1.
Zhang Li
Institute
for Education Research
Comparative
and International Education
University
of Oslo
October
2009
Abstract
By asking
two groups of students respectively from a rural school and an urban school in Yunnan
Province in Southwest region of China, this research provides a mini-empirical picture
of disparities between rural and urban education in the background of the
imbalanced eco-social development between rural and urban area in People’s
Republic of China. All the variables in the empirical studies are observed in
the field visits, interviews and questionnaire surveys administrated in two lower
secondary schools (one rural and one urban school). Field visits and interviews
to school leaders provide the visible disparities between two schools and
disparities between rural and urban students perceived by school leaders. The
analysis of the questionnaires which are completed by selected students from
two schools is conducted in two stages.
Comments:
The strength
of this research is the researcher identified the correlation between rural and
urban students’ educational aspiration and most of the variables of interests
in this survey are examined respectively to explore the factors associated with
the rural and urban students’ educational aspiration.
2.
Lim Chap
Sam
University
of Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Abstract
:
This paper reviews and highlights findings of three studies
(Lim, 1993;
Munirah & Lim, 1996; Yoong et al., 1997) that were
carried out in Malaysia with regard to cross-cultural comparisons on
mathematics learning. In the light of these studies, I examine possible
cultural differences that might be determining factors in mathematics
achievement, and question what and how we can learn from different cultural
practices, beliefs and values to help us improve mathematics learning in all
cultures. Suggestions for further research are also considered.
Comments:
This
research found that the difference between different schools in Malaysia it is
the language used as a medium of instruction, the teaching approaches and the
mathematics culture that adopted by a school, that appear to be more important
than ethnicity. Implicitly, this may oppose certain stereotypical thinking that
Chinese students are better than Malay students in mathematics.
Ardi
Marwan
Bambang
Sumintono
Nora
Mislan
11.1 INTRODUCTION
Schools in rural areas play a significant role in helping a
nation educate its people. In reality, however, they often receive less attention
from the government in its reform agenda. This is likely due to the fact that
the office of education is usually located in urban areas (Theobald, 2005) and
the remoteness of rural schools (Mitra, Dangwal, & Thadani, 2008).
Nevertheless, this phenomenon (i.e. lack of attention from government),
especially in developed countries (e.g. The United States of America and Australia),
is no longer a trend (Howley, 2006). Today, the focus of educational reforms
has been to revitalize rural schools so that they can be more like their urban
counterparts (Freeman & Anderman, 2005) especially in developing countries
context.
Due to a long focus on urban schools (i.e. prior to the twenty-first
century), policy makers experience a difficulty in finding recommendations from
rigorous research studies which can help them formulate proper policies to help
rural schools accelerate positive changes (Arnold, 2004). Thus, more high-quality
educational research looking at issues surrounding rural schools and rural
education need to be done (Holloway, 2002).
Comments:
This educational journal addressed a
lot of challenges to revitalize the rural school for an example the lack of
teachers’ quality is also considered to be a problem that can be easily
identified in rural schools. This article is meaningful for the policymaker to
reflect how to improve the education in rural areas.
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