Occupational Control in Education: The Logic and Leverage of Epistemic Communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua L. Glazer ◽  
Donald J. Peurach
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Epistemic Community ◽  
Knowledge Generation ◽  
Epistemic Communities ◽  
Shared Set ◽  
Educational Professionals ◽  
Improving Instruction ◽  
Charter School Movement

Most current approaches to improving teaching and learning in American public schools rely on either market pressures or bureaucratic controls to leverage performance. In this article, however, authors Joshua Glazer and Donald Peurach examine occupational control as a third approach, whereby the internalization of norms, technical language, and practices among educational professionals drives coordination and knowledge generation and supports the implementation of ambitious instruction. To investigate the dynamics of occupational control, they use the concept of epistemic community to identify the mechanisms that unite practitioners into a community of practice extending beyond the borders of local work environments. They argue that underlying this is a shared set of theory, codes, and tools that govern interpretation and practice and, in their interaction, facilitate the continuous generation of knowledge. Illustrating the utility of this framework are two examples of school networks that employ the principles and mechanisms of an epistemic community and that can be interpreted as systems of occupational control. The authors conclude by arguing that the development of educational epistemic communities is critical to the success of current approaches to improving instruction in schools, most notably the Common Core State Standards and the charter school movement.

Religious actors as epistemic communities in conflict transformation: the cases of South Africa and Northern Ireland

2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 929-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
NUKHET AHU SANDAL
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Epistemic Community ◽  
Epistemic Communities ◽  
Scientific Communities ◽  
Shared Set ◽  
Contemporary Politics ◽  
Religious Actors ◽  
Shared Norms ◽  
Shed Light

AbstractWith the increasing influence of theocrats and other religious actors on policymakers and masses, recognising the agency of the clergy is crucial. This article uses the ‘epistemic communities’ framework to place the religious ‘agents’ in contemporary politics and it shows how hermeneutics can be treated as a form of ‘episteme’. Until recently, this framework has been used to explain how scientific communities affect policymaking. Using the cases of South Africa and Northern Ireland, this article claims that religious actors, especially with their shared set of normative and principled beliefs as well as shared norms of validity, also meet the requirements of the epistemic community category. The employment of this established IR framework in theorising religious politics has the potential to shed light not only on peacebuilding and mediation, but also violent movements and terrorist organisations that use religion as justification.

Students' perceptions regarding the use of ICT in learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Elisa Carreta de Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Vocational Courses

This study focuses on how students of vocational courses related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) perceive the use they make of technologies in their learning. A questionnaire survey was applied in classroom to 314 students from 4 private and public schools, with the aim of understanding if the students recognize benefits in the use of ICT in teaching and learning, by answering the 34 premises presented to them. Most students recognize benefits from the use of ICT in teaching considering it improves and facilitates learning. They recognize the need to improve the pedagogical use of ICT and that teachers from the scientific and sociocultural components still make little use of the technologies in the classroom. These students consider that the courses they take prepare them to integrate the labor market, indicating good practices in learning with and from technologies in the technical classes. The premises about the disadvantages and obstacles resulting from the use of ICT were the ones that gathered the lowest consensus among students. They consider that the use of ICT is essential in learning and preparing to work with ICT and in a broader sense to live in a society of information and knowledge.

Inquiry-Oriented Instruction in Science: Who Teaches That Way?

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Smith ◽  
Laura M. Desimone ◽  
Timothy L. Zeidner ◽  
Alfred C. Dunn ◽  
Monica Bhatt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Formal Schooling ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Science Standards ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
Improving Instruction ◽  
Nationally Representative

The expansion of the No Child Left Behind Act to include science standards and assessments is likely to refocus states’ attention on science teaching and learning. Requiring teachers to have subject majors and greater funding of professional development are two key policy levers for improving instruction in science. There has been relatively little work examining the characteristics of teachers who are most likely to initiate inquiry-oriented instruction in science classrooms. Using a nationally representative sample of the teachers of eighth grade science students, the authors found relatively strong associations between reform-oriented practice and the majors and degrees that teachers earned as part of their formal schooling, as well as their current levels of participation in content-oriented professional development activities.

scholarly journals The Malaysian EFL Education: A Brief Historical Review and Literacy Issues

