The Research Institute for Higher Education (RIHE) at Hiroshima University, through special funding by the Ministry of Education and Science in 2008, has been implementing a research project on the reform of higher education in the knowledge-based society of the 21st century. Research into the design of the future higher education system,…

The United States stands unfavorably to other nations on the educational level, as many schools in the U.S. do not acknowledge the skills and knowledge that students need to succeed as global citizens with the increasing global and economic changes. Though some schools in the U.S. have already sounded the alarm and implemented changes to integrate…

The relationship between education policy and local practices is at the core of research pertaining to the history of education. In this volume, the authors examine this issue from a multitude of perspectives, presenting a broad and comprehensive picture of schooling on international, national and local levels. Three issues of great significance,…

A recent study in the USA documented the existence and growth of "excellence gaps" among students. These gaps are similar to the minimum competency achievement gaps that proliferate in policy discussions in many Western countries, but excellence gaps focus on the highest level of achievement rather than minimum competency. We extend this…

This article examines the distributional pattern of signs in the linguistic landscape of a neighbourhood in the commercial district of Phonm Penh, Cambodia. Informed by the frameworks of ethnolinguistic vitality and ethnocultural stereotypes, it discusses the developing multilingualism from socio-economic and historical perspectives. An analysis…

Processes of globalization are permeating the world of higher education and escalating to a previously unprecedented degree, and institutions of higher education previously known for their cultural homogeneity are becoming increasingly heterogeneous. Consequently, cross-cultural study of higher education is evolving from a discipline investigating…

Enrollment of international students in colleges and universities across the United States is growing. The relocation process can be arduous for international students as they face many barriers transitioning to a new environment. With retention as a key component in the success of academic institutions, what resources and services can academic…

Teaching is a highly personal endeavor shaped by "funds of knowledge" and beliefs about teaching, learning, and students. This case study examines how one Asian immigrant teacher's personal expectations and beliefs influenced his expectations of students and the teaching and instructional strategies he employed. His expectations of students'…

Without college-level learning, American workers simply won't have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today's global economy. The country's long-term economic recovery will rely on getting a greater number of high-quality degrees into the hands of a larger, more diverse pool of graduates. College and university governing boards that…

The case presentation is the core section of a medical case report. Issues in the teaching of case report writing have recently been the subject of great interest in medical education, especially in the era of globalization. Given that Taiwanese medical students, residents and junior physicians are requested to write case reports in English and…

Infrastructure is a worldwide policy priority for national development via regional integration into the global economy. However, economic, ecological and social research draws contrasting conclusions about the consequences of infrastructure. We present a synthetic approach to the study of infrastructure, focusing on a multidimensional treatment…

This article explores the impact of wider social contact on the experience of Chinese postgraduate students of adaptation to life in the UK. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted with a group of 11 Chinese students on an MA programme at a university in southern England and individual interviews with three representatives of a local…

Focusing on vocational learning in the English further education (FE) sector and situating it within its social, political and historical context, this paper provides an overview of English attitudes towards the vocational and its subordinate status in relation to "academic" education. It outlines the development of FE in England,…

Developmental contexts play a pivotal role in shaping the psychosocial adaptation and development of young people. Family, school, peer groups, and community provide the opportunities and constraints for the attainment of major developmental tasks of adolescence, and changing relations between the individual and these contexts constitute the basic…

Research Findings: With a substantial number of young children receiving care in family child care settings, an examination of the characteristics, both structural and attitudinal, that predict program quality is warranted. The current study examines gaps in the research by examining both structural characteristics and provider beliefs that…