Education & Pedagogy

Economists agree neither on the means for assessing education's contribution to the growth of productivity in the national economy nor on the role of education in the recent slowdown in productivity growth. Consequently, neither economists nor educators can confidently recommend a set of policies that will clearly lead to increases in education's contribution to productivity growth. In response to this need, the National Institute of Education (NIE) has begun a research program to explore the links between education and productivity, to develop improved methodology for conducting research in the field, and to examine a range of policy alternatives for increasing education's contribution to productivity growth. As a first step in addressing these research problems and policy issues, the NIE has commissioned six papers and plans to hold a conference in 1982 on education's contribution to productivity. Titles of the papers commissioned include "New Research Approaches to Measuring the Impact of Education on Productivity: The Growth Accounting Framework," by Dale Jorgenson; "Guides for the Development of Educational Policy: Equity, Efficiency, and the Measurement of Educational Quality," by W. Lee Hansen; "An Assessment of Existing Approaches to Measuring the Impact of Education on Productivity," by Finis Welch; "The Effects of Education on Productivity through Its Effects on Innovation and Research and Development," by Edwin Mansfield; "Education, Organization Design, and Productivity," by Edward E. Lawler, and "Private and Social Returns to Investment in Education and Implications for Productivity Growth," by Robert H. Haveman and Barbara L. Wolfe. (MN)

For the past two decades, Syracuse University has been publishing studies in adult and continuing education and collecting resources in those fields. This work has been collected through the Syracuse University Resources for Educators of Adults (SUREA) program and the Syracuse University Publications Program in Continuing Education (SUPCE). SUPCE was founded in 1968 to help meet the demonstrated demand for quality studies in the field of adult and continuing education. It was funded in 1972 by the Syracuse University, the Fund for Adult Education, and by a five-year grant from the Ford Foundation. SUPCE includes more than 300 publications, such as the following: publications of the Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, Landmark and New Horizon series, William Pearson Tolley Medal series, the American Foundation for Continuing Education, and the International Handbook for Resources for Educators of Adults. SUPCE continues as a publisher of adult and continuing education materials and, in the future, will place emphasis on materials related to resources for educators of adults. SUREA is a university-wide program whose collections are now housed in the Ernest S. Bird Library. It began in the 1950s; through grants, the collection grew to include materials in a variety of formats: books, tapes, recordings, personal papers, photographs, pamphlets, periodicals, newsletters, and oral history. SUREA has formed the Associated Resource Centers in Adult Education to promote networks and cooperative relationships among adult education resource centers nationally and internationally, and this effort will continue in the future. (Information on obtaining materials from SUPCE and SUREA is included in the report.) (KC)

This volume is composed of 11 source documents which report activities sponsored by the National Science Board Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, deliberations of a subgroup of the National Science Foundation Engineering Advisory Committee, and a paper prepared for the Pfizer Corporation. The first four presentations address the teaching/learning of mathematics, science, and technology in grades K-12. Issues of appropriate content and process are discussed. Suggestions for changing some of the content of traditional elementary and secondary education are presented and arguments for the need for all students to study mathematics, science, and technology every year during their elementary/secondary education are made. Section five reports on the uses of technology as a tool in education rather than learning about technology. The last five sections report on: research and cognition and behavior relevant to education in mathematics, science, and technology; results of a 50-state survey of initiatives in science, mathematics, and computer education; magnet schools; an assessment of programs that facilitate increased access and achievement of females and minorities in K-12 mathematics and science education; a case study of Lyons Township (LaGrange, Illinois) high school computer literacy program; and business' role in precollegiate education. (JN)

Because of the critical importance of education to the productivity and competitiveness of business, the Ad Hoc Committee on Education, comprised of senior executives from major corporations, was established in November 1987 to identify actions the Business Roundtable could take to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education in the United States. The following recommendations are made: (1) the Business Roundtable should initiate no further studies on education, but rather build upon the research already conducted; (2) the Business Roundtable should make a sustained commitment to an effort lead by chief executive officers (CEOs); (3) the Business Roundtable as a national organization should influence education at the Federal level, including the subject of national curriculum standards; (4) the Business Roundtable should provide guidance and information to member companies on education programs and policies through the CEO-led effort; (5) Roundtable companies should develop and strengthen school/business partnerships at the state and local level; and (6) Roundtable companies should endorse public policy issues at the state and local levels that encourage focus on issues such as curriculum standards, teacher competency, and teacher compensation. The recommendations of 16 education studies are summarized on a chart, and most of the studies themselves are summarized in an appendix. Other appendices provide a short list of references, and figures illustrating the Fiscal Year 1989 budget of the United States Department of Education, and the spending on elementary and secondary public education for the school year 1987-88. (BJV)

