Perspectives on Rethinking and Reforming Education – serie

This book centres on a broadened view of complexity that will enrich engagement with complexity in the social sciences. The key idea is to employ complexity theory to develop a holistic account of practice, agency and expertise. In doing so, the book acknowledges and builds upon the relational character of reductive accounts. It draws upon recent theoretical work on complexity, emergence and relationality to develop a novel account of practice, agency and expertise in and for workplaces. Biological, psychological and social aspects of these are integrated. This novel account overcomes problems in current views of practice, agency and expertise, which suffer from reductive, or fragmented, analyses, based upon individuals, groups, or networks. In retrieving the experiential richness of human activity – often esteemed as the basis of generative and creative life – this book shows how complexity both emerges from, and is, a non-reductive feature of, human experience, especially in daily work.“…an ambitiously wide-ranging volume, questioning the key tenets of respected approaches ….. and offering ….. ‘novel accounts’, which draw on features of complexity thinking…. …But they go further than any of us in their argument that: ‘whatever reductive moves are made, they ‘flow’ from holistic accounts of relationality which have already affectively engaged the purposes of a co-present group.’ This is the intellectual contribution that is built consistently and persuasively across the chapters.” Professor Emerita Anne Edwards, Oxford University"Hager and Beckett have written a book that will challenge more commonly held notions of agency, practice, skills, and learning. Centering their argument on complexity theory or, as they prefer, complexity thinking, Hager and Beckett argue that it is through relations that we raise questions about, gather data from, and make working sense of the complexity that surrounds us. Groups then, particularly small groups, hold and implement agentive power. And what the authors call co-present groups—ones in which holistic relationality occurs socially, and affectively in distinctive places—“draw us closer to each other, and harness our normativity by enabling negotiability and reason-giving.” If your field of study involves anything remotely sociocultural in nature or if you are just interested in the complex ways we engage as humans with our worlds, you should find a place for this book in your library."Bob Fecho, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York NY, USA

This book presents the innovative work done by a group of researchers focusing on classroom-based innovations to enable sustained knowledge building among students. Their research focuses particularly on research and innovations implemented in Sino cultural and educational contexts. Specifically, this book comprises the following central research topics: socio-cognitive dynamics of knowledge building, technological innovations and classroom innovations in cultural contexts. The authors’ extensive research makes a unique contribution to the field by integrating multiple disciplinary angles and analyses, as well as bridging research efforts in China with advances made in the global research community.

This book proposes and validates an information flow approach to analyzing knowledge co-construction and predicting group performance in the context of collaborative learning. In addition, it highlights the importance of socially shared regulation in collaborative learning, and illustrates in detail how it can be analyzed and promoted.The book investigates several innovative examples, including: Methodological approaches to studying and analyzing knowledge building and regulation in collaborative learning; Social software tools for capturing the dynamics of knowledge building and regulation in collaborative learning; Collective regulatory mechanisms to scaffold socially shared regulation in real-life collaborative learning; and Scripts and interventions to facilitate effective and productive collaborative learning on the basis of several case studies.The original methodological contributions to the analysis of knowledge buildingand scaffolding socially shared regulation make this an essential read for anyone interested in collaborative learning. This book will also be of interest to a wide audience of researchers, teachers, and students in the field of collaborative learning, as well as the rapidly growing community of people investigating how collaborative learning can be effectively used in education.

This book unravels the mysteries of the Chinese school system to enable international scholars to better understand the logic of basic education in China. By collecting the latest, first-hand empirical data, it outlines a panoramic and vivid portrait of Chinese schools from principals’, teachers’, students’ and parents’ perspectives, including descriptions of their daily lives. It also interprets different stakeholders’ duties and explains the unique characteristics and operation model of Chinese schools. It is of interest to all those who are concerned with the current situation and the future of the Chinese school system and basic education in China, especially international researchers, policymakers, and parents wanting to know what is really happening in schools.

