Access

The Consortium for Educational Access, Transitions and Equity (CREATE) is a Research Programme Consortium supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Its purpose is to undertake research designed to improve access to basic education in developing ...

Blended learning can be seen as the means to achieving a greater sense of “localness ” on the part of colleges and universities. Blended learning has been evolving for several years and while definitions vary from one institution to another, it is defined in this paper essentially as a combination of face-to-face and online learning. Localness is a term used at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of a new funding initiative to support academic programs designed to strengthen a college or university connection to its core constituencies. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship of blended learning and “localness”.

The study explored chemistry students' alternative conceptions associated with application of the processes of oxidation and reduction in real life context. As part of a design-based research approach, a case-study design was followed. Purposive and convenient sampling procedures were employed to select 213 senior high school students to respond to a diagnostic test. Data obtained were analysed using item difficult index, percentages, and themes. The results showed that alternative conceptions existed as preconceived notions, conceptual misunderstanding, and factual misconceptions. It is recommended that chemistry educators should select most appropriate instructional strategies to unearth and address alternative conceptions students may bring to the classroom.

READING TWENTY TWO Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis Teun Van Dijk Source: Van Dijk, TA i1993) Principles of critical discourse analysis, Discourse and Society, vol. 4. pp. 249-283. This paper discusses some principles, aims and criteria of a'critical'discourse ...

Secondary school education is very critical in any education system because of the crucial role it plays in catalyzing national development. Consequently, maintaining a high student enrolment at this level should be a priority for all countries. The Constituency Bursary Fund (CBF) was established by the government of Kenya through an act of parliament in 2003 to ensure that the needy students have access to secondary education. This fund provides for the involvement of community members in identifying the bursary recipients. With the communal involvement in decision-making, it was anticipated that there would be fairness and efficiency in the bursary allocation process. Contrary to the high expectations however, cases of complaints about the implementation of the constituency bursary fund are many. The purpose of the study was to determine adherence to the established criteria in allocating bursaries influences retention in secondary school. This study was guided by the following objectives namely: To examine the criteria used by the constituency bursary fund committee to allocate bursaries to the recipients in the constituency; To determine the level of inequality in the allocation of bursaries to recipients in the constituency.; To establish how constituency bursary fund influenced students’ retention in secondary school, To find out the problems encountered by the bursary allocation committee when allocating bursaries to the recipients. This study adopted descriptive survey design using mixed approach methodology. This study was guided by the theory of socialist economics of education. The target population for this study comprised of the 1 DEO, 30 school principals, 120 class teachers, 14 CBF committee members and 1500 form three students. The study adopted both probability and non-probability samplings design to determine sample size. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaire and qualitative data through interview and document analysis. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. (Pearson Correlation Coefficient) Qualitative data was thematically classified and arranged before they were reported in narrations and quotations. Constituency Bursary Committee officials indicated that the total amount of bursary is distributed equally between the 19 wards in the constituency. There is a significant relationship between Adequacy of CBF and Retention in Secondary Schools. Among the challenges faced in the provision of CDF bursaries is the high geographical mobility of urban dwellers which lead to lack of detailed information about them.

This background paper for the UNESCO GMR team draws on a range of resources to provide a synthesis on drop out. The paper focuses on patterns of participation, age-specific drop out rates, equity in drop out rates, and the link between over age enrolment and drop out rates. The paper outlines the main causes of drop out and provides two country case studies, Ghana and Tanzania, to highlight the potential strategies that could be used to address drop out. The paper concludes with our main policy messages

This paper provides an in-depth review and analysis of literature on dropping out from school, and focuses on children who have gained access, but fail to complete a
basic education cycle. The main discussion is around why and how children drop out from school. Here drop out is not presented as a distinct event, but rather a process where a range of supply-demand factors interact to influence schooling access. The paper looks at literature in relation to household, community and social contexts of dropping out, as well as school supply and practices. It also explores what research is
saying around pre-cursors to dropping out and factors which may influence retention. Finally, the study identifies gaps in research around dropping out and how CREATE research could address some of these.

