Ensino de História Natural e Biologia: reformas educacionais e programas da escola secundária (1920-1951)

Este estudo tem como tema o ensino de Biologia e História Natural, com foco na história dessas disciplinas escolares e nas mudanças educacionais ocorridas nas décadas de 1920 a 1950 no Brasil. O objetivo foi investigar mudanças e continuidades na constituição dessas disciplinas escolares. Foi realizada uma pesquisa documental, utilizando como fontes programas de ensino, legislação e textos da época. Foram analisados programas de ensino oficiais e do Colégio Pedro II, das disciplinas História Natural e Biologia, dos anos de 1920 a 1951, além da legislação e discursos referentes às reformas educacionais. Houve a permanência de conteúdos de Botânica, Zoologia, Geologia e Mineralogia nos programas do ensino secundário de História Natural desse período. No programa de Biologia de 1943, permaneceram conteúdos botânicos e zoológicos e foram excluídos os geológicos e mineralógicos. A disciplina escolar Biologia emergiu nos anos 1930 e foi substituída pela História Natural em 1946, mas conteúdos biológicos permaneceram nos programas de 1936 a 1951. Das “lições” e “pontos práticos” nos programas de 1920-30 às metodologias ativas e experimentais dos anos 1930-50, destaca-se a valorização dos fundamentos científicos e de conhecimentos especializados na história da disciplina escolar Biologia no Brasil.Natural History and Biology Education: educational reforms and secondary school programs (1920-1951)AbstractThis study has as its theme the Biology and Natural History Education, focusing on these school subjects’ history and on educational reforms in the 1920s and 1950s in Brazil. The objective was to investigate changes and continuities in the constitution of these school subjects. A documentary research was carried out, taking as sources educational programs, legislation and other texts. Official educational programs and those of Colégio Pedro II of the school subjects Natural History and Biology from the years 1920 to 1951 and the legislation and discourses related to educational reforms were analyzed. Botany, Zoology, Geology and Mineralogy contents remained in the secondary education programs of Natural History from 1920 to 1951. In the Biology program of 1943 remained botanical and zoological contents and geological and mineralogical ones were excluded. The Biology school subject emerged in the 1930s and was replaced by Natural History in 1946, but biological contents were present in the curriculum from 1936 to 1951. From the “lessons” and “practical points” in the 1920-30 programs to the active and experimental methodologies in the 1930s and 1950s, the emphasis on scientific foundations and specialization stands out in the history of science education in Brazil.Keywords: Biology and Natural History Education; School subject; Educational programs; Science Education History.

Education and ‘Civilization’

Studies on the transformation of the Japanese educational system in the Meiji period usually emphasise the intensity of reforms and their comprehensive character. In the framework of the present study, I will briefly summarise the central aspects of this transformation, then turn to the examination of the tension manifested in Meiji period discourses on education. This is a tension that emerges when one compares the interpretation of the Meiji era as the introduction of ‘enlightened’ Western liberalism with the ideology of centralised reform, far from being as liberal as reported by Meiji period intellectuals themselves. I draw attention to this tension as manifested in the purposes of Meiji educational reforms, then I turn to the analysis of the education of women as a central question in terms of the interpretation of the family in Meiji Japan. The analysis is based on the writings of the leading intellectuals of the time, basically their essays published in the famous journal of the 1870s, Meiroku Zasshi 明六雑誌.

The Synergy between John Dewey’s Educational Democracy and Educational Reforms in New South Wales, Australia

“Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living. John DeweyThe current study examines the impact of John Dewey’s democratic educational principles on the recent educational reforms in New South Wales, Australia, using data collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, with open-ended questions, as part of case studies designed for this purpose. The participants in this study are all Australian educators (n=60), undertaking full-time and part-time academic posts, involving learning and teaching activities at universities and other higher educational institutions/providers in Sydney, Australia. As part of the case studies, the individual, personal, and professional teaching and learning journeys of the educators are sketched in details in relation to John Dewey’s four (4) key democratic educational reformative principles. Finally, this research study concludes by providing a realistic response to the following question: Given the current liberal and relatively democratic educational system in New South Wales, are the Australian educators truly given the opportunity to create a positive and constructive future vision for Australia, in general, and the Australian graduates, in particular. The current study further provides a realistic and clear-cut description of the hurdles facing the current educational system in New South Wales, Australia.

Od Jana Amosa Komeńskiego do Jeana Frédérica Oberlina – od idei do praxis

Resulting from his reflections on education and shaped by the idea of pansophism, the phenomenon of Comenius' pedagogical thought for centuries not only had an impact on the development of the subsequent philosophical trends forming the (perennial) educational exemplar but also it indicated the direction of the essential educational reforms. One of the inheri-tors of Comenius' pedagogical visionary was the author of Poêles à tricoter - John Frederic Oberlin. In his archetype of kindergarten, a reflection of Comenius' idea related to the early education can be found, which was included in Informatorium scholae maternae ('On early education'), which Oberlin puts into a language of pedagogical praxis. Comenius' ideas of religious-ethical education, child’s multisided development and education leading to child's readiness to be a pupil were given not only an application character but also an institutional form by Oberlin. Initiated by Oberlin in Ban de la Roche in 1769 on the pages of Poêles à tricoter and referring directly to Comenius' reflections, the educational solutions commenced the new era in the history of education.

