Education & Pedagogy

The questions that I address are: "What ought to become of Religious Education (RE)?" and "To what extent do non-religious beliefs belong in RE?" I will argue that there are compelling reasons for studying religious and non-religious views alongside each other, but that there are serious objections to doing this in the context of any subject called "religious education" and that a new compulsory, national curriculum subject called Ethics would be an appropriate context for such study.

Using critical policy analysis, this study considers state policies that impede technical credit transfer from public 2-year colleges to 4-year institutions of higher education. The states of Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin are considered, and seven policy benchmarks for facilitating the transfer of technical credits are proposed. (Contains 10 tables and 1 figure.)

Thayer-Bacon tells her story in a conversational tone that traces her personal and professional roots as she describes various chapters of her life: first as a philosopher, how she became involved in education, and then how that involvement became a career as a philosopher of education, in a large teacher education program, and now at a research institution. She sketches her philosophical contributions, as a pragmatist, feminist, postmodernist, and cultural studies scholar, to philosophy, philosophy of education, and education.

In response to commentaries on an earlier essay, this paper suggests three points to extend the dialogue about teacher education reform, discussing the potential value of debates that marshal evidence for a particular policy position, the importance of open discussion about the ideologies underlying different positions, and cautions about the federal government's increasing role in educational policy and practice. (SM)

Uses the African American campaign for equality and access to explore the historical origins of high-stakes testing. Explains that instead of promoting equality, as proponents of standardized tests argued, greater reliance on such tests widened the distance between advantaged and disadvantaged African American students, shaping paradoxical patterns of inclusion and isolation. (Contains references.) (SM)

Determined the proportion of instructional faculty and staff who taught distance education classes in fall 1998 and compared instructional faculty and staff who taught such classes with those who did not. Data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty show that across the United States about 6% of instructional faculty and staff who reported teaching for-credit classes indicated they taught at least one distance education class. (SLD)

Describes a research project at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education which involved over 100 classrooms. The project targeted variables essential for successful inclusion and described the relationships among teachers, classrooms, and school characteristics necessary for effective inclusion. Lessons learned emphasized developing teacher commitment to inclusion, practicing the science of education, and viewing inclusion as professional development. (SM)

A study examining why some Swedish teachers use outdoor education interviewed 10 female primary school teachers. The teachers used outdoor education to know their pupils better and achieve a more relaxed teacher role. They had the curiosity and courage to create different learning environments and did not feel they needed to be experts on nature to teach outdoors. (TD)

Well-sequenced K-12 adventure programs avoid student boredom due to repetition. Aligning adventure programs with established standards requires planned sequences with activities that enhance learning outcomes. Written curricula can accomplish these objectives while documenting how programs meet educational needs. Project Adventure has developed an adventure curriculum for physical education that resonates with state and national standards. (TD)

Surveyed parents regarding satisfaction with early childhood services provided by either a child care center or an early education program in rural North Carolina. Found that the average level of satisfaction, based on a 5-point scale, was 4.64 for the child care group and 4.37 for the early education group. Satisfaction with care and education programs did not differ significantly. (Author/KB)

Discusses ways for universities and community colleges to pool their resources and establish relationships at the state and organizational level so that K-16 systems can exist as a seamless educational enterprise. Explores three models--the rational actor, the organizational, and the political--that attempt to reduce the competitive environment of higher education. (Contains 15 references.) (AUTH/EMH)

An informal survey of 71 teachers of the gifted participating in an in-service course on gifted education suggested that many teachers had goals and experiences related to multicultural curricula for gifted children. Through the survey, teachers also identified obstacles they encountered in implementing multicultural activities and benefits they perceived. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A study of nonformal education providers in Ghana, Senegal, and Burkina Faso identified government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and for-profit organizations. Decentralization has increased nonformal education. Most projects involve multiple providers with various actors playing different roles. The lack of process-oriented projects suggests that civic responsibility may be a neglected aspect of adult nonformal education. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

Describes a preservice multicultural education and social foundations course designed to expand awareness of and encourage an appreciation and respect for diversity, highlighting an experiential exercise that focuses on institutional inequities of socioeconomic status and that promotes critical thinking, cooperative group work, and making use of multiple intelligences. (SM)

Describes institutional tracking in Japan, examining the process of advancing from middle school to high school to college (accounting for social origin effects). Results support a tournament-like mobility for people in Japan's higher education system, where those who move down do not move up again. Results also suggest that social origin matters, and institutional tracking affects men and women differently. (Contains references.) (SM)