Studies about Education Systems

Interuniversity study concerning the additional and differentiated financing of the institutions of Higher education in Federation Wallonia-Brussels

Interuniversity study meant to consider and to develop an additional and differentiated public financing and mechanisms of solidarity between the institutions of Higher Education in Federation Wallonia-Brussels. Final report: April, 2013.

The study, led jointly by the University Saint-Louis - Brussels, the University of Liège and the University of Mons, answers a call for tender introduced by the Government of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels (Belgium). It is made up of three parts.

The first part describes and analyzes the modes and the mechanisms of public financing of the institutions of Higher Education in Federation Wallonia-Brussels.

The second part bases itself on the scientific literature to describe financing modalities and practices led abroad and in Flemish Community regarding democratization of the Higher Education, susceptible to inspire a strategy of differentiated financing for these institutions in Federation Wallonia-Brussels.

The third and last part of the report takes support on both previous ones. It presents the study of relevant indicators within the framework of the differentiation of the financing and the identification, through the study of the differences in the distribution of the target populations within institutions, of possible ways the additional funding could be distributed. 

More info :

Demeuse, M., Friant, N., Hindryckx, G., Kheder, L., Lafontaine, D., Lambert, J.-P., Malaise, S., Passetti, Q., Taymans, M., & Verdonck, M. (2013). Etude interuniversitaire portant sur le financement complémentaire et différencié des institutions de l’enseignement supérieur en Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles - synthèse du rapport de recherche remis à monsieur le ministre de l’enseignement supérieur Jean-Claude Marcourt. Gouvernement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. 
http://hdl.handle.net/2268/153434

Demeuse, M., Friant, N., Hindryckx, G., Kheder, L., Lafontaine, D., Lambert, J.-P., Malaise, S., Passetti, Q., Taymans, M., & Verdonck, M. (2013). Etude interuniversitaire portant sur le financement complémentaire et différencié des institutions de l’enseignement supérieur en Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles - Rapport de recherche remis à monsieur le ministre de l’enseignement supérieur Jean-Claude Marcourt. Gouvernement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

Analysis of the causes and consequences of retention at 3d year of kindergarten (with C. Monseur)

Service général du pilotage et de la recherche en éducation (General Department of Education Monitoring and Research) of FWB, 2009-2011.

This research about retention at 3d year of kindergarten has a triple purpose. First, from the databases of FWB, we set up the profile and the schooling career of the students concerned by the retention at 3d year of kindergarten. Secondly, more advanced statistical analyses of the same databases enable to understand the influence factors and to model the process in order to detect the factors which have more impact in the risk to be retained in 3d year of kindergarten. Finally, we try to enlighten the representations of the instruction actors (teachers, CPMS, parents) about grade retention, via a questionnaire and some interviews. This research was led in collaboration with the Centre Approches quantitative des faits éducatifs (Quantitative aspects of educational facts) of the faculty.

Regular description update of the education system of FWB in a European database

National information file about the education system in FWB. General Department of Education Monitoring and Research, 2005-2010.

Each European education system is described according to very accurate common framework, made up of 11 chapters :

1. Context and political, social, and economic trends 
2. The global organization of the education system and the general administration of education
3. Pre-primary education
4. Primary education
5. Secondary and postsecondary education
6. Higher education (tertiary education)
7. Education and in-service training of young coming out of the education system, and of adults
8. Teachers and education staff
9. Evaluation of schools and education system
10. Evaluation of schools and education system
11. European and international dimension in education

An overview of the relevant legislation, a list of the institutions, a glossary, and references complete the description of each education system.

For more than 15 years, the SPE (Centre of Experimental Education), later the aSPe (Analysis of Systems and Practices in Education), were in charge of carrying out the yearly update of the database for FWB. In 2011, the system is significantly modified: on the one hand, the database form was given up for a presentation on the model of an on-line encyclopedia (Eurypedia, in reference to Wikipedia), and on the other hand, some new contents are processed (such as the quality insurance, which is the subject of a chapter), or the information structure is deeply adapted (for instance, the description of higher education is structured according to the levels defined within the Bologna process).

More info

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/eurybase_fr.php#description

Study about the low knowledge and skills of the instructional language in students from migrant origin

Study aiming at identifying student populations from migrant origin, enrolled in primary or secondary education and with poor or no knowledge of the instruction language, mainly via the analysis of answers to a questionnaire submitted to all the principals. Ministry of Education (M. Arena), 2006-2007.

