SCHOOLING AND SEX ROLES: Sex Differences in Subject Provision and Student Choice in Irish Post-Primary Schools. ESRI General Research Series Paper No. 113, May 1983

This is ill many respects a highly technical report which has had to he " designedto suit a very variable readership: the specialist researcher, the educationalist, policy-makers, parents and the interested public, and those directly concerned with making the main policy decisions at an individual school level. For those who want to find out what our main findings and conclusions are, these are summarised in Chapters 10 and I I. In addition, each chapter ends with a short summary &the main results and conclusions. For those seeking to assess the evidence and the quality of the analysis underlying our conclusions we indicate in Chapter 10 where in the text the relevant evidence is provided. For those wishing to evaluate our assumptions, the selection of the main variables in our analysis and the reliability of samples and measurements, information provided in Chapters 1 and 2 would be essential reading

Unheard Voices: First Generation Students and the Community College

First generation students are less likely to persist in college than their peers who have grown up in college educated families. This qualitative research study explores the experiences of 38 first generation students enrolled at four different community colleges in Northern and Central Oregon. During my research into first generation students, I became convinced that there was a gap in examining the lives and self-reported experiences of these students in the community college environment. The majority of first generation research has been conducted on traditional aged first generation students at four-year universities, and this research is used to inform practices at community colleges where the populations are markedly different. I chose to use the research methodologies of Narrative Inquiry and Phenomenology to examine first-hand the experiences of these students. In order to tell the stories of these students, I used Autoethnography to reflect upon my own personal experiences as a first generation student. The study sought to provide answers to the following questions: 1. How do first generation community college students balance the academic rigours of college along with the external responsibilities they have outside college. 2. What are those external and internal factors that affect the persistence of first generation students in the community college setting? The research was conducted using interviews, from which themes of shared experiences were developed. Some of these themes include factors that are tied to the success or persistence of first generation students, and provide unique insights into the lives of this population. The purpose of this thesis is to expose the lived experiences of first generation students attending community college. My hope is that this study will raise a greater awareness of the needs of first generation students and in turn improve practices in higher education

Personalisation in social work - A comparative study of the professional socialisation of social work students in a university and technical college training course

The processes of professionalisation and professional socialisation are examined both generally and in the context of an occupation undergoing professionalisation - namely social work. The way in which commitment to a profession develops amongst students in training, including changes in the conceptions which students have of the profession and situations which are important in bringing about change, is examined. There is a comparison of students in different educational institutions, a University and a Technical College, and with different educational backgrounds. The goals and structure of the institutions, including their teaching staff, are also discussed. The value of a number of models or typologies of professional socialisation, in particular the process model, in suggesting approaches to the research and in distinguishing levels of analysis, are considered. A questionnaire survey was carried out in two training courses and students were interviewed at the beginning and end of their courses. Amongst other things material was collected on the social characteristics and background of students, motivations for entry to social work, experiences on the course and aspects of identification with the profession. Information was also obtained from documentary sources and informal interviews with staff on the organisation and control of training, the curriculum and college courses, selection procedures and the characteristics of teaching staff. On the basis of this data it was possible to identify and distinguish between certain structural variables (such as student selection) and situations in which socialisation took place (such as role playing) and to suggest which variables were of greatest importance in socialisation. The information also threw some light on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various models and typologies under discussion and suggested how these might be developed and improved. Finally the data from the research is used in a discussion of some of the contemporary problems in social work training and education.<p

The role of post-disaster institutions in recovery and resilience: a comparative study of three recent disasters – Victorian Bushfires (2009), Queensland Floods (2010-11), and Canterbury Earthquakes (2010-12)

This paper addresses the fourth area of disaster management: recovery and resilience. Disasters are focusing events that can drive immediate policy change. It argues that good recovery institutions provide the adaptive capacity that enables communities to recover from natural disasters. This paper briefly describes recovery processes after three natural disasters in Australia and New Zealand between 2009 and 2011: bushfires in Victoria in 2009, flooding in Queensland from 2010-2011 and earthquakes in the Canterbury region from 2010. These cases demonstrate the importance of flexible governance arrangements. This is shown through the choice of recovery institution, evidence of institutional learning before and after disasters, the role of community engagement, response to insurance issues, and the building of resilience. Particularly important for resilience is the building of relationships between recovery institutions and local governments and communities

The Educational Practice of Ethical Leaders: A Case Study of Chilean School Leaders

It is widely acknowledged that ethical leadership is of great importance to schools. Behaving ethically is indeed an imperative for school leaders. Being an ethical educational leader is something different. It is not only about behaving according to standards but rather involves an ethical way of being that engages the leader holistically in their attempt to do the right thing for students. The purpose of this constructivist study was to explore the educational praxis of ethical school leaders in Chile. A multiple case study design was employed to gain insight into the feelings, beliefs and thoughts of ethical school leaders regarding their educational experiences. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight identified ethical school leaders. The data focused on the commonalities and uniqueness within and across participants. Six main themes about the nature of ethical leadership were identified. They included: holding personal and professional ethics as inseparable, ‘consistently’ inspiring practice, valuing others, sustaining a humane view of education, being sensitive to the complex local context, and leading as serving. These themes reflect the experience of being ethical as a school leader in Chile. It has been found that ethical leadership influences the relational context of leaders’ practice. Ethical leaders in education have been shown to influence educational contexts from a moral imperative that is grounded in a critical and humanistic concern that deeply affirms ‘others’ as a common good, rather than through any instrumental or technical change that they may initiate. The findings provide key elements of ethical leadership within the Chilean school context that can influence current and future school leaders’ practices and professional development. Moreover, becoming and being an ethical leader is indeed an experiential journey that integrates the leader’s personal and professional way of being. This research calls for priority to be given to the encouragement and development of ethical leadership

The commodification of British higher education : international student curriculum initiatives

This thesis examines the effects of market forces in UK higher education on professional practice in universities and their consequences for the educational experience of international students and those who teach them. It explores whether it is possible in practice for HEIs to reconcile the professional ethics of educators with externally set targets and economic imperatives in an environment which is commercial in orientation and where operational practices are based on a free market philosophy. Policies and practices in international student affairs in Britain are viewed in historical perspective, charting the transition of roles from guest to client with a consequent shift in the demography of the international student body. This, coinciding with a decrease in the public funding of universities, has meant that international study has grown in importance in terms of revenue. The argument is put that this has resulted in international students' acquiring a measure of consumer power the demands of which are thought to impact on British HE. Moreover, the new clients are less likely to possess cultural capital and relevant background in British institutions than their predecessors, and this is liable to impact on curriculum planning and policy making. The thesis identifies Japan as a major source of full-fee paying students. An educational profile of Japan demonstrates how the Japanese have made continuing use of international study to meet the development needs of their society. It shows how, throughout their history, they have been engaged in the importation of educational goods and services and in the consumption of international education overseas. A case study of a curriculum initiative, customised for Japanese students is presented which exemplifies the place of international study in contemporary British higher education. It is field-focused and uses a participant observer ethnographic approach underpinned by statistical data from the 1960s to the present day, thus setting the commodification issue in a historical continuum of international student policy making. The study identifies the factors and forces driving Japanese students abroad and discloses the impact of these movements on the operational practices of institutions, thus serving as a microcosm of the political economy of study abroad. The study concludes that external commercial pressures can be hazardous to academic freedom and professional autonomy yet the consequent operating environment can be exploited in the pursuance of curriculum innovation and the professional development of practitioners and planners