This report of Colorado's 1987 Migrant Education Health Program details activities under the program, a cooperative undertaking by the state Health and Education departments. The report was written to provide: (1) assurance that the program's services have been within the scope and financial estimates of the interagency agreement; (2) a body of information for Migrant Education staff and parents concerning the relative health status and needs of Colorado's migrant children; and (3) planning assistance for the 1988 Migrant Education Health Program. This document includes statistics about the relative health of state migrant students and discusses the roles played by community and staff, including 21 health professional students and interns. This document details the health of the migrant students, including statistics on height, weight, hearing, vision, dental health, blood pressures, blood tests, skin tests, and scoliosis. Health education class activities are explained and attendance figures offered. An overview of the 1987 budget is included. A section on "Preparing for 1988" looks specifically into the areas of health education needs, the use of volunteers, and a summer "Life Choices" health and values education program. The second half of this document is a Migrant Education Health program grant proposal for 1988 operations. The proposal reviews the 1987 program and offers some 1988 goals. It proposes a continuation of medical screening, case management, dental services, and health education services. It explains the 1988 program budget, proposed staffing patterns for 13 locations and the role responsibilities for various departments and staff members. This document includes 39 graphs and tables. (TES)

Since 1979, education has had a key role in promoting social change in Nicaragua. Toward that end, the education system is expected to contribute to: (1) the formation of a "new person," a more critically conscious and participatory citizen who is motivated by collective goals; and (2) the transmission of the skills and knowledge to overcome decades of underdevelopment and set the nation on the path of self-sustaining growth. This paper is a survey of education in Nicaragua before and after the revolution that overthrew the Somoza dynasty in 1979. During the Somoza period, half the nation was illiterate with more than three-fourths of rural populations unable to read or write. Like most Latin American countries, Nicaragua under Somoza provided extensive education at public expense to urban elites, but failed to provide more minimal primary education or even basic literacy to a majority of its citizens. The new regime, despite setbacks, constraints, and challenges posed by intensified external aggression against the Sandinista regime, has nevertheless carried out a successful national literacy crusade and a followup program of popular education for newly literate adults and youths. It still remains to be seen, however, whether the newly acquired skills and knowledge will contribute substantially to increasing economic productivity, better health, more adequate housing, and effective communal action. The reconstruction of the Nicaraguan education system is only beginning. (TE)

As the United States faces great changes in the economy and society, more skilled workers are needed to keep the country competitive. However, half of the young people are being miseducated. A coordinated approach to the problem would be to provide a program responsive to the complex interaction of the job-related education needs of students and adults, the business community, labor and the job market, and the nation's economy. Vocational education needs to be tailored to all students, to teach them in the way they best learn. Presently, a bill known as the "Tech-Prep Education Act" is being considered by Congress. The bill provides for the establishment of grants to consortia of local education agencies and community colleges for the purpose of developing and operating four-year technical preparation programs. These programs would consist of the last two years of secondary school plus two years of higher education, and they would include a common core of mathematics, science, communications, and technologies. The student would graduate with an associate degree in a specific career field. A number of demonstration projects similar to the concept of the "tech-prep" bill have been conducted successfully in the past 20 years, and they could serve as models for future programs, whether or not the "tech-prep" bill is passed. The bill recognizes that vocational education can be effective in increasing the nation's productivity. With this bill, vocational education truly enters the mainstream of U.S. education. (KC)

This issue contains an introduction ("The Promise and Perplexity of Globalism," by W. Longstreet) and seven articles dedicated to exploring the meaning of global education for today's schools. "Global Education: An Overview" (J. Becker) develops possible definitions, identifies objectives and skills, and addresses questions and issues in this area. "Toward a Coherent Curriculum for Global Education" (J. Becker) makes a case for improving and expanding the global dimensions of education due to the greater intermixing of peoples and cultures and the changing role of the United States in world affairs. "The Challenges Facing Global Education" (D. Metzger) identifies several barriers to the entry of global education into the social studies curriculum. "Is It a System? Building a Global Perspective in the Elementary and Middle Grades" (A. Angell) establishes the importance of systems thinking as an aid in helping students conceptualize the intricate web of relationships on the planet. "A Mock U.N. Game: Teaching Global Awareness" (J. Regenbogen) is a brief description of a mock U.N. "Global Peace Begins in Our Classrooms" (K. London) cites the importance of waging peace instead of war and through a discussion of the concepts of building for peace and instructional methods for teaching about peace shows how peace education can be instituted. "Revising the American Character: Perspectives on Global Education and Multicultural Education" (S. Fain) examines the role of multicultural education in the curriculum development process required for redefining the world view. (PPB)

