Education & Pedagogy

Underprepared college students are a continuing challenge for higher education institutions. Many students arrive at institutions of higher education with weak academic skills and are unable to do college-level school work. As a result, developmental education programs are required to address these inadequacies in student preparation. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of these developmental education programs. The goal is to determine the relationship between developmental education programs in West Virginia four-year higher education institutions and the success of the students in these programs as measured by degree completion and the terms to degree required to complete the degree program. The population for this study was 17,168 recent high school graduates who were full-time, first-year students at the ten public four-year public institutions in West Virginia in the fall terms of 2002 and 2003. For the study the population (N = 17,168) was divided into two groups, those students who took developmental education (4,594 students) and those students who did not take developmental education (12,574 students). Variables predicted to influence the likelihood of graduation and the time to degree were included in the conceptual areas of student background, academic preparation, institutional factors, and financial aid received. A quasi-experimental research technique, coarsened exact matching, was used to assess differences in outcomes for students who participated in developmental education while controlling for selection bias. The study found that student who took developmental education courses were less likely to graduate than similar student who did not take developmental education. Also, students that took developmental education courses took longer to graduate than similar student who did not have to take developmental education. These findings echo those of Attewell, Lavin, Domina, and Levey (2006), Martorell and McFarlin (2007), and Calcagno and Long (2008) in that students who take any developmental education courses, even if they passed those courses, were less likely to graduate within six years and would require more time in their pursuit of degree attainment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Concerns about the professional development of teachers have a political dimension as governments around the world engage in the discourse on global standards and want to improve the quality of their school education. Increasingly, teachers are feeling the pressure of securing high achievement scores and large-scale assessments of student learning by external agencies are increasingly used as indicators of teacher quality and as evidence to argue for improved teacher preparation programmes. In India, the issue of teacher training was flagged early in the policy discourse around Indian education, and the Education Commission of 1966 discussed this subject. Between 1995 and 2000, the number of teacher education institutes in India increased seven-fold, and much of this expansion occurred in the private sector. This has led to a sharp decline in the quality of teacher education programmes, and the recent report of the high-powered commission on teacher education, constituted by the Supreme Court, is timely and its recommendations need to be taken seriously. The members of the commission included eminent educationists like Goverdhan Mehta, M. Anandakrishnan, R. Govinda, Mrinal Miri, A.K.S. Sharma and Poonam Batra. The long and consistent stand on teacher education taken by the members is clearly seen in the report. The commission, chaired by Justice J.S. Verma, tabled its report in August 2012. Subsequently, the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE), the highest advisory body to advise the central and state governments in the field of education, at its 60th meeting, approved the recommendations made by the commission. Acknowledging that teacher education is a subject of great national importance, the commission has underlined the need to establish a national-level academic body that can continually review teacher education programmes and look into the development of resources, both human and material, required to run these programmes. This article concludes that the Justice Verma Commission on Teacher Education has comprehensively reviewed the various issues and concerns related to teacher education in the Indian context, and its recommendations are in keeping with the existing policy framework for the universalisation of quality education. However, as Justice Verma has said in the report, such exercises can have the desired effect only after implementation.

This work explores the system of public education in Kars Oblast in the period 1878-1917. The present part of the work covers the period 1908-1917, which spans the timeframe from the commencement of preparatory activities on the introduction of compulsory primary education to the start of the February Revolution. The key sources used in putting this work together are the annual Reports on Educational Institutions in the Caucasus Educational District, which provide data on the region's schools run by the Ministry of Public Education, and the Reports of the Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod, which contain information on the region's parochial schools. Of major importance are also the records of the Ministry of Public Education stored in the Russian State Historical Archive (Saint Petersburg, Russia). The authors' conclusion is that Kars Oblast's system of public education was characterized by a number of distinctive features. Creating the system of public education from scratch subsequent to the incorporation of the formerly Turkish-controlled areas into the Russian Empire required convincing the locals of the need to have their children attend Russian secular schools. A key role in making primary education accessible was played by the implementation of the project on the introduction of compulsory primary education. In the period from 1908 to 1914, the number of ministerial primary schools in the region rose from 66 to 202. This helped increase the number of students in the region from 4,000 to 12,000. In addition to this, a large amount of work in the area of public education was also conducted by the Russian Orthodox Church, which ran over 60 primary schools in the region. By the start of World War I, schools in Kars Oblast were attended by nearly 100 % of all Russian boys in the region, with similar figures posted by the region's Greek and Armenian boys and much lower ones exhibited by its girl population. However, on the war's eve, the region's female education system was making such headway that the school system seemed capable of reaching all of its Christian population by as early as the period 1916-1917, which, of course, was achievable on condition that the pace carried on.