Over the last 20 years, special procedures aiming at the reception and insertion of non-speaking French students arrived in Belgium in the current year (“primo-newcomers”) have been implemented in primary and secondary schools in FWB. But we have to admit that these measures do not always help enough schools to organize the best possible support. The study had to supply a global description of the situation. It was carried out in two phases. Firstly, the quantitative phase aimed at measuring and featuring the concerned school audiences. The second, qualitative phase had to identify and evaluate the systems implemented in schools to organize the support of the students who have poor or no French knowledge and skills. The quantitative phase was carried out via a questionnaire submitted to every principal. The collected data helped to answer the following questions: number and proportion of primo-newcomers in terms of the decree; number and proportion of students who are not primo-newcomers but who have poor knowledge and skills of French; concentration of the concerned populations, whether the school is in positive discrimination or not; geographical localization and identifications of the concentrations; gender, average age, nationality and origin country; average length of life spent in Belgium,… 

More info

Crépin, F., Bernard, S. (2007) Etude portant sur la non-maitrise de la langue de l’enseignement par les élèves issus de l’immigration. Liège : Unité d’analyse des systèmes et des pratiques d’enseignement de l’Université.

Inequalities of access to university: analysis and inventory in FWB

National Funds of scientific research - Funds of basic and collective research: in partnership with UCL (University of Louvain la Neuve) and ULB (University of Brussels), 2007-2010.

This inter-university research conducted in partnership with UCL (University of Louvain-la-Neuve) and ULB (University of Brussels) was an empirical research about access-to-higher education inequalities. It included 3 phases: the purpose of the first phase was to document the access-to-university inequalities in FWB according to some student’s characteristics such as his/her socio-cultural background, gender or previous school career. The 2d purpose was to better understand the socially situated characteristic of the students’ representations at the end of secondary education concerning higher education and the influence of such representations on enrollment at university. Finally the 3d phase consisted in analyzing, on the basis of international comparisons, the situation of FWB and the factors associated to inequalities of access to higher education.

More info

Van Campenhoudt, M., Dell’ Aquila, F., Dupriez, V. (2008). La démocratisation de l’enseignement supérieur en Communauté française de Belgique : état des lieux. Les Cahiers de Recherche en Education et Formation, 65.
http://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/girsef/documents/cahier_65_Van_Campenhoudt_et_al_VD%281%29.pdf

Dupriez, V., Monseur, C., Van Campenhoudt, M. (2009). Etudier à l’université : le poids des pairs et du capital culturel face aux aspirations d’études. Les Cahiers de Recherche en Education et Formation, 75.
http://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/girsef/documents/cahier_75_dupriez_corr_V2%281%29.pdf

Vermandele, C., Plaigin, C., Durpiez, V., Maroy, C., Van Campenhoudt, M., Lafontaine, D. (2010). Profil des étudiants entamant des études universitaires et analyse des choix d’études. Les Cahiers de Recherche en Education et Formation, 78.
http://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/girsef/documents/cahier_78_Vermandele_et_al_corr2%281%29.pdf

Dupont, V. & Lafontaine, D. (2009). Les jeunes qui vont travailler dès la fin de l’enseignement secondaire. Profils et motivations. Scientia Paedagogica Experimentalis, XLVI, (1). 
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/80635

Analysis of the university and occupational careers of the European school graduates

Participation in a study about European schools on request of the European parliament, Van Dijk management consultants, 2008.

The aSPe was involved in a research requested by the European Parliament about European schools in association with Van Dijk Management Consultants. The aSPe researchers analyzed the curriculum presented in these schools and contributed as education experts to the computer-based survey carried out by their partner by about 3000 former students of these European schools, about their school and occupational career, and about their satisfaction degree about the education they had received.

The research resulted globally in positive conclusions about the curriculum implemented by these schools and about the opportunities they offer to their graduated in terms of university and occupation careers. It also concluded with some considerations about two questions asked by the research sponsor: which are the strong points of the system and would it be wise to advocate the export of these strong points into national education systems.

More info

Van Dijk Management Consultants, Hindryckx, G., & Blondin, C. (2008). Analyse des parcours universitaire et professionnel des diplômés des écoles européennes. Bruxelles : Parlement européen. 
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/92452 (French);
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/92470 (English);
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/92541 (German).

