Journal articles on the topic 'Victorian certificate of applied learning'

AbstractOne hundred and fifty-seven students (aged 15 to 19 years) enrolled in the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) program completed the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS), and measures of school-related stress, attitudes to school and wellbeing. In general, VCAL students reported a positive attitude to school, high levels of wellbeing, low levels of school-related stress, and used a wide range of coping strategies. Gender differences and attitudinal differences were found in relation to coping strategies used, wellbeing, and stress. Discriminant analysis indicated that for females, low levels of school-related stress and frequent use of the ‘work hard’coping strategy significantly predicted a positive attitude to school, while for males high levels of wellbeing, and the frequent use of ‘work hard’, ‘focus on the positive’, and minimal use of ‘tension reduction’ predicted positive attitudes to school. The findings are discussed in light of current research and recommendations for interventions are proposed.

Purpose – There is evidence that students who attend Technical and Further Education (TAFE) prior to entering higher education underperform in their first year of study. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of self-efficacy in understanding the performance of students who completed TAFE in the previous year in a first year subject of microeconomics in a dual sector university in Melbourne, Australia. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises data collected by surveys of 151 students. Findings – A student’s self-efficacy is positively associated with their marks in a first year subject of microeconomics. However, the relationship between final marks and self-efficacy is negative for those students who attended TAFE in the previous year suggesting that they suffer from the problem of overconfidence. When holding self-efficacy constant, using econometric techniques, TAFE attendance is found to be positively related to final marks. Research limitations/implications – The findings are exploratory (based on a small sample) and lead to a need to conduct cross institutional studies. Practical implications – The research points to the need for early interventions so that TAFE students perform well in their first year of higher education. It also points to potential issues in the development of Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) programs. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the inter-related impact of attendance at TAFE in the previous year and self-efficacy on the subsequent academic performance of TAFE students.

Independent learning and the use of resources are important to most, if not all, Victorian Certificate of Education subjects. This paper reviews the literature on independent learning, preference for resources and the teaching of information skills and then reports on a study carried out during 1990 which focused on the VCE subject, Australian Studies. The study included an examination of attitudes of teachers to independent learning, the use of resources by students and teachers and the level of students' information skills. A significant finding was that many students were not competent in using resources and few teachers were trained in teaching information skills. Information skills teaching was ad hoc and only limited moves had been made to integrate it into the curriculum on a co-ordinated, whole-school basis.

The organisation development certificate programme (ODCP) offered by the Indian Society for Applied Behavioural Science—ISABS ( www.isabs.org ) is a unique blend of learning about organisations, the process of OD with deep awareness about self as an instrument of change. ISABS as an institution has been engaged with T-groups for the past 50 years, having learnt the same from National Training Laboratories (NTL) Institute for Applied Behavioural Science ( www.ntl.org ). The focus of ISABS has been on discovering oneself through the process of engagement in small groups. ISABS pedagogy has evolved over years after initial learning from NTL This pedagogy distinguishes itself from any typical university education by stressing on experiencing and reflection of the learning process held together by a process facilitator. The expectation is that the participants will conceptualise and apply their learning through their own volition. However, this needed to change for the ODCP programme. This article unfolds the process for the reader. The process of OD is based on the quality of the interaction/engagement between the client system and the OD practitioner. Hence, the quality of the ‘preparedness’ and ‘readiness’ of the OD practitioner plays a big role in the ‘process of OD’. ISABS addresses the twin issues of ‘preparedness’ and ‘readiness’ of participants to enter the field of OD through a pedagogy that is a combination of experiential, cognitive, reflective and peer learning. In addition, OD competencies and values are internalised through a learner-centred approach to teaching, classroom as organisation simulations and support systems provided through coaching and learning facilitation.

Background: The Master of Cancer Sciences brings together the academic strength of the University of Melbourne (UoM) and world leading content experts from the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), to develop an innovative, interactive, evidence-based flagship educational program in cancer sciences. This program will enhance the capabilities of health professionals, in the rapidly evolving field of cancer research and clinical care. It will be wholly online and nested with qualification points at Specialist Certificate, Graduate Certificate and Masters Level to provide flexible progression and study options for practitioners in the cancer care workforce. Specific modular content from each subject will also be repurposed and repackaged as a series of derivative educational activities such as massive open online courses (MOOCs), workshops and webinars; broadening the reach of the masters programming to all. Aim: The aim of this program is to be the first cancer-specific, multidisciplinary, flexible, and wholly online master's program of its kind offered within Australia, and one of two available worldwide. Graduates will possess an unprecedented breadth of integrated cancer knowledge and skills. This initiative will unify the VCCC alliance partners as they contribute to directly supporting a world-class cancer workforce and provide best practice care to patients. Discussion: This presentation will explore the educational development process involved in developing the ten online subjects, through the engagement of content writing teams to collaborative development and repurposing modules into a series of derivative educational activities. Ultimately the graduate programs and their derivative educational activities will contribute to lifelong learning, ongoing professional development and high quality healthcare for better patient outcomes.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>This paper reports on a teacher training experience for College professors in which participants were trained, taking advantage of technological tools, in two main teaching competences. First, professors were trained to use technology to enrich students’ learning outcomes. Second, they applied strategies of significant learning in the design of students’ learning experiences. The learning experience consisted in an International Certificate on Significant Learning integrated by six modules, 20 hours each. Every module of the program consisted of two consecutive webinars with online activities in between. The results showed the positive impact of the program on participants perceptions about the quality of the contents, evidence of learning and products (E-portfolios) that served as content mastery evidences, as well as learning products produced by their students.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>

Work in the 21st century places an emphasis on the analytical and problem-solving skills of employees as well as on new adaptability knowledge. Education nowadays needs workers to help develop the skill sets that are necessary for both working and living. This research used synthesis and evaluated formats that would be suitable to the learning model. The problematic base skills together with the gamification concept for strengthening problem-solving skills were utilized with high-level vocational students. The researchers found that the style of learning gained by synthesis emphasizes students’ problem-solving in various situations, stimulating and motivating them by using gamification. It involved learning and solving problems using seven steps in the teaching process including: 1) Problem, 2) Analysis, 3) Discovery, 4) Experiment, 5) Presentation, 6) Quest, and 7) Competition. The researchers also concluded that the evaluation of the suitability of the learning model by nine experts with a focus group process was found to be most appropriate. In addition, it identified learning styles that can be applied to teaching and learning appropriately.

Using qualifications as policy instruments to increase participation in education and training and to reduce unemployment, especially youth unemployment, appears to be growing in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. This paper considers the case of one authority, the Victorian Qualifications Authority (VQA), established by the Victorian Government in 2001 and responsible for determining and strengthening the range of post-compulsory qualifications for schools and vocational education and training. In establishing its cross-sectoral role, the VQA moved rapidly to introduce a new qualification directed towards those young people who seek applied and practical studies and who leave school before completing Year 12 or its equivalent. The paper outlines the nature of the changes proposed and the approaches taken to its development. These recognise that pedagogy is critical to increasing participation and that students who engage in learning at school are more likely to become lifelong learners.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to highlight the techniques and applications used to adapt information literacy (IL) modules in such a way that students acquired the IL skills through the use of tablet technology. The focus at higher education institutions has been placed on embracing the ever-changing Web technologies to enhance teaching and learning. This case study reports on a collaborative effort between faculty and librarians in 2014, where tablet technology was integrated into the Information Literacy Certificate Programme of Environmental Management Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) students. Design/methodology/approach To support teaching with technology at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), a pilot project was conducted in 2014 using tablet technology to train IL to a group of 20 ECP Environmental Management students in the Applied Sciences Faculty. All modules were adapted for this purpose meaning that students used the tablet throughout the training sessions. Findings Good collaboration between librarians and faculty, as well as interaction between students increased. Some of the challenges faced were unstable internet connection; many Web applications identified by the trainers to use during the training were not compatible with the Nexus 7 Tablet. Overall, the training went well. In the end, the librarians were successful in achieving learning to take place among students. Originality/value Currently CPUT Libraries promotes the Information Literacy (IL) Certificate Programme to first year students, integrating IL into the curriculum of faculty. It is hoped that this paper will give insight for academic librarians wishing to incorporate mobile technologies into their IL training programmes.

AbstractThe ijāzah tradition is recognized as having a long history in Muslim educational life. The term 'ijāzah' in Islamic pedagogy generally signifies a 'licence to teach', and more specifically refers to a certificate issued by a professor in an institution of higher learning to a student who has attended a course of lecturers to the professor's satisfaction, and who has been deemed henceforth as qualified to transmit the same subject to his own students. The ijāzah tradition developed in Muslim education life as early as the 4th century A.H. (10th century A.D.) and became a universally applied educational procedure in all Muslim lands. Originally, it was a tradition developed by Muslims under the influence of Islamic sciences, such as hadīth and tafsīr. Some two centuries later, in the second half of the 12th century, ijāzah made its appearance in the Latin West or Christian Europe. It was a licence to teach, a so-called 'licentia docendi', which is the same as ijāzah. Licentia docendi was the earliest form of certificate in the West. But throughout history, the term 'licentia docendi' has been altered, according to the university system, into certificate, diploma, degree, etc. Whereas the term ijāzah has remained almost the same since the time it was developed, from the early years of Islam up until today, with a few exceptions in some areas. The various ijāzahs in Islamic sciences and in other fields demonstrate the religious, cultural and educational unity of Muslims in the past, despite their geographical differences. In this article, we will have an attempt to study the ijāzah tradition in the Balkans by analyzing an ijāzah issued in the 19th century in the famous city of Üsküp (Skopje), then translating the same ijāzah into English.

This study highlights a complementary partnership between physical education and foreign language learning, endorsing the potential of an applied learning context as an alternative pedagogical platform. A pedagogic model of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) within physical education was adopted to explore the capacity for improving students’ spontaneous speaking in French. The study’s motivation was the 2016 changes to England’s General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) French specifications, which placed an increased emphasis on responding spontaneously in spoken French and sustaining communication in different situations. Students ( n = 42) aged 13–14, soon to embark on GCSE French, were introduced to a 10-week handball scheme of work that included learning associated key French vocabulary and students communicating with each other and the teacher in French. Adopting case study methodology, data collection included student questionnaires, individual teacher interviews and student focus groups, analysed using inductive analysis and constant comparison. The physical education CLIL platform provided a learning context that appeared to support student perceptions of increased motivation and reduced anxiety, with 60% of students reporting that speaking French during physical education increased their confidence in speaking French aloud. Findings suggest the importance of an applied learning environment that emphasises working as a group, encouraging a willingness to take risks in spontaneous speaking, and decreasing sensitivity to negative judgement. A physical education-located CLIL model appears to offer learning experiences within the skill-based traditions of physical education beyond ‘learning to move’, providing a context for ‘moving to learn’ as an investment towards embodied learning.

This study entitled “Problems in the Construction of Sentence at HSSC Level in Pakistan” strives to unearth the problems faced by the students in learning sentence structure through literature and the facts regarding the role of literature as a teaching tool in teaching English as a second/foreign language with reference to the construction of sentence at Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) level in Pakistan. This study also investigates how much the students learn English sentence structure through literature. To achieve the set objectives of this study, the researcher went for the quantitative research methodology. So, a questionnaire comprising of 30 items encompassing the different aspects of sentence structure was designed to collect data from 600 subjects (male/female) of HSSC (Higher Secondary School Certificate) level. The researcher has also conducted an achievement test so that a correlation might be drawn between their attitude towards “teaching English sentence structure through literature” and the score of their achievement test. The collected data were analyzed through software package (SPSS XX) which is commonly used in applied linguistics. The findings of this study explicitly reveal that the EFL learners remain unable to learn and develop both the contraction of sentence and syntactic skills when they are taught English through literature. This study recommends that the teaching of English should be application oriented and task-based strategies and activities should be resorted to by the FL educators.

