TY - JOUR
T1 - Transitioning roles of post-secondary education and community colleges worldwide
AU - Wiseman, Alexander W.
AU - Chase-Mayoral, Audree
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - This special issue of Research in Comparative and International Education investigates the spread and development of two-year and community college institutions worldwide. While not all post-secondary education falls within the scope or definition of community colleges, both postsecondary and community college education tend to serve the needs of their local communities by bridging the gap between largely academic education and technical training. These institutions may be called by different names and may not be structured the same in all international contexts, but their core missions remain surprisingly consistent. The balance in emphasis between more academic versus more technical curricula and coursework in post-secondary education and community colleges often depends on the community context and student needs. In the case of community colleges there is also the added emphasis on providing all members of a particular community with learning that is open and accessible. The students that post-secondary education and community colleges serve come from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, races, cultures, and genders, but are often skewed towards those who are disadvantaged to some degree compared to others in higher education. Whether they provide these students with remedial education, technical training, the ability to transfer to four-year colleges or universities, or lifelong-learning opportunities, post-secondary education and community colleges adapt and model themselves differently around the world to meet these various community needs. This special issue identifies and analyzes some of the ways that post-secondary education and community colleges have developed and implemented their educational missions in different international contexts, but for similar purposes.
AB - This special issue of Research in Comparative and International Education investigates the spread and development of two-year and community college institutions worldwide. While not all post-secondary education falls within the scope or definition of community colleges, both postsecondary and community college education tend to serve the needs of their local communities by bridging the gap between largely academic education and technical training. These institutions may be called by different names and may not be structured the same in all international contexts, but their core missions remain surprisingly consistent. The balance in emphasis between more academic versus more technical curricula and coursework in post-secondary education and community colleges often depends on the community context and student needs. In the case of community colleges there is also the added emphasis on providing all members of a particular community with learning that is open and accessible. The students that post-secondary education and community colleges serve come from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, races, cultures, and genders, but are often skewed towards those who are disadvantaged to some degree compared to others in higher education. Whether they provide these students with remedial education, technical training, the ability to transfer to four-year colleges or universities, or lifelong-learning opportunities, post-secondary education and community colleges adapt and model themselves differently around the world to meet these various community needs. This special issue identifies and analyzes some of the ways that post-secondary education and community colleges have developed and implemented their educational missions in different international contexts, but for similar purposes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84884504747&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2304/rcie.2013.8.2.102
DO - 10.2304/rcie.2013.8.2.102
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84884504747
VL - 8
SP - 102
EP - 109
JO - Research in Comparative and International Education
JF - Research in Comparative and International Education
SN - 1745-4999
IS - 2
ER -