School catchment areas: From the concept to the project. Proposals relating to the intervention domains, the authorities and territories.

Study on the concept of school catchment areas. Ministry of compulsory education (M. Arena).

This inter-university study was expected to meet the following purposes: producing an accurate definition of the concept of « school catchment area » and explaining how the school catchment areas could improve the effectiveness and equity of the system; mapping the school catchment areas of FWB as a whole; leading a reflection to the type of monitoring and its appropriate procedures for the catchment areas and defining the indicators necessary for this system of intermediary monitoring to run well.

More info

Delvaux, B., Demeuse, M., Dupriez, V., Fagnant, A., Guisset, V., Lafontaine, D., Marissal, D., Maroy, C. (2006). Bassins scolaires : synthèse de l’étude inter-universitaire.
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/79744

Study on the insertion and the longitudinal follow-up of the learners from dual education institutions of the Walloon region

SYSFAL – About the insertion and the longitudinal follow-up of the learners from dual education institutions of the Walloon region, combining alternate learning and work experiences. Ministry of compulsory education (M. Arena), 2006.

The purpose of this inter-university study (Inas-UMH, Tef-ULB, aSPE-ULg, Hec-ULg) was to examine the schooling and training careers, searches for employment and occupational insertion of the young from the dual education system which combines work experience and training course. The methodology applied consisted in a retrospective longitudinal follow-up. The sampled young were interviewed on the phone 4 or 6 years after their start in the dual training system. Collected data helped to draw profiles and build indicators according to the schooling career prior to the dual system, the choice of the activity sector made in the dual education institution (and its reason), the stability/mobility in training, the duration before access to the first job, and the stability/mobility in employment…

Study of the objective criteria allowing the general boards to add some schools or school sites (“implantations”) in the list of schools or implantations acknowledged as in positive “discrimination“

The number of implantations allowed to receive additional resources of positive discrimination according to the socio-economic level of their student population is limited by the legislation. At the same time however, the decree also provides for the possibility for the general boards to add a restricted number of school implantations in the list of schools or implantations acknowledged as in positive “discrimination“. Investigations in schools, contacts with principals and educational staffes, analysis of student features aimed at identifying the social, economic, cultural or educational criteria for which objective data are available and likely to provide food for the decision-makers’ thought to appoint some schools which might benefit from more resources.

More info

Demeuse, M., Crépin, F., Jehin, M., & Matoul, A. (2006). Behind the positive discrimination in French community of Belgium : central criteria vs local actions. In Lazaro Moreno Herrera, Graham Jones, Jukka Rantala (Eds), Enacting equity in education. Helsinki.

Why so many student fluxes in schools in positive discrimination ?

Consequences of the positive discrimination system in primary education, 2004.

Within the context of the positive discrimination (D+) assessment programme, the purpose of this study was to measure and analyze some system effects possibly produced by D+ policies in primary education. System effects mean that targeted policies (such as D+) can contribute to school context changes, mainly because some students move from one school to another during their schooling. These student fluxes have some consequences on the interdependence relationships between schools.

The hypothesis statement was that the D+ schools, branded as schools specialized in the reception of « difficult cases », enables the other schools to pass off taking charge of socially or learning underprivileged students. This process increases the school population segregation.

The methodology included 2 phases: a qualitative approach in 3 areas (Brussels, Charleroi, Verviers) and 12 primary D+ schools, consisting in interviews with school directors and intermediary agents (inspectors, PMS, etc.), and a quantitative approach, realized from a file listing the schooling careers over 2 years of all the FWB students.

Actually, there is no obvious huge relegation from non D+ to D+ schools. When relegation occurs, this is more towards special schools. A flux from non D+ to D+ can be observed often between schools with similar scocio-economic indices and often because of a house moving. There are significant fluxes from D+ to non D+ schools: the hypothesis statement cannot consequently be confirmed.

More info

Bouchat, T.-M., Delvaux, B., & Hindryckx G. (2005). Discrimination positive et mobilité scolaire. Rapport de recherche non publié. Liège : Service de pédagogie expérimentale de l’Université et UC Louvain : Cerisis.

