Education & Pedagogy

Education reform in the 1980s and 1990s emerged from a preoccupation with productivity and economic performance. In the 1980s, the country's education system was blamed for slowing productivity growth and weakening international competitiveness. By the end of the 1990s, the economic context had changed dramatically; unemployment rates were at historical lows, stock prices remained high, and impressive developments associated with computers and the Internet seemed only to scratch the surface of the potential in that sector. Still, in education, the United States is implementing a reform agenda that was developed in one economic context and, according to its advocates, was designed to solve a particular set of economic problems. The changing international comparisons during this period have a negative influence on those aspects of the education reform agenda that were most closely tied to employers and the workplace--employer participation, work-based learning, and systems of specifically focused skill standards. There is little evidence to evaluate the relationship between education and economic performance after 20 years of education reform explicitly designed to improve that performance. Although research suggests that more education improves national economic growth and increases economic performance, exactly which skills are most important and how they should be taught is not apparent. New research should be aimed at specific workplaces and classrooms and at the determinants of individual career progression in order to develop an understanding of the education and skill needs of the economy. (Contains 47 references.) (KC)

For generations, moral development has been both a conscious aim and a formal process in Japanese education. This book investigates the history and development of Japanese moral education and analyzes and compares current moral education with the concepts of the Imperial Rescript on Education (1890) and the "shushin" moral education of prewar Japan. The book explains that the Rescript contains Confucian and Shinto precepts and was to become the codification of the moral standards of the Japanese way of life in pre-surrender Japan. The question asked is whether contemporary Japanese moral education is still influenced by the moral principles that pertained before World War II, in spite of the commonly held view that Japan has departed from "shushin" style of moral education. The book examines the ethical conditions precipitated by the "Opening" and the impact of the Rescript in theory and practice, as well as traditional moral values and the educational response to Westernization. It also describes postwar proposals for moral education, examines the role and function of current and prewar Japanese moral education, and shows the connection with Rescript values operating on and below the surface of contemporary practice. Translations of actual "dotoku" (morality) textbooks currently in use are compared in the book with the tenets of prewar moral education found in the Rescript and "shushin" texts. The book's conclusion is that Confucian ethics is still the engine of Japanese social cohesion and dynamics. Contains a chronology, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography. (BT)

A review of Indigenous education was undertaken in the Northern Territory, Australia, to determine the educational views of Indigenous communities, key issues affecting educational outcomes for Indigenous children, and supportable actions to improve those outcomes. Data collection included 126 targeted interviews, 40 public meetings, 106 formal submissions, document and literature review, and case studies of 44 schools with significant Indigenous enrollment. The review documented a widespread desire among Indigenous people for improvements in their children's education, unequivocal evidence of deteriorating outcomes from an already unacceptably low base, and substantial evidence of long-term system failure to address this situation. Deteriorating outcomes included declining attendance despite increasing enrollments, poor retention rates in secondary school, and declining literacy and numeracy skills among young people. Sections of this report cover background on previous reports and the sociocultural context; academic achievement and student evaluation procedures; school reporting systems; information technology and telecommunications; funding and costs; school facilities and infrastructure; staffing (administrator and teacher recruitment and retention, teacher education, Indigenous teachers and staff); access to and provision of early childhood, primary, secondary, postsecondary, and adult education; bilingual education and literacy acquisition; attendance, mobility, and health issues; data deficiencies; and community partnerships (school councils and Indigenous decision making). More than 150 recommendations are offered. Appendices include lists of reports and submissions used, the research methodology, the school questionnaire, Indigenous education expenditures, and a list of bilingual programs and Indigenous Australian languages used. (Contains 61 references and 33 data tables and figures.) (SV)

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of the Ohio Higher Education Partnership Project (OHEPP), a federally funded project designed to develop a model for promoting greater levels of participation within institutions of higher education by parents of children with disabilities. OHEPP has the following three objectives: (1) to develop and support parent-faculty "teams" throughout the state; (2) to provide financial support for parent involvement; and (3) to develop a strategic plan for ongoing financial support for parent participation in higher education in Ohio. OHEPP developed an instructional model that included the following components: (a) developing parent skills and understanding of higher education; (b) promoting access to and financial support of parents; and (c) increasing faculty receptiveness to parent-participation. The project resulted in an increase in the number of parents involved in higher education and an increase in the number and types of courses in which parents were involved. In addition, the role of parents on instructional teams in higher education expanded. Finally, students demonstrated a change in the way they viewed the role of parents of children with disabilities in higher education. The training activities included workshops and retreats. The parent activities were consistent with recommended practices for personnel preparation as instructors, mentors and supervisors. In summary, the project trained many parents in many roles on parent-faculty teams, and it helped meet the need to train practitioners in the principles of family-centered care for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. Includes references, a short videotape, and two powerpoint presentations. (Author/SG)