Aeronautical Engineering Technology (AET) of Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology offers its students a comprehensive and holistic approach to engineering in an applied fashion. Students’ learning outcome includes an application of technical knowledge and hands-on skills in areas of aerospace design, operations, and manufacturing. The curriculum of the program includes a course in which students must learn advanced maintenance concepts and practices including the overhaul of reciprocating engines. This study examined the relationship between engine operational vs. non-operational statuses, time spent to finish a task, and student perceived workloads regarding the maintenance procedures. The tests followed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for the practical test questions from the Airframe and Powerplant Certificate (A&P) Exam. Students were also required to fill out a task perceived load index developed and used by NASA.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this project was to design, develop and implement an online two-credit course, Drug & Nutrient Interactions, as an elective for a new online Graduate Certificate in Applied Nutrition and Culinary Medicine at the University of Kentucky. Methods Drug & Nutrient Interactions was designed to meet the needs of select student cohorts: undergraduate Pharmacology minors, graduate students enrolled in the Masters in Nutritional Sciences program, and online graduate certificate students. Faculty within the Dept. of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences and the Division of Clinical Nutrition were consulted to identify curricular gaps and to avoid redundancy across programs. Instructional designers were consulted to identify evidence-based best practices in online course design and teaching. Results Content of the Drug and Nutrient Interactions course is structured within four thematic modules: 1. Introduction to Pharmacology and Food & Drug Interactions, 2. Exploring Drug-Nutrient Interactions, 3. Genes, Bugs & Time, and 4. Current and Future Directions in Nutrition & Pharmacology. Each module is three to four weeks in duration, to span a 14-week semester. Each week, students’ tasks include reading, watching, writing, and reviewing content related to the student learning objectives. Methods to promote student engagement with the content recur week-to-week, to ensure consistency for students’ experience. An eBook was written by the instructors to provide a current and interdisciplinary review of the intersections of nutritional sciences and pharmacology in the course. In lieu of proctored online exams, module-level assignments assess students’ achievement of learning outcomes. Drug & Nutrient Interactions launched in fall 2019 with nine students enrolling and completing the course. Course analytics track student engagement by logging page views and participation. Increasing students’ page views and participation align with due dates for module assignments. Therefore - in spring 2020, deadlines were shifted to a weekly timeline to foster consistent engagement. Conclusions Instructors should explore various methods to foster student-content, student-student and student-instructor engagement in an online learning environment. Funding Sources This course project was funded by a UK Online award & an Alternative Textbook grant.

Abstract This study examined the prediction of dropouts through data mining approaches in an online program. The subject of the study was selected from a total of 189 students who registered to the online Information Technologies Certificate Program in 2007-2009. The data was collected through online questionnaires (Demographic Survey, Online Technologies Self-Efficacy Scale, Readiness for Online Learning Questionnaire, Locus of Control Scale, and Prior Knowledge Questionnaire). The collected data included 10 variables, which were gender, age, educational level, previous online experience, occupation, self efficacy, readiness, prior knowledge, locus of control, and the dropout status as the class label (dropout/not). In order to classify dropout students, four data mining approaches were applied based on k-Nearest Neighbour (k-NN), Decision Tree (DT), Naive Bayes (NB) and Neural Network (NN). These methods were trained and tested using 10-fold cross validation. The detection sensitivities of 3-NN, DT, NN and NB classifiers were 87%, 79.7%, 76.8% and 73.9% respectively. Also, using Genetic Algorithm (GA) based feature selection method, online technologies self-efficacy, online learning readiness, and previous online experience were found as the most important factors in predicting the dropouts.

The burden of diabetes continues to increase in Malaysia, and the public primary health sector has an insufficient number of health care providers well-trained in diabetes care. The Ministry of Health Malaysia collaborated with Steno Diabetes Center to educate primary care doctors and nurses on the fundamentals of clinical diabetes care using a competency-based approach that blends e-learning, classroom-based learning, and clinic-based group work. This programme is called Steno REACH Certificate Course in Clinical Diabetes Care (SRCC). The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the SRCC intervention in improving diabetes-related knowledge, attitudes, skills and clinical practices among non-specialised doctors and general nurses working in public health clinics in Malaysia. This paper presents the study protocol. A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study based on Solomon’s Four Group Design was applied. Non-specialist doctors and general nurses from ten health clinics were randomly selected to receive the educational intervention. Comparison clinics were purposive selected matching on proxy indicators for quality of diabetes care. The intervention consisted of 50 hours of e-learning, 48 hours of classroom-based learning and approximately 25 hours of work-based learning that covered all main aspects of clinical diabetes care and delivered over a six-month period. Primary outcomes were changes in diabetes-related knowledge, attitudes, skills, and clinical practice. Patients’ perceptions regarding the quality of care provided were classified as a secondary outcome. Other outcome measures included patients' assessment of their chronic disease care and providers' perceptions, attitudes and perceived barriers in care delivery. Results from this study will inform future educational approaches within the Malaysian health system. The study is unique because it evaluated a pertinent public health topic using a very robust methodology.

Reflecting on one’s teaching practice is often an implicit goal for faculty development programs. Yet very little has been documented how programs for diverse groups of university teachers actually engage faculty in such reflection. This paper examines how theoretical constructs of reflective practice were applied in the context of an 8-month UBC Faculty Certificate Program on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (FCP). The Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) was particularly useful for providing faculty cohort members with a means of looking more deeply at the underlying values and assumptions that constituted their philosophical orientations to teaching. Furthermore, a change in faculty members’ TPI scores indicate that participants reflected more comprehensively on their teaching at the end of the program, than they did at the beginning of the program. Barriers to facilitating reflection included inadequate time allocation, unclear expectations and goals for reflection activities, and varying cultural norms for reflective teaching practices within academe.

Purpose - The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate the impact of teaching Oriental Music using Blended Learning (BL) approach for the students of senior secondary level in Sri Lanka specifically focusing on their achievement on required competencies of Oriental Music at Ordinary Level. The study analyzes the academic performance of students with detailed comparison of BL environment and traditional learning environment. Authors propose the application of BL approach to teach Oriental Music and study its impact on improvement of students’ competency. The study conducted with the application of a mixed instructional design model of objectivist and constructivist approaches for the design of the blended learning course in a student centred learning environment. Methodology - The study was directed by using true experimental study design with pretest and posttest control groups. BL was applied to the experimental group and the traditional instruction method was applied to control group. 9 schools from Colombo district were randomly selected for the experimental and control groups covering all the three existing school types of Sri Lanka. The study group consisted of 360 students of Grade 10 and Grade 11 who has been studying Oriental Music as a subject for General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level. To analyze the data Descriptive statistics, Paired samples t test, Independent samples t test were utilized. Findings - The findings of the experiment indicated that students who has studied Oriental Music under BL strategy showed a significant improvement in their music academic performances after the intervention. The mean post-test of the experimental group was 71.75 which is significantly higher than the mean control group which was 52.07. The mean difference was 19.68 1.91. Hence, there is a statistically significant increase in the performance of students who studied Oriental Music under blended learning. Thus, it is clearly evident that the blended instruction was effective. Significance - This study indicated a positive platform to mould and cater the entire teaching learning process by introducing BL strategy to Sri Lankan secondary education system and fulfilled an existing research gap by utilizing BL to teach highly traditional abstract art. Results of the study contributes to the curriculum designing field with novel ideas to adapt blended instructions to teach secondary level students effectively.

In this paper, we will describe the Cursus Master en Ingénierie (CMI) program, as well as the Formation à l’InGénierie par des Universités de REcherche (FIGURE) university network, and analyze its development and place in the French higher education context. Overseen by the FIGURE university network since 2012, CMI is a 5-year academic program designed for the most ambitious students in systems engineering. In the fall of 2017, 107 CMI programs recruited first-year students in 28 French universities. Key features of the frame of reference established by the FIGURE network are selection of students based on high school records and interviews, strong link with research from the beginning, 20% additional coursework compared to the supporting bachelors and masters, at least 25% of ECTS credits in applied learning situations, development of self-assessment skills and a compulsory international mobility. Accreditation of the university is granted by the network for 5 years. After completing a CMI program the students receive a master's degree from their home university and a national certificate co-delivered by the university and the network.

Etienne Wenger’s work on communities of practice is influential in teaching and learning in higher education. A core work of many postgraduate certificate in teaching and learning (PGCert) courses for new lecturers, it is studied, in the main, as a means to understand how to support and encourage students to achieve more effective learning. Communities of practice can also be applied to academics. In the context of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and its predecessors, the gulf between research-focused and teaching-Focused academics in life sciences has widened, so that in many institutions, these two groups have evolved into two distinct communities of practice; one whose priority is disciplinary research, the other’s learning and teaching. However, in 2015, the UK government announced that a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) would be introduced into higher education in England, as early as 2017. While the exact details of TEF remain unclear, it is certain that “excellence” and “student satisfaction” will be high on the agenda. It is vital, therefore, that the two communities of practice, research-focused and teaching-focused, find ways to come together in order to ensure high quality teaching and learning. Wenger proposes that this can be done through the process of “brokering”, which allows expertise from both communities of practice to cross from one to the other, strengthening both. This should be encouraged at departmental and institutional level, but another vital origin of brokering can be forged at a(n) (inter)national level at meetings such as the SEB Annual Conference, where teaching-focused academics have the opportunity to mix with research-active colleagues. While this paper is informed by recent and current events in the UK Higher Education sector, it is of interest to academics who work in an environment where research and teaching have become separate to any extent.

The dropout rate is still relatively high in Surakarta. Many children cannot get an education from elementary to high school levels in Surakarta. The causative factors are economic that force children to work for daily needs and social environment that does not support learning activities. Alternatives education is one way to make economically disadvantaged people can get the education services needed. This study’s problem formulation is how alternative education reduces student dropout rates. This study aims to analyze and evaluate the alternative education programs to find effective methods to reduce student dropout rates at the Community Learning Center of Rumah Pelangi Sangkrah in Surakarta, Central Java Province, Indonesia. The theory used is Paulo Freire’s Conscientization Theory. The method used is Daniel Stufflebeam’s CIPP (Context, Input, Process, and Product) evaluation model with a qualitative research approach and conducting in-depth interviews with several informants and secondary data sources from related institutions. This evaluation study, one of which, in the context of Rumah Pelangi Sangkrah, it becomes one of the agencies that tackle students’ dropout due to the critical awareness of education actors and increased awareness of dropping out students. The strategy is to realize the importance of education with a personal approach to students’ dropout and parents. In terms of input, tutors’ availability is sufficient, but it is necessary to improve tutors’ welfare because the daily operational costs are already quite good. The learning process and the learning hour curriculum applied are very suited to the students’ condition. There are even alternative methods in online learning for students if they cannot attend class. In terms of output, through the ongoing program, Rumah Pelangi Sangkrah has been able to graduate the students through Package C Study Group of Equivalency Education Program to entrance several state universities using certificate equivalency.

Background In Geneva, Switzerland, basic life support (BLS) maneuvers are provided in only 40% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) cases. As OHCA outcomes are markedly improved when BLS maneuvers are swiftly applied, a “first-responder” system was introduced in 2019. When emergency dispatchers identify a possible OHCA, first responders receive an alert message on a specific app (Save-a-Life) installed on their smartphones. Those nearest to the victim and immediately available are sent the exact location of the intervention. First-year medical students only have limited knowledge regarding BLS procedures but might nevertheless need to take care of OHCA victims. Medical students responding to out-of-hospital emergencies are off-duty in half of these situations, and offering junior medical students the opportunity to enlist as first responders might therefore not only improve OHCA outcomes but also foster a greater recognition of the role medical students can hold in our society. Objective Our aim is to determine whether providing first-year medical students with a short intervention followed by an interactive e-learning module can motivate them to enlist as first responders. Methods After obtaining the approval of the regional ethics committee and of the vice-dean for undergraduate education of the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine (UGFM), 2 senior medical students will present the project to their first-year colleagues at the beginning of a lecture. First-year students will then be provided with a link to an interactive e-learning module which has been designed according to the Swiss Resuscitation Council’s first aid guidelines. After answering a first questionnaire and completing the module, students will be able to register for practice sessions. Those attending and successfully completing these sessions will receive a training certificate which will enable them to enlist as first responders. The primary outcome will be the proportion of first-year medical students enlisting as first responders at the end of the study period. Secondary outcomes will be the proportion of first-year medical students electing to register on the platform, to begin the e-learning module, to complete the e-learning module, to register for practice sessions, to attend the practice sessions, and to obtain a certificate. The reasons given by medical students for refusing to participate will be analyzed. We will also assess how comfortable junior medical students would feel to be integrated into the first responders system at the end of the training program and whether it affects the registration rate. Results The regional ethics committee (Req-2020-01143) and the UGFM vice-dean for undergraduate education have given their approval to the realization of this study, which is scheduled to begin in January 2021. Conclusions This study should determine whether a short intervention followed by an interactive e-learning module can motivate first-year medical students to enlist as first responders. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/24664

Purpose - The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate the impact of teaching Oriental Music using Blended Learning (BL) approach for the students of senior secondary level in Sri Lanka specifically focusing on their achievement on required competencies of Oriental Music at Ordinary Level. The study analyzes the academic performance of students with detailed comparison of BL environment and traditional learning environment. Authors propose the application of BL approach to teach Oriental Music and study its impact on improvement of students’ competency. The study conducted with the application of a mixed instructional design model of objectivist and constructivist approaches for the design of the blended learning course in a student centred learning environment. Methodology - The study was directed by using true experimental study design with pretest and posttest control groups. BL was applied to the experimental group and the traditional instruction method was applied to control group. 9 schools from Colombo district were randomly selected for the experimental and control groups covering all the three existing school types of Sri Lanka. The study group consisted of 360 students of Grade 10 and Grade 11 who has been studying Oriental Music as a subject for General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level. To analyze the data Descriptive statistics, Paired samples t test, Independent samples t test were utilized. Findings - The findings of the experiment indicated that students who has studied Oriental Music under BL strategy showed a significant improvement in their music academic performances after the intervention. The mean post-test of the experimental group was 71.75 which is significantly higher than the mean control group which was 52.07. The mean difference was 19.68 1.91. Hence, there is a statistically significant increase in the performance of students who studied Oriental Music under blended learning. Thus, it is clearly evident that the blended instruction was effective. Significance - This study indicated a positive platform to mould and cater the entire teaching learning process by introducing BL strategy to Sri Lankan secondary education system and fulfilled an existing research gap by utilizing BL to teach highly traditional abstract art. Results of the study contributes to the curriculum designing field with novel ideas to adapt blended instructions to teach secondary level students effectively.

