Policy and practice in Tanzanian secondary education since 1967

This article traces the evolution of history education, north and south of the Irish border since partition of the island in 1921. It begins with an historical overview of the situation common across Ireland prior to partition. Subsequent developments in history provision in elementary, primary and early secondary education are traced in each of the two jurisdictions that emerged after partition, the Irish Free State, which became the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland. In each case, the educational and political imperatives of each, which shaped these changes, and resulted in divergence, are identified, analysed and compared. Evidence is drawn from the dominant literature in each jurisdiction and on relevant curriculum documents. The paper concludes by demonstrating that in a post-modern, increasingly globalised world, shared educational ideas and political aspirations emerging from the Irish peace process are acting to bring the respective history curricula back into symmetry and, thereby, providing opportunities for increased co-operation.

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Using Data to Advance Educational Research, Policy, and Practice: Design, Content, and Research Potential of the Netherlands Cohort Study on Education

European Sociological Review ◽

10.1093/esr/jcaa027 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 643-662

Author(s):

Carla Haelermans ◽

Timo Huijgen ◽

Madelon Jacobs ◽

Mark Levels ◽

Rolf van der Velden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Secondary Education ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Educational Research ◽

Research Policy ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Register Data ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Data Set ◽

Primary And Secondary Education

Abstract In many countries, the quality of (large-scale quantitative) educational research is threatened by data challenges. In this article, we present an innovative data research project from the Netherlands in which many of the challenges that come forward in previous literature are addressed. The Netherlands Cohort Study on Education [in Dutch abbreviated as NCO (Nationaal Cohortonderzoek Onderwijs)] uses longitudinal register data on track placement of cohorts of pupils in primary and secondary education from Statistics Netherlands, which will be combined with school admin data on pupils’ performance and data from the major (inter)national surveys. NCO maps pupils’ pathways and performances through primary and secondary education and their trajectory into tertiary education. NCO so far covers more than 10 complete cohorts and is complemented with the newest data every year. These registers are made available at Statistics Netherlands. A major contribution of NCO is that data from school administrative systems and additional research projects are linked with administrative register data, thereby creating a unique data set that enriches not only research, but also policy and practice. This data brief elaborates on the possibilities of this database by exploring and following one of the cohorts over time.

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Evidence-based publications on upper secondary education in Iceland, 2003–2012

Icelandic Review of Politics & Administration ◽

10.13177/irpa.a.2020.16.1.3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 43-64

Author(s):

Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir ◽

Ingólfur Ásgeir Jóhannesson ◽

Jón Torfi Jónasson ◽

Brynja E. Halldórsdóttir

Keyword(s):

Secondary Education ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Scholarly Work ◽

External Evaluation ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Upper Secondary Education ◽

Upper Secondary ◽

Number Of Publications ◽

Vocational Studies ◽

Collection Methods

Globally, there is a demand for basing education policy decisions and practice on solid evidence. While the same applies in Iceland, some have claimed that there is a dearth of evidence-based publications targeted at education. This article considers this claim by examining the availability and nature of evidencebased publications with a focus on upper secondary education in Iceland. In total, the main characteristics of 316 publications were studied over the period 2003–2012. These publications included peer-reviewed articles, non-reviewed scholarly work (articles and reports), master’s and doctoral theses, external evaluation reports, and innovation reports. The findings reveal a hidden treasure of a number of publications targeted at upper secondary education in Iceland. Some educational fields are still weakly represented in the evidence spectrum, such as vocational studies, and the data collection methods are relatively few. Furthermore, the main stakeholders are isolated from one another to a degree. Such isolation is problematic, as evidence-based publications are intended to inform both policy and practice. Thus, the study suggests an increased need for cooperation among the main stakeholders in upper secondary education.

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