Also see: http://www.create-rpc.org/pdf_documents/Policy_Brief_8.pdf

This article probes the Theravāda Buddhist Practice and the Access of Happiness. Firstly, happiness implies an English word is literally translated from multiple Pali terms such as "sukha" refers to the idea of happiness of the world. Happiness (sukha) has suffering (dukkha) as the opposite state. Therefore the Buddhist practice for the access of happiness is as same as the Buddhist practice for the cessation of suffering. One way to get close to the happiness is the concentration of the Dhamma (Dhammasamādhi) which signifies the five kinds of virtues that make one to be firmness in the Dhamma. In addition, happiness can also be accessed through the development of wisdom which is to intellectually understand the nature and the universal states of nature as they truly are. It is the happiness that comes from living according to the Buddhist middle path. Finally, "Access to Happiness above Happiness" implies the four steps to deal with the dukkha-sukha dichotomy of dualism, namely:-1) The ability to live with existing sufferings, 2) The pursuit of righteous happiness, 3) detachment to the happiness acquired, and finally 4) Total elimination of suffering. And this shows that the right striving always result in the accessible of the happiness above happiness, that is, higher and highest kind of happiness, until one gets to the Nibbāna eventually.

The NMC and EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) jointly released the NMC Horizon Report > 2014 Higher Education Edition at a special session at the ELI Annual Meeting 2014. This eleventh edition describes annual findings from the NMC Horizon Project, an ongoing research project designed to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have an impact on learning, teaching, and creative inquiry in education. Six key trends, six significant challenges, and six emerging technologies are identified across three adoption horizons over the next one to five years, giving campus leaders and practitioners a valuable guide for strategic technology planning. The format of the report is new this year, providing these leaders with more in-depth insight into how the trends and challenges are accelerating and impeding the adoption of educational technology, along with their implications for policy, leadership and practice.

The NMC Horizon Report > 2014 Higher Education Edition is available online, free of charge, and is released under a Creative Commons license to facilitate its widespread use, easy duplication, and broad distribution.

Recently concerns have been raised regarding the potential for the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) framework to recentralize forests, potentially setting back efforts to institute localized and decentralized forms of natural resource management. Here, I apply a political ecology approach to consider access and exclusion to land and natural resources in the contexts of three emerging REDD projects in Cambodia and Laos. I argue that each represents either a partial, incomplete, or so far unfulfilled—but nevertheless useful—example of efforts to use REDD to strengthen local resource tenure. Thus, it is possible to
envision how REDD could be utilized to leverage decentralized forest tenure, even if such a reality seems far away at present.

RESUMO
As dificuldades no acesso aos contraceptivos representam um problema significativo para os sistemas de saúde, cujas consequências mais importantes são os indicadores negativos de morbimortalidade das mulheres. Na Argentina, a fragmentação do sistema de saúde e as diferentes formas de financiamento dos medicamentos em geral, criam acessos muito desiguais tanto aos serviços de saúde, quanto aos insumos. Por sua vez, no Brasil, o financiamento dos medicamentos encontra-se compartilhado entre os três níveis de governo o que se traduz numa gestão muito complexa. Ambos os países tem implantado estratégias para promover o acesso aos medicamentos, em geral, assim como programas nacionais de saúde sexual e reprodutiva com foco na promoção do acesso aos contraceptivos. Mesmo assim, tanto a Argentina quanto o Brasil ainda apresentam importantes dificuldades no acesso.
O objetivo principal deste trabalho é analisar como dois sistemas de saúde (institucionalmente diferentes) abordam o problema do acesso aos contraceptivos. Nessa direção, buscou-se também entender o que mais tem influenciado a construção de vias de acesso aos contraceptivos, se a política de medicamentos ou a própria abordagem da saúde sexual e reprodutiva desenvolvida nos sistemas de saúde. Para tal, desenvolveu-se uma análise de políticas qualitativas comparadas. Considerou-se o período de 2003 a 2015, no qual, tanto na Argentina quanto no Brasil, já haviam sido implementadas políticas com o intuito de enfrentar o problema do acesso aos contraceptivos. Foi construído um modelo de análise que permitiu comparar os sistemas de saúde, analisar os programas nacionais de saúde sexual e reprodutiva e as políticas de medicamentos, com foco nos contraceptivos, implantados em ambos os países. A análise foi desenvolvida a partir de dados secundários e entrevistas semiestruturadas com atores-chave de ambos os países.
Os resultados evidenciam que as vias de acesso aos contraceptivos têm características próprias e diferentes de outros medicamentos essenciais e que, também, são diferentes entre os países. Adicionalmente, também foram identificados seis elementos constitutivos dessas vias de acesso: 1) A influência dos processos políticos; 2) A relação entre o tipo de sistema de saúde e as vias de acesso; 3) A participação de novos atores na tomada de decisões (“outsiders” do setor sanitário); 4) A feminização da contracepção; 5) A falta de conhecimento sobre o direito de receber gratuitamente os contraceptivos; e 6) O peso maior das decisões do setor de medicamentos por sobre o de saúde sexual e reprodutiva na hora de gerar vias de acesso.

