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The demand for a human capital workforce based on knowledge has been rising in the 21st century. Given the low level of scientific literacy and the large gap between marginalized and mainstream students, the purpose of this study is to determine the impact of Learning Outside the Classroom (LOC) approach in cultivating scientific literacy among marginalized students in remote Sarawak, Malaysia. The LOC module was designed based on constructivist, contextual and behaviourist learning theories. This study employed quasi-experimental with pre-test post-test, non-equivalent control group research design. The treatment group experienced learning with the LOC module while the control group was taught using conventional methods. In the treatment group, teaching and learning (T&L) processes occurred outside the classroom using learning materials from their surroundings. Students are required to work together in groups to carry out investigative activities. Through this study, marginalized students are able to learn science in the context of the real world and realize the application of scientific concepts in their daily lives experiences. It is hypothesized that this approach will stimulate meaningful learning that will significantly lead towards increased level of scientific literacy skills among marginalized students and hence equipped them with necessary knowledge to face challenges in the 21st century.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): one of the richest nations in natural resources; one of the poorest in human rights. In the past decades, DRC has undergone two civil wars, alongside with a history of exploitive colonization. In North Kivu Province, DRC’s most volatile province, non-government organizations (NGOs) take leading roles to provide welfare for marginalized groups, such as orphans, children involved in armed conflicts or living on the streets. This case study aims to describe how two local NGOs operate in order to explore the ways they are making use of social capital to empower marginalized children in North Kivu Province. I chose empowerment and social capital theories combined with a contextualized model of analysis created by the author and based on meaning condensation to analyze the interviews collected from eight workers from NGOs specialized in child welfare. The main findings (1) reinforce that networks between and among NGOs have great potential to impact positively the work on marginalized groups and (2) highlight that volunteer participation and community leaders have vital roles in such organizations. République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) : un des pays les plus riches en ressources naturelles ; une des plus pauvres en droit de l’homme. Pendant les deux dernières décennies, RDC a enduré deux guerres civiles ajoutées à une histoire d’exploitation coloniale. À la province du Nord Kivu, la région la plus volatile de DRC, organisations non gouvernementales (ONGs) jouent un rôle principal d’apporter assistance aux groupes marginalisés tels comme orphelins, enfants engagés aux conflits armés et enfants (dit) de la rue. Cette étude de cas se propose à décrire comment deux ONGs locales fonctionnent afin d’explorer leurs respectives utilisations de capital social pour épanouir des enfants marginalisés au Nord Kivu. J’ai choisi les théories de capital social et d’autonomisation liés à un modèle d’analyses créé par l’auteur et basée sur la méthode condensation deiiisignification pour analyser les interviews collectées de huit employés d’ONGs spécialisées dans l’assistance aux enfants marginalisés. Les conclusions générales (1) renforcent que les réseaux entre et dedans les organisations ont la potentialité d’avoir un impact positif sur le travail avec des groupes marginalisés et (2) soulignent que l’engagement volontaire et la participation de leaders communautaire jouent rôles capitaux dans ces organisations.

This paper discusses an attempt on teachers’ professional development through collaborative action research to enhance marginalized children’s learning. Despite all efforts to overcome the difficulties of learning encountered by marginalized children, their performance both in the external as well as in the school-based assessments show poor performance especially in subjects like Science and Mathematics. This situation prevails and has resulted in dropout of the students at the primary level before they pursue for secondary education. Based on a series of observations, focus group discussions (FGD) with teachers and consecutive school visits, it was identified that the teachers face some difficulties in teaching Science, Mathematics and language. Teachers tend to use similar teaching approaches as those were being used in the urban schools, which are more teacher-directed in nature. Further, many teachers do not possess sound pedagogical skills to teach Science and Mathematics and to employ alternative approaches suitable for marginalized children in their context. To overcome this situation, teaching modules are developed by the teachers and researchers to provide alternative ways of teaching science. Additionally, teachers become known to the concept of action research. Two professional development workshops have been conducted to introduce some alternative approaches to teach primary science. Preliminary findings show that teachers perceive the modules very useful and beneficial to them. Moreover, the students demonstrate better motivation to learn as well as active involvement in the learning activities.

This paper reports on a professional development initiative with Malaysian primary school science teachers throughcollaborative action research aimed at enhancing their teaching in order to improve marginalized children’s learning. Theirperformance of such children, both in the external as well as in the school-based assessment, is weak, especially in subjects likeScience and Mathematics and eventually results in their dropping out at the primary level. The first phase of the study, basedon a series of observations, focuses on group discussions with teachers and consecutive school visits, and has identified that theteachers face difficulties in teaching Science and Mathematics. The findings show that teachers tend to use similar teachingapproaches as those which are being used in urban schools, which are more teacher-centred in nature. Furthermore, manyteachers do not possess sound pedagogical skills in terms of teaching Science and Mathematics and have the ability to employalternative approaches suitable for marginalized children in their context. To overcome this situation, the second phase of thisstudy involved developing modules by the teachers and researchers collaboratively as a means of providing alternative ways ofteaching science. Additionally, teachers become used to the concept of action research. Findings show that teachers perceivethe modules to be very useful and beneficial to them. Moreover, the students demonstrated increase interest and activeinvolvement in the learning activities.