This book discusses the significance of flexible scripting to structure CSCL against the framework of “Script theory of guidance” and reports on findings from two empirical studies on the effects of flexible scripting on collaboration in CSCL scenarios.In the first empirical study flexibility was accomplished through adaptivity, and through adaptability in the second. The results of these studies show that adaptive and adaptable scripts enhanced the quality of collaborative knowledge construction processes as well as learners’ collaboration skills, compared to inflexible scripts. The findings presented in this book will contribute to theory building of the scripting approach in CSCL. The authors propose two innovative ways of achieving flexible scripting and address the mechanisms by which adaptive versus adaptable script influences collaborative knowledge construction. Moreover, the adaptive and adaptable scripting approaches provide hands-on examples for practitionersand contribute to their understanding of teaching design in CSCL settings.

This book takes an in-depth look at the development of the private education sector in modern China. Readers will find valuable data and materials never before presented in such an accessible and transparent way, together with analyses of the major changes and challenges in the course of this development. The book is organized both chronologically and by topic: it employs a past-present-future order that unites the general arrangement; at the same time, each specific subject is approached historically, not only to show the origins of the problem, but also to link it with the historical-comparative context, in which the evaluation of alternative policy choices become highly viable.Further, the book provides a pioneering account of current problems, adopting a fresh perspective to address the most important aspects of Chinese private education reform. The elaboration on topics concerning private school assets, property rights, legal personality, school operators’ entrepreneurship, benefits and investment returns, school autonomy, and the development of teachers and students, is both empirically rich and highly insightful.The book’s content is chiefly derived from years of fieldwork in private schools and from extensive interviews with hundreds of policy makers, school operators, managers, teachers and students. Since these people are self-conscious about themselves as the actors in and witnesses to the development of Chinese private education over the past three decades, the book places great emphasis on neutrality, allowing the private education landscape to unfold in the context of the privatization of the socialist system after 1978. The book offers an essential guide for anyone who wishes to understand the transformation of Chinese education. It is highly recommendable as a detailed introduction to Chinese education, or as a resource for comparative research on private education from an international perspective.

This book explores the latest trends and technologies in the field of mobile and ubiquitous learning. It highlights best practices in technology-enhanced learning, and explores how new technologies such as mobile, augmented and wearable technologies are shaping instructional design strategies and the content curriculum development process. The book consists of approximately 20 chapters, written by international experts in the field of mobile and ubiquitous learning. The authors hail from Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Greece, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Topics covered include but are not limited to: Use of social media in mobile learning, Contexts of learning and challenges of mobility: Designing for formal, informal, and non-formal learning, Mobile virtual reality: a promising technology to change the way we learn and teach, Mobile applications for encyclopedias, Ethical considerations in the incorporation of mobile and ubiquitous technologies into teaching and learning, Use of augmented reality in mobile learning for students with disabilities, Using wearable technology to support transfer of expertise, and Core technologies in mobile learning. Providing valuable insights on the future of education and the upcoming pedagogies that will be applied in traditional, distance and blended learning, the book offers educators and stakeholders essential guidance in making innovations for the new generations of learners in the 21st century.

The book analyzes worldwide changes in school organization and the teaching profession, and how the profession has been impacted by education policies that promote assessments and accountability. It also identifies some shifts in professional positions, statuses and profiles, and characterizes the impact and contextualization of professional standards that shape teaching practices and the management of schools. Further, the book provides relevant comparative and empirical data on the restructuring of the teaching profession in an era of globalization through a critical perspective on and an overview of the main research and comparative findings across countries. As such, the book is not only directed to educational researchers but will also interest professionals and policymakers, addressing a broader education and policy community concerned by the new aspects shaping the teaching profession in the 21st century.