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Harison Mohd. Sidek ◽  
Wahiza Wahi
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Literacy Curriculum ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Library Research ◽  
English Literacy ◽  
Higher Institutions ◽  
Document Review

Hailed as a lingua franca, the English language maintains its significance at the global level and due to such status, ithas been made a mandatory subject at the elementary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Malaysia. This paperpresents the review of English literacy in terms of its historical path and its status as a second language (EFL) issueswithin the Malaysian educational context. Document review was conducted for the study to find out the MalaysianEnglish literacy historical path. A library research on mainstream journals was carried out to find out EFL literacyissues in Malaysia. The historical review reveals that the mandatory inclusion of the English literacy in the schooland higher institutions’ curriculum could be traced back as a linguistic culturalization effect of the Britishcolonization. The review also indicates that the pattern of inclusion of the English literacy in the Malaysianeducational system seems to be developmental in nature but with some patterns of consistency at the initial stage ofits inclusion. With regards to the EFL literacy issues, the review shows that the shifting from the English to theMalay medium in public schools could be inferred as one of the root causes of the emergence of issues in the EFLliteracy amongst Malaysian learners. The outcomes of the review have implications on English literacy policy, futurerevisions of English literacy curriculum to alleviate the current EFL literacy issues and to increase its effectiveness inEFL teaching and learning in the Malaysian context.

scholarly journals The Myth of Independence as Better: Transforming Curriculum Through Disability Studies and Decoloniality

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 96-121
Author(s):  
Maria Karmiris
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Public School ◽  
Disability Studies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Teacher ◽  
Postcolonial Studies ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
School Practices ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Teachers And Students

By situating this article within disability studies, decolonial studies and postcolonial studies, my purpose is to explore orientations towards independence within public school practices and show how this serves to reinforce hierarchies of exclusion. As feminist, queer and postcolonial scholar Ahmed (2006, p. 3) contends, “Orientations shape not only how we inhabit, but how we apprehend this world of shared inhabitance as well as ‘who’ or ‘what’ we direct our energy toward” (Ahmed, 2006, p. 3). I wonder how the policies and practices that I am oriented towards as a public school teacher limit the possibilities of encountering teaching and learning as a mode of reckoning and apprehending “this world of shared inhabitance?” I also wonder how remaining oriented towards independence as the goal of learning simultaneously sustains an adherence to colonial western logics under the current neoliberal ethos. Through Ahmed’s provocation I explore how the gaze of both teachers and students in public schools remains oriented towards independent learning in a manner that sustains conditions of exclusion, marginalization and oppression.

scholarly journals A Taxonomy for the Social Agents of Scientific Change

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 55-62
Author(s):  
Nicholas Overgaard
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Epistemic Community ◽  
Epistemic Communities ◽  
Scientific Change ◽  
Collective Intentionality ◽  
Social Agents ◽  
Social Agent ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Definition Of

Although we accept that a scientific mosaic is a set of theories and methods accepted and employed by a scientific community, scientific community currently lacks a proper definition in scientonomy. In this paper, I will outline a basic taxonomy for the bearers of a mosaic, i.e. the social agents of scientific change. I begin by differentiating between accidental group and community through the respective absence and presence of a collective intentionality. I then identify two subtypes of community: the epistemic community that has a collective intentionality to know the world, and the non-epistemic community that does not have such a collective intentionality. I note that both epistemic and non-epistemic communities might bear mosaics, but that epistemic communities are the intended social agents of scientific change because their main collective intentionality is to know the world and, in effect, to change their mosaics. I conclude my paper by arguing we are not currently in a position to properly define scientific community per se because of the risk of confusing pseudoscientific communities with scientific communities. However, I propose that we can for now rely on the definition of epistemic community as the proper social agent of scientific change.Suggested Modifications[Sciento-2017-0012]: Accept the following taxonomy of group, accidental group, and community:Group ≡ two or more people who share any characteristic.Accidental group ≡ a group that does not have a collective intentionality.Community ≡ a group that has a collective intentionality. [Sciento-2017-0013]: Provided that the preceding modification [Sciento-2017-0012] is accepted, accept that communities can consist of other communities.[Sciento-2017-0014]: Provided that modification [Sciento-2017-0012] is accepted, accept the following definitions of epistemic community and non-epistemic community as subtypes of community:Epistemic community ≡ a community that has a collective intentionality to know the world.Non-epistemic community ≡ a community that does not have a collective intentionality to know the world.[Sciento-2017-0015]: Provideed that modification [Sciento-2017-0013] and [Sciento-2017-0014] are accepted, accept that a non-epistemic community can consist of epistemic communities.