La présence des livres, des lecteurs et de la lecture dans la littérature pour les enfants et les jeunes est plus courante que nous croyons, néanmoins, les livres dans lesquels l’acte de la lecture apparaît comme plus qu’un moyen d’obtenir d’information, sont dans la minorité. La présence ou l’absence des représentations sont indicatives de la manière dans laquelle la société construit la relation entre les enfants, les jeunes et la lecture. Cet article analyse un groupe de textes dont le thème de l’alphabétisme est lié aux caractères qui peuvent être décrits comme “abject” selon les idées de Julia Kristeva (1982), ces enfants et ces jeunes qui habitent les bords de la société, la rue ou la décharge. Les conséquences d’apprendre à lire ne sont pas celles que nous pouvons prévoir parce qu’elles ont le pouvoir de subvertir l’autorité oppressive. Cet article se réfère aussi au Projet “Reading Fictions” dans lequel ces recherches avaient lieu, La presencia de los libros, los lectores y la lectura en la literatura infantil y juvenil es más común de lo que pensamos y sin embargo, siguen siendo una minoría los libros donde aparece el acto de la lectura como algo más que una herramienta para obtener información. La presencia o ausencia de las representaciones son indicadores de la forma en que la sociedad construye la relación entre los niños y jóvenes y la lectura. Este artículo analiza un grupo de textos donde aparece el tema de la alfabetización en cuanto a personajes que pueden considerarse como “abyectos” según el trabajo de Julia Kristeva (1982), en este caso, niños y jóvenes que viven en los márgenes de la sociedad, en la calle o en el tiradero. Las consecuencias de aprender a leer no siempre son las que nos imaginamos ya que tienen el poder de subvertir a las autoridades opresivas. El artículo se refiere también al Proyecto “Reading Fictions” dentro del cual se llevó a cabo este estudio., The presence of books, readers and reading in children’s and young adult literature is more common than we think and yet books where the act of reading appears as something more than a tool to obtain information are in a minority. The presence or absence of these representations are indicators of the way in which society contructs the relationship between children and young people and reading. This article analysis a group of texts where the theme of becoming literate is linked to characters who can be described as “abject” according to the work of Julia Kristeva (1982), in this case, children and young people who live on the margins of society, in the street or in the rubbish dump. The consequences of learning to read are not always those we imagine given they have the power to subvert oppressive authority. This article also refers to the Project “Reading Fictions” within which this study took place.

The marginalized children’s psychosocial and educational issues, in this essay, are referred to the theoretical debate upon knowledge development and the possible solutions for those children.This issue will be addressed through the analysis of structures or forms of knowledge organization and from the necessary differentiation of social and individual cognitive development. Based on these objectives, we will analyzethe classical theoriesrelated to cognitive developmentofdisadvantaged children, discussindividual andsocialcognitive developmentand, based on our empirical research, postulatean explanationforthese children’s cognitive development. Finally we will discuss and propose some educational solutions., La problemática psicosocial e educacional de los niños marginados se refiere, en este trabajo, a las controversias teóricas sobre el desarrollo del conocimiento y sobre las posibles soluciones educativas para esos niños. Esa problemática será tratada a partir del análisis de las estructuras o formas de organización del conocimiento a partir de la necesaria diferenciación de los factores sociales e individuales del desarrollo cognitivo. En función de esos objetivos, analizaremos las teorías clásicas del desarrollo cognitivo de los niños marginados, discutiremos los factores individuales y sociales del desarrollo cognitivo y, teniendo como base investigaciones empíricas realizadas por nosotros, postularemos una explicación para el desarrollo cognitivo de esos niños. Finalmente, discutiremos y trataremos de proponer soluciones educacionales.

This paper examines issues concerning teachers’ beliefs and expectations towards children of marginalized groups. The aim of the study was to examine teacher's beliefs and expectations from children of marginalized group. Schools were randomly selected and therefore, 8 local government primary schools were taken for the study. A total of 35 teachers were randomly selected for the sample of the study. A structured interview schedule and observation of behaviour in natural classroom setting were used. Findings reveal that primary school teachers double marginalize children of disadvantaged groups in the classroom settings. Most of the teachers negatively perceived and therefore, they had no expectations from them. It recommends for inclusive and sensitive teacher training programmes.