This book proposes and validates an information flow approach to analyzing knowledge co-construction and predicting group performance in the context of collaborative learning. In addition, it highlights the importance of socially shared regulation in collaborative learning, and illustrates in detail how it can be analyzed and promoted.The book investigates several innovative examples, including: Methodological approaches to studying and analyzing knowledge building and regulation in collaborative learning; Social software tools for capturing the dynamics of knowledge building and regulation in collaborative learning; Collective regulatory mechanisms to scaffold socially shared regulation in real-life collaborative learning; and Scripts and interventions to facilitate effective and productive collaborative learning on the basis of several case studies.The original methodological contributions to the analysis of knowledge buildingand scaffolding socially shared regulation make this an essential read for anyone interested in collaborative learning. This book will also be of interest to a wide audience of researchers, teachers, and students in the field of collaborative learning, as well as the rapidly growing community of people investigating how collaborative learning can be effectively used in education.

This book examines the globalization trends in higher education from an international political science perspective, using Nye’s theory of soft power to explore the rationale behind it. It focuses on conceptualizing the Soft Power Conversion Model of Higher Education, which is embedded in the globalization of higher education, and analyzes the globalization of Chinese higher education reform.Also, this book provides innovative and unique viewpoints on conceptualizing and mapping the globalization and internationalization of higher education, especially for current Chinese higher education (1949-2016). It discusses and illustrates cutting-edge concepts of global higher education, such as global learning, global competency, and global citizenship and refines them in the conceptualized soft power conversion model of higher education.This book reports on and enriches the theoretical concept of global education, and provides practical insights into global learning, global citizenship and global competency for Chinese undergraduate students.

This book investigates the use of network technologies in research, and explores how such use potentially changes the nature of professional learning between academics. It attempts to situate the discussion of technology use in real-world research settings, to identify the different forms of participation in intellectual exchange embedded in academic dialogue, and to further contribute to knowledge on how the use of network technology potentially changes the nature of learning. Multiple data collection methods are employed, in two forms of study: a single case study, and a number of individual interviews. The single case study was carried out over a one-year period, and consisted of interviews (22 interviewees), observations, and document review. Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out over a similar period of time with a wider and different population of 24 academics from different Oxford faculties. Half of these were interviewed twice.The main findings presented in this book demonstrate that the direct consequences of technology use are changes to academic dialogue and scholarly communication in general. The change to this critical aspect of research – scholarly communication – has potentially led to more distributed research in interconnected research environments. It is the changes to scholarly communication and the research environment that consequently affect participation in intellectual exchange.

This book provides a fresh and unique overview of the modernization and internationalization of Chinese higher education, focusing on Chinese higher education from 1949 to 2018. It presents the Ontological Positivism Model (Conceptualization-Explicit-Formal-Share), concentrating on concepts of Chinese higher education.The book is intended for scholars and researchers in the field of comparative higher education, administrators and stakeholders in education management and graduate students majoring in higher education.

This book takes an in-depth look at the development of the private education sector in modern China. Readers will find valuable data and materials never before presented in such an accessible and transparent way, together with analyses of the major changes and challenges in the course of this development. The book is organized both chronologically and by topic: it employs a past-present-future order that unites the general arrangement; at the same time, each specific subject is approached historically, not only to show the origins of the problem, but also to link it with the historical-comparative context, in which the evaluation of alternative policy choices become highly viable.Further, the book provides a pioneering account of current problems, adopting a fresh perspective to address the most important aspects of Chinese private education reform. The elaboration on topics concerning private school assets, property rights, legal personality, school operators’ entrepreneurship, benefits and investment returns, school autonomy, and the development of teachers and students, is both empirically rich and highly insightful.The book’s content is chiefly derived from years of fieldwork in private schools and from extensive interviews with hundreds of policy makers, school operators, managers, teachers and students. Since these people are self-conscious about themselves as the actors in and witnesses to the development of Chinese private education over the past three decades, the book places great emphasis on neutrality, allowing the private education landscape to unfold in the context of the privatization of the socialist system after 1978. The book offers an essential guide for anyone who wishes to understand the transformation of Chinese education. It is highly recommendable as a detailed introduction to Chinese education, or as a resource for comparative research on private education from an international perspective.

