Educational Poverty, Digital and Cultural Divide: Some Reflections from a Case Study

The pandemic has highlighted and accentuated some potential risks and critical issues already present in several educational contexts: the widening of educational poverty, the increase in the digital and cultural divide and the expansion of learning loss and of the implicit and explicit early school leaving. In this regard, the case study developed in a period just prior to the pandemic, on the one hand, has highlighted some critical issues of the teaching-learning relationship, while, on the other hand, it has deepened the strengths concerning the teaching-learning relationship in order to improve learning to learn and learning to teach for students and teachers in contemporary complexity. The results show that facing the current complexity means understanding the cultural aspects that guide today's ways of learning and teaching based on technologies. The relevance of these aspects concerning meanings and practices of teaching and learning is understandable, taking into account the rapid and profound changes in the current world in which we live. In summary, the results of this educational research on the analysed teaching and learning practices can be useful both to treasure today's lessons learned and to copy the unexpected changes that each crisis proposes like the current one.

COVID-19 Disruptions: Attainment Gaps and Primary School Responses. Research Report

The study uses data from five assessment points for reading and maths. It focuses on a constant sample of students, all of whom completed a Rising Stars assessment in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also administered three teacher surveys: the first focused on the initial period of lockdown, the second focused on the autumn 2020 term when students returned to face-to-face instruction, the third focused on the second period of school closures from January to March 2021. This descriptive, longitudinal study focuses on primary schools in England. It has three aims: (1) to quantify changes in attainment gaps since the onset of COVID-19: the focus is on gaps between economically disadvantaged pupils and their peers in Years 2 to 6, (2) to describe how teachers and schools responded to the challenges of COVID-19, and (3) to explore associations between school responses to COVID and changes in attainment gaps. [The report was published with FFT and Teacher Tapp.]

Spaces and Prospects for Student Empowerment in the Debt-Ridden Greek Education System. Future Possibilities for Change According to Student's Views

This paper presents a research project that was conducted in Athens, Greece in 2018 and 2019. The main objective of this project was to address students' views on Greek society and education in the context of the socio-economic crisis, their prospects, and their aspirations for educational and social transformation. The paper concentrates on students' views on education and discusses the role of schools in creating democratic societies. It provides a closer insight into possible ways of thinking about education, and food for thought for any attempts to deconstruct or initiate radical change in the education system. It looks at the potentialities and possibilities of deploying critical pedagogy as a mode of resistance for transformative and empowering education within the Greek education system. It concludes that during times of multiple crises, critical pedagogy is clearly relevant and has a responsibility to rethink its views and practices, build active resistance and engage in fostering educational and social change that can lead to a more just, equal and fair society.

International Recruitment: China Recruiters' Experience during COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of China recruiters during the pandemic, particularly with their job stress and sense of job security. The study also explored the new norms of Chinese students' recruitment following the post-pandemic crisis. Using qualitative analysis, we found that China recruiters experienced different stressors during the pandemic regardless of their working location. The participants recognized the importance of communication and seeking institutional support to help overcome their stress during the pandemic. They suggested that higher education administrators should be sensitive to the needs of their international recruiters. The participants also suggested several new norms for future recruitment, such as using the hybrid recruitment model, promoting university collaboration, initiating joint programs between US and Chinese institutions, and hiring domestic recruiters. Implications for practice are discussed. [Note: The page range (104-120) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 104-121.]

What Do Teachers Say about Inclusion of Epidemic Diseases in the Science Curriculum?

This study was carried out to determine the views of science teachers about the inclusion of epidemic diseases in science curriculum. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, was used as the research design in the study. The study group consists of six science teachers who have at least five years of experience and have participated in the development of science curriculum in previous years. A semi-structured interview form consisting of five questions, whose content validity was provided by taking expert opinion, was used as a data collection tool. Code, category and themes were created by analyzing the content of the teachers' opinions. As a result of the study, inclusion of epidemic diseases, which has become a current topic all around the world, into the science curriculum, reasons, advantages and disadvantages, class level, achievements that can be included in the program were evaluated according to the views of science teachers in terms of teaching methods-techniques and materials also it was emphasized that the subject of epidemic diseases should be included in the science course curriculum. Suggestions that in line with the findings of the research were made to the developers of the science course curriculum and researchers.