Education & Pedagogy

Examines educational responses to growing international competition and the consequences of changing family structure against the current background of Europe's social and industrial changes. Describes European citizenship, vocational competencies, language uniformity, education of immigrants, science education, university preparation, and the monitoring of achievement as key aspects of European curricula. (MAB)

Characterizes the social, political, and economic climate underlying educational dilemmas and visions in Czechoslovakia and other Eastern European countries after the fall of communism. Discusses the debate between state control of education and liberal educational approaches facing the area and stresses the importance of teachers in the shaping the education system. (MAB)

Examines expenditures for education in China and compares them to educational support in other nations. Asserts that the increase rate of Chinese educational expenditures is higher than that of the national economy and the level of Chinese educational expenditures is not as low as that in countries of comparable levels of economic development. (CFR)

Reviews comparative studies of values education in industrialized nations, focusing on the absence of value-neutrality among institutions and teachers; national differences in educational goals and contradictions among various goals; influence of nonschool factors; efficacy of educational policy about values; emphasis on common core values; and influences of hidden curriculum, school culture and climate, and educational practices. (SV)

Difficulties in transitioning students with disabilities in rural areas include poor postschool outcomes, transportation problems, limited job market, negative attitudes toward job training programs (resulting from high unemployment), lack of job training sites, and lack of information concerning job accommodation for disabled workers. Includes suggestions to improve planning for transition services in rural areas. (LP)

Describes a transitional program that empowers special education students to make informed decisions about their vocational preferences and skills relative to the local job market. Focuses on self-directed assessment, job placement, development of self-management skills, long-term followup, and career development. Stresses the importance of teaching students self-determination to become successful. (LP)

Compares the adult adjustment of a random sample of 399 high school graduates and dropouts with disabilities from rural Iowa school districts with that of 541 urban counterparts. Classifies subjects according to disability and analyzes information on their employment, fringe benefits, living arrangements, and postsecondary education one and three years out of school. (LP)

Suggests that, although customized training programs are often at the cutting edge of education and technology, they are not always fully integrated into the mainstream of colleges' internal operations. Discusses the role of internal marketing in promoting respect for community and adult education programs within community colleges. (MAB)

Study examined the intended planning and teaching decisions of 11 secondary physical education teachers to determine their rationale and goals for a socially focused curriculum. Results suggested teachers' goals for student learning were consistent with an emphasis on social responsibility within the categories of understanding, respect, and responsibility to others. (MDM)

This ethnographic case study examined the socialization of a beginning kindergarten teacher as a means for better understanding the socialization process and the implications for teacher education. Recommends that organizational literacy be incorporated into teacher education programs to help new teachers understand the bureaucratic and organizational realities of educational institutions. (MDM)

Preservice and inservice teacher education must prompt teachers and educators to question issues of race, class, and ethnicity and develop appropriate courses of action. Teacher research is useful in that regard. Teachers can use research in work with other teachers and teacher educators to examine their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. (SM)

To enhance teaching effectiveness, university professors need multidimensional feedback on classroom transactions. The Teaching Feedback Model is a process that combines systematic observation of student and teacher behaviors with analysis of student learning. The paper describes the model, demonstrating its current use in college-level physical education theory classes. (SM)

Developed a "Fostering a Love of Nature Index" to provide "best practice" guidelines for planning, implementing, and evaluating environmental education programs for young children. Research used in developing this index was drawn from both the early-childhood education literature and the environmental education literature. Offers examples and suggestions for each item on a 12-item index. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/MDH)

Hypothesizes that the purpose of the history of education, as a core element in the rite of passage to teaching in Alberta from the 1890s to the 1950s, was to provide beginning teachers with a set of professional values and standards and to relate theoretical principles to educational practice. (KS)

This critical review of the 1986 Holmes and Carnegie reports, discusses arts and sciences, minority recruitment, teacher empowerment, and clinical experiences as covered in the reports. Four responses to the review are included. (SM)