Education & Pedagogy

Results of two studies on higher education and employment in the USSR and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) are presented. For both countries, the development of the higher education system as part of the overall system of education is discussed, with emphasis on expansion of higher education, and access to college over the years. Attention is also directed to: development of graduate employment, outside influences on curriculum development, and labor markets for college graduates. The section on the USSR, by D. Chuprunov, R. Avakov, and E. Jiltsov, covers (1) the evolution of the problem of high-level personnel in the process of industrialization as socialism was built and advanced and (2) the role of higher education in scientific and technological development. Chapter topics and authors for the West German section are: higher education and the labor market in West Germany (U. Teichler, B. C. Sanyal); recent developments in higher education (Klaus Hufnerder); labor market and educational forecasts (Manfred Tessaring); underemployment of college graduates (Dirk Hartung); and certificates and recruitment (Michael Buttgereit). A comparison of higher education, employment, and educational planning in the two countries is provided by M. Buttgereit. (SW)

This booklet describes the status of Sweden's educational system, its development since 1950, and the means for bringing about its reform. The first section gives a brief overview of education in Sweden at the end of the 1970's. The second section is concerned with the last three decades of development of Sweden's educational system, including discussions of the development of the school system as one part of the development of Swedish society, comprehensive school and upper secondary school, the accessibility of schools, student choice of a specialization, and equality between the sexes and freedom of choice. In addition, the following topics are covered: the schools and society; differentiation--a difficult issue; who makes decisions on the schools?; education for adults; universities and professional colleges during the 1950's and 1960's; higher education for new categories of students; and the location and structure of higher education. The third section considers the emerging pattern in Sweden of alternating periods of education and work. The strategy and instruments of educational reform, with focus on educational policymakers and administrative agencies, are examined in the fourth section. (DCS)

Vocational education must train students in a way that capitalizes on their potential while preparing them with the skills needed for the jobs being created through advances in science and technology. The impact of technological change has been to challenge education to ease the transition of displaced workers and to accommodate entries. State-of-the-art design and manufacturing systems that have influenced industry include computers, fiber optics, lasers, and robotics. Industry needs personnel with a basic, underlying structure of skills; specialized training; and the flexibility to learn new skills. Vocational education will serve young people and also workers who need a shorter, more focused period of retraining. High schools should narrow nonacademic instruction to a few well-chosen basic courses and leave more advanced training to full-time trade schools or technical institutes. Three conclusions can be drawn from a recent evaluation of vocational programs: vocational education is conferred a lower status than academic education, provision of vocational education is as important as preparation of students for college, and the variety in vocational education is an asset and a drawback. Reforms should include national program standards, program coordination, and industry involvement. (YLB)

Written from the perspective of the Central American experience of education for fundamental social change, this booklet provides ideas and guidelines for developing popular education, a learning process based on the concept that education can serve the interests of the poor and that the people themselves can define the content and context of their education programs. Following an introduction and glossary for popular educators, a section entitled "The Fabric of Our Lives" examines the historical development of popular education in both Canada and Central America and introduces the reader to the work of the Alforja network of popular education centers. The bulk of the book is the section entitled "Some New Designs." The adaptation of four new ideas or designs from the Central American experience for use in Canada is described, including sample workshops, tools for program evaluation and analysis, and creative program designs. The final section, "Making Connections," focuses on networking among popular educators. The appendix provides further information about the kinds of activities organized by the member centers of the Alforja network. A bibliography lists additional resources. Numerous balck and white photographs, cartoons and other graphics illustrate the booklet. (KC)

The shrinking labor market, tightening economy, falling enrollments, and declining national standards for education have had an impact on cooperative education programs. Those working in the field of cooperative education should become familiar with the report entitled "The Unfinished Agenda," which was vocational education's response to "A Nation at Risk." As the report makes clear, cooperative education has a vital role to play in providing the field-based learning that is so grossly underutilized in vocational education at present. Cooperative education is currently being challenged by corporate classrooms. If cooperative education is to meet this challenge, teacher-coordinators must solicit employer involvement to ensure that the vocational programs in which they are involved are preparing people to fit the available jobs in their area. Efforts to improve existing cooperation, coordination, and communication as well as development of partnerships with advisory councils are essential in order to develop strategies to cope with technological advancement. Because the overall goal of cooperative education is training rather than pay, care should be taken to keep students from focusing on the economic benefits of cooperative education as opposed to the opportunities derived from the training and basic skills portions of the program. (MN)

