A promessa não aproveitada do uso de dados secundários na investigação internacional e comparada das políticas educativas

The objective of this commentary is to call attention to the feasibility and importance of large-scale, systematic, quantitative analysis in international and comparative education research. We contend that although many existing databases are under- or unutilized in quantitative international-comparative research, these resources present the opportunity for important, policy-relevant descriptive studies. We conclude the commentary with overarching observations about the strengths and limitations of such secondary data-based analysis.El objetivo de este comentario es señalar la viabilidad y la importancia del análisis cuantitativo, sistemático, y a gran escala en la investigación de la educación comparada internacional. Sostenemos que aunque muchas bases de datos existentes están poco o no utilizados en la investigación internacional y comparativa cuantitativa, estos recursos tienen mucho potencial para hacer estudios descriptivos importantes y relevantes para la política. Concluimos el comentario con observaciones generales sobre las ventajas y las desventajas de análisis basado en datos secundarios. O objetivo deste comentário é destacar a viabilidade e a importância das análise quantitativa, sistemática e investigação em grande escala na educação comparada internacional. Argumentamos que, enquanto muitos bancos de dados existentes são pouco ou não utilizados na investigação internacional e comparada quantitativa, esses recursos têm um grande potencial para estudos descritivos importantes e relevantes para as políticas. Nós concluímos o comentário com observações gerais sobre as vantagens e desvantagens de análise com base em dados secundários

International Cooperation in Teacher Training and the Supply of Qualified Teachers: Lessons from the United States Peace Corps

For the first time in the history of global education goals, the United Nations Sustainable Development Target 4c specified the increase of qualified teachers as a means to achieve important educational outcomes. Target 4c also identified international cooperation as an important lever to increase the supply of qualified teachers in low-income countries. But what is the evidence that international cooperation can be an effective strategy to increase the supply of qualified teachers in such contexts? We explore this question by examining the educational work of the United States Peace Corps, which has supported teacher quality improvement in over 100 countries. We examine the Peace Corps’ philosophy and approach to educational improvement, the Peace Corps’ efforts to improve teacher quality in low income countries, and evidence of the impact of the Peace Corps’ work on the supply of qualified teachers in the countries where it works. Finally, we discuss important implications and lessons learned from the Peace Corps experience to strengthen the positive impact of international cooperation on teacher quality improvement in developing contexts

Evaluation und Qualitätsmanagement in der Arbeitsmarktpolitik : einige systematische Vorüberlegungen und praktische Ansätze zur lokalen Umsetzung (Evaluation and quality management in labour market policy : some systematic preliminary considerations and practical approaches for local implementation)

"The first part of the treatise deals with the relationship between evaluation and quality management in labour market policy. The considerations on this point refer mainly to the fact that one-dimensional evaluation approaches based solely upon the results of integration balances are problematic both scientifically and socio-politically and especially as regards practical knowledge. They are dubious in scientific terms because in the studies they deal only with intended effects but not in any way with unintended effects; as far as social policy is concerned they are counter-productive as the exclusive look at entry rates in the selection of participants for measures leads to 'recruitment of the best' - in other words the allocative efficiency runs suboptimally; in terms of practical knowledge they are often not very useful since here there are usually hardly any indications of why integration processes have run more or less well. Against the background of this the paper argues in favour of a polyvalent evaluation concept which, especially in the sense of quality management, does not look only at results/products (e.g. labour market entries), but examines processes (e.g. gaining of self-confidence among unemployed individuals), looks at structural conditions (e.g. links) and above all makes the quality of the process a subject of the analyses - in other words how and with what techniques and procedures the tasks are dealt with in the projects/measures for the unemployed. The second part of the treatise then relates the preliminary considerations to practical experience. Here a model project (in accordance with §10 of the Social Code III) is presented in which the labour and social administrations tried out individual made-to-measure methods of development and placement assistance (DPA) for long-term unemployed people with supplementary receipt of social assistance, in order to open up new prospects for this group, too. From the wealth of the various results from the evaluation for the model project, which was evaluated using an experimental and control group design following the polyvalent approach, the paper selects two areas for the following discussions: firstly it looks (conventionally) at the product quality, i.e. at the integration balance, and this is done in comparison with results obtained from two control groups, parallel to the model project, which had deliberately not been given the opportunity to take part in the measure. The survey results in the integration results, which diverge from the original study hypothesis - i.e. the relatively poor entry results in the model project - are then in the paper the reason for looking into an additional assumption: this is the consideration that a suboptimal quality of the procedures and methods in the project could possibly explain the comparatively low level of labour market success. Accordingly this is then followed by a presentation of some results from the examination of this quality dimension, which were the subject of multi-dimensional analyses in the polyvalent evaluation concept of the study. An assessment in this respect of the instruments used by the project organisers for the development and placement assistance in the model, which results in largely poor assessments from independent experts in the overall evaluation leads to the assumption that there could still be quite considerable optimisation possibilities in the methodology of the work with hard-to-place longterm unemployed people. The concluding reflection of the paper then deals with these optimisation possibilities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))Arbeitsmarktpolitik, Langzeitarbeitslose, Wirkungsforschung, Qualitätsmanagement, berufliche Reintegration - Erfolgskontrolle