Langara College, as one of the leading undergraduate institutions in the province of British Columbia (BC), offers the “Applied Science for Engineering” two-year diploma program as well as the “Engineering Transfer” two-semester certificate program. Three project-based courses are offered as part of the two-year diploma program in Applied Science (APSC) and Computer Science (CPSC) departments: “APSC 1010—Engineering and Technology in Society”, “CPSC 1090—Engineering Graphics”, and “CPSC 1490—Applications of Microcontrollers”, with CPSC 1090 and CPSC 1490 also part of the Engineering Transfer curriculum. Although the goals, scopes, objectives, and evaluation criteria of these courses are different, the main component of all three courses is a group-based technical project. Engineering students have access to Langara College’s Makerspace for the hands-on component of their project. Makerspaces expand experiential learning opportunities and allows students to gain a skillset outside the traditional classroom. This paper begins with a detailed review of the maker movement and the impact of makerspace in higher education. Different forms of makerspace and the benefits of incorporating them on first-year students’ creativity, sense of community, self-confidence, and entrepreneurial skills are discussed. This paper introduces Langara’s engineering program and its project-based design courses. Langara’s interdisciplinary makerspace, its goals and objectives, equipment, and some sample projects are introduced in this paper in detail. We then explain how the group-project component of APSC 1010, CPSC 1090, and CPSC 1490 are managed and how using makerspace improves students’ performance in such projects. In conclusion, the paper describes the evaluation of learning outcomes via an anonymous student survey.

Abstract Limited transfer of existing and emerging reproductive technologies to beef cattle enterprises precludes those enterprises from reaching their economic potential and places them at a competitive disadvantage relative to livestock enterprises where such technologies are being implemented more aggressively. On the other hand, and until now, the beef cattle sector has never had the reproductive tools available to facilitate widespread successful adoption of these technologies within the industry. Hence, the need for increased efforts to transfer technology to the industry has never been greater. The National Center for Applied Reproduction and Genomics (NCARG) in Beef Cattle will serve as a new model for research and technology transfer wherein industry participants at all levels and from across the US are afforded the opportunity to access information and acquire new skills that will improve reproductive management and resulting genetic makeup of our nation’s beef cattle industry. Comprehensive educational training programs will be developed for practicing veterinarians, extension livestock specialists, allied industry, producers, and students that will enable various segments of the beef cattle sector to acquire (through face-to-face and distance-learning applications) new knowledge and skills that will aid in the successful adoption of reproductive procedures/biotechnologies. Curriculum modules designed to support improvements in reproductive management will be comprised of the following: 1) Heifer development programs including reproductive tract scoring, fetal aging and sexing; 2) Breeding management, including estrus synchronization, artificial insemination, sex-sorted semen, and embryo transfer; 3) higher education student internships in reproductive management; and 4) on-farm beef heifer development and marketing programs patterned after the Missouri Show-Me-SelectTM Replacement Heifer Program. In addition, a graduate certificate program will be offered, entitled “Bovine Reproductive Management and Genomic Technologies.” Collectively, NCARG will serve as a new model for research and technology transfer intent on improving reproductive management and genetic makeup of our nation’s beef industry.

The aim of this research was to analyze and to find out (i) the types of students’ motivation in learning English as an EFL on Double-Degree program of Foreign Language Academy (ABA-YW UMI Makassar, South Sulawesi) where the Double-Degree program is applied, (ii) how the motivation emerged in the classroom during the teaching and learning processes, and (iii) the students’ perceptions of Double-Degree program and the impact to their achievements. The students of Moslem University of Indonesia have time and opportunity to study on Double-Degree program through the foreign Language academy (ABA YW-UMI Makassar) since 2009.The researcher used the descriptive qualitative method. The data were collected from four respondents of the Academy. The instrument of the research is the researcher himself. The researcher did the classroom observation, observation sheets, list of questions, recorded video and interview photo. The researcher carried out the observation and semi structured-interview in collecting the data. And then the researcher followed the steps in data analyzing they are: reading memoing, describing and classifying.The results of the research showed that (i) most of the respondents had the integrative motivation in learning a foreign language (English), (ii) the students’ motivation emerged in the classroom during the teaching and learning processes when they met and exchange ideas in the classroom from the different majors or faculties, and (iii) their perceptions on the Double-Degree program and its applications, and the impact to their achievements were high/positives and they believed that by having the two degrees or skills, they will be easy to apply and to finding jobs, status, and career. The theory related to the research is the socio-educational theory and motivational views theory, they are: self-determination theory, goals theory and attribution theory. Learners’ motivation to these theories in order to receive externally administered rewards: praise, gold starts, grade, certificate, diplomas, scholarship, financial independence, and ultimate happinessKey words : Analysis of LLM, Motivation in learning EFL, Integrative and Instrumental Motivations in EFL

Abstract The diversity of international relations in the globalized world has influenced the role of a translator that is becoming more and more important. Translators’ training institutions today are to work out and to implement the best teaching methodology taking into consideration the new challenges of modern multinational and multicultural society. The thorough research of the experience in training translators and interpreters in the USA may help to find out new perspective methodological approaches to teaching and learning. This article reviews the variety of translator training programmes in Ukraine and in the USA and presents the analysis of the innovative teaching approaches that are currently popular in the education community. There exist different kinds of translators’ training degree programmes: short and long, full-time and part-time in Ukraine and in the USA. American universities and colleges provide not only academic programmes but also specific certificate programmes in translation and interpretation. The peculiarity of Ukrainian translators’ training programmes is that all these programmes are fully integrated into the university system. The approaches applied in the process of translators’ training in the American system of education are mostly new and oriented on the professional skills building. The following teaching approaches are currently used in the translators’ training process: profession-based, learner-centred, social constructivist and interdisciplinary. A social constructivist approach is more likely to be applied to translators’ training process in Ukraine under the modern conditions.

The Kenya Vision 2030 identifies science, technology and innovation as key drivers in creating wealth, social welfare and international competitiveness. In recognition of the role of technology in achieving Vision 2030, the government pledged to strengthen technical capabilities by emphasising technological learning at all levels. The vision affirmed that it is only through an educated and skilled manpower that Kenya will be able to create, share and utilise knowledge well. To produce a workforce capable of fitting into the knowledge driven society, training of teachers in Primary Teachers Colleges was to integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning. The government carefully prepared ICT policies to guide the use of ICTs in teaching and learning as a proper way of imparting in teacher trainees the skills needed for preparing learners with the right training. Among the policies was providing extensive training to tutors on use of ICTs in teaching and learning. The study analysed the implementation of this policy in Primary Teachers Colleges. The analysis sought to find out whether and what gaps exist between the stated government policy designed to guide use of ICTs in teaching and learning and the actual practice during the implementation process. The study sites were four PTCs in Kenya offering certificate courses commonly known as P1 colleges. These were three public PTCs and one private college targeting college heads, deans of curriculum, tutors, students and Ministry of Education officials. The study applied multiple case study design in soliciting views, perceptions, opinions and experiences regarding implementation of government ICT policies. A combination of research instruments were used in collecting the data. These included:- questionnaires, interviews and observation schedules. The data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively using SPSS. The study findings established that there were a number of inconsistencies in the implementation of government policies on use of ICTs in teaching and learning and the actual practice during the implementation process. Although the policy required that lecturers at PTCs were to attend ICT in-service training to integrate ICT in classroom teaching, 53.8% of the teaching staff had not attended any in-service training on use of ICT in teaching and learning. The study concludes that the identified inconsistencies in the use of ICT skills of tutors had impacted negatively on the preparation of primary teachers with competencies in ICT use, hence undermining the realisation of Vision 2030. Therefore the study recommends establishment of partnership between the government, private sector and the PTCs to equip the tutors with the necessary and relevant ICT training to allow integration of ICT in teaching and learning.

This article is about a case of policy failure and negative lesson drawing, namely the implementation of a mandatory smart metering programme – the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Program – in the State of Victoria, Australia, in the period 2009–2013. The article explores the framing of policy failure, and the ways in which failed polices might be mobile. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure Program provides an important empirical counterbalance to existing scholarship on policy learning, transfer and mobility, which is for the most part about positive best practice case studies, emulation and the travelling of ‘fast’ and (by implication) successful policy. There is evidence that the Victorian Advanced Metering Infrastructure Program circulated domestically within Australia and was influential in policy decision making, but that its international mobility was limited. The case is used to explore what gets left behind – or is immobile – in the telling of policy stories about failure. Science and Technology Studies scholarship on the inherent fragility of sociotechnical networks is drawn upon to consider how the concept of assemblage – a popular conceptual lens within policy mobility scholarship – might be applied to better understand instances of policy failure.

Plagiarism is an intolerant action in the circumstances of education; it is stealing or cheating any papers, ideas, and things related to someone’s works. This is a harmful offence with academic, professional, legal, and monetary consequences when someone is proved as a plagiarist. Students can be expelled from the class when they cheat colleagues’ works; the worst is that the university can retract their certificate of graduation when their manuscripts are investigated and proved as result of copying other works. Regarding to its danger, pla-giarism has to be avoided trough establishing curriculum in higher level of education. Teacher and lecturer should provide their lessons, especially in language skills, with awareness of the plagiarism danger to the students. A skill of language that most easily susceptible and detected in plagiarism is writing. Since writing is not a gift skill as listening, students need to learn how to write properly. Simply, when they are not able to rewrite someone’s statements with their own wording, students are doing plagiarism. This article reporting at a descriptive qualitative research aimed at describing the teaching method to raise students’ awareness toward the danger of plagiarism which is applied by a lecturer in Academic Writing Class of EED - UNS for the academic year 2016. She believes that when the students have awareness in the risks or consequences of plagiarism, they will act for not doing plagiarism in their works. She supports her conventional way of teach-ing with technology of plagiarism checker. The method of enrichment traditional teaching with technology is known as Tech-Rich Instruction (not blended learning). This Tech-Rich Instruction she applied is successful-ly raising her students’ awareness in the danger of plagiarism and leads to the efforts of avoiding plagiarism in academic writing.

Blockchain technology is known for its large-scale digitisation trends that play an important role in various organisations. Because it is distributed and decentralized from blockchain, this feature makes the role of blockchain technologies based on products and services significantly different from previous technology offerings. The value proposition offered by this blockchain is very suitable to be applied in education. After a few years this caused disruption from various industry circles, current educational areas including those that are very perceived by the Indonesian people there is no progress and road in place. It is possible that in the next ten years, the educational actors who are less sensitive will one by one fall because of the storm-cast disruption technology. The educational institution is one of which is aware of the advantages and extraordinary potential of blockchain technology. Among other things, a digital signature certificate is important in the context of digital archiving to verify the authenticity of a document in an educational institution. But the lack of education from the community makes ignorance about the point of the advantage of blockchain technology that can be applied in the field of education. Therefore, a public understanding of the blockchain is packaged in the form of ontology on the education shutter. This research in particular is exploring the ontology approach of using root merkle methods in providing solutions to the application of blockchain, including slow process and small storage space. This issue causes it to be very difficult for educational institutions to store processes and stages of learning into the blockchain. This research can be the cornerstone of identifying solutions from certificates of digital signatures in terms of archiving, authentication and digital verification on the design of a new breakthrough framework with an ontology approach to blockchain educational design.

