CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS: Transforming Public Education in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East

Transforming Public Education in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS Edited by: Cynthia Szymanski Sunal, University of Alabama Kagendo Mutua, University of Alabama A volume in the series: Research on Education in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Editor(s): Kagendo Mutua, University of Alabama. Cynthia Szymanski Sunal, University of Alabama. You are invited to contribute a chapter to Book VIII of the Series Research in Education in Africa, Caribbean, and the Middle East to be published by Information Age Publishing in the Summer/Fall 2017. This proposed book will be tentatively titled Transforming Public Education in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Public education has expanded to serve large populations across the regions of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Many nations in these regions are moving into a phase of public education in which a variety of factors are being identified as influencing the quality of public education and its ability to serve all children and adolescents. It has become evident that ethnic background, gender, religious affiliation, and ability/disability are important factors in who is served and how well the individual is served. Socioeconomic status continues to be a large factor as that underlies all other factors. Educators at all levels are recognizing the need for transformation of both access to, and quality of, public education in the three world regions. Educators also recognize the social, cultural, and economic factors limiting efforts at transformation. Yet, efforts to transform current public education are underway. The chapters in this volume of Research on Education in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East will document and describe the status, success, and limitations of public education’s efforts at transformation. They will provide points from which further research and practice might occur. Note: The chapters must be built upon original research by the authors. We hope you consider this scholarly contribution as an opportunity for you to provide researchers, practitioners and policy-makers with knowledge that will enhance the quality of their scholarship and services to persons with exceptionalities with whom they work. As you know, there are no widespread sources of exemplary research in Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East. As such, though we have developed a list of distinguished potential contributors for the chapters, we realize that there are persons doing excellent work in these disciplines whom we have not included in this invitation. So, we welcome suggestions from you of others whose work we should consider. Please forward to us their contacts or invite them to serve as co-authors with you. Knowing that you are very busy, we have established time lines that will hopefully allow you to contribute to this book. Dates and associated tasks are outlined below. 2016 June: You email response to us on your commitment to write this chapter September – October 30: Submit a 5-page chapter proposal December: Our review of your chapter proposal 2017 February 1:: First draft of your chapter submitted to us March - April: Our review of your chapter May: Return of your first draft and your final revisions July 1: Your final manuscript submitted to us August: We submit manuscript to the publisher Some Guidelines for Preparing the Chapters Each chapter should be 25 to 30 double spaced pages, including references, submitted in the format required in the latest edition of the APA publication manual. We want each chapter to feature research including suggestions as to how best to promote and advance research and practice in those regions. While we anticipate great content variability among chapters and while we would like contributors to have needed flexibility in the features of their respective chapters, we are nonetheless offering the following suggestions as a general outline for all chapters as a way to promote some degree of consistency between chapters. General Outline for Chapters A. Introduction and description of the socio-historical and cultural context of education related to the topic of the chapter B. General description of the topic C. Importance of topic in meeting the educational needs of persons in the regions D. Topical overview of recent studies in the discipline from those regions E. Implications for advancing research and practice on the topic F. Descriptive sample of your own research study conducted in the region; or comprehensive literature review of recent relevant studies conducted in the region F. References We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest opportunity. Please email the editors (cvsunal@ua.edu and kmutua@ua.edu) if you are interested.