Education & Pedagogy

This discussion of the relationship of gifted education programs to broader school reform efforts focuses on negative effects of gifted programs on schools at large; issues in the reexamination of the gifted construct; and suggestions to avoid positioning school reform advocates, gifted education proponents, and full inclusion supporters in opposition to one another. (DB)

This 1992-1993 survey reports on 29 master's degree granting programs for the education of deaf and/or hard-of-hearing students (EDHHPs) in North America. The survey collected information on criteria for admission, graduation, and certification; program content; and the ratios of hearing students and professionals to culturally deaf, deaf, deafened, and hard-of-hearing counterparts in EDHHPs. (Author/DB)

A survey of 216 special education teachers examined whether previously identified effective teaching practices for mildly handicapped students were being implemented in special education classrooms in rural Mississippi. Results indicate a high level of acceptance and implementation of best practices. Length of teaching experience was related to implementation. Includes teacher questionnaire. (LP)

A recent Ontario law concerning regulation and coordination of allied health professions has focused attention even more sharply on quality of dental education, and makes development of standards of practice more urgent. Dental educators can assist by researching health care needs, synthesizing information, and helping to write guidelines. (MSE)

A survey of 436 community pharmacists completing a distance learning (DL) course of continuing education (CE) in health screening, and 117 nonparticipants, found participants more positively disposed toward DL. Most found DL enjoyable and more suitable than other CE methods. More females and fewer males than expected requested and completed the course. (Author/MSE)

This article proposes that cultural diversity in legal education should help all students to reexamine their limited perceptions of justice. "Negotiable learning" (multicultural negotiation between groups of students) teaches students how to work through forms of bigotry. The approach is applied to teaching of criminal law, labor law, and public policy negotiation. (MSE)

Comparison of 73 special education teachers providing direct instructional services and 43 educators providing mostly indirect services found that both teaching efficacy and personal efficacy were related to instructionally relevant effective teaching components. Type of service (direct or indirect) was not significantly correlated with either facet of efficacy, but indirect service providers were more likely to be experimental. (DB)

Briefly outlines the development of the modern educational equity case, then focuses on the problems of legitimacy and judicial review that confront state courts when reviewing education legislation. Addresses the debate over whether courts can effectively define the right to education and create the remedy. Claims the 1993 cases offer a highly articulated picture of the right to education. (149 footnotes) (MLF)

Discusses how cultural differences contribute to overrepresentation of African Americans in special education, examining European American cultural expectations that clash with those of African Americans. Factors contributing to overrepresentation include cultural discontinuity and prejudicial practices among African American students and European American administrators, teachers, classrooms, curricula, and teaching and assessment practices. (Author/SM)

Presents a lesson plan that teaches students to identify and examine the First Amendment as it applies to school-related issues. Procedures include researching a specific case and role playing its participants, followed by a discussion and written analysis. Includes three recent Supreme Court cases. (MJP)

Presents overview of emerging field of early childhood special education in China. Discusses classification and prevalence of special needs children, service delivery options, and early intervention programs. Examines curricula for special needs preschoolers, preparation of special educators, and parent involvement. Calls for increase in early intervention programs and examination of integrating special education programs with those serving typical preschoolers. (AJH)

Examines current proposals and efforts to reform the Russian school system, assessing their prospects for providing an answer to the needs of Russian schools in this era of teacher shortages. The paper discusses new teachers' qualitative and quantitative needs, the teacher education system's response, course organization, and curriculum. (SM)

This study examined aboriginal interns' socialization experience during the final teaching practicum of the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College teacher education program. Interviews with aboriginal and nonaboriginal interns in rural and urban schools indicated that in contrast to mainstream interns, aboriginal interns had continuing tension between their aboriginal backgrounds and their mainstream experiences during the internship. (SM)

This study examined whether an e-mail keypal relationship between high school alternative physical education students and college kinesiology majors could positively influence high school students' participation in and attitude toward gym class. Results showed that students' attitudes, motivation, and relationships were positively influenced by this approach. (SM)

Discusses the influence of neoconservatism and neoliberalism on education and the importance of seeing schooling as fundamentally connected to the relations of domination and exploitation operative in the larger society, noting the need to recognize the changes that are occurring in many societies and to see the complexity of the power/knowledge nexus. (SM)