<p class="Abstract">The implementation of MDA in Pandeglang has received recognition (legitimacy) of the Local Government formally Pandeglang in the form of legislation (regulations). The purpose of this policy to improve student achievement in the field of Islamic religious education as evidenced by the Madrasah Education Graduate Certificate Diniyah Awaliyah (STTB-MDA) as a requirement for continuing education to higher education. Compulsory education policy background to solve problems and MDA obstacles in the implementation of MDA associated with an educational component, namely: (1) residents learn, (2) educators, (3) curriculum, (4) Facility, (5) finance, (6) teaching and learning, and (7) Management. The case study uses a qualitative descriptive approach, which focused on policy and policy implementation using MDA compulsory primary and secondary data sources. The research concluded that the policy of compulsory education has reached the goals of MDA with the following indicators:</p><ol><li>Regulation of MDA compulsory education policy as a juridical foundation consists of Local Regulations, Rules and Regulations Regent Education Office and the Ministry of Religious Affairs Office Pandeglang;</li><li>The finishing MDA problems toward positive changes associated with educational components, namely: community learning, educators, curriculum, infrastructure, finance, teaching and learning activities, and management;</li><li>MDA policy objectives of compulsory education as a condition of continuing to higher education already begun, although the effectiveness enforcement begin 2012;</li><li>Compulsory education policy implementation goes according to MDA goals and targets of policy stakeholders, MDA education providers, communities and citizens to learn;</li><li>Significant policy impact in improving student achievement in the field of Islamic religious education.</li></ol><p class="Abstract">Based on the results of the study recommended that local government policy on Compulsory Education Pandeglang MDA can be applied in other areas in the administration of MDA is more conducive.</p><p class="keywords">Keyword: Diniyah Awaliyah, policy, madrasah, local government, compulsory education</p>

One of the topical challenges facing higher educational establishments (HEE) is to build the most optimal model for competitive selection of entrants. Based on the results of the external independent assessment (EIA) and the average score of the entry certificate, the institution of higher education, by varying weights, tries to build such a rating list, which places in the first place exactly those applicants who are able to study better in the relevant specialty. Evaluation of the applied model of competitive selection is investigated by the indicator of the predictive validity of the competitive score. Predictive validity is the correlation coefficient between the indicator by which competitive selection is made and the student's performance during the first year of study. Therefore, by assessing the value of predictive validity, it is possible to examine the statistical relationships of EIA results in different subjects or their respective weights with student performance and to build optimal competitive selection models based on them. In this case, the effectiveness of the HEE entry system based on EIA is recognized as high, if the correlation coefficient (R) is greater than 0.5; sufficient, if the correlation coefficient is in the range [0,3, 0,5] and low, if the correlation coefficient is less than 0,3. Since 2018, analytical procedures for EIA have begun to be introduced gradually for college graduates, but only as a state final certification. Subsequently, the results of the EIA will be taken into account in the admission of junior specialists to the bachelor's degree. But now, enrollment in the HEE is based on the grade point average of the school certificate and the results of the university entrance examination. Therefore, the study of the prognostic validity index of competitive selection of college graduates is relevant both in terms of evaluating the existing model of admission to the HEE, and for the search of directions for its improvement. In order to evaluate the predictive value of competitive selection and its components, the results of the calculation of correlation indicators between the students' grades and the students' success in the subjects studied in the HEE during the first semester of the third year are presented. The data obtained indicate a sufficiently high prognostic validity (R>0,5) of the competition score. At the same time, a significant level of correlation was observed both with the average rates of students' education in the first semester and with success in almost every discipline (only for the discipline "Information Systems and Technologies of Accounting and Audit" the correlation coefficient is slightly less than 0.5). It should also be noted that the competition score is better correlated with the results of the current academic performance of students in the 1st semester (before the test session), than with the results of the overall success after the 1st session. As it turns out, this tendency to decrease correlation is due to the fact that several students did not participate in the exam and therefore their average learning outcomes are very different from the main group of observations. Also indicative for predicting student learning outcomes in the HEE are the data from the average score of the school certificate. This indicator, as shown by the correlation coefficient calculations, has high predictive validity to the average results of the first semester (R = 0.73 and R = 0.67) and to each individual discipline (R>0.5). Therefore, when introducing external independent assessment for college graduates, it is also advisable to enter the average score of the education document into the formula for calculating the competition score. On the other hand, a proficiency test of university applicants is a weak predictor of student performance during the first semester (R<0.5 for all HEE subjects without exception). The slight correlation between these criteria is related to the introduced professional test evaluation methodology and therefore requires further improvement. By analyzing the standardized values of deviations between the competition grade and the average success rate of a student in the first semester, the presence of abnormal levels of evaluation within the sample was investigated. It is shown that the Spirman rank correlation coefficient is less dependent on the presence of such anomalies and is more rational when estimating the prognostic validity of small samples.

Geoscience Education is not included in the School curriculum in South Africa as a stand-alone subject area. Some concepts are embedded in other subject areas such as Plate Tectonic Theory in Geography and Evolution in Life Sciences. Consequently, most students who do register for a BSc degree at South African Universities do not initially intend to study Geology. Minimum entry requirements for different disciplines in the Faculty of Science at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) mean that most of the Geology I registrations are by students not qualifying for Mathematical or Physical Sciences. Biological Sciences can only accommodate a portion of these students so the remainder of the students end up in Geology because they wish to ob-tain a degree and are “forced to do Geology”. In an attempt to introduce future students to a broader view of Science, and in particular to Geoscience, Wits has started offering certified Short Courses at NQF Level 4 (National Qualification Framework school leaving certificate level). In 2016 Wits ran the Wits Integrated Experience in Science and in 2017, the Wits Integrated Experience in Science and Commerce, short courses. Learners were exposed to the integrated nature of various Science disci-plines and the integrated nature of Science and Commerce through enquiry based, problem solving learning opportunities. The target audience was Grade 11 learners as they have not yet applied to any university and have yet to make subject choices and degree choices. By participating in the short course they are exposed to a variety of disciplines and through investigating real problems, they are exposed to the interdisciplinary nature of these disciplines. In 2016 the learners solved a murder mystery and in 2017, they had to scenario plan for an impending meteorite impact just south of Johannesburg. This scenario planning helped learners to see the relationship between Science disciplines and between Science and Commerce. This is important as the initiative is designed to assist learners in actively choosing their Science and/or Commerce majors and to encourage learners to consider taking innovative major combinations that might cross traditional Faculty boundaries.

RESUMENLa atención a la diversidad requiere una respuesta educativa que permita a todo el alumnado alcanzar metas acordes a sus posibilidades, lo que muchas veces no se consigue, especialmente, en educación secundaria. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar los resultados que obtienen ocho centros, cinco de educación infantil y primaria y tres de secundaria dela Regiónde Murcia a partir de la autoevaluación que realiza el profesorado de los logros del alumnado en la adquisición de conocimientos, valores y obtención del graduado en Secundaria. Para ello se llevó a cabo una investigación descriptiva no-experimental de carácter cuantitativo en la que participaron 130 docentes seleccionados de manera no probabilística por conveniencia. Se utilizó el instrumento ACADI (Autoevaluación de Centros parala Atenciónala Diversidaddesdela Inclusión), en concreto, el ámbito D “Resultados”. Los análisis realizados mostraron que el profesorado tiene en cuenta la situación de partida del alumnado, especialmente del más vulnerable, y que aplica en su respuesta educativa estrategias, medidas y apoyos que facilitan el aprendizaje y la obtención del graduado en educación secundaria obligatoria. Asimismo evidencian el desarrollo de valores inclusivos, de hábitos de buena conducta y la resolución dialogada de conflictos. Se concluye afirmando que la atención a la diversidad del alumnado está presente, que la aplicación de medidas de atención a la diversidad ha mejorado el logro de los estudiantes y que hay que seguir potenciando la participación de todos los agentes educativos para que la educación inclusiva impregne todas sus acciones.ABSTRACTAttention to diversity requires and educational response that enables all students to meet goals that are in line with their possibilities, something which is often not achieved, especially in secondary education. The overall aim of this article is to analyze the results obtained from eight centres - five infant and primary schools and three secondary schools in the Region of Murcia (Spain) – from self-assessments made by the teachers of students’ achievements in terms of knowledge acquisition, values and gaining the high school qualification. A non experimental descriptive study of a quantitative nature was carried out with 130 teachers who, for the sake of convenience were selected no probabilistically. The ACADI (Autoevaluación de Centros parala Atenciónala Diversidaddesdela Inclusión– School based self-assessment of diversity awareness from an inclusive approach) was used, specifically, the field D "Results". The analyses revealed that teachers take into consideration the initial situations of their students, especially those of the most vulnerable and respond educationally by applying strategies, measures and support to facilitate learning and the certificate of graduation at the end of compulsory secondary education. Likewise, the findings show the practice of inclusive values, good behavior habits and use of dialogs to resolve conflicts. The conclusions state that attention to student diversity is present, that the application of attention to diversity measures has improved students’ achievements and that there is a need to continue to boost the participation of all educational agents so that inclusive education filters through to all actions performed.

