An Equity Perspective on Chinese (csol) Teacher Preparation for Global Contexts: Domestic and International Preservice Teachers’ Experiences

Using a three-dimensional framework that sees equity as distributed justice, inclusion, and rightful presence, this study examines the perspectives of 60 (40 domestic and 20 international) pre-service csol teachers’ experiences of preparation for teaching in diverse local and global contexts in a major teacher education program in China. Thematic analyses of semi-structured interview data revealed the exclusive Chinese linguistics focus of the program excluded both domestic and international preservice teachers’ needs to learn to teach in csol and through csol. The attention to traditional Chinese cultural knowledge also failed to legitimize “the rightful presence” of international students or prepare the teachers with intercultural competence. Finally, the lack of attention to the theory-practice connection in core competencies preparation had resulted in distributed injustice and a shared sense of under-preparedness for both groups. Findings inform an equity-centered Tcsol teacher education for global contexts.

The inequitable transition to the high school system. Case study: high school admission in Bucharest, Romania

The main objective of this article is to analyze the interaction between the principle of proximity in the enrollment process to primary school and the high school admission mechanism from an educational equity perspective. Specifically, I conduct a case study in which I analyze how the type of school graduated by a student in Bucharest influences the type of high school at which she will be admitted, given the present system of allocation. As such, I am interested in identifying the extent to which the school where the student is enrolled (when parents, theoretically cannot choose, as it is dependent on the street where they reside) can represent an explanatory factor for the probability to be admitted at a particular high school (a stage when parents and students can manifest their preferences for a school/specialization).

Home Care Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Justice-Oriented Perspective

During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with better general conditions are sent to their own homes for self-quarantine due to a lack of resources in the health system, especially the lack of beds and human resources. Improving patient care may force households to inevitably use home care services, which can be examined from the health equity perspective. In the first step, home care services should be expanded by medical universities in all regions of the country, including less developed areas. In the second step, the financial protection of the recipients of these services should be provided through interventions, such as health insurance coverage. In addition, after the COVID-19 pandemic (post-corona period), it is necessary to organize home care services as soon as possible due to the population aging trend. Finally, despite the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, it is better to use the challenges, actions, and lessons learned from this crisis to complete the infrastructure of the health system in various ways.

Case study evaluation: PIEER internship program and its impact on interns’ self-reported attitudes and behaviors regarding environmental health equity

Purpose Environmental health disparities case studies are explored through a combination of lens including the naturome/nurturome, exposome [nature vs nurture] and multiple exposure-zone [place as predictor of health and wellbeing] concepts. This work places the educational program and experience within a theoretical framework using all these grounding theories. This provides an approach to experiential and transformative education in environmental equity/sustainability that we are calling transformative, trans-theoretical equity education, T2E2. This paper aims to describe this model, its grounding theories and provide real-world examples of this model in action through PIEER. Design/methodology/approach The University of Northern Iowa’s environmental equity internship, Panther Initiative for Environmental Equity and Resilience, PIEER, engages students on multiple levels to view sustainability from an equity perspective. The experience seeks to immerse the student in an understanding of equity while also having a tangible impact in the community. Systems analysis of issues, through formal systems thinking approaches, inculcating practices that allow students to work through difficult equity and social justice implications, high vs. low context communication and leadership styles are discussed. Findings Findings of the first evaluation of program impact indicate long-lasting benefits to this immersive experience. Findings of an evaluation survey of current and past PIEER interns (N = 30, n = 22/21; response ∼0.73/72) indicate that participants consistently rank the experience in the upper 25th percentile of benefit for their personal growth in understanding equity and environmental issues. They also note that the experience has led them to be more likely to engage in behaviors supporting both social justice and environmental concerns. Research limitations/implications This evaluation consists of a small sample size which prevents the use of a mixed methods approach to evaluate the consistencies among the data. Practical implications If society is to truly achieve equitable sustainability, we must accomplish this through both transformative theory and transformative experiences. Social implications Providing both transformative theory and transformative experiences to students is an important foundational step in achieving equitable sustainability. Originality/value The University of Northern Iowa has a unique environmental equity internship which is training students to revision sustainability from an equity perspective.

