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.

Student academic achievement is a collective effort of family, community, and school experience (Sloat, Makkonen, & Koehler, 2007). However the biggest burden is placed on teachers who are assumed and expected to possess the skills, knowledge, caring, and commitment to students often without the appropriate support, resources and professional development. With a focus on teacher development this work will listen to the voices of eight veteran educators from the Texas-Mexico border region and trace the steps in their formation and critical understandings of themselves and their professions to better diagnose students’ academic needs. The site of my study is in the southern-most part of the U.S.-Mexico border known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas (RGV). This dynamic region of our country was occupied by immigrant settlers in the middle 1700s and has seen much socio-political and cultural change throughout the years. Nucleus to the “browning of America” (Rodriguez, 2002), the demographic shift toward more ethnic/racial diversity, and in particular the ascent of Latinos as the largest minority in the country, the Border and its teachers provide key insights regarding effective ways to educate Latino children because they have served this community the longest. This study is a synthesis of historical sociology and cultural anthropology inquiries based on applied research method of interviews with Border educators. It includes: ethnographic and historical data, and testimonios, or critically documented histories, that address views on educational reform intended to foster academic success among Latino students. Latinos have become the nation’s largest majority at 16.3% of the population. The growth trend is also evident in Texas with a 37.6% and 90.4% for the RGV (Census, 2010). The correlation between poverty and educational attainment places this population at a significant disadvantage in the nation as well as in the RGV. Some observers have expressed concern that Latinos will represent the majority of the population by 2040 as the “poorer, less educated, and productive” (Jillson, 2012, p. xiii). My work challenges this conceptual relationship between poverty and school failure by focusing on a region where the student body has historically been predominantly Latino and economically disadvantaged with a 32.6% poverty rate compared to a national figure of 11.3% (Census, 2010). My findings on the epistemic value of identity demonstrated through my Spotlight Identity (SI) framework, support the notion that aligning students with teachers of similar experiential and cultural backgrounds positively impacts academic achievement and that, generally speaking, these affinities improve relations with families and allow for teachers to better understand the academic and personal challenges that the students are facing. My constructivist analysis suggests that academic success can be achieved, regardless of economic impediments when communities, schools, educators, and families work collaboratively with a child-centered approach. For participants in the study, barriers such as low socioeconomic (SES) were not seen as germane to student academic success when all the elements in their “educational equation” were in place. Academic success—construed by participants as significant student yearly progress, meeting grade level requirements, and high school completion—can be achieved, regardless of social and economic factors, when communities, schools, educators, and families work together through child-centered efforts and mediated through “critical bicultural education” (Darder, 1991). / text

Korean education policies were derived from the 5.31 Education Reform oriented to the increase of autonomy and accountability for school effectiveness and the quality instruction through teacher professionalism enhancement. The policies are related to the influences of historical events and contexts embedded in the interactions of policy players who have their own arguments, particularly professionalism versus managerialism. The policies have been driven by right-wing perspectives. As a result, the roles, powers, functions, and structures of teaching profession have gradually changed. From the structural analysts, Basil Bernstein and Michel Foucault, teaching profession has become a system of supervision, compliance, normalization, isomorphism related to the collection code. The dynamic, complex and multilevel policy implementation need to be analyzed from a multifocal approach coupled with historical institutional, political, and structural analysis. This analysis contributes to understanding the changes of teaching profession resulted from intricate and dynamic interactions embedded in policy environments causing or influencing policy implementation directly and indirectly. Korean educational policy analysts, generally, tend to use one of the institutional, the political, and the structural perspective. Most policy analyses are concerned with the political analysis focused on exploring the political interaction between policy players, presenting policy issues and alternatives, analyzing the new institutionalism of education policy formation and implementation process, and influencing of policies on school organization and teachers apart from the political environment and the political interactions. In this respect, the multifocal policy analysis will be beneficial to shed light on a multifocal analysis of Korean educational policies. / text

This study, informed by critical pedagogy literacy, inquires into the accomplishments of the policy of Doi moi Giao duc, or Educational Renovation, in Vietnam. The study, which occurred over two years, uses critical literary analysis and autoethnography as primary methodologies; it focuses is on the author's personal experience and the analysis of literature and public documents to inquire into educational polices and practices. How the key tenets of Renovation - democratization and modernization, socialization and equalization - have been translated into practice was the center of the investigation. This study indicates that there has been a wide difference between the Renovation manifesto and its practice. This in turn has been the genesis of a critical literacy or resistance against that disparity by many teachers and learners. The study also suggests that schools are not only sites of dominion but also of contestation and that the oppressed have the ability to be self-conscientized. The study sought to understand the inconsistency and the ambiguous attitude about a Freirean praxis, and interpret this as an inescapable product of cultural and political circumstances. In this way, the study emphasizes the power of Paulo Freire's theory of critical education and at the same time suggests the possibility of its being reinvented in this sociopolitical context.

