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Article
Publication date: 8 November 2018

Manjistha Banerji and Ashwini Deshpande

This paper examines perceived labor market earnings among adolescents and their parents by gender and caste. Previous research has established that lower subjective expectations…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines perceived labor market earnings among adolescents and their parents by gender and caste. Previous research has established that lower subjective expectations of labor market returns among parents affect educational investment. Likewise, subjective expectations of adolescents about labor market returns are likely to affect their commitment to their education. In the labor market, gender and caste biases manifest itself in terms of lower wages for women and persons from marginalized communities. The authors ask if perceived earnings among adolescents and their parents vary by caste and gender over and above their intrinsic ability.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a unique dataset on adolescents that has been recently collected (2013-2015) by ASER Centre, the research and assessment wing of Pratham Education Foundation for the analysis. To answer the research question posed in the paper, they use standard OLS and quantile regression techniques.

Findings

Results confirm that girls have lower expected earnings than boys. Caste differences appear more rigid in Bihar.

Research limitations/implications

The authors recognize that the results presented do not take into consideration the issue of selection bias. Hence, they are applicable not to the average adolescents in the study districts, but only to those who reported expected earnings. That said, they do not think that this technical limitation dilutes the broad policy conclusions emerging from the study.

Originality/value

The paper uses cognition as a measure of an adolescent’s intrinsic ability. Therein lays the uniqueness of the paper. It brings into the discussion on expected earnings test scores as a measure of an adolescent’s cognitive ability. It is also unique in that it focuses on adolescents in the age group of 11-16 years who are likely to join the labor force in few years. Previous discussion of subjective expectations in India did not include any measure to capture cognitive ability and did not focus exclusively on adolescents.

Details

Indian Growth and Development Review, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8254

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 August 2019

Poonam Batra

Several countries in South Asia face the challenge of ineffective educational reforms manifest in increasing rates of school failure and poor learning outcomes after embarking…

Abstract

Several countries in South Asia face the challenge of ineffective educational reforms manifest in increasing rates of school failure and poor learning outcomes after embarking along education for all. Critical voices from the South have questioned the relevance and appropriateness of ideas that have shaped these reforms. Narratives from the region tell us that importation of educational concepts and policy orientations have led to the dismantling of existing structures and processes of education, creating new forms of inequities and disadvantage. The sheer scale and diversity of populations within the region poses formidable challenges and opportunities for contextual innovation. The construction of national imaginaries in the diverse societies of South Asia has the potential to provide new discourses to educational reform; going beyond the abstract goals set by disconnected international experts and the institutional processes they represent. This chapter deliberates on the need to establish a persuasive critical perspective that can influence and shape the trajectories of policy and practice, research and theorization, within the field of comparative education in South Asia, and the global south.

Details

Comparative and International Education: Survey of an Infinite Field
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-392-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 April 2008

Zaida Contreras

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and discuss the implications of the assessment and choice of electricity supply systems for rural communities of less than 500…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and discuss the implications of the assessment and choice of electricity supply systems for rural communities of less than 500 inhabitants in Senegal. The paper is based on a study produced by Programme pour la Promotion de l'Electrification Rurale et l'Approvisionnement en Combustibles Domestiques, an advising body for the Senegalese Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Design/methodology/approach

The profitability index Taux d'Enrichissement en Capital is used as the main criterion for the economic evaluation of four technologies: diesel mini‐grids, photovoltaic, hybrid (pv‐diesel) generators, and solar home systems. Household demand is derived from real data of socio‐economic studies which serve as the basis for determining market segments defined by the distribution of the willingness to pay and the levels of service.

Findings

The simulations from nine demand cases show that high investment and/or operation expenditure create an insurmountable barrier given the limited payment capacity of rural populations, demonstrating that projects in this context are not profitable without subsidies. However, decentralised PV generation technologies are already demonstrated to be the least cost solution when the village lies further than 5.4 kilometers from the transmission grid.