Education in Oceania continues to reflect the embedded implicit and explicit colonial practices and processes from the past. This paper conceptualises a cultural approach to education and leadership appropriate and relevant to the Republic of the Marshall Islands. As elementary school leaders, we highlight Kanne Lobal, a traditional Marshallese navigation practice based on indigenous language, values and practices. We conceptualise and develop Kanne Lobal in this paper as a framework for understanding the usefulness of our indigenous knowledge in leadership and educational practices within formal education. Through bwebwenato, a method of talk story, our key learnings and reflexivities were captured. We argue that realising the value of Marshallese indigenous knowledge and practices for school leaders requires purposeful training of the ways in which our knowledge can be made useful in our professional educational responsibilities. Drawing from our Marshallese knowledge is an intentional effort to inspire, empower and express what education and leadership partnership means for Marshallese people, as articulated by Marshallese themselves. Introduction As noted in the call for papers within the Waikato Journal of Education (WJE) for this special issue, bodies of knowledge and histories in Oceania have long sustained generations across geographic boundaries to ensure cultural survival. For Marshallese people, we cannot really know ourselves “until we know how we came to be where we are today” (Walsh, Heine, Bigler & Stege, 2012). Jitdam Kapeel is a popular Marshallese concept and ideal associated with inquiring into relationships within the family and community. In a similar way, the practice of relating is about connecting the present and future to the past. Education and leadership partnerships are linked and we look back to the past, our history, to make sense and feel inspired to transform practices that will benefit our people. In this paper and in light of our next generation, we reconnect with our navigation stories to inspire and empower education and leadership. Kanne lobal is part of our navigation stories, a conceptual framework centred on cultural practices, values, and concepts that embrace collective partnerships. Our link to this talanoa vā with others in the special issue is to attempt to make sense of connections given the global COVID-19 context by providing a Marshallese approach to address the physical and relational “distance” between education and leadership partnerships in Oceania. Like the majority of developing small island nations in Oceania, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has had its share of educational challenges through colonial legacies of the past which continues to drive education systems in the region (Heine, 2002). The historical administration and education in the RMI is one of colonisation. Successive administrations by the Spanish, German, Japanese, and now the US, has resulted in education and learning that privileges western knowledge and forms of learning. This paper foregrounds understandings of education and learning as told by the voices of elementary school leaders from the RMI. The move to re-think education and leadership from Marshallese perspectives is an act of shifting the focus of bwebwenato or conversations that centres on Marshallese language and worldviews. The concept of jelalokjen was conceptualised as traditional education framed mainly within the community context. In the past, jelalokjen was practiced and transmitted to the younger generation for cultural continuity. During the arrival of colonial administrations into the RMI, jelalokjen was likened to the western notions of education and schooling (Kupferman, 2004). Today, the primary function of jelalokjen, as traditional and formal education, it is for “survival in a hostile [and challenging] environment” (Kupferman, 2004, p. 43). Because western approaches to learning in the RMI have not always resulted in positive outcomes for those engaged within the education system, as school leaders who value our cultural knowledge and practices, and aspire to maintain our language with the next generation, we turn to Kanne Lobal, a practice embedded in our navigation stories, collective aspirations, and leadership. The significance in the development of Kanne Lobal, as an appropriate framework for education and leadership, resulted in us coming together and working together. Not only were we able to share our leadership concerns, however, the engagement strengthened our connections with each other as school leaders, our communities, and the Public Schooling System (PSS). Prior to that, many of us were in competition for resources. Educational Leadership: IQBE and GCSL Leadership is a valued practice in the RMI. Before the IQBE programme started in 2018, the majority of the school leaders on the main island of Majuro had not engaged in collaborative partnerships with each other before. Our main educational purpose was to achieve accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an accreditation commission for schools in the United States. The WASC accreditation dictated our work and relationships and many school leaders on Majuro felt the pressure of competition against each other. We, the authors in this paper, share our collective bwebwenato, highlighting our school leadership experiences and how we gained strength from our own ancestral knowledge to empower “us”, to collaborate with each other, our teachers, communities, as well as with PSS; a collaborative partnership we had not realised in the past. The paucity of literature that captures Kajin Majol (Marshallese language) and education in general in the RMI is what we intend to fill by sharing our reflections and experiences. To move our educational practices forward we highlight Kanne Lobal, a cultural approach that focuses on our strengths, collective social responsibilities and wellbeing. For a long time, there was no formal training in place for elementary school leaders. School principals and vice principals were appointed primarily on their academic merit through having an undergraduate qualification. As part of the first cohort of fifteen school leaders, we engaged in the professional training programme, the Graduate Certificate in School Leadership (GCSL), refitted to our context after its initial development in the Solomon Islands. GCSL was coordinated by the Institute of Education (IOE) at the University of the South Pacific (USP). GCSL was seen as a relevant and appropriate training programme for school leaders in the RMI as part of an Asia Development Bank (ADB) funded programme which aimed at “Improving Quality Basic Education” (IQBE) in parts of the northern Pacific. GCSL was managed on Majuro, RMI’s main island, by the director at the time Dr Irene Taafaki, coordinator Yolanda McKay, and administrators at the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) RMI campus. Through the provision of GCSL, as school leaders we were encouraged to re-think and draw-from our own cultural repository and connect to our ancestral knowledge that have always provided strength for us. This kind of thinking and practice was encouraged by our educational leaders (Heine, 2002). We argue that a culturally-affirming and culturally-contextual framework that reflects the lived experiences of Marshallese people is much needed and enables the disruption of inherent colonial processes left behind by Western and Eastern administrations which have influenced our education system in the RMI (Heine, 2002). Kanne Lobal, an approach utilising a traditional navigation has warranted its need to provide solutions for today’s educational challenges for us in the RMI. Education in the Pacific Education in the Pacific cannot be understood without contextualising it in its history and culture. It is the same for us in the RMI (Heine, 2002; Walsh et al., 2012). The RMI is located in the Pacific Ocean and is part of Micronesia. It was named after a British captain, John Marshall in the 1700s. The atolls in the RMI were explored by the Spanish in the 16th century. Germany unsuccessfully attempted to colonize the islands in 1885. Japan took control in 1914, but after several battles during World War II, the US seized the RMI from them. In 1947, the United Nations made the island group, along with the Mariana and Caroline archipelagos, a U.S. trust territory (Walsh et al, 2012). Education in the RMI reflects the colonial administrations of Germany, Japan, and now the US. Before the turn of the century, formal education in the Pacific reflected western values, practices, and standards. Prior to that, education was informal and not binded to formal learning institutions (Thaman, 1997) and oral traditions was used as the medium for transmitting learning about customs and practices living with parents, grandparents, great grandparents. As alluded to by Jiba B. Kabua (2004), any “discussion about education is necessarily a discussion of culture, and any policy on education is also a policy of culture” (p. 181). It is impossible to promote one without the other, and it is not logical to understand one without the other. Re-thinking how education should look like, the pedagogical strategies that are relevant in our classrooms, the ways to engage with our parents and communities - such re-thinking sits within our cultural approaches and frameworks. Our collective attempts to provide a cultural framework that is relevant and appropriate for education in our context, sits within the political endeavour to decolonize. This means that what we are providing will not only be useful, but it can be used as a tool to question and identify whether things in place restrict and prevent our culture or whether they promote and foreground cultural ideas and concepts, a significant discussion of culture linked to education (Kabua, 2004). Donor funded development aid programmes were provided to support the challenges within education systems. Concerned with the persistent low educational outcomes of Pacific students, despite the prevalence of aid programmes in the region, in 2000 Pacific educators and leaders with support from New Zealand Aid (NZ Aid) decided to intervene (Heine, 2002; Taufe’ulungaki, 2014). In April 2001, a group of Pacific educators and leaders across the region were invited to a colloquium funded by the New Zealand Overseas Development Agency held in Suva Fiji at the University of the South Pacific. The main purpose of the colloquium was to enable “Pacific educators to re-think the values, assumptions and beliefs underlying [formal] schooling in Oceania” (Benson, 2002). Leadership, in general, is a valued practice in the RMI (Heine, 2002). Despite education leadership being identified as a significant factor in school improvement (Sanga & Chu, 2009), the limited formal training opportunities of school principals in the region was a persistent concern. As part of an Asia Development Bank (ADB) funded project, the Improve Quality Basic Education (IQBE) intervention was developed and implemented in the RMI in 2017. Mentoring is a process associated with the continuity and sustainability of leadership knowledge and practices (Sanga & Chu, 2009). It is a key aspect of building capacity and capabilities within human resources in education (ibid). Indigenous knowledges and education research According to Hilda Heine, the relationship between education and leadership is about understanding Marshallese history and culture (cited in Walsh et al., 2012). It is about sharing indigenous knowledge and histories that “details for future generations a story of survival and resilience and the pride we possess as a people” (Heine, cited in Walsh et al., 2012, p. v). This paper is fuelled by postcolonial aspirations yet is grounded in Pacific indigenous research. This means that our intentions are driven by postcolonial pursuits and discourses linked to challenging the colonial systems and schooling in the Pacific region that privileges western knowledge and learning and marginalises the education practices and processes of local people (Thiong’o, 1986). A point of difference and orientation from postcolonialism is a desire to foreground indigenous Pacific language, specifically Majin Majol, through Marshallese concepts. Our collective bwebwenato and conversation honours and values kautiej (respect), jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity), and jouj (kindness) (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). Pacific leaders developed the Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative for and by Pacific People (RPEIPP) in 2002 to take control of the ways in which education research was conducted by donor funded organisations (Taufe’ulungaki, 2014). Our former president, Dr Hilda Heine was part of the group of leaders who sought to counter the ways in which our educational and leadership stories were controlled and told by non-Marshallese (Heine, 2002). As a former minister of education in the RMI, Hilda Heine continues to inspire and encourage the next generation of educators, school leaders, and researchers to re-think and de-construct the way learning and education is conceptualised for Marshallese people. The conceptualisation of Kanne Lobal acknowledges its origin, grounded in Marshallese navigation knowledge and practice. Our decision to unpack and deconstruct Kanne Lobal within the context of formal education and leadership responds to the need to not only draw from indigenous Marshallese ideas and practice but to consider that the next generation will continue to be educated using western processes and initiatives particularly from the US where we get a lot of our funding from. According to indigenous researchers Dawn Bessarab and Bridget Ng’andu (2010), doing research that considers “culturally appropriate processes to engage with indigenous groups and individuals is particularly pertinent in today’s research environment” (p. 37). Pacific indigenous educators and researchers have turned to their own ancestral knowledge and practices for inspiration and empowerment. Within western research contexts, the often stringent ideals and processes are not always encouraging of indigenous methods and practices. However, many were able to ground and articulate their use of indigenous methods as being relevant and appropriate to capturing the realities of their communities (Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Fulu-Aiolupotea, 2014; Thaman, 1997). At the same time, utilising Pacific indigenous methods and approaches enabled research engagement with their communities that honoured and respected them and their communities. For example, Tongan, Samoan, and Fijian researchers used the talanoa method as a way to capture the stories, lived realities, and worldviews of their communities within education in the diaspora (Fa’avae, Jones, & Manu’atu, 2016; Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Aiolupotea, 2014; Vaioleti, 2005). Tok stori was used by Solomon Islander educators and school leaders to highlight the unique circles of conversational practice and storytelling that leads to more positive engagement with their community members, capturing rich and meaningful narratives as a result (Sanga & Houma, 2004). The Indigenous Aborigine in Australia utilise yarning as a “relaxed discussion through which both the researcher and participant journey together visiting places and topics of interest relevant” (Bessarab & Ng’andu, 2010, p. 38). Despite the diverse forms of discussions and storytelling by indigenous peoples, of significance are the cultural protocols, ethics, and language for conducting and guiding the engagement (Bessarab & Ng’andu, 2010; Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Aiolupotea, 2014). Through the ethics, values, protocols, and language, these are what makes indigenous methods or frameworks unique compared to western methods like in-depth interviews or semi-structured interviews. This is why it is important for us as Marshallese educators to frame, ground, and articulate how our own methods and frameworks of learning could be realised in western education (Heine, 2002; Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014). In this paper, we utilise bwebwenato as an appropriate method linked to “talk story”, capturing our collective stories and experiences during GCSL and how we sought to build partnerships and collaboration with each other, our communities, and the PSS. Bwebwenato and drawing from Kajin Majel Legends and stories that reflect Marshallese society and its cultural values have survived through our oral traditions. The practice of weaving also holds knowledge about our “valuable and earliest sources of knowledge” (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019, p. 2). The skilful navigation of Marshallese wayfarers on the walap (large canoes) in the ocean is testament of their leadership and the value they place on ensuring the survival and continuity of Marshallese people (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019; Walsh et al., 2012). During her graduate study in 2014, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner conceptualised bwebwenato as being the most “well-known form of Marshallese orality” (p. 38). The Marshallese-English dictionary defined bwebwenato as talk, conversation, story, history, article, episode, lore, myth, or tale (cited in Jetnil Kijiner, 2014). Three years later in 2017, bwebwenato was utilised in a doctoral project by Natalie Nimmer as a research method to gather “talk stories” about the experiences of 10 Marshallese experts in knowledge and skills ranging from sewing to linguistics, canoe-making and business. Our collective bwebwenato in this paper centres on Marshallese ideas and language. The philosophy of Marshallese knowledge is rooted in our “Kajin Majel”, or Marshallese language and is shared and transmitted through our oral traditions. For instance, through our historical stories and myths. Marshallese philosophy, that is, the knowledge systems inherent in our beliefs, values, customs, and practices are shared. They are inherently relational, meaning that knowledge systems and philosophies within our world are connected, in mind, body, and spirit (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014; Nimmer, 2017). Although some Marshallese believe that our knowledge is disappearing as more and more elders pass away, it is therefore important work together, and learn from each other about the knowledges shared not only by the living but through their lamentations and stories of those who are no longer with us (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014). As a Marshallese practice, weaving has been passed-down from generation to generation. Although the art of weaving is no longer as common as it used to be, the artefacts such as the “jaki-ed” (clothing mats) continue to embody significant Marshallese values and traditions. For our weavers, the jouj (check spelling) is the centre of the mat and it is where the weaving starts. When the jouj is correct and weaved well, the remainder and every other part of the mat will be right. The jouj is symbolic of the “heart” and if the heart is prepared well, trained well, then life or all other parts of the body will be well (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). In that light, we have applied the same to this paper. Conceptualising and drawing from cultural practices that are close and dear to our hearts embodies a significant ontological attempt to prioritize our own knowledge and language, a sense of endearment to who we are and what we believe education to be like for us and the next generation. The application of the phrase “Majolizing '' was used by the Ministry of Education when Hilda Heine was minister, to weave cultural ideas and language into the way that teachers understand the curriculum, develop lesson plans and execute them in the classroom. Despite this, there were still concerns with the embedded colonized practices where teachers defaulted to eurocentric methods of doing things, like the strategies provided in the textbooks given to us. In some ways, our education was slow to adjust to the “Majolizing '' intention by our former minister. In this paper, we provide Kanne Lobal as a way to contribute to the “Majolizing intention” and perhaps speed up yet still be collectively responsible to all involved in education. Kajin Wa and Kanne Lobal “Wa” is the Marshallese concept for canoe. Kajin wa, as in canoe language, has a lot of symbolic meaning linked to deeply-held Marshallese values and practices. The canoe was the foundational practice that supported the livelihood of harsh atoll island living which reflects the Marshallese social world. The experts of Kajin wa often refer to “wa” as being the vessel of life, a means and source of sustaining life (Kelen, 2009, cited in Miller, 2010). “Jouj” means kindness and is the lower part of the main hull of the canoe. It is often referred to by some canoe builders in the RMI as the heart of the canoe and is linked to love. The jouj is one of the first parts of the canoe that is built and is “used to do all other measurements, and then the rest of the canoe is built on top of it” (Miller, 2010, p. 67). The significance of the jouj is that when the canoe is in the water, the jouj is the part of the hull that is underwater and ensures that all the cargo and passengers are safe. For Marshallese, jouj or kindness is what living is about and is associated with selflessly carrying the responsibility of keeping the family and community safe. The parts of the canoe reflect Marshallese culture, legend, family, lineage, and kinship. They embody social responsibilities that guide, direct, and sustain Marshallese families’ wellbeing, from atoll to atoll. For example, the rojak (boom), rojak maan (upper boom), rojak kōrā (lower boom), and they support the edges of the ujelā/ujele (sail) (see figure 1). The literal meaning of rojak maan is male boom and rojak kōrā means female boom which together strengthens the sail and ensures the canoe propels forward in a strong yet safe way. Figuratively, the rojak maan and rojak kōrā symbolise the mother and father relationship which when strong, through the jouj (kindness and love), it can strengthen families and sustain them into the future. Figure 1. Parts of the canoe Source: https://www.canoesmarshallislands.com/2014/09/names-of-canoe-parts/ From a socio-cultural, communal, and leadership view, the canoe (wa) provides understanding of the relationships required to inspire and sustain Marshallese peoples’ education and learning. We draw from Kajin wa because they provide cultural ideas and practices that enable understanding of education and leadership necessary for sustaining Marshallese people and realities in Oceania. When building a canoe, the women are tasked with the weaving of the ujelā/ujele (sail) and to ensure that it is strong enough to withstand long journeys and the fierce winds and waters of the ocean. The Kanne Lobal relates to the front part of the ujelā/ujele (sail) where the rojak maan and rojak kōrā meet and connect (see the red lines in figure 1). Kanne Lobal is linked to the strategic use of the ujelā/ujele by navigators, when there is no wind north wind to propel them forward, to find ways to capture the winds so that their journey can continue. As a proverbial saying, Kanne Lobal is used to ignite thinking and inspire and transform practice particularly when the journey is rough and tough. In this paper we draw from Kanne Lobal to ignite, inspire, and transform our educational and leadership practices, a move to explore what has always been meaningful to Marshallese people when we are faced with challenges. The Kanne Lobal utilises our language, and cultural practices and values by sourcing from the concepts of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity). A key Marshallese proverb, “Enra bwe jen lale rara”, is the cultural practice where families enact compassion through the sharing of food in all occurrences. The term “enra” is a small basket weaved from the coconut leaves, and often used by Marshallese as a plate to share and distribute food amongst each other. Bwe-jen-lale-rara is about noticing and providing for the needs of others, and “enra” the basket will help support and provide for all that are in need. “Enra-bwe-jen-lale-rara” is symbolic of cultural exchange and reciprocity and the cultural values associated with building and maintaining relationships, and constantly honouring each other. As a Marshallese practice, in this article we share our understanding and knowledge about the challenges as well as possible solutions for education concerns in our nation. In addition, we highlight another proverb, “wa kuk wa jimor”, which relates to having one canoe, and despite its capacity to feed and provide for the individual, but within the canoe all people can benefit from what it can provide. In the same way, we provide in this paper a cultural framework that will enable all educators to benefit from. It is a framework that is far-reaching and relevant to the lived realities of Marshallese people today. Kumit relates to people united to build strength, all co-operating and working together, living in peace, harmony, and good health. Kanne Lobal: conceptual framework for education and leadership An education framework is a conceptual structure that can be used to capture ideas and thinking related to aspects of learning. Kanne Lobal is conceptualised and framed in this paper as an educational framework. Kanne Lobal highlights the significance of education as a collective partnership whereby leadership is an important aspect. Kanne Lobal draws-from indigenous Marshallese concepts like kautiej (respect), jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity), and jouj (kindness, heart). The role of a leader, including an education leader, is to prioritise collective learning and partnerships that benefits Marshallese people and the continuity and survival of the next generation (Heine, 2002; Thaman, 1995). As described by Ejnar Aerōk, an expert canoe builder in the RMI, he stated: “jerbal ippān doon bwe en maron maan wa e” (cited in Miller, 2010, p. 69). His description emphasises the significance of partnerships and working together when navigating and journeying together in order to move the canoe forward. The kubaak, the outrigger of the wa (canoe) is about “partnerships”. For us as elementary school leaders on Majuro, kubaak encourages us to value collaborative partnerships with each other as well as our communities, PSS, and other stakeholders. Partnerships is an important part of the Kanne Lobal education and leadership framework. It requires ongoing bwebwenato – the inspiring as well as confronting and challenging conversations that should be mediated and negotiated if we and our education stakeholders are to journey together to ensure that the educational services we provide benefits our next generation of young people in the RMI. Navigating ahead the partnerships, mediation, and negotiation are the core values of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity). As an organic conceptual framework grounded in indigenous values, inspired through our lived experiences, Kanne Lobal provides ideas and concepts for re-thinking education and leadership practices that are conducive to learning and teaching in the schooling context in the RMI. By no means does it provide the solution to the education ills in our nation. However, we argue that Kanne Lobal is a more relevant approach which is much needed for the negatively stigmatised system as a consequence of the various colonial administrations that have and continue to shape and reframe our ideas about what education should be like for us in the RMI. Moreover, Kannel Lobal is our attempt to decolonize the framing of education and leadership, moving our bwebwenato to re-framing conversations of teaching and learning so that our cultural knowledge and values are foregrounded, appreciated, and realised within our education system. Bwebwenato: sharing our stories In this section, we use bwebwenato as a method of gathering and capturing our stories as data. Below we capture our stories and ongoing conversations about the richness in Marshallese cultural knowledge in the outer islands and on Majuro and the potentialities in Kanne Lobal. Danny Jim When I was in third grade (9-10 years of age), during my grandfather’s speech in Arno, an atoll near Majuro, during a time when a wa (canoe) was being blessed and ready to put the canoe into the ocean. My grandfather told me the canoe was a blessing for the family. “Without a canoe, a family cannot provide for them”, he said. The canoe allows for travelling between places to gather food and other sources to provide for the family. My grandfather’s stories about people’s roles within the canoe reminded me that everyone within the family has a responsibility to each other. Our women, mothers and daughters too have a significant responsibility in the journey, in fact, they hold us, care for us, and given strength to their husbands, brothers, and sons. The wise man or elder sits in the middle of the canoe, directing the young man who help to steer. The young man, he does all the work, directed by the older man. They take advice and seek the wisdom of the elder. In front of the canoe, a young boy is placed there and because of his strong and youthful vision, he is able to help the elder as well as the young man on the canoe. The story can be linked to the roles that school leaders, teachers, and students have in schooling. Without each person knowing intricately their role and responsibility, the sight and vision ahead for the collective aspirations of the school and the community is difficult to comprehend. For me, the canoe is symbolic of our educational journey within our education system. As the school leader, a central, trusted, and respected figure in the school, they provide support for teachers who are at the helm, pedagogically striving to provide for their students. For without strong direction from the school leaders and teachers at the helm, the students, like the young boy, cannot foresee their futures, or envisage how education can benefit them. This is why Kanne Lobal is a significant framework for us in the Marshall Islands because within the practice we are able to take heed and empower each other so that all benefit from the process. Kanne Lobal is linked to our culture, an essential part of who we are. We must rely on our own local approaches, rather than relying on others that are not relevant to what we know and how we live in today’s society. One of the things I can tell is that in Majuro, compared to the outer islands, it’s different. In the outer islands, parents bring children together and tell them legends and stories. The elders tell them about the legends and stories – the bwebwenato. Children from outer islands know a lot more about Marshallese legends compared to children from the Majuro atoll. They usually stay close to their parents, observe how to prepare food and all types of Marshallese skills. Loretta Joseph Case There is little Western influence in the outer islands. They grow up learning their own culture with their parents, not having tv. They are closely knit, making their own food, learning to weave. They use fire for cooking food. They are more connected because there are few of them, doing their own culture. For example, if they’re building a house, the ladies will come together and make food to take to the males that are building the house, encouraging them to keep on working - “jemjem maal” (sharpening tools i.e. axe, like encouraging workers to empower them). It’s when they bring food and entertainment. Rubon Rubon Togetherness, work together, sharing of food, these are important practices as a school leader. Jemjem maal – the whole village works together, men working and the women encourage them with food and entertainment. All the young children are involved in all of the cultural practices, cultural transmission is consistently part of their everyday life. These are stronger in the outer islands. Kanne Lobal has the potential to provide solutions using our own knowledge and practices. Connie Joel When new teachers become a teacher, they learn more about their culture in teaching. Teaching raises the question, who are we? A popular saying amongst our people, “Aelon kein ad ej aelon in manit”, means that “Our islands are cultural islands”. Therefore, when we are teaching, and managing the school, we must do this culturally. When we live and breathe, we must do this culturally. There is more socialising with family and extended family. Respect the elderly. When they’re doing things the ladies all get together, in groups and do it. Cut the breadfruit, and preserve the breadfruit and pandanus. They come together and do it. Same as fishing, building houses, building canoes. They use and speak the language often spoken by the older people. There are words that people in the outer islands use and understand language regularly applied by the elderly. Respect elderly and leaders more i.e., chiefs (iroj), commoners (alap), and the workers on the land (ri-jerbal) (social layer under the commoners). All the kids, they gather with their families, and go and visit the chiefs and alap, and take gifts from their land, first produce/food from the plantation (eojōk). Tommy Almet The people are more connected to the culture in the outer islands because they help one another. They don’t have to always buy things by themselves, everyone contributes to the occasion. For instance, for birthdays, boys go fishing, others contribute and all share with everyone. Kanne Lobal is a practice that can bring people together – leaders, teachers, stakeholders. We want our colleagues to keep strong and work together to fix problems like students and teachers’ absenteeism which is a big problem for us in schools. Demetria Malachi The culture in the outer islands are more accessible and exposed to children. In Majuro, there is a mixedness of cultures and knowledges, influenced by Western thinking and practices. Kanne Lobal is an idea that can enhance quality educational purposes for the RMI. We, the school leaders who did GCSL, we want to merge and use this idea because it will help benefit students’ learning and teachers’ teaching. Kanne Lobal will help students to learn and teachers to teach though traditional skills and knowledge. We want to revitalize our ways of life through teaching because it is slowly fading away. Also, we want to have our own Marshallese learning process because it is in our own language making it easier to use and understand. Essentially, we want to proudly use our own ways of teaching from our ancestors showing the appreciation and blessings given to us. Way Forward To think of ways forward is about reflecting on the past and current learnings. Instead of a traditional discussion within a research publication, we have opted to continue our bwebwenato by sharing what we have learnt through the Graduate Certificate in School Leadership (GCSL) programme. Our bwebwenato does not end in this article and this opportunity to collaborate and partner together in this piece of writing has been a meaningful experience to conceptualise and unpack the Kanne Lobal framework. Our collaborative bwebwenato has enabled us to dig deep into our own wise knowledges for guidance through mediating and negotiating the challenges in education and leadership (Sanga & Houma, 2004). For example, bwe-jen-lale-rara reminds us to inquire, pay attention, and focus on supporting the needs of others. Through enra-bwe-jen-lale-rara, it reminds us to value cultural exchange and reciprocity which will strengthen the development and maintaining of relationships based on ways we continue to honour each other (Nimmer, 2017). We not only continue to support each other, but also help mentor the next generation of school leaders within our education system (Heine, 2002). Education and leadership are all about collaborative partnerships (Sanga & Chu, 2009; Thaman, 1997). Developing partnerships through the GCSL was useful learning for us. It encouraged us to work together, share knowledge, respect each other, and be kind. The values of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity) are meaningful in being and becoming and educational leader in the RMI (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014; Miller, 2010; Nimmer, 2017). These values are meaningful for us practice particularly given the drive by PSS for schools to become accredited. The workshops and meetings delivered during the GCSL in the RMI from 2018 to 2019 about Kanne Lobal has given us strength to share our stories and experiences from the meeting with the stakeholders. But before we met with the stakeholders, we were encouraged to share and speak in our language within our courses: EDP05 (Professional Development and Learning), EDP06 (School Leadership), EDP07 (School Management), EDP08 (Teaching and Learning), and EDP09 (Community Partnerships). In groups, we shared our presentations with our peers, the 15 school leaders in the GCSL programme. We also invited USP RMI staff. They liked the way we presented Kannel Lobal. They provided us with feedback, for example: how the use of the sail on the canoe, the parts and their functions can be conceptualised in education and how they are related to the way that we teach our own young people. Engaging stakeholders in the conceptualisation and design stages of Kanne Lobal strengthened our understanding of leadership and collaborative partnerships. Based on various meetings with the RMI Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) team, PSS general assembly, teachers from the outer islands, and the PSS executive committee, we were able to share and receive feedback on the Kanne Lobal framework. The coordinators of the PREL programme in the RMI were excited by the possibilities around using Kanne Lobal, as a way to teach culture in an inspirational way to Marshallese students. Our Marshallese knowledge, particularly through the proverbial meaning of Kanne Lobal provided so much inspiration and insight for the groups during the presentation which gave us hope and confidence to develop the framework. Kanne Lobal is an organic and indigenous approach, grounded in Marshallese ways of doing things (Heine, 2002; Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). Given the persistent presence of colonial processes within the education system and the constant reference to practices and initiatives from the US, Kanne Lobal for us provides a refreshing yet fulfilling experience and makes us feel warm inside because it is something that belongs to all Marshallese people. Conclusion Marshallese indigenous knowledge and practices provide meaningful educational and leadership understanding and learnings. They ignite, inspire, and transform thinking and practice. The Kanne Lobal conceptual framework emphasises key concepts and values necessary for collaborative partnerships within education and leadership practices in the RMI. The bwebwenato or talk stories have been insightful and have highlighted the strengths and benefits that our Marshallese ideas and practices possess when looking for appropriate and relevant ways to understand education and leadership. Acknowledgements We want to acknowledge our GCSL cohort of school leaders who have supported us in the development of Kanne Lobal as a conceptual framework. A huge kommol tata to our friends: Joana, Rosana, Loretta, Jellan, Alvin, Ellice, Rolando, Stephen, and Alan. References Benson, C. (2002). Preface. In F. Pene, A. M. Taufe’ulungaki, & C. Benson (Eds.), Tree of Opportunity: re-thinking Pacific Education (p. iv). Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific, Institute of Education. Bessarab, D., Ng’andu, B. (2010). Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in indigenous research. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3(1), 37-50. Fa’avae, D., Jones, A., & Manu’atu, L. (2016). Talanoa’i ‘a e talanoa - talking about talanoa: Some dilemmas of a novice researcher. AlterNative: An Indigenous Journal of Indigenous Peoples,12(2),138-150. Heine, H. C. (2002). A Marshall Islands perspective. In F. Pene, A. M. Taufe’ulungaki, & C. 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Purpose The vocational education and training (VET) system needs a future change in order to be more accountable to employers (and their associations) for training outcomes that match employer expectations. As part of this, an important focus is employability skills that go beyond work-related technical and interpersonal skills to include employer-preferred values, attitudes and personality dimensions. The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of supervised work experiences (SWEs), among other factors, on undergraduate vocational trainees’ acquisition of employability skills. Design/methodology/approach A total of 138 respondents ranging in age from 17 to 24 years who successfully completed their two years program awarded with Malaysian Skill Certificate were included. They were divided into two sub-populations, trainees participating and trainees not participating in the SWE. Descriptive analysis, Correlation and ANCOVA were applied for data analysis. Findings The results showed that participating students achieved a moderately higher level of employability skills compared to students not participating in the SWE. The findings also revealed other factors contributing to the acquisition of employability skills, including gender, age, work experience, self-concept and achievement motivation. However, achievement motivation was found to be significantly related to the acquisition of employability skills. Therefore, participation of vocational trainees in the SWE influences the acquisition of employability skills which are identified as career success skills and could facilitate youth in transition from school to work. Research limitations/implications Although the research has reached the aims, there were a few limitations which may effect on generalization of the findings. Because of the limit access to students from all majors in vocational training, this study focused on six types of skills. In addition, the number of participants from different courses was not equal. Practical implications The research findings also imply several practical implications. First, based on the finding, it can be suggested that industries provide students’ vocational training under supervision of expert in their course area in order to enrich the level of trainees’ acquisition of employability skills. Second, referring to the finding, focusing on the key aspects of employability skills, industries can improve the trainees learning process and producing workers with abilities to allow them to interact with job duties in the organization of workplace. Originality/value This study can serve as a model for evaluation when implementing school to work programs.