In this report, the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, having considered Senate bill 1645 (S. 1645) to reauthorize certain Indian educational programs, presents an amended bill and recommends its passage by unanimous vote. In late 1986, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) proposed to turn over all BIA schools to the states, if affected tribes refused to contract for their operation. Indian reaction to this proposal was strongly negative. S. 1645 as introduced placed BIA schools under Congressional "protection" and froze certain education regulations in place. The Committee substitute bill simply prohibits transfer of BIA schools to non-tribal entities without tribal or Congressional consent, and it establishes regional panels to review BIA education regulations. The amended bill also (1) adds a small formula grant to tribal supplemental programs for early childhood education; (2) rewrites scattered authorizations to create a single document covering the entire Indian Education Act; (3) clarifies eligibility requirements for Indian students in public schools; (4) establishes Gifted and Talented Centers at two tribal colleges; (5) requires that Indian preference be used in employment at the Office of Indian Education, Department of Education; and (6) proposes a White House Conference on Indian education. The report includes background and legislative history of S. 1645, section by section analysis, a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, letters of strong opposition from the BIA and partial opposition from the Department of Education, and the texts of all changes to existing laws made by S. 1645. (SV)

This report provides a policy framework for specific programs that will improve the achievement of minority students in the Illinois educational system. All levels of education from pre-kindergarten through graduate education must be involved in designing and making such programs work. Education is the key element that can enable minorities to overcome conditions of racism and poverty and to better their lives. The numbers of minority students enrolled at each successive level of education from elementary through postgraduate have been continually decreasing. The following issues are examined to demonstrate the importance of minority education: Minorities are a growing portion of the population of Illinois; minorities are underrepresented in the work force; the success of the work force in meeting the demands of the market depends upon the success of people in completing high school and programs beyond high school. An overview of minorities in elementary, secondary, and higher education in Illinois is provided. The following recommendations for action are offered: (1) make minority student achievement a priority in Illinois; (2) provide support programs early and throughout education; (3) promote change in the school/campus environment for minority students; (4) promote increasing the employment of minority teaching and administrative personnel; and (5) monitor programs and student progress closely. A list of references is provided. Statistical data on the population of Illinois, school enrollment, and education requirements of the labor market are appended. (BJV)

An investigation into the costs of adult continuing education in Ontario was conducted to provide information that could be used in setting the level of provincial grants for continuing education programs. The research was carried out over a 6-month period from April to October 1987. The research strategy involved three stages: a review of the literature on continuing education funding, a survey of 1986 continuing education expenditures in Ontario school boards, and six case studies of continuing education programs in a sample of Ontario school boards. An analysis of the data gathered found five key issues and five subordinate issues. Key issues are as follows: (1) the average expenditure per continuing education average daily enrollment in 1986 for the province as a whole was $2,816; (2) it is unlikely that current differences in rates of pay between continuing education and day school teachers will remain, especially in the case of credit classes for which certificated teachers are required; (3) expenditures per pupil for continuing education programs are less than those for day school programs in large part due to the lower levels of service being provided; (4) adult continuing education is the "frontier" of educational development and is in a state of disarray; and (5) the lack of provincial funding for all general interest courses deprives some groups of this service and the opportunity to enhance the skills and health of Ontario residents. (Two appendices making up nearly half the document contain (1) the six case studies and (2) the questionnaires and interview guides. A brief bibliography is included. (KC)