Originality/value

This paper describes a planning path that could enable a faster implementation of rural electrification programs in remote areas considering three main elements, namely; willingness to pay, reduction of levels of supply service and support of communal management. However, the focus of the present work is mainly devoted to an analysis of the first two elements. Finally, the paper addresses the issue of how these technologies can be better implemented by national agencies and investors, with potential application outside of the Senegalese case study.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 August 2014

Deepa Srikantaiah and Wendi Ralaingita

The Global Mathematics Education Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) provides a forum for researchers and practitioners from…

Abstract

The Global Mathematics Education Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) provides a forum for researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss theory, practices, and techniques for mathematics learning from early childhood to tertiary education. Teacher education and professional development is a significant focus of the SIG’s conversations. This chapter discusses and current and future impact of CIE research on teacher education and professional development in global mathematics. A range of factors can undermine students’ performance in mathematics. In many contexts, teacher shortages result in underqualified teachers; teachers trained in other subjects are assigned to teach mathematics; or teacher training lacks adequate focus on teaching mathematics for understanding. While these factors exist in many contexts, they are most acute in low-income countries and communities. Mathematics is widely recognized as a mechanism for economic growth, at individual and system levels. However, low-income countries and marginalized populations perform poorly in cross-national assessments. As a result, lower-performing countries may emulate policy and practice of the higher-performing countries. In such cases there is a risk of superficial “fixes” that ignore contextual factors. There are ways to reduce such risks by combining such assessments with more contextual studies, or by using cross-national assessments as catalysts for examining what is happening locally. Looking forward, there is reason for optimism about the recognition of the importance of early-grade numeracy; recognition of the intersections of mathematics, culture, and language; and potential for reaching across CIE areas and methodologies to develop a more measured and nuanced view of assessment results.

Details

Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2014
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-453-4

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 August 2014

Radhika Iyengar, Matthew A. Witenstein and Erik Byker

This discussion essay provides an overview of teacher preparation programs in South Asia, detailing current innovative practices, challenges and trends regarding teacher education…

Abstract

This discussion essay provides an overview of teacher preparation programs in South Asia, detailing current innovative practices, challenges and trends regarding teacher education in the region. The chapter presents initiatives in several South Asian countries in terms of the design and implementation of in-service teacher trainings, pre-service teacher education programs, and distance education programs in South Asia. The main concept of the essay is to provide a comparative perspective to learn from field-based initiatives with the aim of improving the quality of the programs. It also highlights new trends such as the English education programs and ICT-based teacher training programs. It acknowledges that culture and context form a large part of the success for any education initiative. While doing so, a more holistic approach to improving teacher quality is emphasized. Finally, the essay concludes by sharing some ideas on developing conducive teaching–learning environments in the schools to support teachers. This essay should benefit policy makers and practitioners to: (a) obtain an overview of teacher quality programs in South Asia; and (b) comparatively learn from the experiences of countries in South Asia that have both numerous similarities and some differences.

Details

Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2014
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-453-4

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 19 December 2016

Huma Kidwai and Monisha Bajaj

This chapter reviews the extent of influence new regionalism has had on the development of the education sector in South Asia. The history of South Asian Association of Regional…

Abstract

This chapter reviews the extent of influence new regionalism has had on the development of the education sector in South Asia. The history of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) development, and its regional state-supported initiative, the South Asian University, reflect a multitude of local challenges to effective regionalization for cross-national educational development. The chapter describes and distinguishes the various forms of regional efforts for cooperation and integration among government actors, nongovernmental organizations, and local activist groups and forums, to chart certain key regional efforts to consolidate intraregionalism as well as establish interregional relations of educational development and policy with countries of sub-Saharan African region. It utilizes the transnational advocacy networks framework to understand and interpret diverse manifestations of interregional cooperation between nonstate partners in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Details

The Global Educational Policy Environment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-044-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 April 2010

María‐Dolores Olvera‐Lobo and Lola García‐Santiago

This study aims to focus on the evaluation of systems for the automatic translation of questions destined to translingual question‐answer (QA) systems. The efficacy of online…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to focus on the evaluation of systems for the automatic translation of questions destined to translingual question‐answer (QA) systems. The efficacy of online translators when performing as tools in QA systems is analysed using a collection of documents in the Spanish language.

