The article addresses the issues surrounding the importance and impact of 'hinterlands' in the construction of European higher education systems and in the formation of sectoral policy. It draws on studies of Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom to illustrate different policy approaches and shows how in some countries…

Late 19th-century Germany was shaped by industrialisation, technological progress, and urbanisation. Crises of modernisation resulted in a widespread criticism of civilisation that provided ground for the rise of numerous reform movements in various social contexts. They reacted to crises of their time by questioning established conventions,…

This qualitative study investigated Chinese and German teachers' and parents' conceptions and understanding of learning at play. A total of 28 teachers and 12 parents took part in this study. Among the participants, 12 kindergarten teachers (6 German and 6 Chinese) were interviewed to obtain their perspectives on learning at play. These…

In this article, I endeavor to explore the historical dimensions of "Bildung" by first focusing on the German linguist and philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt and his theory of "Bildung." The article then addresses the transformation of Humboldt's neo-humanistic ideal into a governmentrun institutionalized "Bildung"…

Despite all intentions in the course of the Bologna Process and decades of investment into improving the social dimension, results in many national and international studies show that inequity remains stubbornly persistent, and that inequity based on socio-economic status, parental education, gender, country-of-origin, rural background and more…

This paper outlines the theoretical foundation of a skill enhancement programme in early childhood settings which follows the ideas of the Anti-Bias approach. A focal point of the concept is to acknowledge the connection between societal, structural and individual biases. It challenges those biases and assists educators in improving their…

This paper explores the effects on social inequality in Germany of ongoing changes to the employment system and, thus, vocational education. Results based on an examination of the literature indicate that students from increasingly middle-class backgrounds with higher levels of general, rather than vocational, educational attainment are winning…

A study of the history of teacher training in Germany reveals many "blind spots." Several research approaches that may shed light on the relationship between teacher training and the processes of school reform in history are discussed. (Author/DF)

The author reviews recent structural changes in the West German educational system and examines some of the social changes and some of the debates between reformist and traditionalist educators which may be indicative of future trends. (SJL)

Inquires of the regional effects of National Socialist school policy, using as an example Thuringia (Germany), the educational landscape of which is traditionally characterized by reform-oriented institutions. Reveals how streamlining of reform schools and instruction from the top and self-streamlining from the bottom ran parallel after 1933. (CMK)

Discusses the development of the university system within the Holy Roman Empire, especially in Germany, explaining that the University of Prague in 1348 was the Empire's first university. Reports that after the University of Prague, the new university type, or the "German type," developed by combining types of universities in Bologna and…

Focuses on the causes and effects of the shift between 1050 and 1125 of people leaving Germany to receive advanced training for high ecclesiastical office, on the subsequent decline in German cathedral schools, and on the delayed entry of Germany into the community of nations that sported universities. (CMK)

The traditional European university is now extinct. The conditions in higher education that have succeeded it are highly unstable and therefore transitory, and its eventual replacement is now dimly perceptible on the horizon. The European university is of course an abstraction, meant to approximate the attributes of higher education in Germany,…

Recognizes that the debate on the Program for International Student Assessment 2000 (PISA) has been dominated by comparisons of the ranks achieved and by the question of the consequences to be drawn from the results. Discusses the educational concept forming the basis for the investigation and aims of PISA. (CAJ)

This publication is aimed at assisting countries as they respond to the problem of organizing a continuing process of change in the schools. The seven case studies contributed to this volume illustrate ways of balancing organizational processes and the free initiative of individual schools and teachers, within the varying traditions of each…