The book analyzes worldwide changes in school organization and the teaching profession, and how the profession has been impacted by education policies that promote assessments and accountability. It also identifies some shifts in professional positions, statuses and profiles, and characterizes the impact and contextualization of professional standards that shape teaching practices and the management of schools. Further, the book provides relevant comparative and empirical data on the restructuring of the teaching profession in an era of globalization through a critical perspective on and an overview of the main research and comparative findings across countries. As such, the book is not only directed to educational researchers but will also interest professionals and policymakers, addressing a broader education and policy community concerned by the new aspects shaping the teaching profession in the 21st century.

This book examines the globalization trends in higher education from an international political science perspective, using Nye’s theory of soft power to explore the rationale behind it. It focuses on conceptualizing the Soft Power Conversion Model of Higher Education, which is embedded in the globalization of higher education, and analyzes the globalization of Chinese higher education reform.Also, this book provides innovative and unique viewpoints on conceptualizing and mapping the globalization and internationalization of higher education, especially for current Chinese higher education (1949-2016). It discusses and illustrates cutting-edge concepts of global higher education, such as global learning, global competency, and global citizenship and refines them in the conceptualized soft power conversion model of higher education.This book reports on and enriches the theoretical concept of global education, and provides practical insights into global learning, global citizenship and global competency for Chinese undergraduate students.

This book investigates the use of network technologies in research, and explores how such use potentially changes the nature of professional learning between academics. It attempts to situate the discussion of technology use in real-world research settings, to identify the different forms of participation in intellectual exchange embedded in academic dialogue, and to further contribute to knowledge on how the use of network technology potentially changes the nature of learning. Multiple data collection methods are employed, in two forms of study: a single case study, and a number of individual interviews. The single case study was carried out over a one-year period, and consisted of interviews (22 interviewees), observations, and document review. Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out over a similar period of time with a wider and different population of 24 academics from different Oxford faculties. Half of these were interviewed twice.The main findings presented in this book demonstrate that the direct consequences of technology use are changes to academic dialogue and scholarly communication in general. The change to this critical aspect of research – scholarly communication – has potentially led to more distributed research in interconnected research environments. It is the changes to scholarly communication and the research environment that consequently affect participation in intellectual exchange.

This book unravels the mysteries of the Chinese school system to enable international scholars to better understand the logic of basic education in China.

This book discusses the significance of flexible scripting to structure CSCL against the framework of “Script theory of guidance” and reports on findings from two empirical studies on the effects of flexible scripting on collaboration in CSCL scenarios.In the first empirical study flexibility was accomplished through adaptivity, and through adaptability in the second. The results of these studies show that adaptive and adaptable scripts enhanced the quality of collaborative knowledge construction processes as well as learners’ collaboration skills, compared to inflexible scripts. The findings presented in this book will contribute to theory building of the scripting approach in CSCL. The authors propose two innovative ways of achieving flexible scripting and address the mechanisms by which adaptive versus adaptable script influences collaborative knowledge construction. Moreover, the adaptive and adaptable scripting approaches provide hands-on examples for practitionersand contribute to their understanding of teaching design in CSCL settings.

This book explores the latest trends and technologies in the field of mobile and ubiquitous learning. It highlights best practices in technology-enhanced learning, and explores how new technologies such as mobile, augmented and wearable technologies are shaping instructional design strategies and the content curriculum development process. The book consists of approximately 20 chapters, written by international experts in the field of mobile and ubiquitous learning. The authors hail from Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Greece, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Topics covered include but are not limited to: Use of social media in mobile learning, Contexts of learning and challenges of mobility: Designing for formal, informal, and non-formal learning, Mobile virtual reality: a promising technology to change the way we learn and teach, Mobile applications for encyclopedias, Ethical considerations in the incorporation of mobile and ubiquitous technologies into teaching and learning, Use of augmented reality in mobile learning for students with disabilities, Using wearable technology to support transfer of expertise, and Core technologies in mobile learning. Providing valuable insights on the future of education and the upcoming pedagogies that will be applied in traditional, distance and blended learning, the book offers educators and stakeholders essential guidance in making innovations for the new generations of learners in the 21st century.