Design/methodology/approach

Automatic translation is evaluated in terms of the functionality of actual translations produced by three online translators (Google Translator, Promt Translator, and Worldlingo) by means of objective and subjective evaluation measures, and the typology of errors produced was identified. For this purpose, a comparative study of the quality of the translation of factual questions of the CLEF collection of queries was carried out, from German and French to Spanish.

Findings

It was observed that the rates of error for the three systems evaluated here are greater in the translations pertaining to the language pair German‐Spanish. Promt was identified as the most reliable translator of the three (on average) for the two linguistic combinations evaluated. However, for the Spanish‐German pair, a good assessment of the Google online translator was obtained as well. Most errors (46.38 percent) tended to be of a lexical nature, followed by those due to a poor translation of the interrogative particle of the query (31.16 percent).

Originality/value

The evaluation methodology applied focuses above all on the finality of the translation. That is, does the resulting question serve as effective input into a translingual QA system? Thus, instead of searching for “perfection”, the functionality of the question and its capacity to lead one to an adequate response are appraised. The results obtained contribute to the development of improved translingual QA systems.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 66 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Open Access
Book part
Publication date: 29 September 2023

Doris Bühler-Niederberger and Asma Khalid

To contextualise the contributions in this section, we present some data on growing up in South Asian societies. It is important to consider the fundamental diversity of…

Abstract

To contextualise the contributions in this section, we present some data on growing up in South Asian societies. It is important to consider the fundamental diversity of conditions in which children and youth live. We suggest some theoretical terms that are helpful in this regard and preview the contributions against this background. The studies on which the contributions are based impressively document the striking inequality in this region.

Details

The Emerald Handbook of Childhood and Youth in Asian Societies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-284-6

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 August 2015

Tara Ratnam

Set in the Indian context, this chapter speaks of the wider concern expressed in teacher education more generally, that of increasing the efficacy of preservice teacher education…

Abstract

Set in the Indian context, this chapter speaks of the wider concern expressed in teacher education more generally, that of increasing the efficacy of preservice teacher education for social justice. In India, equity in education has been a central concern within the striving for social justice since independence in 1947. Schools now include vast numbers of culturally diverse students, who were once excluded. However, notions of “standardization” and “homogenization” that tend to ignore their diverse voice, make transaction in the classroom an alienating experience for them. These normative ideas are challenged by emerging multicultural and critical perspectives in education which recognize linguistic and cognitive diversity and the need to create spaces for learners’ self-expression by nurturing their cultural identities in school. My chapter analyzes the effect of the collision of these two perspectives on an in-service ESL teacher and the culturally diverse learners she teaches. It then examines in what ways this pedagogy is promising for preservice teacher education that seeks to promote teaching for social justice.

Details

International Teacher Education: Promising Pedagogies (Part B)
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-669-0

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2023

Syed Amir Shah and tavis d. jules

After the electoral victory in 2018, the newly formed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government presented its National Education Policy Framework, chalking out its priorities of…

Abstract

After the electoral victory in 2018, the newly formed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government presented its National Education Policy Framework, chalking out its priorities of bringing more than 22 million out-of-school children to schools, improving educational quality, and introducing a uniform education system in the country. However, the government’s grand ambitions, transpired quickly, only to produce a draft of a new unified curriculum in 2020. This chapter investigates the newly formulated Single National Curriculum (SNC) in Pakistan by using the lens of Critical Cultural Political Economy of Education (CCPEE). To understand the endogenous and exogenous factors shaping the SNC, the chapter argues that securitization and neoliberalization are the significant factors informing the development and the production of the new curriculum.

Details

Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2022
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-484-9

Keywords

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