This study was conducted to determine the views of academicians regarding "The Views of Physical Education and Sports Teaching Instructors on Education in the Covid-19 Period". The study used the phenomenological design, which is among qualitative research designs. The study group comprised 63 academicians carrying out duty in 21 different universities in Turkey during the 2019-2020 academic year. In line with the goal, the study was carried out with academicians who could contribute on voluntary basis. In order to determine the views of the academicians, a structured interview form was used. The interview form comprises four questions aiming to determine the necessity of distance education in the physical education area, which courses in the area can be given within the scope of distance education, possibility of teaching applied courses via distance education and problems they face in courses in the distance education process which has been put into effect compulsorily due to pandemic. The interview form was presented to the opinion of two instructors in the educational sciences area who have carried out qualitative research and then expert opinion was received. The application was conducted by primarily reaching the aforementioned academicians via telephone interview between 1 June-27 July 2020 and conveying the questions via e-mail. The descriptive analysis technique was used in analysis of the data. In the study 79% of the academicians stressed that applied courses should not be taught via distance education, while 52% stated that all theoretical courses could be taught via distance education. Examining the views of the academicians on the problems they faced in courses in the distance education process; 55% stated that the problems were associated with the system, 36% efficiency of the course, 30% inadequate student participation in the course, 21% inadequate student feedback, 21% evaluation, 19% inexperience about distance education and 17% lack of internet and computer opportunities in hometowns of students. Considering the findings of the study integratedly; it is believed that teaching applied courses via distance education is inadequate and inefficient. Also it is possible to state that it may not be appropriate to teach theoretical courses via distance education, except when necessary.

This conference addressed the themes of faculty development in the liberal arts and business careers; class, race, ethnicity, and gender; the canon and conflict of change; and critical thinking, critical writing, and critical living. Following an introduction by Roberta S. Matthews, this collection of conference proceedings contains the following 18 presentations: (1) "General Education and the Community College," a keynote address by Gary E. Miller, with panel responses from Thomas Leemon, Larry Rushing and John Vasquez; (2) "Striking the Balance: A Funder's View of General Education," a keynote address by Alison Bernstein with panel responses from Audrey W. Harrigan, George Higginbottom and Marie Jean Lederman; (3) "An Archaeology of the Canon: A Liberal Artist Digs the Core," by John O. Stevenson, Jr.; (4) "Criteria for a Canon of Learning," by James P. Yess and John W. McCormack; (5) "Enriching the Culture of the Community College through the Humanities," by Evelyn Edson, Teresa Cook, Barbara MacCallum, James R. Perkins, and Kay Bethea; (6) "A 'Method Core' Curriculum," by Norah C. Chase; (7) "General Education and the Conflict of Change," by Pat Colgate; (8) "Class, Gender and Race: The Connecting Task of Narrative in General Education," by Kent Mitchell; (9) "General Education and the Social Delimitation of Class, Gender, Race and Ethnicity," by Richard V. Rapacz; (10) "Faculty Development: An Essential Component of a General Education Program," by Lenore R. Gall; (11) "The Role Model Problem in General Education," by Derek Harrison; (12) "Alternate Learning Structures to Strengthen General Education for Business Students," by Meryl Sussman; (13) "General Education as a Way Not to Pull the Leg of the Student Body," by Silvio Torres-Saillant; (14) "Interdisciplinary General Education at Daytona Beach Community College," by Fred Robbins; (15) "The Redbook Revisited: The Relationship of General Education to Issues of Excellence and Equity," by Evan S. Dobelle and Cal Kolbe; (16) "[General Education and Critical Thinking:] The Ostrich and Her Eggs," by Jane Ingalls and Nancy Bedford; (17) "The Non-Traditional Student, General Education and the Library Resources Center," by Ngozi Agbim; and (18) "The Image of the Other: Media Support for a Pluralistic Curriculum," by Louise Spain. (GFW)

