Reconceptualizing the Republic: Diversity and Education in France, 1945–2008

Since the nineteenth century, France, not unlike the United States, has experienced significant immigration and, as a result, great flux. Yet, the French public discourse and policy instruments concerned with ethnic and racial diversities evolved in sharp contrast to those in the United States. Whereas U.S. nation-building incorporated the recognition of ethnoracial identities, with all of its trials and tribulations, the French nation's trajectory assumed a unitary form. Recent developments, however, point to changes in the Republic's projection of its identity and its citizenry. An analysis of school teaching finds that the Republic is now re-envisioned as open and tolerant of diversity, though more from a universalistic, normative perspective—increasingly indexed at the transnational level—than from a perspective that privileges France's immigrant and colonial past. </jats:p

Heterogeneous Returns to Human Capital and Dynamic Self-Selection

We estimate a structural dynamic programming model of schooling decisions and obtain individual specific estimates of the local (and average) returns to schooling as well as the returns to experience. Homogeneity of the returns to human capital is strongly rejected in favor of a discrete distribution version of the random coefficient specification. The results indicate that individuals who have the higher returns to schooling are also those who have the higher returns to experience. There is a 5.9 percentage points difference in the average return to schooling at college graduation between high and low market ability individuals (2.3% vs 8.2%) and a 5.4 percentage points difference in the return to experience upon entrance in the labor market (3.1% vs 8.5%). When averaged over all types, the return to experience in the early phase of the life cycle (6.8%) exceeds the average return to schooling (6.4% at college graduation). After conditioning on a specific type, the log wage regression function remains rather convex in schooling. The conflictual effects of the returns to schooling and experience on schooling decisions imply weak dynamic self-selection; that is educational attainments are only weakly correlated with individual differences in the returns to schooling. Dans cet article, nous estimons un modèle de programmation dynamique des choix en éducation dans lequel les rendements moyens et marginaux (en éducation et en expérience) sont propres à chaque individu. Nos résultats indiquent une forte corrélation positive entre rendements en éducation et rendements en expérience. Après avoir intégré les effets individuels aléatoires, la fonction de salaire est de forme convexe (les rendements en éducation croissent avec l'éducation). Les effets antagonistes des rendements en éducation et en expérience impliquent une très faible corrélation entre les rendements individuels et l'éducation observée.Local returns to schooling, average returns, dynamic programming, dynamic self-selection, Rendements locaux en éducation, rendements moyens, programmation dynamique, auto-sélection dynamique

The changing status of French academics: what are their attitudes towards English as a language of research and instruction?

Titre en français: Enseignants-chercheurs: apprendre l’anglais pour enseigner en anglais. Quelles sont les attitudes des enseignants-chercheurs face à l’évolution de leur statuts? En France, les enseignants-chercheurs utilisent l’anglais pour écrire des articles scientifiques et pour participer à des colloques internationaux. Désormais ils seront également invités à enseigner des matières scientifiques en anglais. Comment vivent-ils ces différentes obligations d’employer cette langue dans le cadre de leur travail ? Lors de cette enquête sociolinguistique menée à la Faculté des Sciences de Nantes, des chercheurs ont partagé leurs sentiments vis à vis de leur vécu d’apprenants et d’utilisateurs de l’anglais sur une durée d’au moins 20 années. Les outils méthodologiques ont été des questionnaires, des narrations d’expérience en forme de “journal intime de l’apprenant”, des schémas en forme de mind-map, des tables rondes et des entretiens filmés et enregistrés. Cette étude socio-interactive s’appuie sur des théories d’identités professionnelles et communautaires (Zhang, Meinhoff, Wenger). De plus, suite à cette campagne d’entretiens, certains enseignants-chercheurs ont pu s’exprimer sur leur vécu à propos de la loi Fioraso. Nous avons ainsi réfléchi sur l’impact qu’elle pourrait avoir sur les vies professionnelles au sein de la communauté scientifique internationale. Nous articulerons donc nos réflexions autour de ces vécus d’enseignants-chercheurs (ponctués d’exemples) pour mieux comprendre les effets de cette interaction complexe qu’ils entretiennent par nécessité avec la langue anglaise. Une relation professionnelle avec la langue anglaise, comme vecteur de connaissances, peut en effet influencer des aspects identitaires, tels la vie personnelle, communautaire et relationnelle. The aim of this article is to highlight some examples from a recent and ongoing socio-linguistic study carried out at Nantes science faculty. The participants, who are researchers at Nantes science faculty, France, were asked to reflect on how they had learnt English, how they used it today and how they perceived using it in the future. The context of the Fiaroso law (2013) also meant that the participants of this study could imagine teaching their specialist subject in the near future. The recent law has had an impact on the interest in my own study on English is used and perceived by members of a scientific community. The qualitative data were helpful in answering the research questions: How do certain scientists at Nantes science faculty relate to a perceived obligation of having to use English at work, how does being part of a professional scientific community relate to attitudes to L2 English and how do individuals position themselves within the macro-institutional context of the Fioraso law (2013)? This paper will describe the current institutional legislation concerning the use of English in French higher education. The main arguments will be centred on how institutional, global and local attitudes come into play in one individual. The data for this study was collected via questionnaires, semi-directive interviews, mind-mapping, classroom observations and teacher journals. The methodology will be explained and a few examples of the arising data will be given. This socio-interactive study is based on theories of professional identity (Zhang 2007, Mondada 2013) where the individual is considered within communities of practice (Wenger 1999, Norton 2000)