Comparative Analysis of Education Reforms and Access to Quality Education as a Tool for National Development: A Case of Ghana’s Educational Reforms

Purpose: It has been an indispensable fact that Education has been a vibrant instrument in the developmental processes of any given nation across the world. In this article, the researchers made critical analysis of various educational reforms that have been undertaken in Ghana (formerly Gold Coast Colony) in both colonial and post-colonial periods and their relationship to improve educational standards towards national development. Methodology: Precisely, the paper scrutinizes historical development of Ghanaian’s education and its problems encountered in meeting its national developmental goal. Findings: In order to address the above challenges, this paper contends that it is important to separate the management of the education process from the national political agenda. Changes and management of the education processes should be handled by relevant stakeholders who are imbued with accurate, effective knowledge and acumen in the field of education and should follow appropriate procedures namely: examining the nation’s educational and historical trends, theoretical considerations, objectives of the education processes, curriculum and administration demands. Unique Contribution to Practice and Policy: The Ghanaian educational curriculum should be crafted by all stakeholders to suit the indigenous African context. These would meet the needs for the required manpower. The researchers also identified that some educational policies were reformed without appropriate analysis of the previous ones before those reformations were made due to over politicisation of the reforms. Above all, it is imperative to develop a clear educational policy and to correlate it to Ghana’s national character and societal needs. In order for education to foster accelerated development, this paper recommends: the need to separate educational policies from national politics, clear stipulation of educational policies and their role in national augmented development, and a sound implementation of educational reforms. The studies of technical subjects were mentioned in the entire policies yet very little has been done. The Researchers also suggest that there should be National Education Policy as Long term Plan for a specific number of years for every political party to implement so as to deny any political party to interfere with their political programme outside the national educational developmental plan. The researchers also suggest that for the government to help solve the problem of unemployment, technical and vocational education should be given a critical attention. This is due to the fact that some of the current problems have existed for over a century now.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF HARDINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR OVERCOMING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

The psychological content of the phenomenon of hardiness, its main structural components, predictors and mechanisms of its formation are revealed. The main functions of hardiness are determined, its importance in the development of a teenage personality is analyzed. Hardiness is presented as an important factor of self-determination, adaptation and internal balance. It is emphasized that the main psychological feature of hardiness is that it helps to minimize the negative consequences of unfavorable external influences and turn them into new opportunities, to gain autonomy in their life. The problem of the need to transform the educational system, rethink the entire content of education and improve the educational process is raised. The emphasis is made on the fact that the implementation of new educational reforms should be based on taking into account the psychological component - the development of the hardiness of the individual.

Teachers Unions’ Leadership and Their Impact on Educational Reforms in Israel

This article examines the politics of the teacher unions in the education reforms in Israel. In particular, the impact of the Histadrut Hamorim (HH) and the Irgun Hamorim (IH) teacher unions in the three educational reforms that took place in the country, in the years 1968, 2008 and 2011 respectively, was analyzed. For this purpose, a systematic literature review on the topic was carried out. Firstly, the discourse about the teacher unions potential influence upon the education reform decision policies was studied. Secondly, the role of the teacher unions in the education policy reforms in Israel was examined from a historical perspective, with special reference to the two unions under consideration. In conclusion, our study revealed that the impact of the teacher unions upon the education policy formation relating to the reforms as suggested in this piece of work seemed to be concerned with the unions’ political and ideological attachment to the political party in power.

21st-Century Skills and Current Nordic Educational Reforms

Twenty-first-century skills are a global network of corporate and governmental influences that promote competences suited to fit the future knowledge economy. The competences described as 21st-century skills vary across frameworks and initiatives, but the emphasis is predominantly on metacognitive, social, and emotional skills. Some of the most prevalent capabilities are learning to learn, self-regulation, in-depth learning, creativity, innovation, problem solving, critical thinking, ethical and emotional awareness, communication, and collaboration. Research tends to portray 21st-century skills initiatives either as evidence-based knowledge based on the latest research or as part of an economization of the learner to the interests of the market economy in line with neoliberal ideology. The ideas associated with the 21st-century skills movement have nevertheless become part of educational reforms worldwide and are currently also translated into a Nordic education policy context. When global ideas such as 21st-century skills are taken up and used, they are colored by national concerns and consequently change as they travel across contexts. The Norwegian LK-20 reform for compulsory and upper secondary school is an example of how policymakers include global educational ideas in the national curriculum and educational policy, by balancing core 21st-century skills elements with national cultural sentiments about assessment, childhood, educational purposes, and schools’ responsibilities. The balancing of global and national educational ideas can be done by promoting 21st-century skills as a solution to specific national challenges and thus urgent for pupils’ and the nation’s future. A more sophisticated technique is when policymakers frame 21st-century skills by familiar concepts and language associated with existing traditional national educational values, thus seemingly promoting change and continuation simultaneously. In such an intersection between global educational ideas and national educational sentiments, both core elements of the 21st-century skills as well as the more traditional educational concepts and values can be adjusted and altered.