The 21 papers in this collection were presented at the meetings of two sections and three round tables of the Division of Education and Research: (1) "Library and Information Services in Culturally Diverse Communities" (Cheryl Metoyer-Duran); (2) "Library Education in a Pluralistic Society" (Shmuel Sever); (3) "Each One an Individual: International Students in United States Library and Information Science Programs" (Julie Tallman); (4) "Instructing the User or Improving the System: Research and User Feedback for Interactive Library Catalogues" (Micheline Hancock-Beaulieu); (5) "La investigacion bibliotecologia en Mexico: por que, y para que" (Librarianship Research in Mexico: The Why and the What For) (Estela Morales); (6) "Scholars Seek Information: Information Seeking Behaviour and Information Needs of Humanities Scholars" (Harriet Lonnqvist); (7) "Bringing Rural Librarianship to Canada in the 1930s" (Maxine K. Rochester); (8) "Literacy and Reading in Iceland" (Darlene E. Weingand): (9) "Development in Reading in Yugoslavia" (Durda Mesic); (10) "The Possibility of Comparative Study on Children's and Young People's Reading Habits" (Jadwiga Hildengarda Kolodziejska); (11) "The Serial 'Librarianship and Bibliography Abroad' within the Professional Library Press System in the USSR" (Olga A. Diakonova and Olga V. Timokhina); (12) "The Study Circle Library in a Historical Perspective" (Lars Arvidson); (13) "In Search of the Informed Citizen: Study Circles as Bridges between Libraries and Learning" (Kenneth Abrahamsson); (14) "Need and Priority Areas for Continuing Education for Sub and Professional Information, Library and Archives Personnel in Tanzania" (Julita Nawe); (15) "The Continuum of Library Education: Maintaining Competence through the Professional Worklife" (Darlene E. Weingand); (16) "Continuing Education: An Australian Perspective" (Fay Nicholson and Angela Bridgland); (17) "Distance Education in Library and Information Science Education" (Fred W. Roper); (18) "Open and Distance Learning in Continuing Education" (Borje Holmberg); (19) "CPE (Continuing Professional Education) on the Management of Change in Academic and Research Libraries" (Riitta Makinen); (20) "U.S. Government Support for Continuing Professional Education for Librarians" (Anne J. Mathews and Thomas C. Phelps); and (21) "Adult Learning in Study Circles" (Henry Blid). (MAB)

