published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Based on the history of Chinese higher education and a historical comparative study, the research has drawn the outline of China’s higher education reform throughout its development while discovering a relatively weak historical continuity through the comparison between the two reforms at Peking University, namely the historic reform initiated by renowned educator Cai Yuanpei during 1917-1927 and the contemporary case of Yuanpei College. Guided by the question ‘Is Yuanpei College a legacy of Cai Yuanpei?’, the study examined both cases from different angles such as reform objectives, theoretical foundation, principles and the main strategies applied. Major factors that contributed to the success and constraints in both reforms are revealed and, at the end of the comparison, a conclusion was made that Yuanpei College, though named after the university’s former President Cai, is not a direct legacy of Cai Yuanpei due to various reasons related to history and the environment of reform. A set of suggestions are given by the research to deal with the problems that China has encountered during its reforms in areas such as the educational-societal relation, the stress on core values, the indigenization of international experiences and the crucial role of traditional Chinese culture in forming the Chinese model of a university that has a great potential to make unique contributions to the world. To succeed in higher education reforms, core values and a long-term vision is required from the policy makers. Finally, the research stressed on the significance of adopting a historical and cultural perspective when China determines her future directions in higher education reforms. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

No description available.

This dissertation examines the role of information in influencing both individuals' college outcomes and the productivity of a higher education system. It focuses in particular on large-scale educational reforms that raise different mechanisms than those in the existing literature on the returns to college attendance and college quality. Recent work has shown that the choices of whether to attend college and which college to attend can both affect individuals' future earnings. These papers typically focus on a narrow subset of students or schools to credibly identify the effects of college choice. This dissertation instead uses data on the near universe of college students in an entire country to explore informational mechanisms that are difficult to isolate in existing work. To do this, I exploit reforms to the higher education system in Colombia that affect the information on individual ability that is transmitted to colleges, to employers, or to students themselves. This allows me to adapt traditional labor economic topics like employer learning (Jovanovic, 1979) and assortative matching (Becker, 1973) to the context of higher education. In addition, the large-scale nature of these reforms raises general equilibrium issues that may not arise from marginal changes in college admissions (e.g., Heckman, Lochner and Taber, 1998). In Chapter 1, "Assortative Matching and Complementarity in College Markets," I examine one type of assortative matching in college markets: students with high socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to attend high quality colleges. Assortativity matters if SES and college quality are complementary educational inputs. I develop an econometric framework that provides tests for the existence and sign of this complementarity. I implement these tests by exploiting a 2000 reform of the national college admission exam in Colombia, which caused a market-wide reduction in assortative matching in some regions of the country. I find that the reform lowered average graduation rates and post-college earnings in affected regions, consistent with a positive complementarity between SES and college quality. I also find evidence of mismatch: part of these negative effects came from the low SES students who were shifted into higher quality colleges. However, both the market-wide and mismatch effects die out several cohorts after the exam reform, which suggests that complementarity may evolve with large-scale changes in assortativity. In Chapter 2, "The Big Sort: College Reputation and Labor Market Outcomes," W. Bentley MacLeod, Juan E. Saavedra, Miguel Urquiola, and I ask how college reputation affects the process by which students choose colleges and find their first jobs. We incorporate a simple definition of college reputation---graduates' mean admission scores---into a competitive labor market model. This generates a clear prediction: if employers use reputation to set wages, then the introduction of a new measure of individual skill will decrease the return to reputation. We confirm this prediction by exploiting a natural experiment from the introduction of a college exit exam in the country of Colombia. Finally, we show that college reputation is positively correlated with graduates' earnings growth, suggesting that reputation matters beyond signaling individual skill. Finally, in Chapter 3, "Time Gaps in Academic Careers," I ask if interruptions in students' academic careers can lower their overall schooling attainment. I study an academic calendar shift in Colombia that created a one semester time gap between high school and potential college entry. This brief gap reduced college enrollment rates relative to unaffected regions. Low SES students were more likely to forgo college, and individuals who did enroll after the gap chose higher paying majors. Thus academic time gaps can affect both the mean and the distribution of schooling attainment, with implications for the design of education systems and for wage inequality.