This book is the first monograph to systematically introduce readers to technology and vocational education and training in ASEAN countries. It details the current state of development and key development trends regarding technology and vocational education and training in the ten ASEAN countries. For each ASEAN country, the book addresses the history, status quo, characteristics, reform and development trends in technology and vocational education and training.The content mainly focuses on technology and vocational education and training systems, vocational qualification frameworks, technology and vocational education and training related personnel, etc. All the latest data presented here is drawn from the newest official website and research reports, accurately reflecting the development status of ASEAN countries and helping us make better forecasts regarding its future.This book offers a valuable reference guide for academic research intechnology and vocational education and training. It can also be used as a textbook for postgraduate courses in technology and vocational education and training, as well as training material for various vocational education teachers and managers.

This book is the first monograph to systematically introduce readers to technology and vocational education and training in ASEAN countries. It details the current state of development and key development trends regarding technology and vocational education and training in the ten ASEAN countries. For each ASEAN country, the book addresses the history, status quo, characteristics, reform and development trends in technology and vocational education and training.The content mainly focuses on technology and vocational education and training systems, vocational qualification frameworks, technology and vocational education and training related personnel, etc. All the latest data presented here is drawn from the newest official website and research reports, accurately reflecting the development status of ASEAN countries and helping us make better forecasts regarding its future.This book offers a valuable reference guide for academic research intechnology and vocational education and training. It can also be used as a textbook for postgraduate courses in technology and vocational education and training, as well as training material for various vocational education teachers and managers.

This book offers an in-depth investigation of the globalization of higher education at Chinese universities and colleges. The proposed “Global Higher Education Shared Community” model reflects the globalization of higher education with Chinese characteristics in terms of its conceptual, practical and strategic dimensions.Generally speaking, the book mainly conceptualizes and constructs a model of the specific type of globalization currently taking place at Chinese universities and colleges. As such, it offers a valuable resource for scholars and researchers who are interested and work in research on globalization in higher education from a comparative perspective; for administrators and stakeholders in Chinese higher education management; and for graduate students who are majoring or minoring in comparative higher education.

This book offers an in-depth investigation of the globalization of higher education at Chinese universities and colleges. The proposed “Global Higher Education Shared Community” model reflects the globalization of higher education with Chinese characteristics in terms of its conceptual, practical and strategic dimensions.Generally speaking, the book mainly conceptualizes and constructs a model of the specific type of globalization currently taking place at Chinese universities and colleges. As such, it offers a valuable resource for scholars and researchers who are interested and work in research on globalization in higher education from a comparative perspective; for administrators and stakeholders in Chinese higher education management; and for graduate students who are majoring or minoring in comparative higher education.

This book provides a framework for investigating faculty development in the Chinese higher education system, and proposes a faculty development model, which is subsequently applied to assess the conceptual, practical and strategic dimensions of Chinese faculty development. The proposed framework is primarily based on reconstructing the higher education system. The book focuses on conceptualizing and pursuing faculty development. The intended readership includes researchers with an interest in, or whose work involves, research on faculty development and comparative higher education; administrators and stakeholders in Chinese higher education management; and graduate students majoring or minoring in comparative higher education.

This book provides a framework for investigating faculty development in the Chinese higher education system, and proposes a faculty development model, which is subsequently applied to assess the conceptual, practical and strategic dimensions of Chinese faculty development. The proposed framework is primarily based on reconstructing the higher education system. The book focuses on conceptualizing and pursuing faculty development. The intended readership includes researchers with an interest in, or whose work involves, research on faculty development and comparative higher education; administrators and stakeholders in Chinese higher education management; and graduate students majoring or minoring in comparative higher education.

