UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
College of Education
DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION:
Department: School of Teaching, Learning and Leadership
Course Title: Equitable Educational Opportunity and Life Chances: A Cross- National Analysis
Course Number: EDF 6855
Course Credit: 3 semester hours
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
EDF 6855, Equitable Educational Opportunity and Life Chances: A Cross-National Analysis. This course examines, from an international perspective, how factors including gender, class, race, ethnicity and language affect the quality and outputs of schooling, as well as children’s access to education and life chances. The course will also focus on the impact of multinational organizations and NGOs in education worldwide.
STATEMENT OF COURSE OBJECTIVES:
I. General Concepts Regarding the Course
1. Examine how gender affects students’ educational opportunities and life chances.
2. Demonstrate how language and/or dialect can affect students’ educational and life chances from an international perspective.
3. Analyze how race and/or ethnicity can affect children’s access to quality education.
4. Explain how students’ class (socioeconomic status) can provide opportunities or barriers to quality schooling and social equity from a cross-national perspective.
5. Demonstrate the relationship between education, social change and school transformation.
6. Study and reflect on the Millennium Development Goals and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
II. Country-Specific Content
7. Study and evaluate educational access, quality of schooling, and educational/social challenges in various countries.
III. Reflective Activities and Analyses
8. Examine how national and multinational policy interventions promise to overcome past inequities in schooling and society.
9. Explain how national, bilateral and multinational organizations and NGOs can impede or enhance access to quality education across nations.
10. Compare the causes and effects of educational inequality from a cross-national perspective.
11. Identify how “North-South” relationships (developed vs. developing nations) affect educational opportunity and equity.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND READINGS:
I. General Concepts Regarding the Course
Bobbitt-Zeher, D. (2007). The gender income gap and the role of education. Sociology of Education, 80(1), 1-22.
Carinci, S., & Wong, P. (2009). Does gender matter? An exploratory study of perspectives across genders, age and education. International Review of Education, 55(5/6), 523-540.
McDaniel, A. (2010). Cross-national gender gaps in educational expectations: The influence of national-level gender ideology and educational systems. Comparative Education Review, 54(1), 27-50.
Morley, L., & Lugg, R. (2009). Mapping meritocracy: Intersecting gender, poverty and higher educational opportunity structures. Higher Education Policy, 22(1), 37-60.
Stromquist, N.P. (2006). Gender, education, and the possibility of transformative knowledge. Compare, 36(2), 145-163.
Rodriguez, J., & Cadiero-Kaplan, K. (2008). Bilingualism & biliteracy: Issues of equity, access, & social justice for English language learners: Introduction to this special issue. Equity & Excellence in Education, 41(3), 275-278.
Juarez, B. (2008). The politics of race in two languages: An empirical qualitative study. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 11(3), 231-249.
Tarabini, A. (2010). Education and poverty in the global development agenda: Emergence, evolution and consolidation. International Journal of Educational Development, 30(2), 204-212.
United Nations. (2005). Millennium Development Goals, targets and indicators. Convergence, 38(3), 11-17.
Wils, A., Carrol, B., & Barrow, K. (2005). Educating the world’s children: Patterns of growth and inequality. Washington, D.C.: Academy for Educational Development.
II. Country/Continent-Specific Content
Adefuye, A. (2006). The Commonwealth and the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. Round Table, 95(385), 387-397.
Stambach, A. (2000). Lessons from Mount Kilimanjaro: Schooling, community, and gender in East Africa.
Waghid, Y. (2007). Education, responsibility and democratic justice: Cultivating friendship to alleviate some of the injustices on the African continent. Educational Philosophy & Theory, Vol. 30, (2), pp. 182-196.
Please review the following websites:
Africa Education, http://www.africaeducation.org/
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, http://www.cmec.ca/index.en.html
Australian Education Union, http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Campaigns/index2.html
China Education and Research Network, http://www.edu.cn/HomePage/english/index.shtml
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology- Japan, http://www.mext.go.jp/english/
National Portal of India, Education, http://india.gov.in/citizen/education.php
Department for Children, Schools, and Families, United Kingdom, http://www.dfes.gov.uk/index.shtml
Ministry of Education, Albania, http://www.mash.gov.al/MOES.htm
Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, http://www.moe.gov.sa/openshare/englishcon/
Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, http://eng.mon.gov.ru/
III. Reflective Activities and Analyses
Gomolla, M. (2006). Tackling underachievement of learners from ethnic minorities: A comparison of recent policies of school improvement in German, England and Switzerland. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 9(1), 46-59.
Chapman, D., & Quijada, J. (2009). An analysis of USAID assistance to basic education in the developing world, 1990-2005. International Journal of Educational Development, 29(3), 268-280.
Hollander, A. (2005). The perspectives of the international agencies. Prospects: Quarterly Review of Comparative Education, 35(3), 303-310.
King, K. (2007). Multilateral agencies in the construction of the global agenda on education. Comparative Education, 43(3), 377-391.
Moustsios, S. (2009). International organisations and transnational education policy. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 39(4), 467-478.
Neves, C. (2008). International organisations and the evaluation of education systems: A critical comparative analysis. European Journal of Vocational Training, 45(3), 72-89.
Samoff, J. (2008). World Bank financing of education: Lending, learning, and development. Comparative Education Review, 52(3), 494-496.
Sutton, M. (2007). UNESCO’s role in global educational development. Comparative Education Review, 51(2), 229-245.
RECOMMENDED READINGS:
Charlton, E., Mills, M., Martino, W., & Beckett, L. (2007). Sacrificial girls: A case study of the impact of streaming and setting on gender reform. British Educational Research Journal, 33(4), 459-478.
