This article is based on research into the practical problem of masculinity and learning and practising safety in the mining industry. The research began with a post-structural analysis of gendered subjectivity in miners' yarns but argues that a concept of "culture" is needed to elucidate a middle-level relationship between individual…

In an era of rapid global economic and social change, educational institutions like schools and universities are struggling to keep their curricula and programs relevant. Singapore's schools are no exception, especially when education is viewed as the essential element for maintaining the nation's global competitiveness in ways that are totally…

Over the past two decades in Australia, the field of gifted education has expanded considerably. The term "giftedness" has effectively entered mainstream discourse. The field of gifted education, which nowadays operates as a compensatory function of mass education, is comprised of groups of people who broadly share in the concept of…

Working collaboratively is complex and therefore draws upon a broader spectrum of concepts, behaviors, and skills than educators and other professionals may be accustomed to. This new era of transformational collaboration expands the traditional domain of working together to one of linking all kinds of groups, leaders, and supporters who…

The ability to balance cooperative and competitive behaviors has important implications for a child's overall development. While socially competent children appear to learn highly successful strategies for entering peer groups and negotiating access to limited resources, the development of this level of social competence can be challenging for…

From time to time, the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) mounts studies to investigate in depth and detail particular fields of interest in mathematics education. This paper is the Discussion Document of the forthcoming ICMI Study 16, "Challenging Mathematics in and beyond the Classroom."

Why does it cost so much? is a question often asked about university construction. On college and university campuses, the cost of new construction and renovation will appear high relative to other construction efforts in our communities. Part of the explanation of the high construction cost lies in the complexity of what we build, the codes…

This article synthesises the social and economic dynamics of both non-market and market production in national education systems, drawing primarily on Marx's analysis of the commodity and Hirsch on positional competition. Market production has six principal aspects: a defined field of production, protocols governing entry/exit, the production of…

In this article, the author states that people games and contests have always occupied a special place in the traditional physical training of the native people in northern Russia. This article is prepared on the basis of materials obtained as a result of expeditions conducted from 1990 through 1993 into Siberia's "Khanty-Mansyyski" and…

German universities are taking part in a competition that supporters believe will reshape the country's higher-education system by funneling billions of dollars to institutions identified as the best in the nation. The competition, known as the excellence initiative, aims to improve research performance and increase the international…

The Indian fair is that rare example of a government program for Indians gone terribly right. Implemented by the Office of Indian Affairs on reservations in the early 1900s, Indian fairs allowed Native people to exhibit their crops, livestock, and domestic handiwork in competition for prizes much the same way whites did at their numerous county…

This paper examines institutional change in universities from the perspective of the notion of "boundaries". The paper asks: how can some of the most important regulatory and administrative changes in universities be understood in the framework of evolving boundaries? Two areas are studied empirically. First, the third mission of…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Congress Moves Forward with Budget Plan for FY 2008: House and Senate Spending Blueprints Include Significant…

For seventeen years an underlying rationale for Milwaukee's private school voucher program has been that competition from private schools is needed to bring about improvements in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). However, despite an increased availability of vouchers for more eligible children than ever before, demand during the past school year did…

This report evaluates the contribution of public higher education to raise educational attainment and the challenge of aligning postsecondary education with evolving educational needs of the state's diverse population. Report conclusions include: (1) The educational attainment of California's population is growing more slowly than the national…