Editorial: Education and Culture in the Age of Globalisation
Adia Chermeleu
“Well Educated”. Pedagogical Reflections on a sociological term
Ekkehard Nuissl
Abstract
In this article is reflected the meaning of “well educated” with a pedagogical view. It is discussed on the basis of literature. “Well educated” as a social metaphor is less outcome of an educational process than more means of a social segmentation. On the other hand education can contribute to a more differentiated and inclusive meaning of the term.
Key words: well educated; cultivated; culture; human identity
Educating and transmitting for the world of tomorrow: The new witnesses on the changing field of memory
Ewa Bogalska-Martin
Research culture in the Romanian universities: Searching for identity
Georgeta Ion
Abstract
The Romanian higher education system has been experiencing substantial changes in the last years, in order to align to the European Higher Education Area and European Research Area. Despite the changes implemented at all levels, universities are still far away of the western European trends in knowledge production.
The article discusses the role of factors such as funding and university governance and their role in shaping the place that universities have in academic and social field. Research management model and university governance, the internal dynamics in the knowledge production and transfer mechanisms are some of the aspects analysed. In addition, international visibility of universities, their efficiency in the knowledge production and the internal dynamics may indicate that Romania is in danger of expanding the distance from the emergent European Research Area.
Key words: Knowledge production, research, universities, governance, research production, Romanian higher education
Public socialization pattern in education
Szilvia Mehring-Tóth
Abstract
The study presents the opinions of educators on the role of public socialization in school in the 21st century with a gender-thematic aspect from an interdisciplinary approach. The basic principle was that school is the second most important socialization context, the first is family. On one hand this is because the person and the thinking of the educator provide a model for the students. On the other hand qualification, competencies and socialization patterns acquired by education form the development of civil attitude. Due to this the experience and background of educators with double role, namely educator-politician teachers, are of utmost importance.
The analysis starts with a brief introduction of the theoretical background (gender studies). From 1966 the principle of gender mainstreaming has an increasing role in the standards (in contracts, statements) of international organizations (UN, EU) and countries. The development of the gender gap has been measured since 2006 mainly in the area of education and politics. (2015, Global Gender Gap, in 145 countries). An overview of 2015 partial index results of Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland is provided.
Following the quantitative data, relations of school, qualification, and participation in decision making are analysed, then the qualitative results of the research are presented. Our research question aimed at the type of civil pattern and attitude occurring through socialization in school settings in rural, small cities nowadays. From the aspect of the gender approach this is important because women with adequate competencies do not take up a public leading role in a negative background.In our opinion school and educators may have an important role in creating a balanced public life.
All respondents (8 persons) are teachers in leading positions (Principal, Vice Principal, or Head of Department) in different elementary schools of the county of Baranya. To preserve the heterogeneity of the sample women and men (4-4 persons), and educators experienced in local politics and having no public role (4-4 persons) were questioned equally. From our results public experience and instantaneous political attitude of rural educators, that is the patterns of school socialization can be traced.
Key words: equal opportunities, socialization in school, gender roles, public life pattern
Choices for and Barriers to a Learning City. Developments of the Pécs Learning City-Region Forum
Balázs Németh
Abstract
The Faculty of Adult Education and HRD of the University of Pécs initiated three local learning platforms in the Fall of 2014 as part of the Pécs Learning City-Region Forum, based on the initiative of UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning on the Global Learning Cities Network, as an umbrella network to get new collaborations started amongst learning organisations. These platforms collect and share best practices around the following themes: Atypical/Non-formal Learning platform; School and Environment platform; Inclusion and Handicapped Situations platform.
This paper and the related presentation will elaborate upon how the Atypical/Non-formal Learning platform generates specific adult learning and training of educators in local/rural Hungary based on a global initiative of learning cities. Accordingly, it will examine the challenges and opportunities for the learning city model of Pécs, based on some concrete actions in museums, and other cultural organisations, in engaging more adults in learning and developing their own communities in atypical forms of co-operative learning within and across particular platform-based actions.
Key words: learning cities, lifelong learning, sustainable development, inclusion, community development
Education Challenges of Guernsey
Ivan Zadori
Abstract
This paper is focusing on the education strategies of an island economy presenting the successful example of Guernsey with outlining the main dimensions of past and future challenges of education. The success of Channel Islands, Guernsey and Jersey comes from their special historical, economic and cultural situation, from the permanent using of external resources and from the continuous connection and adaptation to the main world economic processes. After the World War II both Jersey and Guernsey due to the favorable and calculable economic and political environment, relative independency and friendly tax system have become important financial centers. The maintenance of this favorable situation and international competitiveness is an important challenge and appears the key element of the sustainable future of the island. Although the present labor market situation and the level of the education is favorable, there is a permanent need to develop the human resources of the island to empower the islanders to hold on the market needs and adaptation in the knowledge based economy and society.
