Education & Pedagogy

This guide is intended to assist vocational educators teaching a course in graphics to relate the skills addressed in science courses to a particular vocational education course. The guide consists of a curriculum alignment chart that cross-references vocational performance indicators to science skills/competencies. The science competency indicators presented for each vocational education performance indicator are broken down according to science course and grade level. Selected teacher helps in the form of student exercises are provided for some of the performance indicators listed in the curriculum alignment chart, and student behavior checklists are provided for others. Reference materials are also listed where appropriate. (MN)

The articles in this publication were contributed by memebers of the faculty of education and students in the Master of Arts in Education graduate program at Baldwin-Wallace college in Berea, Ohio. The lead article presents a brief history of the conception and development of the Master of Arts in Education program which was begun in 1974. The articles range from light to scholarly. Included are writings on the topics of: (1) the pupil teacher relationship; (2) the role of the modern day high school principal; (3) multicultural education; (4) predicaments of ethnic and racial minorities in American society in the 1980s; (5) learning theories based on brain research; (6) teacher expectations; (7) reading in silence; (8) a critique of Kohlberg's theory of moral development; and (9) how teacher attitude affects student motivation. (JD)

The nature of adult economics education provided in the United Kingdom is outlined, and a framework within which it might be investigated is suggested. Androgogical learning principles are critically appraised and are compared and contrasted to pedagogical principles. An adult economics course model is developed, against which actual courses may be compared. A conclusion reviews procedures and makes suggestions for improvement. A survey on the extent of adult economics education is reported that pertains to adult education institutes, places of work, prisons, and informal settings. Suggestions are given for improvement in the teaching of economics classes for adults. A list of 80 references is appended. (APG)

This paper describes the activities of the Michigan Department of Education and local districts in establishing a statewide plan for using microcomputers in education. Components of the plan include the design of a computer literacy grant program known as TIME (Technology in Michigan Education); the establishment and funding of a statewide network of five regional software/training centers governed by the Microcomputer Network Committee and responsible for carrying out six designated tasks; and the development by the University of Michigan of 14 educational computer training packages for statewide distribution. Strengths and weaknesses of the program are discussed, and the focus for 1985-86 is summarized. A schematic diagram illustrates the governing structure for the microcomputer network. (KM)

The goal of industrial vocational education is reached only when the technical personnel it prepares find employment in a technological world and enjoy their working experience. Technological upgrading and economic advancement in Taiwan necessitate drastic revisions and improvements in the personnel development program. The government has been improving various areas relating to industrial personnel development, especially as a result of the Industrial Vocational Education Improvement Project. Improvements and innovations are being introduced in each of these areas: teacher training, curriculum, equipment and facilities, teaching material and teaching method, the certification program, cooperative education, evaluation, occupational ethics, administration and management, and the school system. A major focus is balancing technical training with human development. (YLB)

Investigations into the Brazilian education system indicate the system's inadequacies in democratizing education. Instead, education is accessible to those who can afford it and not to those who most need it. Although research evidence consistently shows the positive relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and school access and performance as well as the level and equality of education, this relationship is mediated by other factors that include curriculum, methodology, availability of resources, length of period at school, and student/teacher characteristics. The paper also discusses the regional dimension of disparities which has important implications for educational planning for both political and technical reasons. Previous studies of inter- and intra-regional disparities of education in the state of Espirito Santo are also analyzed. A list of references is included.(KWL)

Most Aboriginal people in Australia lack the background qualifications to enter higher education courses in science and mathematics. In 1984, the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) (now Curtin University of Technology) developed a project which created and evaluated bridging courses for Aboriginal people seeking to gain access into mathematics and science programs at the higher education level. This paper describes the WAIT project, which jointly involved WAIT's Centre for Aboriginal Studies and Science and Mathematics Education Centre. Explanations are provided of the project's: (1) four phase approach; (2) model of the bridging program; (3) course structure; (4) instructional materials; (5) evaluation; (6) current status; and (7) future directions. (ML)

This study identifies the current status of state policies on distance education in a sample of states and identifies changes in federal, state, and local roles in developing policies that may encourage more efficient and effective use of technology for distance learning. The study identifies and analyzes policies in key areas which are now, or are likely in the future, to inhibit the use of distance education techniques by school districts attempting to solve instructional problems. Such areas include certification, training, evaluation, planning, and funding. A discussion of the implications of the study findings for federal policy concludes the report, and references to eight reports on distance education and eight state-wide plans are provided. (GL)