This 23rd annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA) discusses the progress of students with disabilities. It includes a number of modules reporting on the results of the National Assessment. Section 1 includes five modules that present statereported data on high school gradation rates for students with disabilities, information about the participation and performance of students with disabilities in state assessments, challenges to providing secondary education and strategies, outcomes for students with problem behaviors, and data from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study. Section 2 contains information on the characteristics of students receiving services under IDEA. The five modules in Section 3 examine some of the programs and services available within schools for children with disabilities and include preliminary results from the National Assessment Program. Educational environments, family involvement, personnel needs, early intervention services, and state and local implementation are discussed. The final section contains three modules describing state improvement activities, the planning process used to develop the Part D National Activities Program, and the National Assessment Program. Extensive appendices provide data tables on child count, placement, personnel, graduation rates, discipline, population and enrollment, and early intervention. (Sections contain references.) (CR)

This collection of essays offers new perspectives for science educators, curriculum theorists, and cultural critics on science education, French post-structural thought, and the science debates. This book contains chapters on the work of Bruno Latour, Michael Serres, and Jean Baudrillard plus chapters on postmodern approaches to science education and critiques of modern scientific assumptions in curriculum development. Chapters include: (1) "(Post)Modern Science (Education): Propositions and Alternative Paths" (John A. Weaver); (2) "Science as Curriculum Theory" (Marla Morris); (3) "The Object(s) of Culture: Bruno Latour and the Relationship between Science and Culture" (William E. Doll, Jr., Franc Feng, and Stephen Petrina); (4) "Bachelard as Constructivist" (Eva Krugly-Smolska); (5) "The Simulacra of Science Education" (David W. Blades); (6) "Serres Bugs the Curriculum" (Marla Morris); (7) "Pastiche Science: Bringing Cultural Studies of Science to Education and Education to the Cultural Studies of Science" (Peter Appelbaum); (8) "Science Education through Situated Knowledge" (Matthew Weinstein); (9) "Genre Analysis as a Way of Understanding Pedagogy in Mathematics Education" (Susan Gerofsky); (10) "A Feminist Revisioning of Infinity: Small Speculations on a Large Subject" (Elaine V. Howes and Bill Rosenthal); (11) "Cookbook Classrooms; Cognitive Capitulation" (Dave Pushkin); (12) "Modernist Traditions in Supervision and the Illusions of Science and Objectivity" (Jeffrey Glanz); (13) "Pedagogies of the Cultural Studies of Science" (John A. Weaver and Karen Anijar); (14) "Teaching in the (Crash) Zone: Manifesting Cultural Studies in Science Education" (Noel Gough); and (15) "Pedagogies of Science (In)Formed by Global Perspectives: Encouraging Strong Objectivity in Classrooms" (Annette Gough). (MM)

The Institute for Aboriginal Development (IAD) is an Aboriginal-controlled language resource center and adult education center serving the Aboriginal communities of central Australia. Its activities include education programs, which range from literacy and numeracy to vocational and tertiary-level courses; an Aboriginal language and culture center specializing in language, cross-cultural, and cultural maintenance programs, as well as providing interpreter services and language research; and a publishing arm, which produces material on the Aboriginal people, language, and culture of central Australia. IAD aims to be an Indigenous university recognized and funded as a mainstream postsecondary organization. Toward this end, IAD has partnered with La Trobe University to develop university-level courses. The Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers, of which IAD is a member, has proposed the creation of an Indigenous-controlled multi-campus university in Australia and the joining with other Indigenous peoples around the world to develop a genuine anti- and post-colonial education system. IAD believes that empowerment of Aboriginal people will come through land rights, education, and health. Accessing ancestral lands maintains spiritual and cultural links and encourages taking care of them. Education gives people the skills and knowledge to maintain the land, and health awareness incorporated into curricula improves the quality of life. Language maintenance is a priority toward achieving these ends and is incorporated into the curriculum. (TD)

