Search results

This article proposes a model of subjective rationalities to shed light on the global phenomenon of parental reliance on private tutoring for their children. The model is illustrated using the examples of the rational decision-making process and outcome of parents with regards to enrolling their children in private tutoring in South Korea and Singapore.

This is a theoretical paper that relies on a critical review of official documents, academic publications and newspaper reports.

This article proposes an original model to shed light on the global phenomenon of parental reliance on private tutoring for their children. The model highlights the following: the dynamic interactions between parents, education policy and private tutoring; the active role of private tutoring providers; and the socio-culturally embedded and complex nature of educational decisions.

This is a conceptual paper that proposes a theoretical model, so there is no empirical data.

This article fills an existing research gap on the dynamic interactions between the parents, education policy and private tutoring. It offers an original model that illuminates the rational decision-making process and outcome of parents that pertains to private tutoring for their children.

The purpose of this paper is to respond to a recent article published in this journal by Stoll and Kools (2017) on the “School as a Learning Organisation” (SLO). It critiques Stoll and Kools’ integrated model of a SLO by investigating whether the model can be applied to a specific socio-cultural schooling context using the example of mainland China.

This paper reviews the extant published works on SLO with a focus on Stoll and Kools’ integrated model of a SLO. The paper also reviews the existing literature on schooling practices in China.

It is argued that the application of Stoll and Kools’ integrated model of a SLO in China needs to take into consideration and incorporate the prevailing centralised, hierarchical and collective characteristics in the country.

The paper questions the universal application of the seven action-oriented dimensions of the SLO for all schools regardless of socio-cultural contexts. It highlights the mediating and moderating effects of local histories, conditions and developments when promoting SLO in a specific learning site.

Policymakers, researchers and educators need to contextualise the ideal of the SLO by interpreting and appropriating it in ways that are compatible with the dominant socio-cultural norms and practices in a particular locality.

This paper fills a current gap by relating the notion of SLO model to the schooling settings in China. It offers a collective slant to SLO that is tailored for the educational realities and experiences in China.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of teacher professionalism in Cambodia and the issues and challenges in this area.

This paper uses Hargreaves’ four ages of teacher professionalism and professional learning to frame the discussion of the development of teacher professionalism in Cambodia.

This paper argues that the Cambodian government aims to develop the teachers to become autonomous professionals in terms of curriculum and pedagogical improvements. However the reality is that the Cambodian teachers manifest characteristics of both the pre‐professionals and autonomous professionals. This paper also examines the issues and challenges faced in the development of teacher professionalism, which are entwined in the complexities of educational reform, societal and economic development. By identifying some structural, economic and socio‐cultural challenges faced by Cambodian teachers, this paper suggests that Cambodian teachers need greater teacher collaboration within a culture of trust and accountability to become collegial professionals.

The Cambodian case study adds to the literature on the development of teacher professionalism in Cambodia and illustrates the potential of comparative and international research on teacher professionalism between Anglophonic and non‐Anglophonic cultures.

This paper seeks to analyse the Singapore government's recent attempt to make Singapore a “Global Schoolhouse” by transforming its tertiary education sector. It aims to examine the government's attempt to promote greater diversity and autonomy in the tertiary education landscape; it also aims to examine the government's systems of state funding and accountability for the tertiary education sector.

The paper utilises a policy analysis approach to examine the development of the “Global Schoolhouse” in Singapore. In particular, it examines a case study of the setting up and subsequent sudden pull‐out of the University of New South Wales Asia (UNSW Asia) to highlight the increasing challenge faced by the government in this undertaking.

Despite the government's promotion of greater diversity and autonomy in the tertiary education landscape, the government maintains centralised control through systems of accountability to, and funding from, the state. The case study of UNSW Asia shows that it is a paradoxical challenge for the government to engineer a tertiary education “market economy” with private foreign players while maintaining centralised control over the achievement of its strategic agenda within its stipulated time frame.

The analysis of the Singapore “Global Schoolhouse” effort is limited to a general review of the higher education scene in Singapore and a case study.

The study of Singapore serves as a mirror to other developing countries in understanding the challenges in developing a “Global Schoolhouse” while trying to maintain centralised control.

This paper provides an analysis of the recent developments in the Singapore “Global Schoolhouse” effort.

There has been a resurgence of interest in comparative and international research on teacher education that has been driven, in large part, by the emergence over the past two decades of comprehensive international studies of student achievement supported by (1) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and (2) the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Widely published country rankings that set benchmarks for student achievement suggest the importance of understanding more fully what specific characteristics set highly ranked countries apart, especially quality of teaching and teacher education.

Recent literature on comparative and international teacher education is reviewed, focusing on special issues of Prospects (Vol. 42, March 2012, “Internationalization of Teacher Education”), sponsored by the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) in Geneva, Switzerland, and the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education (Vol. 11, August 2013, “International Perspectives on Mathematics and Science Teacher Education for the Future”), sponsored by the National Science Council of Taiwan.

A conceptual framework for describing the complexity of teacher education in comparative and international context is presented, adapting an approach used for understanding educational change and reform in emerging democracies. The chapter concludes with a discussion of theoretical perspectives that have been applied to teacher education in comparative and international education with recommendations for new directions that might inform scholarly understanding as well as practice.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of blogs on teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to primary students. The study also explores educators’ perceptions of social media tools and digital literacy in school environments.

A three-step approach was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. First, the blogs of 23 fifth-grade students in an EFL class in Kuwait was analysed for one semester along with student perceptions and teacher observations. Second, a survey was distributed to the students at the end of the semester, and finally, four focus groups were conducted regarding educators’ perceptions on the use of social media, their skills and needs and problems encountered.

The findings showed that by the end of the semester, students were writing lengthy sentences, had fewer spelling and grammatical mistakes, were more motivated and independent and displayed a more positive attitude towards learning EFL. In addition, educators are enthusiastic about using Web technologies in their teaching practices but have several concerns such as digital literacy competencies, technology-use behaviour and lack of accessibility to digital content.

The number of questions on the student survey could be reduced. Also, it would be preferable in future studies to require all students to blog at least twice a week which could provide a broader representation of their writing abilities.

Little research has been reported in the literature on the use of blogs in teaching EFL to primary school students. Most literature focuses on teaching EFL to university students. By using a mixed-methodology approach, this study also highlights the needs of educators and students in technology learning environments and makes a good contribution towards offering pragmatic solutions.

Disruptive technologies have changed the way that firms model their business approach. The aim of this study is to analyse the influence of novel digital technologies (artificial intelligence [AI] and machine learning [ML]) and big data analytics on the digital transformation of digital marketing firms. This research study is based on a review of the extant literature, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Gaps in the extant research literature were identified and emerged that are directly linked with the impact of AI, ML and big data analytics on digital transformation for digital marketing firms. Potential opportunities for digital transformation in digital firms were also unlocked, as well as related challenges. The research informs practice and policy for the current trends and provides future research directions. The study was limited to the application of the PRISMA methodology, which is incapable of fully providing testable results for a given study. Complementary cross-sectional research studies using the same methodology in different areas of study with the same topic can be applied to check for relevancy and applicability. This study contributes to digital marketing, information communication technologies, information systems practice and theory building. In addition, it provides researchers with an agenda for future digital transformation research directions.