Mokyklų tinklo optimizavimas sukėlė itin prieštaringus vertinimus visuomenėje, tiek pedagogų, tiek mokinių tėvų, tiek ir pačių mokinių akimis. Tinklo pertvarkymas išryškino skirtingą požiūrį į švietimui skirtų lėšų ir kitų išteklių panaudojimą Baigiamajame bakalauro darbe nagrinėjamas mokyklų tinklo optimizavimas didmiestyje ir rajone 1995- 2010 metais. Apžvelgiama švietimo įstaigų tinklo struktūra Vilniaus mieste ir Telšių rajone minėtu laikotarpiu. Lyginami mokyklų tinklo pertvarkos procesai. Atskleista mokyklų tinklo pertvarkos esmė ir raiška: teoriniu aspektu išanalizuota švietimo reformos situacija Lietuvoje ir minėtose savivaldybėse, identifikuojami ją lemiantys veiksniai. Tyrimo metu atskleistas Vilniaus miesto ir Telšių rajono pedagogų, bei mokinių tėvų požiūris į Lietuvos švietimo sistemą. Pateikta studijuotų užsienio ir šalies mokslininkų teorinių darbų analizė apie Lietuvos švietimo reformą, išryškintos pagrindinės sąvokos, apžvelgti gauti tyrimo rezultatai. Apibendrinant darbą suformuluotos išvados, teigiančios, kad mokyklų tinklo pertvarka labai ištęsta ir būtina kuo greičiau pabaigti pradėtus darbus, tam, kad galima būtų siekti užsibrėžtų tikslų. / Optimizations of schools’ network arouse very controversial valuation in society, among teachers, parents of the students, and the students themselves. The reform of the network highlighted diverse opinions about the usage of the funds and other resources designated for the education. In the final work for Bachelor degree, the optimization of schools’ network in city and in district in 1995 – 2010 is being analyzed. It also reviews the structure of educational institutions network in Vilnius city and in Telšiai district during the earlier mentioned period. There the schools’ network reform processes are compared. The essence and expression of the schools’ network reform is revealed: the situation of educational reform in Lithuania and in the earlier mentioned municipalities is analyzed using theoretical aspect, and the factors determining the reform are identified. The research revealed the attitude of the teachers and parents of the students in Vilnius city and Telšiai district towards the system of education in Lithuania. Analysis of the studied theoretical works on the educational reform in Lithuania of foreign and national scientists is provided. The main concepts are highlighted, and the results of the research are reviewed. Summarizing the work the conclusions were formulated, and they state that the reform of the schools’ network is too lengthy and it is essential to finalize the work that had been started, so that the goals set could be achieved.

This study is focused on documented experiences of senior primary heads of departments regarding their changed roles as a result of education policy changes in leadership and management. There are three key concepts that are the main focus of this study. They are leadership including instructional and transformational leadership; management and middle management. The study followed an interpretivist paradigm with the qualitative research methodology. Two primary schools were purposively sampled and participants were interviewed using semi-structured interview format. The primary sources of data in this research were the HODs, Principals and Post level one educators. The research questions guiding the study are as follows: • How do the HODs in the two primary schools manage the changes in the curriculum? • What factors influence the strategies that they use in coping with policy changes? • How do HODs' experience educational policy changes regarding their leadership and management roles? The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed by the researcher. Tape recording helps to keep accurate voices and prevent misinterpretation by the researcher. The collected data was coded and the organised into themes. Raw data was manually analysed and no soft ware was used in the analysis. The findings of this study show that HODs in the sampled schools experience a number of challenges in the areas of curriculum planning. They also experience other challenges in performing leadership, middle management and classroom teaching roles at the same time. It has become evident that it is extremely difficult to perform management and multi-grade teaching functions at the same time. Another issue is that one of human and material support. There is lack of LTSM, there is lack of support from district officials and HODs do not have time to provide capacity building and support for the staff. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjamas Joniškio rajono savivaldybės administracijos Švietimo ir sporto skyriaus vaidmuo įgyvendinant švietimo reformas. Bakalauro baigiamojo darbo tyrimo tikslas - identifikuoti Švietimo skyriaus vaidmenį įgyvendinant švietimo reformas, remiantis Joniškio rajono Savivaldybės administracijos Švietimo ir sporto skyriaus atvejo analizė. Baigiamojo darbo teorinėje dalyje analizuojama švietimo reformos įgyvendinimo samprata vietos savivaldos lygmeniu, t.y. viešojo valdymo reformos samprata pokyčių valdymo kontekste, švietimo reformos samprata (sąsajos su kaitos procesais, inovacijomis, užsienio šalių reformų lyginamoji analizė), taip pat vietos savivaldos institucijų veikla reformų įgyvendinimo kontekste. Baigiamojo bakalauro darbo empirinėje dalyje tiriamas Švietimo skyriaus darbuotojų požiūris apie Švietimo reformų įgyvendinimą bei tai kokį vaidmenį reformų įgyvendinime atlieka Joniškio rajono administracijos Švietimo ir sporto skyrius. Taip pat tyrimo metu paaiškėjo ir darbuotojų nuomonė dėl galimų švietimo sistemos pokyčių, t.y. kokių lūkesčių darbuotojai turi būtent švietimo sistemai. Empirinėje dalyje pateikiama ir teisės aktų reglamentuojančių Švietimo skyriaus veiklą analizė (darbuotojų pareigybių aprašai, švietimo strategijos, nuostatai, švietimo gairės). Tyrimo metu nustatyta, kad švietimo skyriaus darbuotojai Švietimo skyriaus veiklą reformų įgyvendinimo procese vertina teigiamai ir mano, kad švietimo politikos įgyvendinimas vietos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The role of Department of Education in implementing education reforms in Joniskis municipality administration is being analyzed in the final thesis. The research objectives of the Bachelor thesis is to identify the role of Department of Education in implementing education reforms, based on case study of the Department of Education and Sports of Joniskis municipality administration. In the theoretical part of the final thesis the concept of education reform implementation is being analyzed within the level of local self-government, that is the concept of public management reform within the context of change management, the concept of educational reform (the interface with the processes of change, innovations, comparative analysis of reforms of foreign countries), as well as the activities of local self-government within the context of reform implementation. In the empirical part of the final thesis the attitudes of the employees working at the Department of Education regarding the implementation of educational reform and what role is undertaken by the Department of Education and Sports of Joniskis municipality administration in the implementation of the reforms are being analyzed. Also the researched revealed what is the employees’ position on the possible changes in the education system, which is what expectations the employees have towards the education system. The empirical part also presents the analysis of legislation regulating the activities of the Department of... [to full text]