Among 17 French and 63 English papers are the following: "Case Study of the Convergence Model in Program Evaluation" (Alexander); "Nowlen's Approach to Continuing Professional Education" (Blanchard); "Challenge for Indigenous Approaches to Adult Education (AE) and Development" (Bonson); "Cultural and Social Transformation in the 1990s" (Dyson et al.); "Graduate Students" (Chapman); "Potential and Pretensions of Critical Discoursing in Mainstream AE" (Collins); "Needs Assessment Survey" (Constantin); "University Extension" (Cruikshank); "AE and Working Life in Canada and Sweden" (Dawson); "Defining the Field of Community Development in Toronto" (Das Gupta, Fallis); "International Perspectives on Adult Literacy Education" (Draper et al.); "Understanding Program Success" (Dunlop et al.); "Cultural Politics and Mass Media" (Dyson); "Warp of One" (Gray); "Ontario Folk School Movement and Rural AE" (Gillies); "Learning as Relating" (Ingham); "AE in Study Groups of United Farmers of Alberta" (Jaques); "Popular Movements and AE" (Kastner); "Model of Coaching/Mentoring at the Workplace" (Kuban); "Effects of Cognitive Style and Type of Classroom Environment on Academic Achievement" (Leclair); "Workplace Literacy Models" (Lewe); "Linguistic Dimension in Critical Education" (Little); "Assessing for Retraining/Education" (Lohnes, Sinn); "Women's On-the-Job Procedural Knowing" (MacKeracher et al.); "Quality of AE" (Mahaffey, Turner); "Collaborative-Cooperative Learning" (Roy-Poirier); "Process/Conferencing Writing and Computers for Adult Basic Education Students" (Scane);"Micro-Teaching" (Schur); "'New Social Movements' and Citizenship Education in Canada" (Selman); "Enlightenment, Maturity, and the Role of AE" (Selman); "Missing Discourses from AE" (Sharpe); "Governance Issues in Regulation of Private Postsecondary Education Institutions" (Slade); "Theoretical Framework for Resource Allocation in AE" (Sork); "Private Vocational Training Schools in Canada" (Sweet); "AE in an Aging Society" (Thornton et al.); and "Participatory Research" (Titterington). An addendum contains abstracts of papers delivered at the conference. (YLB)

The World Conservation Union brings together states, government agencies, and a diverse range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in a unique world partnership that seeks to influence, encourage, and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature as well as to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. This book contains case studies in environmental communication and education that were presented at the General Assembly workshop of the World Conservation Union held in January 1994. The book is divided into three sections: the first seeks to provide some bases for planning education and communication, the second looks at NGO education programs, and the third addresses planning education at the national level. Papers include: (1) "Influences on Pro-environmental Practices" (Joy Palmer); (2) "Behaviour, Social Marketing, and the Environment" (William Smith); (3) "A Basis for Environmental Education in the Sahel" (Raphael Ndiaye); (4) "Communication: An Instrument of Government Policy" (Agnes Gomis and Frits Hesselink); (5) "Seabird Conservation on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence: The Effects of Education on Attitude and Behaviour towards a Marine Resource" (Kathleen Blanchard); (6) "Environmental Education Programmes for Natural Areas: A Brazilian Case Study" (Suzana Padua); (7) "Addressing Urban Issues Through Environmental Education" (Shyamala Krishna); (8) "The CAMPFIRE Programme in Zimbabwe: Changes of Attitudes and Practices of Rural Communities towards Natural Resources" (Taparendava Maveneke); (9) "IUCN in Environmental Education in Western Africa and the Sahel" (Monique Trudel); (10) "A Matter of Motivation" (Ibrahim Thiaw); (11) "Education and Communication Support to the Establishment of Protected Area Systems" (Rutger-Jan Schoen); (12) "Canada: National Environmental Citizenship Initiative" (T. Christine Hogan); (13) "The Netherlands: Inter-departmental Cooperation on Environmental Education" (Peter Bos); (14) "Scotland: Developing a National Strategy for Environmental Education" (John C. Smyth); (15) "Spain: The Coordination of Environmental Education" (Susana Calvo); (16) "Australia: Community Involvement in Conservation of Biological Diversity" (Chris Mobbs); (17) "Australia: Education and Extension: Management's Best Strategy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park" (Donald J. Alcock); (18) "Nepal: Environmental Education and Awareness as Elements of the National Conservation Strategy" (Dadri Dev Pande); (19) "Zambia: Environmental Education" (Juliana Chileshe); and (20) "Ecuador: Raising Environmental Awareness" (Marco Encalada). (JRH)