This monograph discusses the evolution of vocational instruction and how society plays a role in the training from early tribal customs in training to the apprenticeships and then to structuralized instruction in the trade schools, colleges, and universities due to legislation passed as late as 1983. Forces that influenced changes in vocational education and legislation are addressed individually. These include the change from an agrarian society in America into an industrial society, World War I, labor shortage, the economic depression of 1930, a broadening of the interpretation of the population for vocational education, World War II, war production plans, development of postwar activities, racial and language barriers of minority groups in inner cities, a demand for advanced skills and unemployment of unskilled workers, special needs in vocational education, improvement in working conditions, labor organizations, national education associations, other national agencies, state advisory councils, boards of education, teachers, students, parents and voters, community leaders, the state governments and vocational education, impact of Federal legislation, and student organizations. Challenges of the future for vocational education are then explored, including a total restructuring of the nation's social economic systems, the demand for accountability, and excellence in education. (YLB)

The two science education digests for 1985 contained reports of research related to science curriculum and instruction. This information bulletin has been designed to continue making suggestions for improving education, more specifically education in science classrooms. It focuses on: (1) findings from science education studies (including "Project Synthesis"); (2) findings from reports dealing with excellence in education (such as "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform"); (3) findings from science education research studies; (4) why there is an impetus for change in science education; (5) information from Canadian science educators, considering steps involved in "deliberative inquiry," seven curricular emphases in science, and issues related to incorporating a science and technology focus into science curricula; and (6) who decides curriculum questions. One generalization offered is that persons interested in improving science education have some positive findings from the meta-analysis research data upon which to build in terms of instructional strategies that lead to increased student learning and other positive outcomes. In addition, science for general education should not be neglected since science instruction should be geared toward both the citizen and the future scientist. Thirty-five references are also included. (JN)

The development of informed citizens who are dedicated to maintaining the public good through wise action is the goal of peace education. Ten articles in this document discuss the various issues surrounding peace education. The first two articles, by Ken Osborne and Nigel Young, set an historical and conceptual framework for the field of peace education. Robin Burns speaks of the challenge that peace education presents for conventional school organizations and curriculum. Virginia Cawagas writes of the recent events in the Philippines and of the role played by educators in bringing about political change. Jaime Diaz analyzes peace education in the context of both direct and structural violence. Birgit Brock-Utne directs the reader's attention to the historical and contemporary problems of structural violence experienced by women. Two articles by Mildred Masheder and Lennart Vriens focus on the world of children, and encourages parents and elementary school teachers to focus on peace education from the child's perspective. The final two articles, by John Hurst and Peter Scott, seek to develop a pedagogy for university peace education programs. Peace education goals are not modest and the a peace educator's task is not a small one. (SM)

The Village College is a uniquely English institution, yet it may be a viable model for rural education in some parts of the United States as well. If so, four adaptations seem paramount: attitudinal restructuring, institutionalization of adult and community education, a demography capable of supporting the effort, and a new model of educational leadership. Of the four, attitudinal restructuring appears to be the most basic. Life long learning tends to be honored more in the breach than in the main. First, education is typically associated in the public mind with corporate schooling, and corporate schooling is defined as a certified teacher teaching a standardized curriculum topic to a registered student in an accredited school. Nonformal education embodied in adult and community education violates the schooling rule in every respect and thus forfeits substantive social support. Second, there is widespread agreement that society's responsibility for education has been fulfilled when youth leave school to join adult society. Third, postsecondary education typically has been accorded "privilege" rather than "right" status. Fourth, no compelling state of interest has ever been articulated on behalf of adult and community education, and thus it has not been incorporated into the national educational plan. (JHZ)

Statistics classifying American colleges and universities according to their educational functions and missions are included. Rather than creating a hierarchy, this information groups institutions by shared characteristics. Changes in higher education are portrayed, and a continued growth in institutions of higher education is noted. There are tables with enrollment data and definitions of institutions of higher education. Statistics are given for doctorate-granting institutions (research universities I and II and doctorate-granting colleges and universities I and II); comprehensive universities and colleges I and II; liberal arts colleges I and II; two-year community, junior, and technical colleges; and a variety of specialized institutions (religion and theology, medical schools, other health professions, engineering and technology, business and management, law schools, teachers colleges, corporate-sponsored colleges, art, music, and design). Information is provided on the state in which each institution is located and the status of the institution (public or private) as well as the number of schools in each state and enrollment data. A classification index of universities and colleges is provided. (SM)

