future delivery of major educational reform programs. The theoretical model for classifying and examining the relative importance of the factors is a synthesis based on the work of the researchers Hoy and Miskel (1982), with a major additional component, prompted by writers in the field of educational politics. The method of application also allows the discussion of two further underlying propositions. These are; (a) That the modes of delivery employed by the ACT Schools Authority for PEP evolved during the course of its implementation; (b) That the program had a discernible impact, in terms of its aims, but this impact, was modified qualitatively and quantitatively by the process of mutual adaptation and by other factors external and internal to the program. In a series of linked steps, the thesis examines the literature, drawing out a grouped collection of factors potentially influencing the program, describes the context, modes of delivery, aims and outcomes of PEP, categorises the identified factors according to their apparent relative influence, and uses these learnings to make predictions and conclusions about PEP and future system-wide reform initiatives. It is concluded that the underlying propositions of the thesis are confirmed. It is also argued that the study has highlighted the predominant influence of political factors, most groups of management factors and factors related to school organisation, whereas other factors are of lesser importance in moulding program delivery strategies and shaping program outcomes. As well, the thesis concludes that the particular framework adopted for the study possesses considerable potential for use in a variety of future research, and that the introduction of the factor-based structure as a means of carrying out historical research helps promote rigour, objectivity and credibility where there is a reliance on the involvement of a participant-observer to provide reflective data. In relation to PEP itself, it is concluded that the process of mutual adaptation and the influence of the multiplicity of factors ensured that the higher-order program outcomes such as institutionalisation of new curriculum definitions, the development of negotiated student, management and teaching/learning strategies and attitudinal changes about, the purposes and ownership of education, were modified even more significantly than the outcomes which could be measured in quantitative terms. A collection of specific suggestions for improved program delivery in the future is provided.

Issues of educational inequality have been hotly debated in China ever since the higher educational reform in the late 1990s. High tuitions and the privileged access of advantaged groups are attracting more peoples concerns. This thesis examines the current status of Chinese student access to higher education in the post-reform era, and explores the urban-rural and strata differences among students with different social origins and family backgrounds. The expansion and tuition reform of Chinese higher education not only poses financing college as the biggest difficulty for those disadvantaged groups, but also perpetuates the established social hierarchy. This thesis finds that, despite the progress made in equalizing access by urban-rural and strata origins at the mass higher education era in China, disadvantaged groups remain their unfavorable status in accessing higher education, as compared to their counterparts who are economically, culturally, and socially superior. The initial quantitative access differences are gradually turning into qualitative disparities, the higher the demand for the university or/and major, the more urban and higher socioeconomic students enroll. The theories of financial, cultural, and social capital were employed in the thesis and provide a plausible explanation to the continuing disadvantaged status of poor groups. The methodology used is mainly a quantitative technique that resorts on a variety of secondary data, such as national and provincial yearbooks of educational statistics and census, large sample surveys, and case studies from previous research. The findings will have many policy implications concerning the expansion, financing, and affordability of higher education in China.