PurposeKnowledge management (KM) is regarded as an essential factor in project-based organizations (PBOs), leading to organizational learning across projects. Over recent years, most PBOs have inserted project management offices (PMOs) into their hierarchical charts to manage their projects much more coherently. These offices can correspondingly provide KM facilities in PBOs. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure, as KM enablers in organizations, in Iranian oil and gas upstream PBOs.Design/methodology/approachA two-phase quantitative survey strategy was exercised in this research. The first phase was to investigate the relationship between PMOs and KM infrastructure and to prioritize PMO functions and KM infrastructure based on their existing implementation/establishment status in Iranian oil and gas upstream PBOs. The research participants, identified through the website of the National Iran Oil Company (NIOC), were comprised of 46 oil and gas upstream PBOs which applied for exploration and production (E&P) certificate in Iran in 2016 and 2017. Accordingly, a total number of 46 questionnaires were submitted to the aforementioned companies with a return rate of 41 cases. The second phase was fulfilled questioning 19 Iranian oil and gas industry experts to determine the one-to-one effect of PMO functions on KM infrastructure and to verify the first-phase results.FindingsThe results indicated a strong relationship between PMO functions and KM infrastructure. This relationship was significant with regard to “practice management” and “technical support”, having the most considerable connections with KM infrastructure. According to the first-phase results, the main functions of PMOs in Iranian oil and gas industry were “practice management” and “technical support”. Considering KM infrastructure, “structure” showed the lowest mean value while “culture”, “human resources” and “processes and procedures” obtained the highest scores. The results also demonstrated that PMO functions could lead to more improvements in “processes and procedures”, as a sub-component of KM infrastructure, compared with other sub-components. Furthermore, the oil and gas industry experts believed that “organizational culture” in KM could be shaped by most of PMO functions.Originality/valueThis study fulfilled the need for exploring the relationship between PMO functions and KM since academic literature lacked a thorough investigation, to the best of authors' knowledge, pertaining to the effects of PMO functions on KM development in oil and gas PBOs.