The eighth educational reform in China is experiencing a critical period. In the implementation process of this New Curriculum Reform (NCR), teachers become the target of criticism for their failure to act on the new ideas of the NCR. This research focuses on the question, “Why teachers accept the ideas of the NCR yet fail to implement these ideas in their daily teaching?” Through reflecting on my own teaching experience and interviewing a group of Chinese Language Arts teachers in a Beijing model high school, I collected qualitative data to create 8 ethnographic stories, showing teachers’ bodily, emotional and intrapersonal experiences that are rarely published in the academic world. Conclusions show that the coexistence of the new and old curriculum systems causes the discordance of school cultures, and teachers are suffering silently. Recommendations are made for researchers returning to teachers’ bodily experiences for solutions that can integrate reform ideals and reality. / Graduate / 0727 / wwang15473@gmail.com

The eighth educational reform in China is experiencing a critical period. In the implementation process of this New Curriculum Reform (NCR), teachers become the target of criticism for their failure to act on the new ideas of the NCR. This research focuses on the question, “Why teachers accept the ideas of the NCR yet fail to implement these ideas in their daily teaching?” Through reflecting on my own teaching experience and interviewing a group of Chinese Language Arts teachers in a Beijing model high school, I collected qualitative data to create 8 ethnographic stories, showing teachers’ bodily, emotional and intrapersonal experiences that are rarely published in the academic world. Conclusions show that the coexistence of the new and old curriculum systems causes the discordance of school cultures, and teachers are suffering silently. Recommendations are made for researchers returning to teachers’ bodily experiences for solutions that can integrate reform ideals and reality. / Graduate / 0727 / wwang15473@gmail.com

The role of the evaluation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) enterprises including educational development has become critical after increasing “aid fatigue” experienced by the international community in the 1990s. To date, however, monitoring and evaluating outcomes of the projects has been limited to the project life. Consequently these have been mainly through the international aid agencies. Furthermore, the monitoring and evaluation led by international aid agencies have paid little attention to aspects of the sustainability of technical cooperation in educational development. To sustain the impact of technical cooperation, the reinforcement of evaluation has drawn increasing attention in light of the emerging modalities in international development. Therefore this research was inspired to investigate alternative evaluation frameworks for an educational reform project for teacher quality improvement that may increase possibilities for long term sustainability. Importantly, the new modalities in international development and educational issues provide new options. In addition, the research reviewed theoretical and practical issues surrounding evaluation in general, and highlighted the evaluation of education reform projects. The research reported explored via case studies, the evaluation processes employed by the Egyptian education reform projects implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The case studies used three data sources (archival and relevant documents, a survey questionnaire and interviews) to illuminate the contextually-embedded evaluation processes. The research found that process evaluation is a potential alternative method since it is likely to be locally institutionalised, which may yield long-term sustainability of the projects.