ABSTRACT
The barriers for accessing contraceptives are still a very complex problem for the health systems. This issue has an important impact especially regarding women health´s indicators (high percentage of mobility and mortality, among others).
In Argentina, the fragmentation of the health system and the different ways of financing medicines create very unequal ways of access to the health services in general and to the contraceptives in particular. In Brazil, medicine´s financing depend on the three levels of government, a practice that leads to a complex management of the system.
Argentina and Brazil implemented strategies to promote the access to medicines in general, and national sexual and reproductive health programs with focus in promoting the access to contraceptives. Nevertheless, both countries still need to strengthen the mechanism to address this problem.
The main objective of this research was to understand how two different health systems (in terms of institutional design) address the problem of accessing to contraceptives. Moreover, the relationship between the medicines policy and the sexual and reproductive health policy in Argentina and Brazil was analysed in a compared perspective.
Methodology: a qualitative – compared public policy analyses was conducted, considering the specific period 2003-2015. During those years, Argentina and Brazil implemented medicines policies and sexual and reproductive programs as well.
In order to achieve the objective, a comparative model was created allowing the comparison of the health systems, the national sexual and reproductive health programs and the medicines policies with focus in contraceptives. Secondary sources were reviewed and analysed and semi-structure interviews were conducted with stakeholders from both countries.
The results show that the ways of accessing contraceptives present specific characteristics, different from other essential medicines, with stark differences as well between the two countries. Six key elements were identified in the creations of those ways of access: 1)the influence of the political process; 2) the relation among the ways of access and the institutional design of the health system; 3) the participation of new actors (outsiders of the sanitary sector) in the design and implementation of these strategies; 4) A feminization of contraception; 5) lack of adequate knowledge about the right to free contraception (in both countries) and 6) the decisions made by the medicines policy influenced more than the decisions made by the sexual and reproductive programs.

RESUMEN
Las dificultades en el acceso a los anticonceptivos representan un importante problema para los sistemas de salud, cuyas consecuencias más importantes son los indicadores negativos de morbi-mortalidad de las mujeres. En Argentina, la fragmentación del sistema de salud y las diferentes formas de financiamiento de los medicamentos en general crean accesos muy desiguales tanto a los servicios de salud como a los insumos. Por su parte, en Brasil el financiamiento de los medicamentos se realiza a través de los tres niveles de gobierno lo que se traduce en una gestión muy compleja. Ambos países implementaron estrategias para promover el acceso a los medicamentos en general, asi como programas nacionales de salud sexual y reproductiva con énfasis en la promoción del acceso a los anticonceptivos. De todas formas, tanto Argentina como Brasil aun presentan importantes dificultades en el acceso.
El objetivo principal de esta tesis fue analizar como dos sistemas de salud diferentes, en términos de organización política institucional abordan el problema del acceso a los anticonceptivos. En esa línea, se buscó comprender que influenció en la construcción de las vías de acceso a los anticonceptivos: si las políticas de medicamentos o el propio abordaje de los programas nacionales de salud sexual y reproductiva implementados en estos dos países. Para alcanzar ese fin, se desarrolló un análisis cualitativo de políticas públicas comparado. Se consideró el período 2003-2015, en el cual tanto Argentina como Brasil ya habían implementado políticas para enfrentar el problema del acceso a los anticonceptivos.
Se construyó un modelo de análisis que permitió comparar los sistemas de salud, analizar los programas nacionales de salud sexual y reproductiva y las políticas nacionales de medicamentos con énfasis en los anticonceptivos, en ambos países. El análisis se desarrolló a partir de datos secundarios y entrevistas semi-estructuradas con actores clave de ambos países.
Los resultados evidencian que las vías de acceso a los anticonceptivos tienen características propias y diferentes a las de otros medicamentos esenciales, y que además son diferentes entre estos dos países. Además se identificaron seis elementos características de esas vías de acceso: 1) la influencia de los procesos políticos; 2) la relación entre el tipo de sistema de salud y las vías de acceso; 3) la participación de actores outsiders del sector sanitario en la toma de decisión; 4) la feminización de la anticoncepción; 5) la falta de conocimiento sobre el derecho a recibir de forma gratuita anticonceptivos; 6) el mayor peso que representó el sector de la política de medicamentos (frente a los programas de salud sexual y reproductiva) a la hora de generar vías de acceso.

