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In an important contribution to educational policy, Daniele Checchi offers an economic perspective on the demand and supply of education. He explores the reasons why, beyond a certain point, investment in education has not resulted in reductions in social inequalities. Starting with the seminal work of Gary Becker, Checchi provides an extensive survey of the literature on human capital and social capital formation. He draws on individual data on intergenerational transmission of income and education for the USA, Germany and Italy, as well as aggregate data on income and educational inequality for a much wider range of countries. © Daniele Checchi 2005 and Cambridge University Press, 2009.

The second World Congress of the Union-Network International (UNI) was focused on global organization to ensure workers' rights and to help stop the spread of poverty. Around 1,500 delegates from UNI affiliates around the world met in Chicago to report their progress and develop further strategies to achieve their goals. UNI General Secretary, Philip Jennings, revealed that workers in the 133 nations around the world suffer from anti-union legislation and practice. He lamented that 35 million workers in export processing zones have no basic right to organize, which restricts their opportunities, safety, and their human rights. New UNI President Joe Hansen told delegates that global unionism is critical in foiling 21st century demands of employers for wage and benefit cuts. UNI Youth called on governments and employers to promote vocational training, internships, and regular job audits to determine the effect of the International Labor Organization (ILO) work campaign on employment creation.

This article analyzes methodological aspects of a particular psychological field study on learning. In the first section of the article, it is argued that field studies represent an important approach to psychological studies through their focus on direct, in situ observation of human interaction, spaces and activities in social practices. In the second section of the article, this general point is illustrated with examples from a recent field study on learning. The field study took place from 2001 to 2002, and it was part of a Ph.D.-project on learning in vocational education in Denmark (Tanggaard, 2006). The overall aim of the study was to set focus on the relation between learning, changes in participation and identity among apprentices in vocational education. This article analyses and discusses how: 1) the cross-contextual movements of the researcher in the field study design enabled a focus on the different places for learning in the apprentices’ everyday life; and how 2) the subjectivity of the researcher and 3) her role as apprentice in the field were important instruments for gaining knowledge about the field. © 2006 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Background: An effective vocational training for future general practitioners (GPs) requires experience in various specialties and locations. Although this is required for specialty examinations, in Germany the necessary organisation traditionally has been left to the registrar himself. However, increasingly integrated training schemes offer rotations including hospital departments and general practices. The present study evaluates the number, structure and impact of these training schemes in Germany. Methods: Providers of training schemes for GP registrars who offer at least two specialties were identified by advertisements in the national medical journal ('Deutsches Ärzteblatt') and through contact with various medical organisations. By means of a structured telephone interview with senior physicians or administrators, the size, structure, and impact of the education programmes were assessed. Results: Between the years 2002 and 2004, a total of 31 providers could be identified in Germany, 29 of which were willing to participate in the questionnaire. The networks had mainly been founded by rural hospitals; only two were university-based. Five networks included GP's practices as part of the rotation. The number of positions per network was one to five. Despite overall positive experiences, the number of networks was declining within the last 6 months of the observation period. Conclusions: We expect vocational training schemes for general practice/family medicine to increase the number of GPs and the quality of their training. However, the primary driving force behind current training schemes has been the need of small rural hospitals to attract doctors to fill vacant positions. In the future, the philosophy of general practice/family medicine and its educational consequences will have to be strengthened. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.

An infusion of twenty-first century skills into American public education necessitates a plan for research and development to further such reform. While the nation agrees that students must obtain critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills to succeed in the current global marketplace, this chapter puts forth a long-term, proactive agenda to invest in targeted research to propel and sustain this shift in education. The authors examine the impact such an R&D agenda would have on pedagogy and assessment and the implications for institutions of higher education. As the United States struggles to maintain dominance in the international economy, it faces a great challenge in keeping up with European and Asian competitors' strategies for preparing youth for the global marketplace. The authors hope the global reality will help contextualize the debate around American education--the current trend toward basics and accountability needs to be broadened. Building on frameworks created by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, this chapter proposes questions to guide research around teaching, professional development, and assessment significant to twenty-first century skills. Knowing that educational change depends on providing teachers with the tools, support, and training to make fundamental changes in their practice, the authors argue for extensive research around best practices. In addition, if assessments are created to measure the desired outcomes, such measuring tools can drive reform. Furthermore, large-scale changes in teacher preparation programs must take place to allow teachers to adequately employ twenty-first century teaching and assessment strategies.