Pesquisadores demonstraram que o vírus SARS-CoV-2, responsável pela pandemia da COVID-19, apresenta membrana lipídica (gordura) em sua estrutura, e o uso do sabão durante a lavagem das mãos é uma das medidas mais eficazes para eliminá-lo, embora muitas localidades não têm acesso à água potável nem, tampouco, ao uso de sabão para higienização. Assim, com o apoio do Programa Hidrológico Intergovernamental para América Latina e Caribe, o Núcleo da Cátedra UNESCO: Água, Mulheres e Desenvolvimento (NuCat) desenvolveu um curso de extensão virtual com o objetivo de disseminar a metodologia de fabricação de sabão, que utiliza óleo de cozinha residual. O curso incluiu três módulos: 1) a importância do sabão e da higiene como auxílio no combate à COVID-19; 2) a educação ambiental como forma de proteção aos recursos hídricos; e 3) introdução aos princípios de empreendedorismo e cooperativismo aplicados à produção de sabão. Entre 18/05/2020 a 23/06/2020, videoaulas sobre o tema foram disponibilizadas no canal do Youtube: “Projeto Recursos Hídricos e Sabão Artesanal”, o qual alcançou mais de 360 inscritos naquele período. Uma sala virtual via plataforma de educação a distância Moodle também foi disponibilizada para os participantes que se interessassem em adquirir certificado. Os resultados mostraram, ao final do curso, mais de 4.400 visualizações no canal do Youtube e 80 participantes certificados. Os participantes deixaram feedback positivo, com 95% deles declarando-se satisfeitos ou muito satisfeitos com o curso. Palavras-chave: Meio Ambiente; Saneamento; Empreendedor; Ensino a distância Artisan Soap and Entrepreneurship: Virtual socio-educational actions for the protection of Water Resources and combating the COVID-19 pandemic Abstract: Researchers have demonstrated that the new SARS-COV-2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has fats in its composition, making it so that washing hands with soap is one of the most effective measures for its elimination. However, many places do not have access to potable water or soap. Therefore, with the support of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, the UNESCO Chair Core: Water, Women, and Development (NuCat) developed a virtual extension workshop aiming at disseminating used-oil-based soap manufacturing techniques. This workshop comprises three modules: 1) the importance of soap and hygiene to fight the COVID-19; 2) environmental education as a way of protecting water resources, and 3) an introduction to the principles of entrepreneurship and cooperativism applied to soap production. Between 18/5/2020 and 23/6/2020, video classes on the topic were made available on a Youtube channel created for this purpose. The channel “Projeto Recursos Hídricos e Sabão Artesanal” reached over 360 subscribers during this period. A virtual room via the Moodle education platform was also made available to participants interested in a certificate. At the end of the workshop, the YouTube channel reached over 4,400 views, and 80 participants were certified. The participants left extremely positive feedback, with 95% of them declaring themselves satisfied or very satisfied with the course. Keywords: Environment; Sanitation; Entrepreneur; Distance learning

Purpose of the study. The purpose of the study is to develop proposals for the formation of a neuroeducational environment that ensures that students acquire the competencies necessary to solve the problem of introducing end-to-end digital technologies within the framework of the digital economy program. The analysis showed that improving the training of specialists in the field of neurotechnology and artificial intelligence in the digital economy is an urgent and demanded task. The paper discusses an approach to solve the problem of improving the training of specialists in the field of neurotechnologies, taking into account the requirements of the federal project “Personnel for the digital economy” by creating a technological platform for a neuroeducational environment that ensures the acquisition of the necessary competencies by students.Materials and methods of research. In the process of carrying out the research, theoretical provisions in the field of the theory of neural networks were developed, a new class of neurons and neural networks was proposed, which are close in functions to biological neural networks and are called selective. The technology of training and application of selective neural networks has been developed. The advantage of selective technologies in comparison with classical neural networks is shown. Hardware models of neural networks, which are part of the neuroeducational system, have been developed and used in the educational process. A general methodology for teaching neural network technology as one of the end-to-end technologies of the digital economy has been developed, as well as a methodology for using neural networks in solving economic problems in the context of digital transformation.Results. A technological platform for a neuroeducational environment has been developed, including software, hardware models of classical neurons and perceptrons (McCulloch-Pitts), as well as neurons and perceptrons of a new class, called selective. A software tool for teaching standard and selective neurotechnologies was developed and proposed, for which a certificate of state registration of a computer program was obtained. For the assimilation of theoretical material and the acquisition of practical skills, methodological materials, author’s practical tasks and author’s laboratory works have been developed, which are part of the technological platform. The approaches proposed in the article can be used in organizing the study of the theory of neural networks and methods of applied application of neurotechnologies in solving the problems of introducing end-to-end digital technologies within the framework of the digital economy program. The development results are confirmed by 4 patents for inventions. In order to more effectively master the theoretical provisions and features of the practical application of neurotechnologies, the main attention is paid to the physical meaning and presentation of the processes occurring during the functioning of a neural network in the form of formal descriptions that provide a more effective assimilation of the foundations of the theory of neural networks and neurotechnologies using existing standard neural network architectures, as well as architectures built on the basis of selective neural networks.Conclusion. The architecture and components of the technological platform of the neuroeducational environment based on neuroeducational complexes have been developed. A general methodological approach has been developed for teaching the basics of neurotechnology based on standard and selective neural networks and the peculiarities of their application in the framework of the digital economy program. A methodology for teaching the basics of neurotechnology based on standard and selective neural networks has been developed, which includes the mathematical theory of standard and selective neural networks, a description of the learning process for standard neural networks based on McCulloch-Pitts neurons, as well as selective neural networks based on selective neurons.