International Evidence on Effective Early Childhood Care and Education Programs: A Review of Best Practices

In recent years, the United States has made substantial progress in the quality and availability of early childhood education (ECE), especially in the areas of special education and ECE programs for low-income families. Nonetheless, there is room for improvement in terms of access and quality. To improve access and quality in ECE, the United States can look to best practices in ECE in other countries. A total of 49 sources were reviewed to develop an in-depth understanding of both ECE in the United States and international ECE best practices. Sources were chosen based on relevance and quality and included books, articles, and policy reports. These sources covered the ECE best practices in increasing funding, access, and quality. From developed to developing countries, this review provides an understanding of best practices in ECE throughout the world that the United States can learn from to enhance ECE for the wellbeing of children as well as society

20 Years of TIMSS: Lessons for Indonesia

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has been administered to countries around the world every four years since 1995, generating rich cross-national data on school resources and student achievement that can inform policy and classroom practice. Although Indonesia has participated in every round of TIMSS, there is very little published research in English drawing educational lessons from these data for Indonesia. In this article, I described Indonesia’s performance on TIMSS over time and relative to other countries. Reviewing TIMSS reports on mathematics and science, I offered both positive and negative lessons from Indonesia’s participation in TIMSS since 1995

On Leśniewski’s Characteristica Universalis

Leśniewski's systems deviate greatly from standard logic in some basic features. The deviant aspects are rather well known, and often cited among the reasons why Leśniewski's work enjoys little recognition. This paper is an attempt to explain why those aspects should be there at all. Leśniewski built his systems inspired by a dream close to Leibniz's characteristica universalis: a perfect system of deductive theories encoding our knowledge of the world, based on a perfect language. My main claim is that Leśniewski built his characteristica universalis following the conditions of de Jong and Betti's Classical Model of Science (2008) to an astounding degree. While showing this I give an overview of the architecture of Leśniewski's systems and of their fundamental characteristics. I suggest among others that the aesthetic constraints Leśniewski put on axioms and primitive terms have epistemological relevance. © The Author(s) 2008

Teacher Voice in Global Conversations around Education Access, Equity, and Quality

Despite public commitments internationally and nationally to include the voices of all stakeholders, the voices of teachers have continued to be marginalized in the literature and in policy-making related to global educational development. The purpose of the current study is to examine the process of invoking teacher voice using a sample of international teachers participating in a US-based teacher exchange program. Toward this end, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 teachers from 14 countries and four continents (all participants in the Teaching Excellence and Achievement [TEA] program). Results demonstrate that teacher voice was more personal rather than systemic, narrative rather than propositional, and utilized colloquial vocabulary rather than technical jargon. Teacher voice is also not always positive, but can be biased, critical, or judgmental. Nonetheless, the interviews also illustrate the critical necessity of including teacher voice in educational planning and decision-making

Neurological Disease Detection and Monitoring from Voice Production

The dramatic impact of neurological degenerative pathologies in life quality is a growing concern. It is well known that many neurological diseases leave a fingerprint in voice and speech production. Many techniques have been designed for the detection, diagnose and monitoring the neurological disease. Most of them are costly or difficult to extend to primary attention medical services. Through the present paper it will be shown how some neurological diseases can be traced at the level of phonation. The detection procedure would be based on a simple voice test. The availability of advanced tools and methodologies to monitor the organic pathology of voice would facilitate the implantation of these tests. The paper hypothesizes that some of the underlying mechanisms affecting the production of voice produce measurable correlates in vocal fold biomechanics. A general description of the methodological foundations for the voice analysis system which can estimate correlates to the neurological disease is shown. Some study cases will be presented to illustrate the possibilities of the methodology to monitor neurological diseases by voic