Fitts, S., Winstead, L. Weisman, E., Flores, S., & Valenciana, C. (2008). Coming to voice: Preparing bilingual-bicultural teachers for social justice. Equity & Excellence in Education, 41(3), 357-371.
Grover, S. (2006). The right to minority language public school education as a function of the equality guarantee: A reanalysis of the “Gosselin” Supreme Court of Canada Charter Case. Education and the Law, 18(4), 283-294.
Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Mor-Sommerfield, A., Zeiniker, T., & Azaiza, F. (2008). From ethnic segregation to bilingual education: What can bilingual education do for the future of the Israeli society? Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies, 6(2), 142-156.
Mehran, G. (2009). “Doing and undoing gender”: Female higher education in the Islamic Republic of Iran. International Review of Education, 55(5/6), 541-559.
Mickelson, R. A., Nkomo, M., & Smith, S. S. (2001). Education, ethnicity, gender, and social transformation in Israel and South Africa. Comparative Education Review, 45(1), 1-34.
Murphy, I., & Vencio, E. (2009). Maintaining two worlds: The relevance of mother tongue in Brazil’s Amerindian societies. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 12(4), 387-400.
Murphy-Graham, E. (2009). Constructing a new vision: Undoing gender through secondary education in Honduras. International Review of Education, 55(5/6), 503-521.
Rizyi, R., Lingard, B., & Lavia, J. (2006). Postcolonialism and education: Negotiating a contested terrain. Pedagogy, Culture, and Society, 14(3), 249-262.
Salazar, M. (2008). English or nothing: The impact of rigid language policies on the inclusion of humanizing practices in a high school ESL program. Equity & Excellence in Education, 41(3), 341-356.
Schweisfurth, M. (2006). Global and cross-national influences on education in post-genocide Rwanda. Oxford Review of Education, 32(5), 697-710.
Shabaya, J., & Konadu-Agyemand, K. (2004). Unequal access, unequal participation: Some spatial and socio-economic dimensions of the gender gap in education in Africa with special reference to Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Compare, 34(4), 395-424.
Stash, S., & Hannum, E. (2001). Who goes to school? Educational stratification by gender, caste, and ethnicity in Nepal. Comparative Education Review, 45(3), 354-378.
Trudell, B., & Klaas, A. (2010). Distinction, integration and identity: Motivations for local language literacy in Senegalese communities. International Journal of Educational Development, 30(2), 121-129.
REQUIRED COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:
1) Assignment 1: Based on the assigned and recommended readings, write a paper analyzing how issues related to a student’s language and/or dialect as well as gender can affect his/her educational and life chances. The paper needs to be at least 5 double-spaced pages with APA 6th edition referencing. 50 points.
This assignment meets Objectives 1, 2.
2) Assignment 2: Based on your experiences and readings, write a paper describing the relationship between education, social change, and school transformation. Make sure to include specific examples in your paper and use APA 6th edition in referencing. The paper needs to be at least 5 double-spaced pages long. 50 points.
This assignment meets Objectives 3, 4, 5.
3) Assignment 3: Select two countries and critically analyze the status of gender, socioeconomic status, poverty, and educational access. One of the two countries needs to be a developing country. Please provide an analysis for causes/effects of inequality and equality within the selected countries. The paper needs to be at least 5 double-spaced pages and you must use APA 6th edition in referencing. 50 points.
This assignment meets Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
4) Assignment 4: Select three NGOs, national, international, and/or bilateral organizations and analyze their work to close the gap for diverse children and inequalities in education. The paper needs to be at least 5 double-spaced pages and you must use APA 6th edition in referencing. 50 points.
This assignment meets Objectives 8, 9.
5) Final Paper: In the light of the readings, provide your own Action Plan to close the gap for diverse children and unequal education around the world. The diversity needs to address gender, socioeconomic status, language, and race. Make sure to identify politically viable and cost-effective solutions! Also, make sure to reference your work throughout the paper according to APA 6th edition. The paper needs to be at least 10 double-spaced pages long. 100 points.
This assignment meets Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
EVALUATION AND GRADING SYSTEM:
Percentage: Grade:
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F
COURSE POLICIES AND PROTOCOLS:
Participation/Attendance: It is expected that each of you will demonstrate interest, enthusiasm, and professionalism in the course. Each absence will result in point reduction.
Format: Unless otherwise noted, all written assignments must be word-processed and professionally presented. Please use grammar/spell check and APA 6th edition for referencing.
Timeliness: All assignments are expected to be handed in on time on the day on which the assignment is due. Submitting late assignments will result in point reduction. The Final Paper needs to be turned in on time, otherwise it will not be accepted.
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism and Cheating of any kind on an assignment will result at least in a 0 for that assignment and may (depending on the severity of the case) be subject to appropriate referral to the Office of Student Conduct for further action. See the UCF Golden Rule for further information. I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity.
Disability Statement: The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.
Proficiency in the use of oral and written standard English/ study skills are expected of all students. Regular proof-reading may meet your needs or if further assistance is needed the UCF Writing Center is available http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/ as well as the Student Academic Resource Center (SARC) services are available for tutoring and study skills: http://www.sarc.sdes.ucf.edu/
Conceptual Framework: Please review the College of Education's Conceptual Framework, http://education.ucf.edu/Accreditation/index.cfm
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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Afolayan, M.O. (2007). Higher education in postcolonial Africa: Paradigms of development, decline and dilemmas. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, Inc.
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Bajaj, M. (2009). Un/doing gender? A case study of school policy and practice in Zambia. International Review of Education, 55(5/6), 483-502.
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