The following are the papers presented at a research-to-practice conference: "Influence of Age on Students Perceptions of College Experience" (Bishop-Clark, Lynch); "Impact of Education on Adult Students" (Cupp); "Identifying Critical Factors of Quality" (Lund, Brown); "It's Never Too Late" (Rosenberg et al.); "Adult Vocational Student Dropout and Retention in Occupational Training Programs" (Shank); "National Perspective of Computer Competencies for Administrators of Adult Basic Education Programs" (Bothel); "Personnel Evaluation in Adult Education" (McElhinney); "Attitudes about Continuing Education among Kansas Long-Term Care Registered Nurses" (Sanders); "Leadership Practices of Mega-Church Pastors" (Zook); "Factors Related to Recruitment and Retention of Ethnic Minority Youth in Ohio 4-H Program" (Bankstone, Cano); "Executive Women in Business in United States" (Bierema); "Facilitating Professional Ethical Development" (Ellis, McElhinney); "Intergenerational Equity and Its Meaning to Adult Education" (Holt, Cseh); "Internationalizing Extension Curriculum" (Ludwig); "Adult Education and Feminist Phase Theory" (Sattem); "Issues Programming Training Needs of Ohio State University Extension Faculty" (Conklin); "Up from Ashes" (Laswell); "Involving Workers in Workplace Literacy" (Pritz, Imel); "Life in Classroom" (Courtney et al.); "Doing Something to Help" (Dirkx, Fonfara); "Dropout and Return" (Fisher); "Evaluation of Adult Literacy Small Group/Collaborative Tutor Training Model" (Freer, Enoch); "Doing Something about Dropout" (Jha, Dirkx); "Adult Literacy Assessment" (Turner); "Improving Parent Education Capacity" (Adekunle-Wilson, Martin); "Program Planning in Fourth Dimension" (Boer, Ellis); "Interests, Power, and Responsibility in Adult Education Program Planning" (Wilson, Cervero); "Organizational Values of Ohio State University Extension" (Conklin et al.); "In Eye of Beholder" (Laswell, Dirkx); "User Fees in Extension System" (Penrose, Rohrer); "Efficacy of Innovation Adoption Diffusion Theory in Adult Education" (Rollins); "Fostering Adoption of Innovation and Change in Adult Education Practice" (Turner, Dirkx); "Effective Techniques/Methods for Conference Presentations" (Henschke); "Research-to-Practice in Positivistic Community" (Miller); "Using Research to Create Linkages between Organizations" (Sandmann); "Attempt at Critical Ethnography" (Shore); "Development of Learning Skills for the Non-Traditional Adult" (Becker); "Trade-Offs" (Burkhart-Kriesel); "Health Competence and Learner Self-Directedness" (Frank); "Incidental Learning by Adults in Nontraditional Degree Program" (Mealman); "Teaching for Higher Level Cognition in Adult Education Programs" (Miller); "Ethnographic Action Research Study" (Pike); and "Informal and Incidental Learning in Community Problem Solving" (Taylor). (MN)