The fifth in a series of studies investigating the educational context and outcomes for high school students with disabilities, this study examined instruction provided in inclusive general education classes in three high schools in urban areas, three in suburban areas, and three in rural areas. Five ninth-grade classes, including biology, algebra, Spanish I, English, and social studies, were observed in each school. Observers used a time-sampling observation system to record the behaviors of the teachers and students with disabilities. General education teachers rated their satisfaction with aspects related to the education of students with disabilities in general education classes, such as their relationship with special education teachers, the outcomes produced, and their own performance in helping these students succeed. Results indicated that teachers were talking and students were listening a large majority of time in general education classes. No research-based programs and few instructional methods were being used, nor was technology being used to aid instruction. Almost no accommodations were being used for students with disabilities. General education teachers were not very satisfied with the way special education teachers are working with them on behalf of students with disabilities or their own performance. Student Observation Sheet and Teacher Observation Sheet are appended. (Contains 43 references, 21 tables, and 12 figures.) (Author/CR)

The vocational education (VE) system in China has been reformed and redeveloped over the past 20 years and now has a rational structure and stages from junior to senior levels that match the industrial sectors and link to regular secondary education. The reform and development of the Chinese VE system was carried out in three stages. The senior secondary VE was reformed beginning in 1980, while active development of the higher education VE system began in 1994. Beginning in 1998, attention was turned to articulation of the VE system to facilitate communication and movement between vocational education and higher education. Today the system of VE in China consists of education in vocational schools and vocational training at three levels. Junior secondary VE schools are located mainly in rural areas where the economy is less developed. In 1999, 900,800 students were in enrolled in 1,319 such schools. The senior secondary level (senior high school) is composed of 3,962 specialized schools, 8,317 high schools, 4,098 skilled worker schools, and 5,165 adult specialized schools (in 1999). Higher vocational education (2-3 years) mainly enrolls students from regular high schools and secondary vocational schools, with courses aimed at the training of practice-oriented and craft-oriented talents. Problems faced by the school-based VE system in China include the following: (1) enterprises don't want to cooperate with the VE system; (2) the quality of VE cannot meet the demands of the labor market; and (3) articulation of the VE system is not well established. Further research is needed to improve the development of VE in China. (KC)

This paper describes an action plan for integrating multicultural theory into a teacher education social foundations course and presents results from an evaluation of this effort. The action plan for the course was to integrate the theory and practice of multicultural education across five master questions posed by T. Berg (1999) and in the context of five dimensions of multicultural education defined by J. Banks (1995). "Schools in Communities" was planned as an undergraduate course to introduce students to the foundations of education by studying social, philosophical, and historical aspects of U.S. culture. Through the use of the five master questions and the five dimensions of multicultural education, students were to focus on the forces and influences that guide the U.S. education system and the individual classroom. Among the features of the course were the use of texts representing the diversity of students, including examples from children's literature, and a variety of enrichment experiences, ranging from speakers through videos and interactive technology. Students also conducted an ethnographic study of a school. The responses of 27 students (7 African American, 18 Caucasian, 1 Arab) showed gains in their appreciation of the complexity of education and the relationship between schools and society. Twelve of the students commented that they really enjoyed the class, and 14 said that the class had opened their eyes to many educational issues. An appendix contains the course syllabus and some supplemental information. (SLD)

This volume of essays, spanning philosophy, history, sociology, and political science seeks to demonstrate that the democratic purposes of education are not outmoded but can continue to be driving forces in public education. Nine original articles examine how those democratic purposes might be redefined and revived. The volume both establishes the intellectual foundation for revitalizing U.S. schools and offers concrete ideas for how the educational process can be made more democratic. The collection is divided into three broad parts: "Part 1: The Philosophy and Practice of Civic Education"; "Part 2: Approaches to Studying the Politics of Education"; and "Part 3: Focusing on Democratic Purposes: Implications for Education Policy." The following essays are in the collection: (1)"Defining Democratic Purposes" (Lorraine M. McDonnell); (2) "What the American Founders Have To Teach Us about Schooling for Democratic Citizenship" (Lorraine Smith Pangle; Thomas L. Pangle); (3) "Toward a Political Economy of Citizenship: Historical Perspectives on the Purposes of Common Schools" (Carl F. Kaestle); (4) "Why Should Schools Care about Civic Education?" (Amy Gutmann); (5) "A Political Socialization Perspective" (Pamela Johnston Conover; Donald D. Searing); (6) "The Two Democratic Purposes of Public Education" (Terry M. Moe); (7) "Democracy and Schooling: An Institutional Perspective" (James G. March; Johan P. Olsen); (8) "Seeking a New Politics of Education" (Lorraine M. McDonnell; M. Stephen Weatherford); and (9) "Democratic Education and the American Dream" (Jennifer L. Hochschild; Nathan Scovronick). Each essay includes notes. (Contains a very extensive selected bibliography.) (BT)