This book brings together the fields of artificial intelligence (often known as A.I.) and inclusive education in order to speculate on the future of teaching and learning in increasingly diverse social, cultural, emotional, and linguistic educational contexts. This book addresses a pressing need to understand how future educational practices can promote equity and equality, while at the same time adopting A.I. systems that are oriented towards automation, standardisation and efficiency. The contributions in this edited volume appeal to scholars and students with an interest in forming a critical understanding of the development of A.I. for education, as well as an interest in how the processes of inclusive education might be shaped by future technologies. Grounded in theoretical engagement, establishing key challenges for future practice, and outlining the latest research, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the complex issues arising from the convergence of A.I. technologiesand the necessity of developing inclusive teaching and learning.To date, there has been little in the way of direct association between research and practice in these domains: A.I. has been a predominantly technical field of research and development, and while intelligent computer systems and ‘smart’ software are being increasingly applied in many areas of industry, economics, social life, and education itself, a specific engagement with the agenda of inclusion appears lacking. Although such technology offers exciting possibilities for education, including software that is designed to ‘personalise’ learning or adapt to learner behaviours, these developments are accompanied by growing concerns about the in-built biases involved in machine learning techniques driven by ‘big data’.

This book brings together the fields of artificial intelligence (often known as A.I.) and inclusive education in order to speculate on the future of teaching and learning in increasingly diverse social, cultural, emotional, and linguistic educational contexts. This book addresses a pressing need to understand how future educational practices can promote equity and equality, while at the same time adopting A.I. systems that are oriented towards automation, standardisation and efficiency. The contributions in this edited volume appeal to scholars and students with an interest in forming a critical understanding of the development of A.I. for education, as well as an interest in how the processes of inclusive education might be shaped by future technologies. Grounded in theoretical engagement, establishing key challenges for future practice, and outlining the latest research, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the complex issues arising from the convergence of A.I. technologiesand the necessity of developing inclusive teaching and learning.To date, there has been little in the way of direct association between research and practice in these domains: A.I. has been a predominantly technical field of research and development, and while intelligent computer systems and ‘smart’ software are being increasingly applied in many areas of industry, economics, social life, and education itself, a specific engagement with the agenda of inclusion appears lacking. Although such technology offers exciting possibilities for education, including software that is designed to ‘personalise’ learning or adapt to learner behaviours, these developments are accompanied by growing concerns about the in-built biases involved in machine learning techniques driven by ‘big data’.

This book gathers selected original papers presented at the Sixth Beijing Normal University - University College London, Institute of Education International Conference in Education, a biennial event organised in partnership between this two universities. Readers will find a wealth of papers and reports on research involving schools and the initial and professional development of teachers, revealing links between research, policy and practice, while also analyzing key themes in education, including public goals and policies, pedagogy, curricula, organisation, resources and technologies, and institutional effectiveness. An essential guide for anyone who wishes to understand the main issues involved in mobilities of ideas, people and technology in the field of education, the book offers an extensive introduction, and can also be used as a resource for empirical and conceptual research into related issues.

This book presents an overview of education technology and its use in schools, with a primary emphasis on best practices of technology enhanced learning; how new technologies such as mobile, augmented and wearable technologies affect instructional design strategies; and the content curriculum development process. Providing insights into the future of education and the upcoming pedagogies that will be applied in schools, it helps educators and other stakeholders make innovations for the new generations of learners in the 21st century.The use of emerging technologies such as mobile and ubiquitous technologies, context-aware technology, augment-reality, and virtual reality is contributing to making education adaptive and smarter. With the ever-changing technologies, how to equip teachers with these digital skills and transform their teaching style is also important to ensure that school education is more individualised and customised for students.Offering a global perspective with integrated practical cases, this timely book is of interest to educators, teachers, and education policymakers. And although most of the authors are from the academia, it provides non-experts with a novel view of what future schools will be like with the help of technology.