This paper highlights information about and suggestions for improving vocational education in the comprehensive high school that was synthesized from testimony at an American Vocational Association (AVA) hearing. An introduction describes the comprehensive high school, discusses some recent assessments of secondary vocational education, and lists the witnesses providing their testimony and submitting statements to the AVA Board of Directors at the hearing. The substance of these statements is organized and presented in three sections that focus on (1) the functions performed by and the positive value of vocational education programs in the comprehensive high school, (2) deficiencies of these programs and opportunities for qualitative improvement, and (3) courses of action proposed to correct recognized deficiencies and to enhance the quality of vocational education in the comprehensive high school. Criticisms of secondary vocational education are classified into five categories: inadequate collaboration between secondary and postsecondary education, lack of coordination with other modes of providing occupational education, failures in providing vocational education for special needs students, inability to be a responsive system, and lack of integration between general and academic curricula. Lines of action are suggested for the areas of criticism. (YLB)

Minutes of the 1980 National Marine Education Association annual board of directors' meeting are presented in this document. Included are 16 appendices (representing a major portion of the document) containing materials prepared for the meeting. These materials, which reflect the major areas addressed during the meeting, include: 1980 board of directors meeting agenda; association operations calendar; Curriculum Committee report and directions/goals of this committee; income and balance statement (August 7, 1979 through July 31, 1980); Council of Chief State School Officers Marine Education Activities 1979-1980); Honorary Membership Committee report; annual election information and ballot; Public Relations Committee forms; report on "Current: The Journal of Marine Education" and subscription form; membership category information; marine science education program descriptions; description of Northeast Conference on Marine Education for the Early Adolescent; 1981 conference information; a proposal for developing the Marine Education Network (seeking support for one national and four regional workshops to familiarize state marine education coordinators with marine-related materials, organizations, and programs necessary for diffusion of marine education in their school systems); and proposed 1980-1981 budget. Various committee reports (nominations, honorary and student membership, professional development/continuing education, and others) and other association business are included. (JN)

The federal government's role in energy education in the United States over the past 35 years is discussed, focusing on four major areas: (1) training at all academic levels; (2) instructional materials and their development; (3) conceptual foundations of energy education materials; and (4) research and evaluation studies on the effectiveness of the federal government's attempts at energy education. Among the programs reviewed are those sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Science Foundation. Also reviewed is the government response to the Arab-imposed oil embargo, formation of the Federal Energy Office (FEA), absorption of the FEA and AEC into the Energy Research and Development Administration, and the eventual establishment of the Department of Energy. In addition, government-sponsored efforts at articulating a coherent set of ideas related to energy education are reviewed. These efforts are reflected in such reports as "Fundamentals of Environmental Education,""Energy Education Workshop Handbook," and "A Conceptual Framework for Energy Education, K-12." The latter is a detailed outline for curriculum specialists, textbook writers, and producers of other forms of energy curriculum materials. The scope and conclusions of several studies of federal energy education programs concludes this document. (JM)

The committee report on the North York (Ontario) outdoor education program reviews the program and related policies, identifies concerns that need addressing, and recommends prioritized and cost-effective actions. A section of background information covers history of outdoor education, present Ministry of Education policy, and present North York Board of Education policy, and lists three program support documents published by the Board. The outdoor education program is discussed under categories of day programs, day center programs, and residential programs. A general section addresses such concerns as curriculum/program, parental permission, program awareness, transportation, budget control, records, and definition problems. A summary of recommendations lists 7 for the day program, 7 for the day center program, 11 for the residential program, and 14 general recommendations, including encouraging teachers to use out-of-classroom activities as part of regular programs, encouraging senior students to help with elementary and intermediate outdoor education programs, and preparing a television presentation on North York outdoor education programs, for public and staff information. Eleven appendices include budgets for program components, a comparison chart of metropolitan Toronto outdoor education residential centers, 9-part Board policy on outdoor education, excerpts from a transportation report, and plans for future developments. (MH)

Although individual State Advisory Councils for Vocational Education (SACVE) will differ in their opinions as to specific changes needed in the Vocational Education Act, they share a core of basic concepts about the needs of vocational education as they relate to reauthorization. Because the SACVE believe that the basis of federal involvement in vocational education and training should be developing human resources as a capital asset to the nation, they believe that the focus of vocational education reauthorization legislation should be on the provision of education and training for the development of a skilled work force. It is critical that a single educational agency be designated as the administrative authority for vocational education, because only through a single agency can articulation and coordination be achieved. Similarly, federal administrative control and federal financial support of vocational education must be maintained in order to maintain the states' capacity to address changing economic and employment needs and to ensure that state vocational education systems can be responsive to national priorities and emergencies. Other important areas that must be addressed during the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act are the need to restore citizen involvement in vocational education and the need to ensure the continuation of vocational student organizations. (MN)