Education & Pedagogy

Argues that the legitimacy of accreditation in teacher education is rooted in political consensus, power, and scholarship. Because these roots are fragile, there is no accepted concept of educational malpractice. The legitimacy of accreditation should be rooted in scholarly evidence that the program has fulfilled the claim that its graduates are able to be competent, caring, and qualified teachers. (SM)

Identifies mutual conceptual and theoretical frameworks from the fields of acting and teaching, linking them to various practices in teacher preparation and development which might exploit the benefits and practical applications of these mutual conceptions. The paper notes the depth of possibilities this offers, identifying the many forms acting as epistemology might take in contributing to teacher education and development. (SM)

Examines the impact of the voluntary national standards on college and university music teacher education curricula using a mail questionnaire. Reviews the qualitative and quantitative data from the survey. The data generally show that the higher the school enrollment, the more likely the national standards would be implemented. (CMK)

Discussion of trends in gifted education finds a tension between "matriarchal" (equality-oriented) and "patriarchal" (excellence-oriented) pedagogy and promotes "patriarchal pedagogy" as more appropriate for, and beneficial to, the development of gifted education in the United States. This approach fosters access by gifted students to appropriate learning experiences according to their readiness level, regardless of socioeconomic status. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

Discussion groups with diverse working class men who were predominantly non-participants in higher education examined how they used various discourses of masculinity when arguing for and against higher education participation. Discusses potential implications of these discourses for their continued underrepresentation in higher education. Highlights how men's various constructions are framed/constrained by their locations within multiple, interlocking systems of inequality. (Contains references.) (SM)

Discusses the role of educational psychology in teacher education, recommending a major change in the content and methods for teaching human learning in preservice education; reconceptualizing educational psychology and describing self- regulation; highlighting an applied educational psychology course; and recommending that preservice teachers learn how to complete a self-study to improve some aspects of their motivation and learning strategies. (SM)

Examined a complex, competitive admissions procedure for a graduate preservice teacher education program, estimating reliability of components, exploring the relationships among a battery of applicant measures and assessments and using a simulation performance activity versus an interview. The admission procedures proved reliable and valid. Some selection measures overlapped with others, and others provided unique insights into applicant characteristics. (SM)

Discusses the five shortcomings of environmental education: (1) uses top-down and center-to-periphery teaching model; (2) does not lead to action competence; (3) lacks authenticity; (4) the record of success in changing children's attitudes and values is questionable; and (5) the context must facilitate participation and change. Offers four models of the school-community relationship. (CMK)

A literature review of the academic characteristics of incarcerated youth and the correctional education programs provided them indicate most incarcerated adolescents function in the low-average to below-average range of intelligence and have histories of academic failure and grade retention. Educational programs usually offer a broad continuum of curricular offerings but availability of special education services varies widely. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

This article reviews 24 meta-analyses concerned with special education interventions and draws tentative conclusions about the relative power of interventions as determined by magnitude of mean effect size for each. Highest effect sizes were obtained for use of mnemonic strategies, reading comprehension strategies, behavior modification, and direct instruction. (Contains references.) (DB)

Describes two distance education projects linking teacher preparation students and at-risk urban elementary students using distance education technologies. Notes one program enables groups of elementary teachers preparation students to observe and participate in specific teaching/learning sequences, and the other program enables 3rd/4th graders to be tutored in reading/language arts by preservice teachers using video teleconferencing. (SG)

The Human Service Education program at the University of Tennessee uses a prefield seminar to provide a foundation from which to facilitate field students learning and engage students as partners directing their own learning process. Benefits include a sense of universality; answers to their pressing field questions; and practice using problem-solving and critical-thinking skills (Author)

A socialization scale was completed by entering (n=96) and graduating (n=106) baccalaureate nursing students who used either on-campus (n=41), distance (n=15), or both methods (n=50), and 51 diploma nursing graduates. Distance education graduates scored highest; mixed-method students and diploma graduates had similar scores. Experiences and full-time employment were significantly related to scores. (SK)

Educational endeavors are enriched by diverse forms of knowledge and experience, and, particularly in urban schools,by diverse children and teachers. An important educational task is teaching other people's ideas to other people's children. Recent work in critical pedagogy and revised perspectives in traditional disciplines such as psychology are useful in ongoing efforts to improve the education of all children. (SM)

Discusses how to use movement to reinforce literacy in children with hearing impairments, describing: characteristics of children with hearing impairments; methods of including them in physical education; the problem of phonetic awareness among pre-literate children; integration of abstract symbols and sign language; and integration of reading process theories with movement analysis activities within the organizational levels of literacy. (SM)