Forthcoming Seminars and Workshops

Wednesday 13th June 2012

Promoting educational development: lessons with the Index for Inclusion locally and internationally (Abstract)
Professor Tony Booth will give a seminar on Promoting educational development: lessons with the Index for Inclusion locally and internationally.  Venue: Donald McIntyre Building, Room GS5 (16:30-18:00). For further details contact Sally Roach (saer2@cam.ac.uk). ALL WELCOME (refreshments available).

Thursday 28th June 2012

Introducing narrative assessment for learners with high needs: A CHAT analysis of a professional development initiative that simultaneously initiates and impedes change (Abstract)
Drawing on their work in New Zealand, Dr Roseanna Bourke (Victoria University, Wellington) and Dr Mandia Mentis (Albany Massey University, Auckland) will give a seminar on the 3-year evaluation of the introduction of narrative assessment for pupils with significant learning difficulties.  For further details see Talks.cam.  Download flyer.  ALL WELCOME

Past Seminars and Workshops

Wednesday 9th May 2012

Technology and development: the contribution of OER (Abstract)
Tim Unwin, Professor of Geography and UNESCO Chair in ICT4D, Royal Holloway presented a seminar on ICT4D (ICT for Development, to alleviate poverty and improve quality of education and OER and challenges in using them as a case study).

Monday 5th March 2012

Learning to aspire: the cross-spatial learning practices and aspirations of South African township youth. (Abstract) A joint CCE/EED seminar was given by Adam Cooper, Reseacher with the Extra-Mural Education Project, Cape Town and PhD candidate at University of Stellenbosch. Adam, hosted by Jo-Anne Dillabough, has worked with Sharlene Swartz contributing towards a toolkit for local government officials working with 'at-risk' youth. 

Tuesday 6th March 2012

Seminar and Book Launch of Old enough to know - Consulting children about sex education in Africa by Colleen McLaughlin, Sharlene Swartz, Susan Kiragu, Shelina Walli and Mussa Mohamed.  (Abstract)

Tuesday 29th November 2011

Morag Styles gave a presentation on The Power of Caribbean Poetry in the Shrubsole Room, Homerton College.  For further information see the Caribbean Poetry Project website.

Tuesday, 15th November 2011

Tuesday, 25th October

Moses Orwe-Onyango gave a talk on Challenges of Teaching about HIV and AIDS at a College in Kenya.  This talk formed part of the part of the FERSA Lunchtime Series of Seminars.

Abstract: HIV and AIDS education was integrated into the primary teacher education syllabus in 2004; however, recent studies have reported that educators are finding it hard to communicate about HIV and AIDS to teacher trainees. Several authors attribute this to the sensitive nature of the issues related to HIV infection such as sexuality. Moreover, in sub-Saharan Africa, sex and sexuality are taboo topics that are not normally discussed between adults and young people.  The situation was exacerbated by mixed-sex classes at primary teacher training colleges.  Hence most educators have been reported to engage in didactic teaching by mainly presenting basic scientific facts about HIV and AIDS without addressing the psychosocial issues that fuels new HIV infections. Hence the aim of the study was to explore how the teaching about HIV and AIDS can be improved so that teacher trainees are adequately prepared. Ten tutors and 98 teacher trainees took part in the study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, group interviews, participant observation and document review. Data was analysed inductively with the aid of qualitative data analysis software HyperRESEARCH.  The findings suggest that employing participatory teaching approaches shifts the spotlight from the educators by involving learners in discussing HIV and AIDS issues from their lived experiences. However, further research is needed on how such change in instructional practice
can be sustained and institutionalized.

June 2011

On 22nd June Suseela Malakolunthu, Associate Professor at the University of Malaya, Faculty of Education and visiting scholar at CCE gave a seminar entitled Developing Culturally Responsive Leadership for Multi-ethnic Schools: Lessons from Malaysia.   

Abstract: In multi-ethnic Malaysia, the fostering of racial coexistence, integration, and solidarity becomes an important agenda of education. Although many educational policies and programs for integration have been implemented, the success of the policies for fostering solidarity remains elusive. Among numerous factors that affect the success of the implementation processes, school leadership stands out as the crucial one. The lack of consciousness and gaps in the principals' knowledge base in leading schools with diverse student population hampers the success rate of the integration policy. Thorough preparation or grooming of a culturally responsive leadership seems to be critical. In order to develop culturally responsive leadership a model depicting 'Knowledge base for leading multi-ethnic schools' is suggested.  Flyer

Location: Faculty of Education, Donald McIntyre Building, Room 1S3, 5pm - 6.30pm.

On Wednesday 29th June, Suseela Malakolunthu gave a 2nd seminar entitled: Implementation of the 'Leadership for Learning' programme in Ghana: Evaluation of progress in four primary schools during which she will present the findings of her recent trip to Ghana.

Abstract: Suseela Malakolunthu discussed a recent case study she conducted examining the implementation and impact of the ‘Leadership for Learning’ (LfL) programme in four primary schools across three regions in Ghana. The inquiry was guided by the five principles, and their respective indicators of the LfL framework namely, focus on learning, learning conditions, dialogue, shared leadership, and accountability; and, the main objective was to gauge the level of acceptance and accommodation towards the LfL programme and the actual change that has been produced on the ground. Data was collected from select representatives of the various stakeholder groups. However, the main respondents were the head teachers, teachers, and the circuit supervisors. The findings revealed that there was a great deal of positive note from the teachers and students, as well as parents. Nevertheless, many challenges remained on the way of continuous improvement and a great deal of support was anticipated.

Location: Faculty of Education, Donald McIntyre Building, Room 1S3, 4.30pm - 6.00pm.

November 2010

Challenges for mathematics education in Africa - Toni Beardon, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Next Einstein Initiative (AIMSNEI)

On November 16th at the invitation of Sara Hennessy, Toni Beardon came to talk with members of CCE about her work in South Africa. Toni has a particular interest in issues relating to the scaling of CPD initiatives in Africa and in methods of evaluation of their effectiveness.

June 2010

Internationalisation of Research Writing Workshop
The third in a series of workshops sponsored by BAICE, UEA (University of East Anglia) and CCE/CEID took place on 25th January at UEA in Norwich. The workshop provided a space to start writing collaboratively and individually on working papers based on discussions from the earlier workshops. A further workshop will take place in Cambridge later this academic year. Report of workshop

November 2009

Dr. Pak Tee Ng, Associate Professor at Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore spoke at the Faculty on:

Education Reforms in Singapore: From Thinking Schools, Learning Nation; to Teach Less Learn More

For more information see: entry on Talks.Cam and Dr Ng's blog on TLLM

Pak Tee Ng (2008) Educational reform in Singapore: from quantity to quality, Educational Research for Policy and Practice, Vol 7 (1) pp 5-15.

Pak Tee Ng (2008) The phases and paradoxes of educational quality assurance: The case of the Singapore education system, Quality Assurance in Education, Vol 16, Issue 2, pp 112-125.

May 2009

Workshop: The BAICE East of England Partnership was established on 18th May when the CCE and EED Academic Group, supported by BAICE, hosted the first of two workshops which provided an opportunity to reflect on the 'internationalisation of higher education' in terms of educational research in a cross-cultural context, as well as exploring issues around pedagogy and practice in education faculties. The second seminar took place at UEA, Norwich on 22nd June. The two workshops brought together staff and graduate students working on educational or education-related research in the Centre for Commonwealth Education and the Centre for Education and International Development of the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and the Centre for Applied Research in Education (CARE)/School of Education and Lifelong Learning & School of Development Studies at the University of East Anglia. Available for download: BAICE Full Report