scholarly journals BREVE COMPREENSÃO DA CONJUNTURA BRASILEIRA QUANTO À INTEGRAÇÃO DAS TIC E INTERNET NA EDUCAÇÃO

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 474
Author(s):  
João Batista Bottentuit Junior ◽  
Larize Kelly Garcia Ribeiro Serra ◽  
Mizraim Nunes Mesquita
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
The North ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Internet Availability ◽  
Internet In Education

This study aims to investigate Brazilian scenario regarding the integration of ICT and Internet in education. It aims to investigate these effects by means of a bibliographic research, with a qualitative approach and exploratory and descriptive nature. It presents a brief explanation about cyberculture, information society and the presence of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Internet in educational scenarios, considering the ponderations of authors as Castells (2003), Levy (2010), Primo, Valiati, Lupinacci and Barros (2017), Santaella (2013), among others. It discusses data about schools’ structure in terms of ICT and Internet availability, Internet connection, teacher’s formation to use digital technologies in the teaching and learning process, use of ICT and Internet by students, etc. It highlights the advances and limitations of Brazilian schools towards the integration of technologies for learning. It recognizes that Brazilian public schools are the most limited in this context, especially those that work with the elementary level. It observes that students are every day more connected to the Internet through mobile technologies and, therefore, they could be better explored for educational purposes. It notes that, in general, the North and Northeast regions are those with more struggles to integrate ICT in pedagogical practices.

scholarly journals O ENSINO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS - UMA EXPERIÊNCIA TEÓRICO-PRÁTICA COM ALUNOS DO ENSINO MÉDIO DE ESCOLAS PÚBLICAS

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-104
Author(s):  
Alexsandra Martins Da Silva ◽  
Camila Zanesco ◽  
Angélica Ribolli Cazarotto ◽  
Felipe Tecchio Borsoi ◽  
Camila Dervanoski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
School Students ◽  
Santa Catarina ◽  
The University