Fifteen papers from the University of South Africa's Conference on Distance Education are presented on media and technology. They include: "Video Education: What Went Wrong and Why It Is Tomorrow's Teacher If Used Correctly" (William M. Smith); "Formative Evaluation of ETV Programmes" (Aliza Duby); "Distance Education for South African Adult Learners: The Role of Educational Technology" (Jeff Wolfson); "The Role of Radio and Television in Distance Education" (Anina Maree); "The Potential of Sound Cassettes in Distance Education" (Johan Freysen); "The Use of Satellites for Distance Education: A New Model for South Africa" (I. Ural); "Community Information for the Functionally Illiterate in South Africa by Means of Audio Cassettes" (A.P. du Plooy); "The Botswana Experiment: The Feasibility of Communication Technology in a Distance Learning Innovation in Southern Africa" (R. Kenneth Jones, Kathlene Higgins); "The Use of Audio-Cassettes in Distance Education" (Andre I. le Roux); "The Telephone at UNISA" (C.C. Herbst); "UNISA and Beltel: A Marriage of Convenience?" (Calvyn Potgieter); "The UNISA Beltel Project" (Jean-Paul Genot); "Communication Media and Distance Education (Media Design: An Integral Part of Course Design)" (C. Potgieter); "Supplying Library Materials to Undergraduate Students of a Distance Teaching University" (N. Shillinglaw); and "Post-Graduate Students and the Library at a Distance Teaching University" (Robert Poller). (LB)

The Ohio State University College of Education, in response to the discovery that its multicultural education program did not meet the standard of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, conducted a survey of student teachers in 1985-86 to assess students' opinions and knowledge of multicultural education. Four survey instruments were developed and distributed randomly. Total response rate exceeded 90% (n=614), and each of the four surveys was completed by one-fourth of the respondents. The results of the analysis of two of the four surveys are presented here. Based on the results, the following conclusions were drawn about 30% to 40% of the student teachers and the preparation they had received: students showed a lack of empathy with minority problems in regard to institutional racism; students demonstrated a lack of knowledge about indirect, non-proximate causes for human actions; and students expressed a lack of confidence in education and politics as sources for change in the way in which people think and act relative to pluralistic values. Recommendations were made regarding the attitudes, understanding and abilities that graduates should have, with suggestions for operationalization that include: at least one course dealing with different cultural groups; budgeting to plan and implement inservice programs for faculty on including multicultural education content in their courses; direct field experiences with multicultural populations; employment of more ethnic and racial minorities among faculty and staff; and rewards, through promotion, tenure and merit pay, for work on multicultural education. Recommendations for research are also provided. Data are summarized in 6 tables. (KM)

A study examined ways in which experienced, full-time Technical and Further Education (TAFE) lecturers can regularly update their technical knowledge and skills, especially in reference to the rapid technological changes occurring in industry and commerce. The research was conducted at four levels; three surveys were conducted. In the first, registrars of 19 universities and 15 colleges of advanced education were surveyed about any courses offered by their institutions that could be suitable for full-time TAFE college lecturers. The second survey requested information about continuing education available through Australia's TAFE professional development units, and in the third survey, executive officers of national industry training committees were asked to give their opinions on ways in which TAFE lecturers could regularly update their technical knowledge and skills. The survey responses indicated that there is an urgent need for continuing education programs that would enable lecturers to keep abreast of technological changes and that would bring lecturers into close contact with industry and business. At the time of the study, higher education was doing little to meet the continuing education needs of TAFE lecturers, and in-house, inservice courses were the most common method of providing continuing education to TAFE lecturers. Two ways of meeting professional development needs mentioned were (1) providing small research and development grants to TAFE colleges for those industrial and commercial subject areas represented in the colleges and (2) releasing lecturers so that they can spend regular periods in industry or business settings. The three questionnaires and a project brief are appended. (MN)

The mission of vocational education has always been to provide a skilled work force for society. As society and work evolve through the influence of demographic, social, economic, technological, and political changes, the essential purposes of vocational education must be made appropriate for the emerging advanced technical society. To devise scenarios for creating preferred alternative futures, a combination of three perspectives can be used. The futuristic perspective involves assessing society and work by forecasting what can be, what is likely to be, and what should be. In the holistic perspective, an audit of current conditions considers the implications of a global economy, international competition, and scientific advances for vocational education. The outcomes perspective is derived from research on outcomes of education that yields new criteria for evaluation of education and training. From these perspectives, alternatives can be developed involving increased or diminished emphasis on vocational education. Staffing the education and training system of the future thus revolves around such issues as vocational teacher supply and demand, recruitment, and retention. The transition to an advanced technical society necessitates the redesign of the education and training system through (1) policy targeted at research and human resource development, (2) leadership that can implement the concepts of strategic planning to create visions and preferred scenarios, and (3) cooperation of a broad range of institutions and education and training providers in the realization of these visions. A five-page list of references concludes the document. (SK)