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1 – 6 of 6Malakeh Itani, Karen Palmer and Rana El-Sabbagh
With the progress of the education system, many technological inventions have been found to develop the learning and teaching process. Several factors contributed to the…
Abstract
With the progress of the education system, many technological inventions have been found to develop the learning and teaching process. Several factors contributed to the advancement of education, from computer-based materials to web-based programs and technical tools. All these have revolutionized the whole education system and changed it from a monotonous and traditional teacher-centered approach to a motivating and interactive learner-based approach. Recently, digital technology has been implemented in many educational processes to increase teacher–learner interaction. The main feature characterizing digital learning is the active engagement that transforms learners from passive attendants to active participants in the learning process. From this perspective, teachers and learners are considered educational technologists. The purpose of this chapter is to shift the role of creativity and critical thinking from teachers to learners and show how the latter could create authentic writing by employing technology that is used and needed in the workplace. In doing so, learners become ready for their career life, and they learn to be more creative and collaborative individuals.
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Sonal Nakar and Richard G. Bagnall
Vocational education and training (VET) in Australia has for some time been driven by an agenda of “reasonable adjustment”, in which practices are modified to ensure equitable…
Abstract
Purpose
Vocational education and training (VET) in Australia has for some time been driven by an agenda of “reasonable adjustment”, in which practices are modified to ensure equitable access and participation by disadvantaged students. However, the growing marketization of VET has instead encouraged the use of more flexible approaches to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds. They have thus paralleled and confounded reasonable adjustment practices for inclusive development. This study sought to identify the moral dilemmas experienced by VET teachers arising from implementing reasonable adjustment practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This phenomenological research project used in-depth conversational interviews with 19 experienced VET teachers from a diversity of teaching fields to identify moral dilemmas experienced as arising from changes in their workplace contexts.
Findings
One of the identified dilemmas was responding flexibly to heightened student diversity, to which study participants largely responded by prioritising the economic imperative over social inclusion. Well-intended actions thus led to unintentionally damaging outcomes, raising important ethical questions about the relative value of economic and social development outcomes and the role of reasonable adjustment in their attainment. The study also highlights the lack of appropriate VET teacher training in managing ethical conflicts to minimise risks to themselves and their employing organizations.
Originality/value
As a case study of inclusive development policies in practice, this research may be seen as a cautionary tale for inclusive development policies in other countries with similarly strong VET economic and socially inclusive development policies for sustainability. The paper thus opens a dialogue for critical reflection on the current problems in a reasonable development approach in the field of comparative and international education. Those two parallel agendas have presented VET teachers and trainers with ethically challenging situations in which the economic and social development imperatives are experienced as being conflict with each other.
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Grace Hui-Chen Huang and Monica Miller Marsh
This study aims to explore the experiences of newly resettled refugee-background high school students participating in the Teen Response program, a community-based initiative to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the experiences of newly resettled refugee-background high school students participating in the Teen Response program, a community-based initiative to assist refugee-background adolescents (RBAs) in navigating educational and career opportunities in the midwestern USA.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examined twenty-two RBAs through survey and focus groups.
Findings
The findings reveal significant growth and transformation in the students' self-efficacy and advocacy skills. This growth underscores the critical role of social support and community engagement in helping RBAs, empowering them to advocate for themselves and others in pursuing educational and career goals.
Originality/value
This study contributes new insights into the community-based support programs for RBAs, focusing on enhancing self-efficacy and advocacy. It offers valuable implications for developing effective support frameworks and recommends future research on these approaches.
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