Education & Pedagogy

A preservice teacher practicum supervision model being implemented at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is intended to facilitate quality supervision and practicum experiences for preservice teacher candidates in the area of severe disabilities. The model has been systematically developed and components have been and are being empirically validated. (Author/DB)

Reviews chapters of this book on probability in mathematics education. Topics discussed in the chapters include a historical perspective of probability, an epistemological perspective of probability, an overview of the psychological research on probability learning, computers in probability education, and an analysis of the probability curriculum. (MDH)

Among 71 eighth and twelfth graders surveyed in Menominee Indian School District (Wisconsin), eighth-grade males and females had similar school experiences with computers, but twelfth-grade females were significantly less likely than males to enroll in computer-oriented classes or to use computer games and graphics. (SV)

Appraises Zambia's higher education finance policies since gaining independence from Britain, focusing on the political, social, and economic conditions influencing policy decisions and the moral and ethical implications of these decisions. Shows that Zambia's "free education" policy promotes inequity and inefficiency. Advocates policy changes and alternative financing schemes requiring beneficiaries to contribute to education costs. (14 references) (MLH)

Profiles educational outcomes produced by rural schools, based on four indicators (student achievement scores, student participation rates, measures of student behaviors and attitudes, and measures of postschool outcomes) likely to be stressed in the unfolding public education performance debate. Although NAEP assessments compare favorably with national mean proficiency levels, they compare unfavorably with their suburban counterparts. (17 references) (MLH)

The current crisis in American education is examined as reflected in student performance assessments at all levels, and the role of performance indicators in shaping public opinion is discussed. Development of national educational goals, the resulting assessment dilemma for higher education, and methods of assessing progress are also explored. (MSE)

This article provides a framework for early childhood special educators who are developing and implementing service systems for children with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Services for these children should be family centered; delivered in inclusive, community-based environments; and have health care needs incorporated into Individualized Education Programs. (PB)

Examines how divergent values and belief systems operate within educational politics. Reviews five questions (concerning educational quality and equality, schooling's purpose, curriculum decisions, school policy making, and financial responsibility for schools) and their underlying value tensions within the research areas of micropolitics, school district politics, state politics, and national politics. (89 references) (MLH)

Compares U.S. public education expenditures with those in other industrialized countries. In terms of expenditure/GNP ratio, the United States' rank is medium. This fact provides no indication of education "underfunding" or "overfunding," as there is no cross-country correlation between expenditure/GNP and per capita income. The United States ranks high in K-12 expenditure per student. (MLH)

Describes preservice teacher training in South Africa, highlighting distance teaching (including a guided self-study workbook) that leads to a one-year postgraduate higher education diploma designed to meet the teacher shortage. The paper discusses the extent to which students can be guided to bridge the gap between theory and practice in field experience via distance education. (SM)

American and New Zealander education majors completed an exchange program that included student teaching abroad. Student journals and interviews after the experience indicated that, through their international experiences, students gained more appreciation for their home school culture and acquired new attitudes and beliefs to test against the realities of their home cultures. (SM)

Describes how one university professor uses feminist pedagogy to empower students while still affirming her authority. After providing background about one course that uses feminist pedagogy, the paper highlights two aspects of feminist pedagogy (consciousness raising about diversity and understanding differences that she and the students bring to the classroom). (SM)

Reports on a study of the impact of nursery school/preschool education on primary school readiness and achievement of 1,800 English and Welsh children. Finds significant positive effects in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Discusses the effects of nursery school versus playgroup experience and the role of socioeconomic status. (CFR)

Focus groups, a survey, and interviews with 10 deans of continuing education units (CEUs) suggested that the concept of vision is socially constructed on various levels: societal vision, vision for the profession, vision for continuing education, and vision for the CEU. The depth and breadth of vision and its dynamic nature were revealed. In contrast to other studies, these deans were less involved in vision at the CEU level. (SK)

Provides 35 articles that address such topics as black enrollment in higher education, declining black Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, abolishing race-based admissions in California, and the quality of doctoral programs at black universities. Several articles address educational financial support, the black experience at Ivy League colleges and after graduation, and the impact of affirmative action. (GR)