(2015). Expanding Global Language Education in Public Primary Schools: The National English Programme in Mexico, Language, Culture and Curriculum. The paper examines the recent national programme of English language instruction in the Mexican public primary schools, called the "Programa Nacional de Inglés en Educación Bðsica" (PNIEB). The programme, initiated in 2009 by the Ministry of Education as part of the national curriculum, represents the largest expansion of English teaching in Mexico's history, entailing the hiring of 98,000 new English teachers. It is the result of an explicit educational policy intended to prepare Mexicans for the twenty-first century by emphasising linguistic and digital abilities: meaning a massive increase of English and computer skills in public schools. The launch of the programme also coincides with a major reform of basic education, as well as the extension of compulsory education from 9 to 13 years. Nevertheless, implementing the English programme, nationally and simultaneously throughout Mexico's 32 states, presents considerable challenges for a public education system that is already under-resourced. The author describes the complexity of the programme in several local contexts. The Mexican programme is analysed as part of a growing trend to expand public primary English language teaching (PELT) in Latin America and developing countries as part of an educational policy to make them more economically competitive. [More] Descriptors: Global Approach, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction
(2015). International Accreditation as Global Position Taking: An Empirical Exploration of U.S. Accreditation in Mexico, Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education and Educational Planning. Institutional accreditation in higher education holds universities accountable through external evaluation; at the same time, accreditation constitutes an opportunity for higher education leaders to demonstrate the quality of their institutions. In an increasingly global field of higher education, in which quality practices become diffused across national boundaries, U.S. institutional accreditation has been adopted in many countries as a form of external quality assurance. This study follows an ethnographic case study approach to explore in-depth how a Mexican institution of higher education, located only a few miles away from the U.S.-Mexico border, engaged in the process of institutional accreditation with a U.S. regional accrediting agency. Four themes constitute the finding of this study: (a) Reputational value is the central motivation to pursue U.S. accreditation given that, through accreditation, the institution in Mexico became connected to internationally recognized universities; (b) despite several benefits, the accreditation process established a complex division of labor in which members of the academic staff are necessary yet distanced from decision making; (c) compliance with highly challenging–yet construed as fair–standards legitimizes both the accreditation process and the U.S. accreditor; and (d) language and translation are valuable concepts to understand the accreditation process. Together, these findings suggest that U.S. accreditation may be approached as an exercise of global position taking. [More] Descriptors: Accreditation (Institutions), International Education, Foreign Countries, Ethnography
(2015). Compensatory Policies Attending Equality and Inequality in Mexico Educational Practice among Vulnerable Groups in Higher Education, Journal of Education and Learning. This paper presents an estimate of the prevalence of social inequality in accessing higher education among vulnerable groups in Mexico. Estimates were determined from statistical data provided by governmental agencies on the level of poverty among the Mexican population. In Mexico, the conditions of poverty and vulnerability while trying to access better standards of living as well as educational inequality continue to grow at an alarming rate. The number of poor (extreme and moderate) and vulnerable people (according to income and social need) increased from 2008 through 2010 dramatically. The number of people in this situation went from 89.9 million to 90.8 million, which represents 80.64% of the total Mexican population. Only 19.36% of the population is not considered poor or vulnerable. The access to higher education is not distributed uniformly throughout the Mexican youth since they belong to different social and economic strata: the least developed regions carry the largest share. Consequently, educational opportunities are unequally distributed mainly across age and gender factors. A distribution imbalance is also found with regard to gender throughout the population observed and analyzed: indigenous females have a significantly higher risk of not having access to higher education than males. [More] Descriptors: Equal Education, Educational Policy, Mexicans, Educational Opportunities
(2015). Citizenship Education in Mexico: The Depoliticisation of Adolescence through Secondary School, International Studies in Sociology of Education. Recent contributions have argued about the depoliticisation of citizenship education (CE), mainly through theoretical and documentary analyses, and based on the European context. Nonetheless, there is a lack of field studies which can provide empirical evidence about how does the depoliticisation of CE actually operate. Based on a mixed-method research in Mexico City's secondary schools, this paper shows how the contemporary approach to CE, instead of looking at nurturing children's and adolescents' politicity, contributes to pupils' depoliticisation. Among different potential characterisations of political participation (PP), the curriculum of CE circumscribes it within the arena of formal politics, from which students are largely excluded in the present. Additionally, CE promotes a range of practices of participation which are deprived from a political meaning. Students appropriate them discursively, but perceive limited opportunities for perform them, especially in school. Through the depoliticisation of CE, adolescents mostly learn that PP is a promise of inclusion in the future, while the idea of active citizenship becomes reduced to a correct discourse about largely imperceptible practices in students' everyday life. The article stresses the need of shifting the priority of CE in Mexico from the formal curriculum to the transformation of school practices, in order to develop students' politicity through participation. [More] Descriptors: Citizenship Education, Mixed Methods Research, Adolescents, Citizen Participation