This study is an attempt to share with others, the experiences of two people who have worked to extend the range of choices in the provisions for schooling in a small provincial city. As experienced teachers as well as parents we felt that the provision of choice was essential if quality and involvement were to be increased. We were concerned both about our own children and about schooling in general. What follows is a case study of our efforts. It is a personal account of the events, the problems and the successes and failures. Although an attempt has been made to see these events clearly, to describe them as they happened, it is quite definitely written from our own point of view. In writing this account there has been a need for selectivity in regard to specific details and emphasis. The study sets out to provide sufficient detail to explain the processes involved without intruding too far into individual personalities and attitudes. Nevertheless, these events involve actual people and readers will form their own impressions. Since one of the important factors in attempts to bring about this sort of change is the personalities of the persons involved, the details are important. The writing of the study will have been worthwhile if the experiences offered here help readers gain insight into their own involvement in bringing about change or increase their awareness of the need for careful planning as well as commitment. If it poses further questions and reactions we would be delighted to hear them. Throughout the study I have used the collective "we" to signify both my wife and myself. On occasions indicated, the "we" included a variety of other people. A Chronology of Events (see Appendix A, page 64) is included since events referred to in separate chapters were occurring simultaneously. It should also be stressed that although the account ends at a certain point our activities continue.

In early 1983, the Catholic Education Authority in Sydney issued a major curriculum document for the systems 210 Primary schools on Religious Education. One year after the documents' release there was evidence of its negligible impact in classrooms. Studies of overseas, Australian, and local system-level changes supported the view that there was relatively limited documentation of the processes followed in the implementation of system-level change. As its starting point, the Field Study pursues the development in eight schools of a system-stimulated implementation process over twelve months. A historical perspective of the system is given; implementation of change is defined; and the approach used in the study is sited in the theoretical context of Action Research. The body of the study is written in an 'inter-leaving' style. In each Chapter a chronological descriptive approach is followed and, as appropriate, theoretical considerations are introduced as a method of reflection and interpretation of the process. Among the processes under investigation, major consideration is given to planning, monitoring and collaborative staff development. The specific strategy of change developed is that of a Co-operative Peer Support Scheme, based on Goodlad's concept of a "league". Concerns - Based Adoption Methodology (CBAM) is used as a monitoring technique. An original contribution to the monitoring processes is the invention and application of a micro-computer program for analysis of the Stages of Concern of the teacher participants in the Project. The salient findings of the Study are that the particular plan had been effective, and that system planning can only be directional. Monitoring procedures that are are amenable to use in system-level change were demonstrated to have been useful. Clear focussing of issues, the generation of locally produced learning materials, and conscious use of adult learning process enhances the outcomes of the Project. Finally, the goal-free descriptive approach followed identifies more sharply new questions requiring further exploration: mechanisms leading to group formation; the interrelationship between psychic-group and socio-group processes; the roles of change-agents and the support system; and the quality of use rather than the percentage of users.

The World Health Organisation has developed a concept of ecological health- a notion that health, using a broad definition, is a product of the societies and environments in which we live. It is the aim of the WHO to achieve "Health for All by the Year 2000." This reform agenda incorporates education as a tool for social change. This study investigates the role of education in social change, with local and global health as an objective. The background to the development of this concept is outlined, as are the social issues that make this such an important perspective. Theories of social formation and the role of the school in relation to society are discussed, and the research that confirms that schools do "make a difference" reported. Definitions of change, factors affecting social change and models of change are described. Factors relating specifically to educational change are outlined and related to examples of educational change, designed to promote social change, in Australia. Case studies, composed of descriptions of schools written by staff members to illustrate the process of working towards becoming "Healthy School Communities" and transcripts of interviews, are analysed to determine the extent and type of change that is taking place within each school, and how the changes are happening. Schools reported changes to attitude, understanding, policies and practice. The analysis is then discussed, and the conclusion reached that this construct of education has some useful conceptual frameworks, for the cultural changes that are occurring in Australia and other Western cultures.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2006. / Title from PDF title page screen. Advisor: Carolyn Riehl; submitted to the School of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-162).

Traditionally, kindergarten programs have been offered in various ways across the province of Ontario (e.g., half day every day; all day, alternate day). Starting in 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Education began implementing full day, every day kindergarten in all publically funded schools. This large-scale innovation has resulted in a number of important changes. The kindergarten teacher is experiencing a variety of these changes. This qualitative study focuses on reactions and concerns of kindergarten teachers as they begin to implement full day kindergarten. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with five kindergarten teachers provide information about these reactions and concerns. The Stages of Concern framework, one aspect of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), will be used to discuss these findings and how full day kindergarten has impacted the kindergarten teacher.

Traditionally, kindergarten programs have been offered in various ways across the province of Ontario (e.g., half day every day; all day, alternate day). Starting in 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Education began implementing full day, every day kindergarten in all publically funded schools. This large-scale innovation has resulted in a number of important changes. The kindergarten teacher is experiencing a variety of these changes. This qualitative study focuses on reactions and concerns of kindergarten teachers as they begin to implement full day kindergarten. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with five kindergarten teachers provide information about these reactions and concerns. The Stages of Concern framework, one aspect of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), will be used to discuss these findings and how full day kindergarten has impacted the kindergarten teacher.