La equidad en la calidad de la inserción: un análisis de los indicadores subjetivos

Este artículo analiza la calidad de la inserción de los graduados catalanes en situación de ocupación tres años después de obtener el título universitario. La inserción se estudia a partir de los indicadores subjetivos del término desde la perspectiva de la equidad. Se ha indagado sobre la satisfacción del egresado con el trabajo, la valoración que hacen de las competencias adquiridas en la universidad y su utilidad en el mercado laboral, y si perciben equilibrio entre la formación y el desempeño laboral. Se ha optado por una metodología cuantitativa, analizando la Encuesta de Inserción Laboral de Graduados Universitarios de la Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya (AQU) para los años 2014 y 2017. Se trata de una muestra estratificada por titulación en la que han participado 17.337 y 15.563 respectivamente. Los resultados manifiestan que las características estructurales de los titulados universitarios, especialmente ser mujer, y educativas, como tener buenas notas y haber estudiado un grado que no sea del área de Humanidades, contribuyen a configurar su percepción más positiva sobre la transición al mercado laboral en términos de indicadores subjetivos de inserción. El análisis comparado entre las dos ediciones evidencia el efecto de la crisis económica y los indicios de recuperación, muy pronunciada en el caso del área de Ing. y Arquitectura. Finalmente, Bolonia y el aprendizaje por competencias han dado sus frutos, pese a que será necesario seguir trabajando en políticas orientadas al seguimiento y acompañamiento del estudiante en la transición al trabajo. This article analyses the quality of access to the labour market for Catalan graduates three years after obtaining a university degree. The labour integration process is studied on the basis of subjective indicators of the term from an equity perspective. For this purpose, job satisfaction has been investigated, as well as the assessment of the skills acquired at university and their usefulness in the labour market, and whether students perceive a balance between training and job performance. A quantitative methodology has been chosen, working with secondary data from the Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya (AQU) for the years 2014 and 2017. The results show that the structural characteristics of the university graduates, especially being women, and educational characteristics, such as having good grades and having studied a degree that does not belong to the area of Humanities, contribute to configuring a more positive perception of the transition to the labour market. The comparative analysis between the two editions evidences the effect of the economic crisis and the signs of recovery, very pronounced in the case of the area of Engineering and Architecture. Finally, the Bologna reform and competence-based learning have given rewards, even though it will be necessary to continue working on policies aimed at monitoring and guiding student in the process of transition to the labour market.

A review of Turkey’s high-speed rail experience

The multidimensional characteristics of the HSR networks make debated the benefits of them. In this context, the aim of this study is to review of Turkey’s HSR systems from spatial equity perspective within the framework of recent research and developments. The latest secondary data from the official statistics of the Ministries of Development; Environment and Urbanization; Industry and Technology of Turkey has been used for the purpose of the analysis. The research methods included: critical analysis of the source literature, analysis of secondary data (desk-research) and graphic methods (tables and maps), by means of which the results of the study have been presented. The main argument of study is that considering the current geographical location of the HSR network of the country, it creates challenges in terms of spatial equity and deepens the regional polarization. The existing HSR network has facilitated mobility, especially in terms of domestic tourism. However, the usage of the HSR by a limited part of population and restrictions applied due to the COVID-19 pandemic question the amount of returns of the HSR’s costs, which are enough expensive investments in Turkey. On the other hand, increasing inequalities arising from the HSR infrastructures shaped on the basis of factors such as the geographical features of the country, general development level, population and demand density, are tried to be minimized by roadway and airway alternatives.

A multi-center longitudinal study on responsive breastfeeding in China from the perspective of health equity: research protocol

Background Socio-economic inequities can strongly influence suboptimal infant feeding outcomes. Factors such as lack of knowledge about breastfeeding, low family income, low educational attainment, social and economic status, cultural norms and ethnicity may negatively affect success with offering breastfeeding following a responsive feeding approach (ie. responsive breastfeeding). Such inequities can indeed shorten breastfeeding duration, and negatively affect behavioral and cognitive infant outcomes. In China, there is a dearth of studies focusing on breastfeeding from the responsive and health equity perspective. Objective The aim of this article is to present a protocol of an ongoing longitudinal cohort study investigating factors associated with responsive breastfeeding behaviors, and the child’s behavioral and cognitive development from birth to12 months post-partum in five centers in China. The study seeks to identify breastfeeding barriers and facilitators from a health equity perspective. Methods We are enrolling 700 women and their singleton full term infants in Chongqing, Huizhou and Guangzhou urban and rural areas. The study questionnaires will be administrated within 72 h, 30 days, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-partum during the baby’s vaccination visits. We will investigate the difference between urban and rural areas sociodemographic characteristics, breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes and practice, postnatal depression, maternal emotion regulation and parenting stress, and anthropometric and cognitive development indicators of the infants at each time-point. Conclusion Our article illustrates how a cohort study can be designed to understand the barriers and facilitators of responsive breastfeeding taking equity principles into account to help promote infants’ growth and development in China.