Resumo: Este trabalho foi uma iniciativa do projeto “Ciências Biológicas – Uma Forma de Integrar e Construir a Prática Experimental”, cuja ação de destaque foi o incentivo ao ensino de Ciências Biológicas para alunos de ensino médio de dois municípios. Foram oferecidas aulas teóricas e práticas em laboratórios da Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS), promovendo o contato de alunos e professores de escolas públicas com a universidade. Neste contexto, foi possível aproximá-los de atividades, materiais e equipamentos de prática científica e de ensino nas áreas de Ciências Biológicas, visando melhorias das condições de aprendizagem e estimulando os jovens dessas escolas para a participação no meio acadêmico-científico, aumentando a interação universidade/escola pública. Foram atendidas 15 turmas, totalizando cerca de 320 estudantes, que presenciaram as aulas de “Microscopia, células e tecidos”, “Tipagem sanguínea” e “Biodecomposição de alimentos orgânicos”. Esse trabalho possibilitou que os alunos tivessem contato prévio com o mundo das ciências e os incentivou para ingressar na universidade. Já os professores que acompanharam os alunos se sentiram instigados a manter a criatividade em sala de aula. Para os acadêmicos envolvidos, o projeto possibilitou o crescimento pessoal, instigando os mesmos a desenvolver aptidões, além do que lhes é ensinado em sala de aula. Palavras-chave: Práticas laboratoriais, ensino-aprendizagem, escola pública, extensão universitária.   The teaching of Biological Sciences - a theoretical and practical experience with students of high public schools Abstract: This article promotes the project ‘Ciências Biológicas – Uma Forma de Integrar e Construir a Prática Experimental’ (Biological Sciences – a way to integrate and to build experimental practices).  This initiative encouraged the teaching of biological sciences to high school students of two municipalities. Theoretical and practical classes were offered in the university labs of Universidade Federal Fronteira Sul –UFFS (Chapecó, Santa Catarina State, Brazil) in order to promote the contact of students and teachers of public schools with the university. In this context, it was possible to put the students in contact with procedures, equipments scientific and teaching practices in the areas of Biological Sciences. These activities aimed at improving learning and stimulating the students from the schools in which were part of the academic and scientific community, and as a result, to promote the interaction between university and public schools. Fifteen student groups took part in the project, which totaled around 320 students who had lessons on microscopy, cells and tissues, blood typing and biological decomposition of organic food. This project encouraged students that had a previous contact with the world of science to enter university. In addition, the teachers who accompanied the students were encouraged to continue being creative in their classes. For the undergraduate students involved, the project enabled personal growth and encouraged them to develop skills beyond what they were taught in the classroom. Key-words: Laboratory Practices, Teaching and Learning, Public School, University Extension.   La enseñanza de Ciencias Biológicas - una experiencia teórica y práctica con los estudiantes de la escuela secundaria en escuelas públicas Resumen: En este artículo, se hace un relato de un trabajo que tuvo una iniciativa del proyecto ‘Ciências Biológicas – Uma Forma de Integrar e Construir a Prática Experimental’ (Ciencias Biológicas – Una Forma de Integrar y Construir la Práctica Experimental), cuya acción principal fue el incentivo a la enseñanza de Ciencias Biológicas para alumnos de enseñanza media de dos municipios. Se les ofreció clases teóricas y prácticas en los laboratorios de la Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul – UFFS (Santa Catarina, sur de Brasil) promoviendo el contacto de alumnos y profesores de escuelas públicas con la universidad. En este espacio, fue posible aproximarlos a actividades, materiales y equipamientos de la práctica científica y de la enseñanza en las áreas de Ciencias Biológicas, buscando mejorías en las condiciones de aprendizaje y estimular los jóvenes de esas escuelas a la participación en el medio académico-científico, aumentando la interacción universidad/escuela pública. Han sido atendidos 15 grupos y cerca de 320 estudiantes, que fueron testigos de las lecciones de “Microscopía, células y tejidos”, “Tipo sanguíneo”, y “Biodescomposición de alimentos orgánicos”. Ese trabajo ha posibilitado que los alumnos tuvieran un contacto previo con el mundo de las ciencias y los ha incentivado a ingresar a la universidad. Por otro lado, los docentes que han acompañado a los alumnos se han sentido instigados a mantener la creatividad en las clases. Para los académicos involucrados, el proyecto ha posibilitado el crecimiento personal, instigándolos a crear aptitudes, más allá de lo que les es enseñado en el salón de clase. Palabras-clave: Extensión Universitaria, Popularización de la Ciencia, Escuela Secundaria, Enseñanza Científica.

Bringing Dynamic Geometry to Three Dimensions

2015 ◽  
pp. 68-99
Author(s):  
Nicholas H. Wasserman
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Mathematics Classroom ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dynamic Geometry ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
The Common ◽  
K 12

Contemporary technologies have impacted the teaching and learning of mathematics in significant ways, particularly through the incorporation of dynamic software and applets. Interactive geometry software such as Geometers Sketchpad (GSP) and GeoGebra has transformed students' ability to interact with the geometry of plane figures, helping visualize and verify conjectures. Similar to what GSP and GeoGebra have done for two-dimensional geometry in mathematics education, SketchUp™ has the potential to do for aspects of three-dimensional geometry. This chapter provides example cases, aligned with the Common Core State Standards in mathematics, for how the dynamic and unique features of SketchUp™ can be integrated into the K-12 mathematics classroom to support and aid students' spatial reasoning and knowledge of three-dimensional figures.

A Critical Analysis of the Use of Mobile Devices in the Classroom and Its Implication for Teaching and Learning

2018 ◽  
pp. 225-239
Author(s):  
Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey ◽  
Vincentia Abui Akrobotu
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Work ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Psychological Growth

The use of mobile devices, especially, by teens has been looked at with much apprehension and suspicion with some saying that it can be used to acquire information which can be detrimental to their social and psychological growth. Some teachers complain that it affects teens' studies as these teenagers stay up late in the night browsing, chatting, watching movies and playing games which cause them to sleep in class or pay little attention because of tiredness. In Ghana students in public schools up to Senior High School are not allowed to use personal mobile phones, laptops and other mobile gadgets in school because of implications such as those enumerated above. On the other hand, some, including those in prominent positions in government, have called for a rethink of such a directive by the Ministry of Education. This chapter critically looks into previous literature on the use of mobile devices in the classroom and suggests ways in which it can be effectively used to advance academic work in the classroom.

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