(2013). Exploring Differences in the Distribution of Teacher Qualifications across Mexico and South Korea: Evidence from the Teaching and Learning International Survey, Teachers College Record. Background/Context: Although substantial evidence from the United States indicates that more qualified teachers are disproportionately concentrated among academically and economically advantaged children, little cross-national research has examined the distribution of teacher qualifications across schools and students. As a result, we know little about how different institutional contexts, policies, and priorities influence children's access to qualified teachers. Research Question: Our research questions are: (1) Are the qualifications of lower-secondary teachers within and across Mexico and South Korea distributed uniformly across schools? (2) If not, does the distribution of teacher qualifications in each country favor less or more advantaged children? (3) How can dissimilarities in teacher-related policies and educational priorities help to explain differences in the distribution of teacher qualifications across Mexico and South Korea? Research Design: We employ secondary analysis of data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey, which was conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2007/2008. We use these data to describe the distribution of various teacher qualifications across communities of different sizes and across schools with varying levels of parental education. We also explore cross-national differences in institutional priorities and teacher-related policies. We compare Mexico and South Korea because while these two countries are similar in the level of teacher hiring and assignment, they are quite different in terms of their general commitment to educational equity. Findings/Results: We find that the distribution of qualified teachers in South Korea is skewed toward disadvantaged children, while Mexican teachers tend to be distributed in a way that favors more advantaged students. Specifically, in South Korea students living in rural areas and those in schools with lower average parental education have greater access to better educated and more experienced teachers. The opposite occurs in Mexico. Conclusions/Recommendations: We argue that these differences are due to both explicit policies and a greater commitment to educational equity in South Korea, relative to Mexico. Moreover, these differences are likely to be related to large cross-national differences in educational performance and equity. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Teacher Effectiveness, Teacher Qualifications, Surveys
(2010). Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. New Mexico. America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a more innovative, effective, and efficient education system. Every day, creative educators are using technology better to meet the needs of students and teachers. Technology can no longer be considered an "add-on" tool in education but rather one that is integral. Embracing online-learning opportunities for students and teachers will strengthen the supply and quality of teachers, improve efficiency, and increase students' college and career readiness. This paper summarizes information about: (1) online-learning opportunities in New Mexico; (2) the presence of New Mexico state policies that support online learning; and (3) how federal policy supports online learning in New Mexico. [More] Descriptors: Electronic Learning, Online Courses, Teacher Shortage, Skilled Workers
(2016). Collaborative Learning and Support Environment for Teachers in Native American Pueblo Schools in New Mexico, ProQuest LLC. Teachers in rural Native American Pueblo schools in New Mexico lack professional development opportunities due to the long distances between the Pueblos and academic institutions. Previously, most schools received "hit and run" professional development sessions conducted once or twice a year that did not address the real issues faced by teachers each day. To remedy this, Los Alamos National Laboratory established the Math & Science Academy (MSA) in 2000, a K-12 professional development program for teachers that provides intensive and continuous three-year training and support for schools in Northern New Mexico. Though very successful, the MSA program was limited by lack of an online component of the program therefore lacking continuity between professional development sessions. This led to a desire to incorporate a collaborative online component that could bridge gaps between professional development sessions by making the program accessible anytime, anywhere, and on any device, while capturing the camaraderie and collaborative spirit shared in the physical meetings. This research is an ethnographic study of the design, development, and implementation of this online component, herein referred to as CLASET (Collaborative Learning and Support Environment for Teachers). The study setting is in rural, low socioeconomic, resource-poor Northern New Mexico, and involves 67 teachers and 6 principals in seven Native American schools distributed within a 100-mile radius from MSA's staff office. Data were collected via observations, interviews, focus group, math assessment, and web analytics. The data analysis shows that CLASET was not successful in bridging the MSA gap due to lack of adoption by the teachers. Further investigation demonstrated that five assumptions made implicitly at the beginning of the study, based on pre-assessment data, were violated. The five assumptions were: 1) teachers had math content mastery that they could feel comfortable sharing among peers; 2) CLASET would not require technical knowledge and skill beyond what teachers had acquired; 3) schools had Internet and technology support structures to allow teachers to use CLASET; 4) CLASET's purpose was clear to teachers; and 5) teachers had time to dedicate to CLASET use. Lessons from the study suggest that CLASET has a place in bridging the professional development gap in the communities in this study and in other rural, low socioeconomic, and resource poor environments, but only if the basic assumptions are first met. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.%5D [More] Descriptors: Cooperative Learning, American Indian Students, American Indian Education, Rural Schools