Selected papers are as follows: "Analysis of Factors Used in Student Evaluations of Teaching Effectiveness" (Vaughn et al.); "Assessment of the Readability Level of State Adopted High School Agriculture Textbooks" (Hitchner, Deeds); "Attitudes and Perceptions of Superintendents, Principals, Guidance Counselors, and Agriculture Teachers toward Agricultural Education Reform in Kentucky" (Brannon); "Attrition in North Carolina Secondary School Vocational Agriculture Courses as a Function of Community Characteristics" (Atherton et al.); "Comparison of Community College Vocational-Technical and Transfer Agriculture Students" (Johnson et al.); "Comparison of Teaching Performance among Middle Grade Career Exploration Teachers with Variable Certification Levels and Attributes" (Kirby et al.); "Determination of Statistical Sophistication of Research in Agricultural Education" (Zhang, Burnett); "Differences in Attitudes of Agricultural Education and Other Vocational Education Cooperating Teachers Regarding Student Teaching Expectations" (Flowers); "Early Field Experience Requirements for Preservice Agricultural Education Majors in the United States" (Deeds); "Effectiveness of Computer Assisted Instruction in a Horticulture Plant Identification Class" (Corbett et al.); "Effects of Elevated Temperatures on Reading Comprehension and Task Completion Time in the Agricultural Education Learning Environment" (Jewell et al.); "Factors Influencing Minority and Non-Minority Students to Enroll in an Introductory Agriscience Course in Texas" (Talbert, Larke, Jr.); "Follow-up Study of Graduates from the Master's Programs in Agricultural and Extension Education at Mississippi State University" (Mitchell); "Inservice Education Needs of Teachers of Pilot Agriscience Courses in Mississippi" (Newman, Johnson); "Longitudinal Study of Undergraduate Agriculture Majors" (Taylor, Johnson); "Occupational Status and Educational Needs of College of Agricultural Sciences Graduates" (Wrye, Terry); "Perceptions of Agricultural Biotechnology and Potential Effects on Agricultural Education" (Reels, Arrington); "Perceptions of University Students about Controversial Issues Related to Agriculture" (Terry, Lawver); "Pilot Evaluation of the Biotechnology in Agriculture Curriculum in Oklahoma" (Horne, Key); "Relationships between Selected High School Variables and Collegiate Academic Performance in Agriculture" (Fraze et al.); "Student Teaching Experiences for Teaching Majors in Agricultural Education" (Deeds); "Training Needs of Area Specialized Extension Agents in the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service" (Gibson, Hillison); and "Who's in Charge Here?" (Moore, Hillison). (KC)

This technical assistance paper provides policy and guidance to individuals with test administration responsibilities in adult education programs. Rule 6A-6.014, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), General Requirements for Adult General Education Programs, provides a list of assessments that are approved by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) for use in adult education programs in Florida. In order to comply with federal reporting requirements, adult education programs are required to report student measurable educational gains and demographic information to Florida's reporting system, which is then reported to the National Reporting System (NRS). The NRS is the accountability system for the federally funded adult education program, mandated by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). There are four important reasons for creating a data-driven accountability system for adult education programs: (1) WIOA mandates that states develop a data-driven accountability system to establish and utilize performance measures to make funding decisions, monitor programs and provide technical assistance; (2) A high-performing data-driven accountability system supports WIOA-funded adult education providers in assessing the educational progress of all students engaged in 12 hours or more of instructional activities within the state's adult education program; (3) FDOE has enhanced its monitoring processes by instituting a data-driven system for determining program performance. In addition, overall monitoring visits are provided by a dedicated compliance and monitoring team; and (4) By utilizing a data-driven accountability system, local agency directors can focus their attention on establishing program performance targets and program improvements. Florida's data reporting system and the NRS are uniform and compatible for measuring student educational gains established by approved ED and FDOE assessments. The NRS data reporting system measures student progress by Measurable Skills Gains (MSG). Educational Functioning Levels (EFL) are used to determine the academic progress of adult education students. There are twelve levels, each describing the academic skills that an adult should be able to perform: 6 levels for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and 6 levels for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), with the ESOL EFL levels considered lower than those for ABE EFL.

The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized under Title I, Part C of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. Title I, Part C states that the purpose of the MEP is to assist states in their efforts to meet the special needs of migrant students by providing migratory children with the opportunity to meet the same challenging State content and performance standards that the State has established for all children (U.S. Department of Education [USDE], 2018). In general, the MEP attempts to "support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migrant children to help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves" (USDE, 2018). A migrant student, according to the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 sections 1309(2)(A) refers to any child whose parent/guardian/spouse works in one of the aforementioned industries and has crossed school district lines within the previous 36 months for the purpose of temporary or seasonal employment in the agricultural or fishing industries (U.S. Department of Education [USDE], 2018). In an effort to comply with Part C of Title I, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Division of Migrant Education works with local education agencies to design programs that ensure migrant students "overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit their ability to do well in school, and to prepare them to make a successful transition to postsecondary education or employment" (Texas Education Agency, Division of Migrant Education, 2018). The Texas Migrant Education Program is the second largest in the country (Texas Education Agency, Division of Migrant Education, 2006). This evaluation was designed to provide data regarding outcomes obtained and services provided by the HISD Migrant Education Program for the 2021-2022 program year. It is one component of the HISD MEP's ongoing work to determine the effectiveness of services to migrant children and youth. This report discusses findings related to service delivery and program outcomes as it relates to the academic achievements of migrant students. The evaluation seeks to provide a district perspective on services and their impact to enable the MEP to make programmatic decisions based on data.

