Sorting Machines: Digital Technology and Categorical Inequality in Education

Existing scholarship suggests that schools do the work of social stratification by functioning as “sorting machines,” or institutions that determine which populations of students are provided educational resources needed to help them get ahead. We build on this theory of social reproduction by extending it to better understand how digital technology use is implicated in this process of unequal resource allocation in schools. We contend that educational resources, like digital technologies, are also sorted by schools. Drawing on scholarship from both education research and science and technology studies, we show how educational institutions have long played a role in constructing the value of technologies to different ends, by constructing hierarchies of technological activity, like “vocational” and “academic” computer use, even when strikingly similar. We then apply this lens to three areas of inquiry in education research: the use of digital technologies for instruction, school use of student data, and college admissions. Each illustrates how education scholars can view technologies as part of school sorting processes and with implications for inequality within and beyond the classroom.

GENDER INEQUALITY BEFORE THE LAWS AS SEEN IN ON THE BASIS OF SEX FILM BY MIMI LEDER

In this study, researcher analyzes an inequality film written by Daniel Stiepleman and directed by Mimi Leder. This Film tells the strory about inequality dan women struggle. Therefore the researcher entitled this research with “Gender Inequality before the Laws as seen in On the Basis Of Sex film by Mimi Leder”, This study aimed to discuss; 1) injustice between a man and a woman before the law, 2) how women try to resist the laws. Design of this research was qualitative descriptive research. The researcher applied the theory of human rights and feminist legal theory by Universal Decralation of human right and Judith and remer to answer the research question problem formulation. Sociological approach also used in this research. In collecting the data, the researcher used technique of documentation. The technique used in analyzing data in this study was a descriptive technique. The results of this research are; 1) there are four gender inequalities depicted in the film on the basis of sex; (a) inequality in economic right (b) inequality in education right (c) inequality in social right (d) inequality in civil right 2) women's efforts to fight the law are three ways (a) Speak Out the Own Experiences (b) support other campaigners (c) exspressing rational opinions.

Investigation of Teacher Roles in Educational Practices in The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

In the research, it is aimed to analyze the roles of teachers teaching in distance education in the Covid-19 pandemic period and to investigate the obstacles encountered in the realization of these roles. The aim of the research is examined with the post-positivist paradigm and analyzed with the phenomenological design which is one of the qualitative research methods. In the research, participants were chosen from the teachers of Mathematics, Foreign Language, Science, Turkish and Social Studies who teach at least 15 hours or more per week in distance education. The data collection process in which data triangulation was performed included diaries kept by teachers for five days, individual interviews and focus group interviews. Transcripted data were analyzed by content analysis technique. According to the findings of the research, it was observed that the roles of the teachers who participated in the study were “communicator”, “collaborator”, “facilitator” and “learner” teacher during the distance education in Covid-19 pandemic. It has been observed that there are obstacles in the realization of roles in issues such as injustice / inequality in education, subject-centered program, structure of the education program, professional development, student and parent unwillingness. Teachers stated the features that teachers should have in the process of distance education as technopedagogical content knowledge, planning instructional activities, being able to measure distance assessment and provide student motivation.

Searching of the Source of Educational Inequality

Various approaches to investigating the sources of inequality in education are discussed in the paper. It is noted that data on the representation of students from families with various parental status at levels of education do not give a full picture of what is happening. Full-fledged interpretation requires to turn to a much larger amount of information, primarily because an influence of the family and the environment during the period of primary socialization is of decisive importance for the formation of chances in the educational sphere. The social experience of the family, the models of social behavior based on it, the developed cultural patterns, strategies, and tactics are important. At the same time, the orientations towards education are not fixed once and for all; they can be transformed if the general situation changes (for example, economic) or a directed influence is made (for example, pedagogical). The formed orientations are, as it were, a starting position and later sets the direction and speed of possible reflection on certain influences. The pandemic and the resulting intensification of distance learning have sharply increased the importance of motivation and other students’ qualities, formed during the period of primary socialization: they are critical for academic success. The accompanying growth of inequality in education has actualized the search for its sources to find means to overcome or at least reduce it. Equalization of opportunities for young people from all social groups is especially important for the growth of human potential.

Sorting Machines: Digital Technology and Categorical Inequality in Education

Existing scholarship suggests that schools do the work of social stratification by functioning as “sorting machines,” or institutions that determine which populations of students are provided educational resources needed to help them get ahead. We build on this theory of social reproduction by extending it to better understand how digital technology use is implicated in this process of unequal resource allocation in schools. We contend that educational resources, like digital technologies, are also sorted by schools. Drawing on scholarship from both educational research and science and technology studies, we show how educational institutions have long played a role in constructing the value of technologies to different ends, by constructing hierarchies of technological activity, like "vocational" and "academic" computer use, even when strikingly similar. We then apply this lens to three areas of inquiry in education research: the use of digital technologies for instruction, school use of student data, and college admissions. Each illustrates how education scholars can view technologies as part of school sorting processes and with implications for inequality within and beyond the classroom.