Key words: deaf, Deaf culture, social integration.
Abstract:  The social policy of many countries is moving towards preventing the social exclusion of people with a disability (PwD) through increasing social integration.  In order to form this process (likewise within the sphere of leisure time) correctly it is first necessary to become acquainted with the opinions of PwD and the non-disabled section of society on attitudes to mutual interaction. The main aim of this article is to present the opinions of Deaf people (n=292) who use Polish Sign Language (PSL) on spending leisure time with hearing people, and also the views of hearing members of society (n=1780) regarding integration with PwD also during this period. The results of questionnaires carried out in Poland from 2004-2010 constituted the basis for the analysis of this issue. The results indicate the need for the creation of a wide range of leisure activities (including tourism) aimed specifically at Deaf people. This should take into account giving information via sign language, individual interests, and also guarantee a sense of social acceptance through the understanding of the behavioral conditions of PSL users.

The Australian higher education sector is increasingly culturally diverse. Apart from recent school leavers and mature aged adults from various equity groups, there is a growing trend in the participation of students from refugee / humanitarian entrant backgrounds. This group of students come from a position of social disadvantage and have experienced enormous challenges and adverse events in their countries of birth and in their transit countries. Education in Australia represents the promise of a better life but also encompasses multiple factors which impact on their successful transition through university. Effective enabling and support programs not only help individual students and their families but may also impact on broader engagement in the wider community. It forms an important part of the University’s policy framework about issues of diversity and social inclusion. This paper outlines the growth of refugee student participation in enabling programs at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales. It includes a discussion of the educational and cultural barriers to learning faced by such students, the range of support currently provided, and the challenges to effectively support students in their educational endeavours and participation in the broader community.

Cílem výzkumné zprávy je etická analýza morálního konfliktu, který vzniká v souvislosti s blokováním online přístupu k audiovizuálnímu obsahu na základě zeměpisné polohy uživatele internetu a ve kterém dochází ke střetu konfliktních zájmů majitelů práv a spotřebitelů audiovizuálních děl. Klíčová otázka, na kterou tato výzkumná zpráva hledá odpověď, zní: Je geoblokace přístupu k audiovizuálnímu online obsahu legitimní? Cílem není zkoumat legálnost, či nelegálnost geoblokace, ale podmínky, za jakých je geoblokace eticky oprávněná, či naopak neoprávněná. Výsledkem etické analýzy jsou etické principy vytyčující rovněž základní rámec, který by měly v souladu s principem omezené právní striktnosti respektovat i příslušné právní normy.

The study explored how teachers taught redox reactions to senior high school students. Within a case-study research design, six chemistry teachers with a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 12 years teaching experiences from three schools were interviewed. The results revealed four themes; inhibition of instruction, weak instructional strategy, inability to teach concepts, and teachers' professional development. It was found that teachers employed weak instructional strategies such as expository and out of class group assignments in teaching redox reactions. The study recommends that chemistry educators and researchers should design and develop subject-specific pedagogical content knowledge for teaching redox reactions.

READING TWENTY TWO Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis Teun Van Dijk Source: Van Dijk, TA i1993) Principles of critical discourse analysis, Discourse and Society, vol. 4. pp. 249-283. This paper discusses some principles, aims and criteria of a'critical'discourse ...

Should international partners drastically change the way they support poor governments? Thomas’ idea of leveraging patronage networks for better results is not new, as presented in the book reviewed here. Others have argued before that there are conditions under which corruption can provide the solution to development problems such as overcoming divisions among ruling elites that could lead to violence. And many to this day argue that effective support needs to be designed and implemented in accord with contextual reality. But there is no magic bullet to improve governance. Thomas’ focus on the revenue constraint is a useful contribution to add to the mix, but reformers will need a larger toolbox to make headway.

This paper explores both the obstacles and the possibilities for students developing identities associated with science by engaging in solidarity-building classroom interactions. Data come from ethnographic research conducted in a diverse eighth-grade urban magnet school classroom in which the teacher taught out of field for part of the year. Contrary to expectations, more students participated and reported enjoying science when the teacher was out of field. Analysis of classroom interactions indicated that while in field, the teacher primarily engaged in “front stage” performances that hid her struggles with the material and accentuated students’ views of science as an elite status group. The types of solidarity that developed among students often did not involve science language and sometimes involved students rejecting peers’ claims to membership. However, when out of field, the teacher allowed students into her “backstage,” where her struggles and learning processes were more explicit. These practices lessened the social distance between teacher and students, and reduced the risks of using science language, thereby encouraging solidarity and group membership. This study provides insights into some of the ways that teachers, particularly those in urban settings characterized by diversity, might be more successful at facilitating identity formation and learning in science.