Special education and the laws that govern it have changed dramatically over the past 50 years. With these changes there continues to be a strong push to educate students with moderate to severe disabilities in inclusive general education classroom settings. Research is needed to determine what teachers need to feel successful in order to teach students with moderate to severe disabilities that are receiving special education services within the general education classroom setting. A lack of research also exists related to the success and growth of students with moderate to severe disabilities receiving special education services that are educated in inclusive general education classroom settings. The purpose of this descriptive study was to utilize a qualitative approach to identify teacher perceptions about training they receive in teacher preparation programs, professional development and other learning opportunities to be able to appropriately teach students with moderate to severe disabilities that are receiving special education services in inclusive general education classrooms kindergarten through sixth grade. The purpose of this study was to also identify if teachers perceived students with moderate to severe disabilities were able to show growth in inclusive general education settings. To examine perceptions of general education teachers, two in-depth virtual focus groups were utilized consisting of five open ended questions. Through focus group discussions five major themes emerged: (1) Training and Professional Development, (2) Resources and Supports, (3) Collaboration (4) Best Practices and (5) Barriers to Success. The five identified themes helped to answer the research questions guiding this study. Results from this qualitative study revealed teachers do not perceive their preservice training is adequate to effectively teach students with moderate to severe disabilities in inclusive general education classrooms. Teachers also perceived professional development opportunities intended to help them to learn strategies and methods for teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities in the general education classroom were significantly lacking. Results also indicated teachers believed students with moderate to severe disabilities could show growth in the general education classroom when the following were put into place: appropriate resources and supports, best practices, collaboration, and when barriers were limited. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In response to complex sustainability challenges, engineering education increasingly embraces experiential learning to prepare graduates for interdisciplinary problem-solving and societal impact. Yet, research on the intersection of experiential learning and sustainability education remains fragmented. Our study addresses this gap through a systematic review of 83 empirical studies, in which we analysed sustainability integration approaches, teaching and learning principles, and reported learning outcomes. Our findings highlight a dichotomy where experiential learning fosters boundary-crossing collaboration, bridges education with real-world practice, and addresses diverse learning objectives. However, current research disproportionately focuses on elective curricula, disciplinary contexts, and outcomes that emphasise cognitive, behavioural, and technical competencies. Thus, affective and socio-emotional dimensions remain underexplored. These gaps limit understanding of experiential learning's transformative potential for sustainability education. To address this, we propose a nine-item research agenda to guide future studies and inform the design of more impactful experiential learning practices in engineering education.

This book offers a comprehensive and global perspective on language education for learners of a refugee background. It identifies structural and individual challenges refugees face when learning a new language in a variety of sociolinguistic contexts. At the same time, it offers innovative proposals to empower these learners and address the shortcomings of host environments. Readers will gain insight into innovations and interventions within the various dimensions that characterize sustainable and culturally responsive language education for refugees across educational levels from primary to higher and community education. Topics of interest include experiences of researching language education with learners of a refugee background, collaborating with multiple stakeholders, and designing as well as implementing pedagogies that reflect the latest theories of language teaching and learning in multicultural settings, such as translanguaging and plurilingualism. This book is useful to researchers, teachers, and post-graduate students in language education and applied linguistics, as well as policy-makers and community organizations. [Individual chapters are indexed in ERIC.]