Understanding Arab Students’ Behavioral Patterns in an Online Course: An Explanatory Study Based on Hofstede’s National Cultural Dimensions

The provision of online learning experiences has been implemented by many universities worldwide to overcome several challenges, including inequality in education. However, this experience is still not a common approach in public universities in the Arab region. Furthermore, several research studies have pointed out that a country’s culture should be considered in order to enhance online learning, as students may behave differently based on their cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, little is known about how a given culture may affect the learning behavioral patterns of students. Therefore, to better understand the cultural phenomenon and to enhance the adoption of online learning in the Arab region, this study aims to understand how an Arab culture may affect the online learning behaviors of students. Specifically, this study applies a lag sequential analysis (LSA) approach to understand the behavioral patterns of 116 students from Tunisia in a six-week online course. The study then further discusses the different learning behavior patterns based on the theoretical framework of Hofstede’s national cultural dimensions. The findings highlight that culture can affect how students engage in online learning discussions and how they maintain their learning performance online. The findings further indicate that online learning experiences may be beneficial for female students who experience social pressures in Arab cultures.

Meritocracy in Singaporean Educational System: Inequality in Admission to Secondary Schools

This paper explores the fairness of meritocracy concerning admission to secondary schools based on the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in Singapore. The Ministry of Education has consistently adopted the ideology of meritocracy as so to select talented students, stimulate effort, and optimize the allocation of rewards. The PSLE results can largely determine students’ educational tracks and even career orientation in Singapore. The paper shows how the principle of meritocracy works and how the government uses meritocratic belief in the education system. The paper argues that meritocracy has posed a threat to equality in admission to secondary schools in Singapore. The findings indicate that the meritocratic policy does not recognize both the importance of family SES and the gap between elite schools and neighbourhood schools in the Singapore education system. Students with wealthy and well-educated parents and students in elite schools are more likely to acquire better educational attainment, since they tend to gain more cultural capital from family and social capital from school. The principle of meritocracy fails to allocate opportunities fairly to students and can lead to inequality in education and exacerbate educational stratification.

Trends in development of higher education in modern Russia

Examined are the main development trends in the field of higher education, the originality of their manifestation in Russian society. The specificity of the continuity of learning is revealed, the directions of transformation of the educational process in the context of digitalization are determined. The topic of the effectiveness of the implementation of innovative methods in educational activities, such as case-method, tutoring, interactive training, was touched upon. The duality of the study is noted, since the introduction of innovative methods into the educational activities of Russian universities, on the one hand, has a positive effect on the state of the educational system, on the other hand, it gives rise to a tendency towards an increase in social and digital inequality in education and society as a whole, and also presupposes changes in requirements. to the teaching staff, which is now required first of all to be motivated and ready to master and use modern innovative methods in educational practice.

Gender issue in modern education: Theory and practice

So far, gender inequality in education has been considered in the context of inequality in women’s access to technical specialties, the impact of education on the fertility rate and wages of women, the impact of religious, cultural, social-economic values on women’s education level. However, this concept does little to explain the gender imbalance and low quality of human capital in an environment where women have the opportunity to be educated in any field of knowledge through a feminization in the European countries. The research methodology is based on the correlation analysis of indicators of gender equality in education in Germany, France, Poland, and Ukraine for 1991-2018. The purpose of the study is to identify the trends and dynamics of gender changes in education, the level of gender inequality and establish the causes and effects of gender asymmetry in some European countries. To evaluate gender equality in education, we used the Gender Parity Index. The results of correlation analysis prove the presence of a direct connection between the level of fertility and the Gender Parity Index in the field of primary and higher education, while in the field of secondary education-reverse. Such tendencies are inherent in almost all countries of Europe. The analysis of indicators characterizing the level of education of women within the Eurozone countries shows the decisive role of the structure of the economy and the needs of the labor market in specialists with digital skills and mental abilities. The structure of the economy and the efficiency of various sectors ensure the reduction of gender inequality in education, contributing to overall economic growth and GDP per capita. Political institutions and national policies indirectly influence gender inequality in education by regulating the development of sectors of the economy with different levels of female employment. The proposed paradigm of gender inequality is based on the crucial role of skills, competencies, and abilities regardless of gender. The gender imbalance has been overcome in countries with a high level of women’s competence. Competence is a new paradigm in overcoming gender inequality.

Educating Latinx and African American Students in Charter Schools: A Comparative Study from Chicago

The public school system in U.S. has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Institutionally, neo-liberal reform has created a new educational apparatus known as charter schools. As they admit students without school boundaries, these schools promise to offer great opportunities for disadvantaged students. The enrollment in charter schools is mainly Latinx and Black students, especially in large urban areas. That demographic shift is not reflected in the literature because previous studies have predominately focused on comparisons between Whites and minorities. Using Chicago as a case, this study compares the association between the enrollment of Black and Latinx students with educational resources and academic performance in charter schools. Using Illinois Report Card data representing 119 public schools during the 2016 to 2017 academic year, we aimed to understand which group could more systemically benefit from charter schools. We found that although the enrollment of Black students might be associated with better educational resources (i.e., total number of school days per academic year, and class size), the enrollment of Latinx students predicted stronger school academic performance on the SAT and PARCC. Those findings can contribute to the debate about institutionalized racial inequality in education and the effects of charter schools.