Key words: Channel Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, autonomy, adaptation challenges, higher education, education strategies, sustainability
Deaf culture, deaf community
Anca Luştrea
Abstract
Deaf community is one of the most cohesive, well-structured and active of all communities of adults with disabilities. The deaf community has a strong coherence and a sense of its identity. Members of the deaf community tend to view deafness as a difference between individuals than as a disability. A distinctive view on the deaf community is that is a linguistic or cultural ethnicity, perspective largely accepted by the deaf community. The central element of this ethnicity is the deaf culture, a set of knowledge, experiences, beliefs, a specific language, customs and traditions that are transmitted by sign language. In this paper, the concepts of deaf community, ethnicity and deaf culture are analyzed alongside with their main characteristics. Also, the influence of the rapid advancements in medicine and technology over the structure of deaf communities and modes of communication is taken into account.
Key words: deaf community, deaf ethnicity, sign language
Spiritual values of non-formal education
Ramona-Elena Tutunaru
Abstract
Religion has always played an important part in shaping individuals. Religion enhances the best qualities in humans, shapes behaviours, as it sets connections with ethics and morals. Teaching religion in schools adds value to the educational process due to its formative role upon students as religion is the one to set points of reference in one’s family life and in society. In order to achieve global and complete education, the regular religious education/instruction delivered in schools should is accompanied and supplemented by religious non-formal religious education.
The purpose of this paper is to identify the most important ways of providing, delivering and achieving non-formal education. The objectives of this paper focus on describing said ways together with the factors which influence the presence of said ways in students’ lives. I believe results shall highlight the fact that family, school, the Church, students’ social living environment and background are sources of non-formal religious education.
Key words: Non-formal education, religious education, morals and religious values, Religion school club, educational partnerships
European Union Citizen - an optional discipline in Romanian primary schools, two EACEA projects
Marian D. ILIE
Abstract
Since 2007, Romania is member of European Union. In this context, themes addressing specific EU educational content have increased gradually in curriculum. Sometimes, actions of this type have succeeded to attract funds from Brussels through projects won in international competitions. This paper presents two such projects won by a research team from West University of Timisoara. The applications for funding was made to the grant competition opened by the Education Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency, Brussels, Belgium through Lifelong Learning Programme, Jean Monnet Programme, Key Activity 1 – Learning EU at School. The two projects have aimed the development of a complete curriculum package in order to implement the European Union Citizen as an optional discipline in Romanian primary schools. The project proposals, the implementation process and, also, the results are presented and discussed. Some examples of good practice for educational research, projects implementation and collaboration between researchers and practitioners are highlighted.
Key words: European Union, optional school disciplines, Romanian primary education, curriculum development
Romanian children and parents in German school-Extracurricular activities rolls in shifting cultural identity
Popa Maria Cristina
Abstract
Defining cultural identity is a challenge of the present time. It swings between assuming the given cultural heritage (Geertz, 1963) and becoming under the influence of context and opportunities that awake the desire for change. History shows us that the existence of German school in the region of Transylvania and the desire of Romanian ethnics to join this school path is not new. This study aims to capture possible changes in cultural identity components of Romanian children and parents attached to the German school. The school is not seen only as educational establishment, but as a chance for identity transformation, with future benefits foreseen under the influence of positive perception over the German ethnicity in connection with career opportunities. The study is part of a larger research regarding the cultural identity of Romanian children enrolled in German preschool department. The entire research was concretized in a doctoral thesis. In this section we start from the assumption that changes happen in the pattern of cultural identity components of the observed children, changes which they don’t comprehend, but transpose into fluctuating emotional states. With respect to parents, we move on the supposition that deviations in the pattern of cultural identity unit are acknowledge, even if not assumed. Participative observation and in-depth interviews were used to check the made assumptions. The study describes extracurricular activities that challenge Romanian parents and children in their struggle of being "different". Our interest in this research is to describe the process of cultural identity transformation through this activities. Various extracurricular activities are described in detail, respectively parent meeting, the feast of Saint Martin, Advent, Christmas, Easter, Mother`s Day, Carnival, and swimming activity. Of these activities, we extract observations that could impact the cultural identity construction process of children. Finally, we present six conclusions. The study, descriptive and non-experimental, complies with rules of ethics in research with minors.
Key words: cultural identity, extracurricular activities, Romanian parents and children, German school
West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Sociology and Psychology, Department of EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
