Research in the context of decentralization has primarily focused on the role of school-based actors in improving educational outcomes for students in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The role of the "middle tier," such as subnational staff at the regional or district levels of educational leadership within the education…

Many young children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face heightened risk for experiencing environmental adversity, which is linked with poorer develop- mental outcomes. Children's stress physiology can shed light on why children are differentially susceptible to adversity. However, no known studies have examined whether links between…

There has been a rapid global expansion of English instruction in the early grades in public school curricula. Particularly in so-called developing countries, the increase of and its shift from exclusively private to public education is linked to the idea that acquiring English promotes personal, social, and economic development. The author takes…

This article analyzes the factors that explain the gap in educational outcomes between the top and bottom quartile of students in different countries, according to their socioeconomic status. To do so, it uses PISA microdata for 10 middle-income and 2 high-income countries, and applies the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method. Its results show that…

The awareness and knowledge of developmental milestones among health practitioners need to be enhanced to better enable early identification and intervention with children who have delays in development, intellectual deficit, and developmental disabilities and are residents in low-and middle-income countries. To meet this end, a simple one-page…

This chapter provides an international perspective on the promotion of positive development and the prevention of risky behavior among youth. We discuss some of the specific challenges that youth face in low- and middle-income countries and identify six key evidence-based policies and programs that aim to promote positive youth development and…

The Zambian government, beset by deep and seemingly insoluble problems within the education sector, in 1976 initiated a radical and highly imaginative reform of the entire educational system. By 1978, however, this effort had to all intents and purposes petered out--the reform effort having never moved beyond the drafting board. (Author/BRR)

Commentary on an article about educating an industrialized middle class in Arab-Islamic countries argues that the absence of an industrial middle class in Arab countries cannot be understood solely with reference to Eurocentric models and suggests there is no single solution to integrating science and technology with Islamic religion. (SM)

Author of an article on educating an industrialized middle class in Arab-Islamic countries responds to a critique by reemphasizing the need for a nonacademic technological institute to produce a middle class of highly qualified technicians. The article argues that vocational and technical education must be planned by the state. (SM)

Discusses existing systems of industrial education in Arab-Islamic countries, surveys Arab-Islamic culture, examines existing models in relation to their cultural appropriateness, and proposes a model for a kind of industrial university, the Djamiat Al-Sinah, which would be devoted to the culture specific vocational/industrial education of…

This paper examines how online distance education acts to democratize access to, and suit the ontologies of, Mauritian women who seek to empower themselves for development. Data from semi-structured interviews of 30 middle class couples are presented in this paper. Interviews and analyses are premised on a feminist perspective and conducted within…

The relationship between moral development and cultural and educational background is examined. Approximately 120 Israeli youth representing different social classes, sex, religious affiliation, and educational experience were interviewed. The youth interviewed included urban middle and lower class students, Kibbutz-born, Youth Aliyah…