(2015). Measuring Children's Environmental Attitudes and Values in Northwest Mexico: Validating a Modified Version of Measures to Test the Model of Ecological Values (2-MEV), Environmental Education Research. This paper describes the validation process of measuring children's attitudes and values toward the environment within a Mexican sample. We applied the Model of Ecological Values (2-MEV), which has been shown to be valid and reliable in 20 countries, including one Spanish speaking culture. Items were initially modified to fit the regional dialect, culture, and bioregional context of our Mexican population. In Stage 1, we applied the scale to quantify the environmental attitudinal and value impacts of an environmental service learning program with 22 children in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Program effects were evaluated using a pre-test/post-test design quantifying preservation and utilization views of the environment. Based upon further cultural insights and the results from Stage 1, in Stage 2, we modified two more items to reflect the culture of philanthropy and associational life in Mexico. To test the structure of this finalized instrument, we applied the model in Stage 2 with a group of 335 children. We successfully extracted the already known factor structure covering the two higher order values of preservation and utilization. In general, the underlying primary attitudes were also confirmed, with the exception of two neighboring ones: Care with Resources and Intent of Support, which merged into one. [More] Descriptors: Attitude Measures, Childhood Attitudes, Values, Environment
(2011). The Nation's Report Card Mathematics 2011 State Snapshot Report. New Mexico. Grade 4, Public Schools. Each state and jurisdiction that participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2011 mathematics assessment receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. Overall results, achievement level percentages and average score results, comparison of the average score in 2011 to other states/jurisdictions, average scores for state/jurisdiction and nation (public), results for student groups in 2011, and score gaps for student groups are included. In 2011, the average score of fourth-grade students in New Mexico was 233. This was lower than the average score of 240 for public school students in the nation. The average score for students in New Mexico in 2011 (233) was higher than their average score in 2009 (230) and was higher than their average score in 1992 (213). In 2011, the score gap between students in New Mexico at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 39 points. This performance gap was not significantly different from that of 1992 (40 points). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Proficient" level was 30 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (26 percent) and was greater than that in 1992 (11 percent). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Basic" level was 75 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (72 percent) and was greater than that in 1992 (50 percent). [For the main report, "The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2011. National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2012-458," see ED525545.] [More] Descriptors: Achievement Gap, Comparative Analysis, Economic Status, Educational Assessment
(2011). The Nation's Report Card Mathematics 2011 State Snapshot Report. New Mexico. Grade 8, Public Schools. Each state and jurisdiction that participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2011 mathematics assessment receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. Overall results, achievement level percentages and average score results, comparison of the average score in 2011 to other states/jurisdictions, average scores for state/jurisdiction and nation (public), results for student groups in 2011, and score gaps for student groups are included. In 2011, the average score of eighth-grade students in New Mexico was 274. This was lower than the average score of 283 for public school students in the nation. The average score for students in New Mexico in 2011 (274) was higher than their average score in 2009 (270) and was higher than their average score in 1990 (256). In 2011, the score gap between students in New Mexico at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 46 points. This performance gap was not significantly different from that of 1990 (45 points). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Proficient" level was 24 percent in 2011. This percentage was greater than that in 2009 (20 percent) and was greater than that in 1990 (10 percent). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Basic" level was 64 percent in 2011. This percentage was greater than that in 2009 (59 percent) and was greater than that in 1990 (43 percent). [For the main report, "The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2011. National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2012-458," see ED525545.] [More] Descriptors: Achievement Gap, Comparative Analysis, Economic Status, Educational Assessment
(2011). The Nation's Report Card Reading 2011 State Snapshot Report. New Mexico. Grade 4, Public Schools. Each state and jurisdiction that participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2011 reading assessment receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. Overall results, achievement level percentages and average score results, comparison of the average score in 2011 to other states/jurisdictions, average scores for state/jurisdiction and nation (public), results for student groups in 2011, and score gaps for student groups are included. In 2011, the average score of fourth-grade students in New Mexico was 208. This was lower than the average score of 220 for public school students in the nation. The average score for students in New Mexico in 2011 (208) was not significantly different from their average score in 2009 (208) and was not significantly different from their average score in 1992 (211). In 2011, the score gap between students in New Mexico at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 48 points. This performance gap was not significantly different from that of 1992 (47 points). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Proficient" level was 21 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (20 percent) and was not significantly different from that in 1992 (23 percent). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Basic" level was 53 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (52 percent) and was not significantly different from that in 1992 (55 percent). [For the main report, "The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2011. National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2012-457," see ED525544.] [More] Descriptors: Achievement Gains, Achievement Gap, Comparative Analysis, Economic Status