Key schedule algorithm based on coordinate geometry of a three-dimensional hybrid cube

Cryptographic algorithms play an important role in information security where it ensures the security of data across the network or storage. A key schedule algorithm is the mechanism that generates and schedules all session-keys for the encryption process. The 2-dimensional hybrid cube is generated based on permutation and combination of integer numbers that are utilized in the construction of encryption and decryption key in the non-binary block cipher. The generation of key space by using the 2-dimensional hybrid cubes are not sufficient to resist attacks and could easily be exploited. Therefore, the large key space is more desirable to resist any attack on the secret key. This research proposed a new Key Schedule Algorithm based on the coordinate geometry of a Hybrid Cube (KSAHC) for the non-binary block cipher. By using the three-dimensional hybrid cube in KSAHC transformation, encryption keys are represented as n × n × n matrix of integer numbers and used in the development of the permutation and substitution of order 4 square matrix. Triangular Coordinate Extraction (TCE) technique has also been introduced to extract the coordinates during the rotation of Hybrid Cube surface (HCs) and plays an important role in the development of KSAHC algorithm. The Hybrid Cube Encryption Algorithm (HiSea) has been implemented to validate the encryption keys that are generated from the proposed algorithm. The strength of the keys and ciphertext are compared with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), HiSea, and Dynamic Key Schedule Algorithm (DKSA). The proposed KSAHC algorithm has been validated using the randomness test proposed and recommended by NIST, the average result of avalanche test is 93%, entropy is 0.9968, correlation assessment test is -0.000601 and having large key space 2.70 × 1067 keys that makes the Brute Force attack difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, it can be concluded that the strength and validity of KSAHC algorithm have been enhanced as compared to other algorithms and can serve as the alternative algorithm in designing security systems

L’éducation en vue d’un développement durable: enjeux, objectifs et pistes pratiques interdisciplinaires

Le présent article propose des pistes de réflexion susceptibles d'aider à penser les programmes scolaires à travers l'idée d'urie éducation en vue d'un développement durable (EDD). Le développement durable (DD) est un projet de société et un choix politique. Il nécessite l'acquisition de connaissances pour comprendre les problématiques complexes et interdisciplinaires auxquelles il fait référence. Mais plus encore, il nous conduit vers des modes de raisonnement et des logiques qui nous sont peu habituels. Penser une éducation en vue d'un développement durable doit donc prendre en compte des particularités qui portent autant sur des aspects cognitifs (les modes de raisonnement et les connaissances) que sur des aspects affectifs et émotionnels (liés notamment aux valeurs, aux paradigmes et aux imaginaires) ou politiques et économiques (éducation citoyenne, principe de responsabilité). Enfin, cette éducation ayant une visée pragmatique, la question du passage à l'action ne doit pas être éludée. Les pistes pédagogiques qui conduisent vers une telle éducation portent en elles les germes d'un enseignement différent, organisé de manière non dogmatique, et osant aborder les valeurs et surtout leur clarification

Exchange rate of Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) forecasting using decomposition method

The Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) foreign exchange rate has fallen to the lowest level since the 2008 global credit crisis [1]. Hence, the selection of countries for three selected continents in the world has been conducted to study their currency exchange rate and investigate this statement. USD, EUR and MYR currency were selected for data. The data of a daily exchange rate of USD-MYR, EUR-MYR and CNY-MYR were obtained from the official website Bank Negara Malaysia [2] and be used in forecasting process. The project objectives are to forecast Malaysia currency for future incoming October 2016 by using the Decomposition method and to predict the rate of Malaysia currency for incoming October 2016 until through assessing and analyzing by Microsoft Excel

Evaluation of anti-tuberculosis potentials of selected medicinal plants in Endau Rompin, Johor, Malaysia

Tuberculosis (TB) remains an escalating health crisis globally which prompts new approaches to find more effective therapeutic strategies. Medicinal plants of Malaysia have a significant role to play in being able to provide new therapeutic remedies. The local people of Kampung Peta (Jakun tribe), Endau Rompin claimed that local preparations of some plants are used to treat symptoms of tuberculosis. There is a need to validate the claim by tradition healers scientifically. The aim of this research is to search for anti-TB from plants of Taman Negara Johor Endau-Rompin, exploiting the traditional medical practices of the Jakun people. Aqueous and organic extracts of these plant species were screened for their antimycobacterial activity using agar disk diffusion assay, Tetrazolium Microplate Assay and agar plate assay against Mycobacterium smegmatis. The effect of the extract on mycobacterial cell at the cellular level was investigated upon treatment with the crude extracts via time-kill analysis, leakage of compound absorbing at 280nm, and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The findings revealed that methanol extract of Nepenthes ampularia displayed the largest zone of inhibition (DIZ=18.67 ± 0.58 mm). Ethyl acetate extract of Musa gracilis and hexane extract of N. ampularia exhibited the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC=0.39 mg/mL). Hexane extract of N. ampularia showed the lowest minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC= 1.56 mg/mL). At 3-fold of MIC, hexane extract of N. ampularia, ethyl acetate extract of M. gracilis and ethyl acetate extract of N. ampularia killed the entire bacterial cell within 8 h of exposure by causing the cell lysis. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of phytoconstituents that might contribute to the antimycobacterial effect. The study scientifically justified the use of the selected medicinal plant species by Jakun people. Further studies on N. ampularia and M. gracilis could lead to the development of new anti-TB drugs

L'entretien de corégulation en éducation thérapeutique du patient

International audienceNous nous inscrivons dans le courant de recherche en didactique professionnelle sur les relations de service. En éducation thérapeutique du patient, nous mettrons l'accent sur le travail avec un autre : le patient et sur la coopération soignant-soigné. Nous proposons une méthode, celle des entretiens de corégulation : le patient y tient sa place, à la différence des autres méthodes d'analyse de l'activité qui ne mobilisent que les professionnels. Ses bénéfices sont ceux de l'élicitation des connaissances et des concepts organisateurs dans la gestion de la santé. MOTS-CLÉS : Éducation thérapeutique du patient, entretien de corégulation, activité de service, didactique professionnelle, santé. L'entretien de corégulation en éducation thérapeutique du patient

Les Organisations de la Société Civile et la Lutte Contre la Pauvreté en Afrique Subsaharienne

The paper presents the role played by civil society organisations to bring down the poverty

Vocation, motivation and approaches to learning: a comparative study

Purpose – The individual characteristics of students can have a strong influence on the success of the adopted innovations in terms of their transferability and sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to compare the motivations and approaches to learning on degrees with differing vocational components. Design/methodology/approach – Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and approaches to learning framework were used as theoretical background. Questionnaires were used to generate data. The sample was composed by 270 students enroled on differing degrees in term of motivation (accounting and nursing). Findings – The results reveal differences in the approaches to learning and motivation between nursing and accounting students. Nursing degree seem to attract more internally motivated students, presenting significantly higher scores in terms of deep approach and lower scores on surface approach. Significant relationships where found between motivation and approaches. Research limitations/implications – Data are obtained from students studying at a specific university in two degrees. Practical implications – The result suggest that different degrees could attract students with different motivations and approaches to learning. Educators must be aware of which type of students are being attracted to their classrooms, because the inconsistencies between the students’ motives and approaches, the way the contents are presented, the pedagogy and the assessment system could result in poorer learning and failure to transfer or sustain innovations. Originality/value – This paper adds to the very scarce literature linking motivation and approaches. The implications for curriculum design and delivery and specifically for assessment design are of interest for educators.Junta de Andalucía – FEDER (Proyectos de Excelencia: SEJ-02670