I reflect on the preceding five contributions in this issue by focusing on the power dimensions of participation. I emphasize how power underlies and frames not only the activities and management of participatory development, but also our own personal/institutional involvement as development researchers and workers. I end with some thoughts on…

This article explores use of several terms that signify Islam, and provides guidelines to clarify their use in internal and external discourses. Building on this foundation, the article delineates a typology of Islamic education and their associated institutions. This enhances understanding of important conceptual differences that hinge upon…

The paper assesses the dominant discourse on Islam and education that argues for an education derived from an exclusively "Islamic" vision. In addition to exploring the historical roots of this discourse, the paper analyses it with respect to its (i) arguments for an Islamic vision of education, (ii) conception of Islam, and (iii) proposals for…

Since 2001 many observers of education in the Muslim world have expressed concerns about the radicalizing influence of madrasahs. These critiques often assume that the ichotomization of sacred and secular common to civic society in the West is a necessary ingredient of any educational reforms designed to prevent the spread of religious extremism…

Since the 1980s the mission of the national citizenship education curriculum in Pakistan has been the Islamization of society. The government curriculum guidelines require textbooks to emphasize Islam as the national ideology of the state of Pakistan. Recognizing the deleterious effect of an exclusivist curriculum on the civic unity of the nation,…

This study investigated philosophical approaches to teaching held by pre-service teachers in Iran and the US. The study's participants were 30 pre-service teachers from Iran, a predominantly Muslim country, and 30 American pre-service teachers. Data were collected using the 105-item Philosophy of Education Scale (POES, Author A, 2003) composed of…

A Guatemalan program teaches Indigenous working children where they work--in the streets. The teachers, who are also Mayan, accommodate student needs and involve parents. This program of popular education empowers poor children and adults to participate in public life and lead the way in the creation of a democracy. (Contains 20 references.) (TD)

A Colombian model of rural elementary education has increased student achievement. Basic characteristics are active learning, structured yet flexible and multifaceted nature, extensive training and support for teachers, and opportunities for meaningful involvement of students, teachers, and community members. A Guatemalan reform based on the model…