Peruvian education achieved notable successes in the late 20th century, with primary education reaching almost all children and secondary institutions enrolling about 80 percent of 12- to 16-year-olds. Public expenditure on education increased steadily in the 1990s but was still significantly less than the Latin American average. This report examines Peruvian data from 1990 to 1997 on enrollments; expenditures; system performance indicators (access, grade repetition, completion rates, labor market outcomes, learning outcomes); teacher qualifications and salaries; and teaching conditions. It concludes that Peru's high participation rates with low expenditures were made possible by relatively equitable public expenditures focused on basic education; the ability to contain salary costs; and households' high level of educational spending. However, expanding access under extreme resource constraints has come at the expense of quality. There are large gaps in school survival rates between rich and poor, between rural and urban, and between indigenous and nonindigenous populations; large between-school variance in student achievement; and rising returns to higher levels of education. These findings indicate that policy changes could make a difference, particularly to disadvantaged students. Recommendations include improving equity by targeting disadvantaged groups, particularly rural and indigenous children; enhancing quality of schools, teachers, and instruction; and improving efficiency of resource use. Background notes describe the structure of education, methodology and statistical analyses, and the system of teacher education and professional development. Appendices present extensive data tables. (Contains 117 references.) (SV)

A survey commissioned by the National Education Association studied how state legislators, especially those in leadership positions, view the current landscape for higher education in their states. The findings are based on in-depth, one-on-one telephone interviews conducted from July 2000 through February 2001 with 64 house and senate education leaders, representing the legislatures of all 50 states. When asked to identify their state's most important strategic needs, state legislators highlighted three key roles for higher education: (1) strengthen and diversity the economy; (2) prepare and train a high-skills, high-wage workforce; and (3) raise the level of educational attainment of the state's population. Legislative priorities and strategies mentioned by legislators are designed to address two major challenges that higher education faces in meeting state needs: improving the responsiveness of the higher education system and accommodating changing demands for access to higher education. State appropriations for higher education operating funds have increased on average 7% annually for the past 3 years, but legislators generally believe that these funds are not adequate. As state budgets tighten, higher education's long-standing role as a "budget balancer" makes it particularly vulnerable to cuts. How higher education will fare in the changed economic environment is difficult to predict. Three appendixes contain a discussion of research methodology, the interview protocol, and a state data table. (Contains 9 figures, 1 table, and 26 endnotes.) (SLD)

This book assesses the current state of adult education, including the traditions out of which adult education comes, its current problems, and its possible futures. It begins with an overview of Ivan Illich's theory and explains its significance for adult education. Part 1 examines the main historical traditions in adult education, including the education and development fostered by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization); the theories of pragmatism (Dewey, Lindeman, experiential learning, symbolic interactionism), humanism (Rogers, Knowles, Brookfield) and Marxism (Freire, participatory action research) and the role of adult education in modern industrial development. Part 2 looks at more recent trends, including "turbo" capitalism, erosion of the welfare state, postmodernism, and the ecological crisis. Next the authors discuss privatization of adult education (customized learning for individuals) and instrumentalism (learning for earning). In Part 3, the authors maintain that adult education's longstanding commitment to deliver social change ran into difficulties in the 1980s and 1990s. After a chapter on how adult educators can "learn their way out" of the negative influences of recent trends, the book concludes by identifying possible future scenarios; the challenges confronting adult educators still committed to social change; and features that can contribute to "learning our way out of" the current impasse in adult education. (Contains 465 references.) (KC)

Today's workplace must employ knowledgeable, flexible, efficient, and adaptable workers who are lifelong learners. Adult learners need to be updated on the latest changes in the structure of the business environment. Business programs must respond to corporate and personal development needs by designing curriculum that embraces the management skills required by a changing business world. Because of workplace changes, managers need to cultivate change skills (such as flexibility, efficiency, and adaptability) in themselves and workers. People and corporations are undergoing paradigm shifts, where the accepted reality of their world is changing. Businesses are recognizing innovative ways to increase productivity by redesigning entire critical business processes and using technology to support the new designs. Business leaders must know how to attract, train, and retain "knowledge workers." E-learning offers 10 major advantages to the business world and work force: real-time learning; learner-centric training; learning-on-demand, which can help attract, train, and retain key workers; personalized individual training; ownership and empowerment; simulation; collaboration; training anytime and anywhere; cost effectiveness; and quantifiable return-on-investment. Employee education methods must be flexible and cost-efficient. The need for organizations to promote and capture learning at the individual, team, and organizational levels has fueled considerable interest in the concept of the learning organization. Online learning is effective and efficient. (Contains 15 references.) (YLB)