From the EditorsHuseyin Uzunboylu, Cigdem HursenIt is an honour for us to welcome you as Editors of Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences which has accepted publications indexed in qualified databases since 2006. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences (CJES) is listed in many scholarly citation indexes; DOAJ, Ulrich's Educational Research Abstracts (ERA), EBSCO, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, Asian Education Index & AWER index. Also our major aim is to increase the quality of the journal day by day. We are ready to publish the new studies of Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences which has 9 full length articles written by authors from, Cyprus, Canada, Nigeria and Turkey.The aim of this issue is to give the researchers an opportunity to share their academic studies. First of all, I would like to thank all who have contributed to this issue. There are different focuses. For example, Hayat Boz and Sibel Esra Karatasexplored the impact of Internet use on QOL of the elderly by examining available researches in this field. By searching on ADM Digital Library, WEB Science, ERIC, PsycINFO and PubMed databases, this study reviewed 25 studies published after 1990 that investigates the relationship between Internet use and QOL of elderly. The synthesis of the research findings indicates that the functional use of computer and Internet improves QOL for older people. The findings also provide a comprehensive perspective on the current state of knowledge and raises questions for further research.On the other hand, Japo Oweikeye Amasuomo, examined the academic performance of students in the compulsory courses in technical education during the transition period of first and second years of three years Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) Technical programme before choosing their disciplines in the third year. The study established that, students in Electrical/Electronics discipline performed better than their counterparts who made Automobile, Building, Metalwork and Woodwork as their discipline, and the academic performance of the five groups of students differed significantly. Also, Hussain Ali Alkharusi examined students' perceptions of classroom assessment tasks as a function of gender, subject area, and grade level. Results showed that students tended to hold positive perceptions of their classroom assessment tasks in terms of congruence with planned learning, authenticity, student consultation, transparency, and diversity.In addition to these, Johnson Enero Upahi, Ganiyat Bukola Issa and Oloyede Solomon Oyelekan carried out a study on students. This study assesses the classroom activities which are the fundamental process required to determine the extent to which intended learning outcomes has been achieved. Emrah Soykan aimed to identification of views of teachers, students and their parents at Near East College in North Cyprus on use of tablets in education. The research is a descriptive case study. As result of the analysis carried out in this research, it has been seen that teachers, students and parents evaluate the problems related with tablet PCs under the following two sub-dimensions; the experienced problems of during tablet supported education and the benefits of tablet pc usage in education.Zeynep Karatas and E. Tremblay Richard examined the level of depressive symptoms of the secondary school students in Turkey and Canada has been aimed in this study. The research group of the study consists of 1050 secondary school students with the average age of 13. Their socio-economic levels are low in both countries, Canada and Turkey. The study revealed that the level of depressive symptoms of Turkish secondary school students has been found higher than the level of depressive symptoms of Canadian secondary school students. While the levels of depressive symptoms of the Canadian female students have been higher than male students, the level of depressive symptoms of Turkish students has not differentiated in terms of their genders. Behiye Akacan and Gurcan Secim examine the responses of university students in social anxiety situations in order to create a psychological counselling program with a structured group based on Cognitive Behavioural and Existential Approaches. These responses involve the behaviour and thoughts of the university students in situations where they experience or anticipate social anxiety. The findings of the study revealed that the thoughts regarding the social anxiety situations of the final year students studying in Guidance and Psychological Counselling and Pre-School Teaching departments are generally negative and their behaviour usually presents as desertion or avoidance.Also, Halil İbrahim Akyuz and Hafize Keser examined the effect of an educational agent, used in online task based learning media, and its form characteristics on problem solving ability perceptions of students. It is determined that applied method has an important effect on problem solving ability perception of students and that the educational agent in the role of teacher is more effective than the role of friend in the development of problem solving ability perception. Finally Muge Tacman and Nazan Comunoglu examined the way how the primary school class teachers evaluate the candidates, what their expect from the candidates and the effectivenes of the teaching training program being conducted in Ataturk Teacher Training Academy (AOA) to fulfill these expectations. Research findings were studied and interpreted in the framework of 4 main topics which are field knowledge, basic professional attitudes, effective communication and teaching abilities.I would like to express my thanks to all authors preferring Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences to make their articles published, all reviewers working seriously in the process of publishing, and also quest editors supporting us in this process.Best regards,Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboylu, Editor-in-ChiefAssist. Prof. Dr. Cigdem Hursen, Executive Editor

As an innovation in the world of computers, blockchain has many benefits and is also widely applied in the world of education. Blockchain itself has many advantages, especially in the world of education. Blockchain is a digital data storage system that consists of many servers (multiserver). In this Blockchain technology, data created by one server can be replicated and verified by another server. By using this technology with a decentralized system and strong cryptography and can help colleges or universities to build infrastructure in the archive storage of transcripts, diplomas, and diplomas. Usage One of the blockchain technology applications in education is iBC, namely the e-learning Blockchain Certificate, book copyright, and also e-Portfolios. iBC or e-learning Blockchain Certificate is a tool designed to create, verify and also issue blockchain certificates. As has been supported by the IBC to create certificates that are globally verified and stored in a decentralized manner. Here will be presented use cases that are relevant in the use of Blockchain technology in educational environments, especially data processing in universities and we also try to design an IBC based on blockchain technology that can be used to support transparency and accountability of colleges or universities in issuing diplomas and grades.Â

We propose a novel framework for learning stabilizable nonlinear dynamical systems for continuous control tasks in robotics. The key contribution is a control-theoretic regularizer for dynamics fitting rooted in the notion of stabilizability, a constraint which guarantees the existence of robust tracking controllers for arbitrary open-loop trajectories generated with the learned system. Leveraging tools from contraction theory and statistical learning in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces, we formulate stabilizable dynamics learning as a functional optimization with a convex objective and bi-convex functional constraints. Under a mild structural assumption and relaxation of the functional constraints to sampling-based constraints, we derive the optimal solution with a modified representer theorem. Finally, we utilize random matrix feature approximations to reduce the dimensionality of the search parameters and formulate an iterative convex optimization algorithm that jointly fits the dynamics functions and searches for a certificate of stabilizability. We validate the proposed algorithm in simulation for a planar quadrotor, and on a quadrotor hardware testbed emulating planar dynamics. We verify, both in simulation and on hardware, significantly improved trajectory generation and tracking performance with the control-theoretic regularized model over models learned using traditional regression techniques, especially when learning from small supervised datasets. The results support the conjecture that the use of stabilizability constraints as a form of regularization can help prune the hypothesis space in a manner that is tailored to the downstream task of trajectory generation and feedback control. This produces models that are not only dramatically better conditioned, but also data efficient.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), viral diseases continue to emerge and represent a serious issue to public health. In the last twenty years, several viral epidemics such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) from 2002 to 2003, and H1N1 influenza in 2009, have been recorded. The new coronavirus, formed a clade within the subgenus Orthocoronavirinae, sarbecovirus subfamily. The first time these cases were published, they were classified as “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” The question then became: are future epidemic risks amenable to forecast from identifiable triggers? Of immediate concern was the integrated research on closed spaces; where they in fact favorable or not to virus transmission subject to certification? We are currently opening diverse research in viral Medical Geology studies, as a new discipline. At present, there appears to be an emergent need for society to be educated on both existing in a world with Covid-19, while simultaneously learning how to prevent the spread of the pandemic. It is certainly important, yet has become insufficient, to impose physical distancing among people, isolation of patients, coughing “vampire” style into your elbow or continuing the usage of hand disinfectants and hand washing. The goal of this most recent work is to prepare a safety certificate for closed spaces which allows us to mandate the minimum number of people who may be present (altogether) with the minimum risk in values of viral transmission. It analyzes four key parameters in the propagation of Covid-19. The Viral Transmission in selected enclosed spaces was calculated according to the mathematical algorithm proposed by Prof. Dr. Luis CRUZ RODRIGUEZ. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a true global public health crisis as well as a devastating financial recession, affecting the entire world. Here we have proposed a certification entitled: “Elidan Certificate”, depicting prolonged safety within enclosed areas, such as inside of buildings or relating to various modes of transportation, suggesting a safe number of people who may occupy those particular places. Our aim is to better understand potential dormant repositories of outbreaks and the potential spread of those repositories, together with potential geological-geogenic terrain factors in closed space and their triggers. Integrated research on closed spaces, whether favorable or not to the virus transmission, would be subject to certification, along with the imminent opening of diversity research in viral Medical Geology studies, as a new discipline is anticipated. In this regard, UVC is a well-known disinfectant for air, water and surfaces, which can help reduce the risk of acquiring Covid-19 when applied correctly. By the way, the IUVA has been given the task of bringing together a group of experts, leaders in the field, from various parts of the world with the aim of developing guides that contribute to an effective use of UVC Technologies (ELIDAN dynamic LLC).

PurposeThis paper introduces a new approach to extracting the employability value of school/further education (FE) curriculums, using textual analysis to surface the transferable skills from UK curriculum documentation. The higher education extracted employability concept already established by the author is applied to help learners articulate the skills value of their knowledge-focused qualifications, closing the gap between the academic learning and the workplace. Proposals for additions to existing curriculum documentation would enable delivery of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD's) aspiration to embed skill development in school education.Design/methodology/approachManual textual analysis of UK A Level, General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and Scottish academic qualifications surfaced a database of transferable skills, which are categorised, and their interrelationships were analysed.FindingsRelatively few skills are explicitly articulated in curriculum documentation, revealing issues for learners recognising and articulating transferable skills. Extracted employability surfaces significant value from curriculum by identifying over 200 transferable skills, framed in the language employers recognise, thus closing the perceived “skills gap”. Comparisons reveal significantly greater diversity of skills innate to subjects perceived as “less academic”.Practical implicationsLearners will find it easier to recognise a comprehensive language of transferable skills, aligned with what employers need, and fundamental to career decision-making through understanding the relationships between academic qualifications and work.Social implicationsLearners who understand the wider value of their qualifications beyond knowledge focus, particularly in relation to transferable skills, are better able to be join, navigate and be agile in a challenging employment market.Originality/valueHigher education (HE) concepts of employability are not well-established or understood in schools. This new approach articulates it through transferable skills within existing academic curriculum.

Objectives Public health education must respond to 21st-century public health challenges in an ever-evolving landscape. We describe implementation and educational outcomes of the Columbia University Master of Public Health (MPH) Core (hereinafter, Core) curriculum since its inception. Methods This retrospective evaluation combined 6 years (2013-2018) of student survey data collected from students (N = 1902) on the structure and delivery of the Core curriculum to quantify implementation, student experience, and learning outcomes, both during study (Core Evaluation Survey [CES]) and after graduation (Graduate Exit Survey [GES]). We used χ2 tests and analysis of variance to compare outcomes across years, and we used McNemar tests to compare differences in outcomes from the same students at different time points. Results Of 1902 respondents to the CES, 1795 (94.4%) completed the Core curriculum. During the study period, 81.7% of students were able to integrate concepts across Core curriculum modules with ease; postgraduation, a similar proportion of respondents were able to apply Core curriculum content to departmental and certificate coursework and applied field experiences. On-time graduation rates were high (range, 85%-93%). Conclusions The high percentage of students who reported their ability to integrate concepts and who completed the Core during the study period likely reflected changes to teaching team structures, training, attention to inclusion and equity, and collaboration to implement active learning strategies. The Core curriculum meets its intended goals by providing critical learning abilities to support ongoing interdisciplinary work.

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It is twelve years since the article you are about to read was published. During that time, the philosophy in schools movement has expanded and diversified in response to curriculum developments (see Cam 1993, 1997, 1998; Kennedy 2013; Sprod 2001; Wartenberg 2009, 2013; Worley 2011), teaching guides (see Cam 1994, 2006; Freakley, Burgh & MacSporran 2008; Goering, Shudak & Wartenberg 2013; McCall 2009; Wilks 1996), web-based resources, dissertations, empirical research (Daniel & Michel 2000; Leckey 2001; Garcia-Moryon, Rebollo & Colom 2005; Reznitskaya 2005; Russell 2002) and theoretical scholarship (Davey Chesters 2012; Hand & Winstanley 2008; Haynes & Murris 2012; Kennedy 2006; Kohan 2014a, 2014b; Lone 2012; Lone & Israeloff 2012; Shapiro 2012; Sprod 2001). Philosophy and philosophy of education journals regularly publish articles and special issues on pre-college philosophy. There are more opportunities for undergraduate and graduate philosophy students to practice and research philosophy for/with children in schools. The Ontario Philosophy Teachers Association (OPTA) (founded in 1999) reports that in English-speaking Canada there are over 28,000 senior high school students studying philosophy in over 440 schools, and philosophy is now a Teachable Qualification (for an overview see Pinto, McDonough & Boyd 2006). In the USA, the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO) was founded in 2009 to create a network of pre-college philosophy teachers. With the loss of its founders—Matthew Lipman (1922-2010), Ann Margaret Sharp (1942-2010) and Gareth Matthews (1929-2011)—the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) is developing a digital archive in P4C. My original article was inspired by the design (1999) and pilot (2000) of a new philosophy elective for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). This initiative garnered considerable interest from the P4C community because many believed that (a) the decision to offer a VCE philosophy elective reflected the effectiveness and popularity of P4C in elementary schools, and (b) the new philosophy elective would establish P4C as an essential prerequisite for the study of philosophy in senior secondary school and at university. In my view, enthusiasts overlooked an important difference in the conception of philosophy informing the new philosophy elective: it introduced students to the theoretical or academic discipline of philosophy, whereas P4C conceived of philosophy as a wisdom tradition—otherwise known as the art of living.