(2011). The Nation's Report Card Reading 2011 State Snapshot Report. New Mexico. Grade 8, Public Schools. Each state and jurisdiction that participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2011 reading assessment receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. Overall results, achievement level percentages and average score results, comparison of the average score in 2011 to other states/jurisdictions, average scores for state/jurisdiction and nation (public), results for student groups in 2011, and score gaps for student groups are included. In 2011, the average score of eighth-grade students in New Mexico was 256. This was lower than the average score of 264 for public school students in the nation. The average score for students in New Mexico in 2011 (256) was not significantly different from their average score in 2009 (254) and was not significantly different from their average score in 1998 (258). In 2011, the score gap between students in New Mexico at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th percentile was 43 points. This performance gap was not significantly different from that of 1998 (41 points). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Proficient" level was 22 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (22 percent) and was not significantly different from that in 1998 (23 percent). The percentage of students in New Mexico who performed at or above the NAEP "Basic" level was 68 percent in 2011. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2009 (66 percent) and was not significantly different from that in 1998 (71 percent). [For the main report, "The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2011. National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2012-457," see ED525544.] [More] Descriptors: Achievement Gains, Achievement Gap, Comparative Analysis, Economic Status
(2017). University Teachers' Perspectives on the Role of the Laplace Transform in Engineering Education, European Journal of Engineering Education. The Laplace transform is an important tool in many branches of engineering, for example, electric and control engineering, but is also regarded as a difficult topic for students to master. We have interviewed 22 university teachers from five universities in three countries (Mexico, Spain and Sweden) about their views on relationships among "mathematics," "physics" and "technology/application" aspects in the process of learning the Laplace transform in engineering education. Strikingly, the teachers held a spectrum of qualitatively differing views, ranging from seeing virtually no connection (e.g. some thought the Laplace transform has no relevance in engineering), through to regarding the aspects as intimately, almost inseparably linked. The lack of awareness of the widely differing views among teachers might lead to a lack of constructive alignment among different courses that is detrimental to the quality of engineering education. [More] Descriptors: Teacher Attitudes, Engineering Education, College Faculty, Foreign Countries
(2017). Educating for an Inclusive World: Lessons Learned from a Globally Networked Human Rights and Disability Course for Social Work and Law Students, Journal of Teaching in Social Work. This article examines an innovative model of online international education regarding disability through a human rights perspective piloted through a collaboration between Universidad LaSalle, Mexico, and University at Buffalo, United States. The course is organized around a pressing global human rights and development issue. Its objective is to promote effective practice with persons with disabilities through cross-national, cross-disciplinary, human-rights based education; strengthen students' sense of global engagement; and foster cross-cultural expertise and competence with diversity. The implications for effective professional education in law and social work are discussed. The article also examines pedagogical strategies and presents case study materials, identifies key disability rights themes common to both nations and cultures, and explores how distance learning technology is implemented in the course. A preliminary assessment of this newly piloted approach is also presented, based on data from students, as well as the implications for teaching and practice. [More] Descriptors: Social Work, Counselor Training, Teaching Methods, Case Studies
(2017). Redefining Rurality: Cosmopolitanism, Whiteness, and the New Latino Diaspora, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. In mainstream discourse, rural generally implies white, while urban signifies not-white. However, what happens when "rural" communities experience demographic change? This paper examines how students from a rural, New Latino Diaspora community in a Midwestern state complicate traditional notions of rurality. Data from participant observations and ethnographic interviews indicate that students from this near-majority-Latino community do not view it as rural even though its population is under 2,500. Students allude to an alternative youth subculture influenced by incoming Latino students from cities in Mexico, Guatemala, and California. They contrast this with the more stereotypical subcultures they observe in neighboring, rural, majority-white communities. Demographically transitioning, rural schools present unique contexts for students to not only encounter their own privilege, but also to learn how to leverage that privilege to further the aims of social justice. However, this will not occur without explicit and careful planning, implementation, reflection, and teacher training. [More] Descriptors: Ethnography, Participant Observation, Hispanic American Students, Interviews