The paper defines the Regular Education Initiative (REI) and outlines its fundamental assumptions. The paper then discusses the responses of three organizations to the assumptions, as delineated in the joint policy statement of the National Education Association, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the American Association of School Administrators. The assumptions include: students are more alike than different; all good teachers use the same basic techniques and strategies; pull-out programs should be eliminated; the separation of special education and regular education programs results in inefficiency, duplication, and fragmentation; labeling is unnecessary and stigmatizes students; and physically separate education is discriminatory and unequal. The responses refute each of these assumptions and argue against the effectiveness of the REI in meeting the needs of special students. A 16-item bibliography is appended. (JDD)

This document, intended for Tacoma, Washington, public school students, encourages them to decide the best career goals and how they will prepare to reach those goals. Included are sections on the objectives, degrees, and certification available at community colleges and vocational-technical schools in the state of Washington; descriptions of the vocational education service areas (trade and industrial education, technical education, health education, business and office, agriculture, home and family life, and distributive education); off-campus vocational programs available to Tacoma high school students at Tacoma Technical High School, Bates Vocational-Technical Institute, Clover Park Vocational Technical Institute, and the career centers; public post-high school vocational training; apprenticeship programs; and military service. Information is provided on some or all of the following: prerequisites; enrollment procedures; curriculum offerings; costs; and financial aid. (CML)

In the United States, 67% of all schools are in rural areas and 33% of all school children attend rural schools. The availability of rural-specific information is imperative for rural and urban special educators, administrators, parents and others who come into daily contact with children and youth with disabilities. This collection of 105 rural-related document annotations provides practitioners with a resource to better understand, define, and describe rural special education. Materials abstracted include position papers, statistical studies, descriptions of successful model programs, and case studies. Articles deal with teacher salaries, parent and paraprofessional relationships, special education technologies, and other issues relevant to rural special education. The sources of this bibliography include professional journals, newspapers, magazines, government publications, and ERIC documents, dated from 1978 through 1987. (ALL)

Many of the most exciting advances in science are taking place in biology, yet many students leave school without having learned biology's basic principles, and few are stimulated enough to continue in the sciences. This book presents information and expert views from teachers, curriculum developers, and others on why and where biology education is lacking and how it can be improved. It includes findings from current research and outlines specific suggestions for improving biology education, all aimed at addressing many of the dilemmas confronting the field such as what should be taught, how it should be taught, the measurement of results, teacher education and certification, and biology education reform. (CW)

This report on special education professional personnel in Michigan schools from 1980 through 1988 is divided into five sections: "Instructional-Ancillary Personnel and Student Counts,""Retention of Instructional and Ancillary Personnel,""Certificate Endorsements, School Years 1980 through 1988,""Instructional Personnel Approvals: 1979 through 1988," and "Administrative-Supervisory Personnel and Student Count." The report is limited to data on prior and currently employed special education professional personnel, personnel with special education certificate endorsements, and personnel granted special education temporary or emergency approvals for special education assignments. The report analyzes data as they relate to such factors as age, sex, educational attainment, teaching experience, certificate endorsement area, teaching assignment, and supply. The data are presented in a series of 31 tables. (JDD)

This paper answers specific questions about present and future issues concerning the undereducation of Hispanic students. The following topics are covered: (1) the educational status of Hispanics; (2) the role of federal education programs--including Head Start, Education Consolidation and Improvement Act, Chapter 1, Pell Grants, and bilingual education programs--in the education of Hispanics; (3) what an Executive Order on Hispanic Education might achieve; and (4) how the Executive Order might help the nation as a whole. Two charts depicting the number of school years completed by Hispanics and non-Hispanics 25 years old and over, derived from 1970 and 1980 census data and from the March 1988 Current Population Survey, are included, along with a chart depicting the educational achievement of Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics in 1984. (JS)

The Continuing Professional Education Inventory (CPEI) was field-tested with a group of 348 teachers throughout Tennessee who attended summer educational conferences at four different locations. The survey included 35 statements regarding barriers to continuing professional education which respondents rated on a Likert scale. Fifteen demographic items were also included. Six barriers were identified: (1) lack of fulfillment; (2) lack of support from school system; (3) second job; (4) personal time; (5) child care; and (6) inconvenience. Demographic variables helped to further define the barriers, which were then compared to factors identified by the results of similar studies in other fields. Recommendations regarding possible ways to reduce identified barriers are made for school administrators and others who organize continuing professional education activities. (JD)