Bouchat, T.-M., Delvaux, B., & Hindryckx G. (2008). Mobilité scolaire et composition sociale des écoles : le cas de l'enseignement fondamental en Communauté française de Belgique. Cahiers de recherche en éducation et formation, 62.
http://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/girsef/documents/cahier62_Bouchat_Delvaux_et_al(1).pdf 

Delvaux, B., Bouchat, T.-M., & Hindryckx G. (2008). Espace local et choix du lieu de scolarisation dans l'enseignement fondamental : le cas de trois espaces locaux urbains en Communauté française de Belgique. Cahiers de recherche en éducation et formation, 64.
http://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/girsef/documents/cahier_64__Delvaux_et_al_2(2).pdf

Growing up in 2000 : Follow-up of 400 children from birth to their 18 years old.

Growing up. 1989-2008.

Conducted by the aSPe between 1989 and 2008, Grandir en l’an 2000 (Growing up in 2000), is the only truly longitudinal research ever carried out in FWB. A sample of 400 children from the area of Liège was followed up from their birth to the age of 18 years old, through regular data collections in families, children themselves, schools and teachers. The objective was to identify family and school background factors that could be acted on to modify the school career towards success. A particular feature of the research is that it started on a broad and positive concept of school success at the age of 18: school success is indeed characterized not only by no failure and no grade retention, but also by some aspects including the socio-affective development of the individual (self-perception, social adjustment, socio-occupational project, etc). Various profiles were established and helped to highlight the necessity to help young to define their own study or occupation project, mainly if they take occupational school tracks.

More info

Goffin, C., Schillings, P. (2009). Mesurer la réussite scolaire à 18 ans : l’importance d’intégrer le regard des élèves sur leurs études. Scientia Paedagogica Experimentalis. 45, (2), 317-352.

Study and development of early language learning in FWB

Ministry of compulsory education (M. Arena) and General Department of Education Monitoring and Research in FWB.

Early language learning activities consist in having the students discover, explore and compare various linguistic sonorous and visual materials from languages of different status: school language, languages learnt at school, dialects, migrant languages, other European and worldwide languages. The point is mainly to arouse and increase the interest for linguistic and cultural variety, strengthen motivation for language learning and develop various metalinguistic skills favoring this learning. Furthermore, early language learning helps simultaneously to tackle other objectives of the curriculum.

Minister of Education J.M. Nollet funded a feasibility study: the applicability and interest of this approach were to be analyzed in the context of FWB and reduced scale implementation measures were to be submitted.

The feasibility study found out that early language learning seems to be a perfect opportunity to prepare, strengthen and extend language learning, at the level of motivation, linguistic skills (for instance, showing explicitly the differences in the word order or in the oral expression of a same graph) as well as at the level of the interest for the different languages, as a complement of the other courses delivered by teachers.

Following the feasibility study, it was decided to introduce early language learning at an experimental level in few schools, on the basis of an adaptation of early language learning tools designed in Switzerland (EOLE) to FWB characteristics. The available resources were concentrated on the innovation implementation: anything that could either hinder or facilitate the best application of the resources for a further larger scale implementation had to be found out. The project follow-up was based on Dunkin and Biddle’s teaching strategy model, adapted to the special features of early language learning introduction in the classrooms. The teachers involved in the project as well as the directors and the students concerned (from 3d year of primary school) were interviewed twice, at the early and late academic year, to get their description of their own characteristics and a perspective of their opinion and attitude evolution between the start and the end of the pilot project (Blondin and Mattar, 2004).Whereas the hypotheses stated at the end of the feasibility study were largely confirmed, the experimental implementation suggested other improvements.

Later on, Minister of Education Arena made these works finalised and enabled the adapted activities diffusion in every kindergarten and/or primary school.

More info

Final report :

http://www.enseignement.be/index.php?page=24991&navi=2176

Papers :

Blondin, C., & Mattar, C. (2004). Cinq équipes éducatives s’engagent dans l’éveil aux langues. Un projet pilote dans l’enseignement fondamental en Communauté française. Université de Liège : Service de Pédagogie expérimentale.
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/92412

Blondin, C., & Mattar, C. (2008). Vers une implantation de l’éveil aux langues en Communauté française de Belgique. Les Cahiers des sciences de l’éducation, 25-26, pp. 5-27. Liège : Unité d’analyse des Systèmes et des Pratiques d’enseignement de l’Université.
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/7565