Education & Pedagogy

"International Programming Issues for Extension Education" (Rosson, Sanders) describes a survey of extension personnel identifying global competition and agriculture as a key issue. "Expanding Our Horizons Internationally" (Richardson, Woods) discusses North Carolina Extension's staff development on global issues. In "Participatory Evaluation for Community Development" (de Ortecho), an Argentine community is trained in survey methods. (SK)

A concomitant decrease in test scores and major change in the composition of the student body was dealt with by the College of Nursing at the State University of New York through the Nursing Education Success Plan. The plan addresses student preparation for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX), curriculum revision, remediation/enrichment, advisement, recruitment, funding, and evaluation. (JOW)

Study assessed the cultural sensitivity levels of female Anglo- and Mexican-American elementary preservice teachers (n=51) upon completion of a multicultural education course. Results indicated one course was insufficient to change attitudes to accept and respect student diversity. Most preferred not to work with students from different cultures. Recommendations are provided. (SM)

Presents information from a Texas conference which examined the problems of creating an ethnically diverse teaching force. Recommendations for recruiting culturally diverse students into teaching are provided, focusing on the role of public school educators, university personnel, state legislators, education agency personnel, educational organizations, and community groups. (SM)

Recognizes California as a culturally diverse, rapidly growing state. Identifies key issues for the development of teaching in such an environment. Argues that California education will need: enthusiastic teachers; minority teachers, corporate support developed through school-business partnerships, greater professional recognition, lower teacher-to-student ratios, and teacher education programs more responsive to emerging needs. (CH)

Discusses the use of audio teleconferencing in distance education. Types of communication and interaction that are necessary in distance education are described, including learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner; the institutional perspective is considered; and results of evaluations of audio teleconferencing courses at the University of Calgary are presented. (10 references) (LRW)

Presents recommendations for teacher educators to prepare students to deal with sex bias in the schools (e.g., teacher educators must model what they teach, prospective teachers must study classroom dynamics to eliminate bias in classroom communication, and methods courses must incorporate research on how bias affects teaching methods). (SM)

Study compared classroom performance of novice, advanced beginner, and expert teachers, examining subject matter knowledge and delivery, educational connoisseurship, nonverbal behavior, and systematic observation. Results indicate teachers without pedagogical training are less able to keep students on task, provide appropriate feedback, deliver subject matter, and assess student performance. (Author/SM)

The impact of 1981 reforms in Chile's higher education system is described and analyzed. The system has been diversified by encouragement of private universities and creation of professional institutes and technical training centers. Funding system changes have produced student loan recovery problems and limited private offerings. Oversupply of education is evident. (Author/MSE)

Examines Boston's school desegregation from 1962 to 1972, focusing on African-American women who demanded quality education for their children. The article discusses the constituency that supported a 1972 suit by Boston's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People claiming that Boston public schools denied equal education to African-American children. (SM)

Examines Papua New Guinea's Basic Skills Program to promote teacher competency, particularly in English and mathematics. A study explored 53 teacher college lecturers' perceptions of the national examinations. The lecturers considered that the examinations were neither valid nor reliable, disrupted college life, and were based on political considerations. (SM)

Recommends developing programs that involve rural secondary students in the organizational planning and work of collective farms in the USSR. Argues this helps students apply knowledge, develop skills, and sharpen their social focus. Advocates including environmental education to develop students' ecological awareness. Notes experimental schools and forestry programs in the USSR. (CH)

Traces developments in Soviet education from the 1920s. Points out shifts in teaching practices and research, from the Leninist vision of labor collective schools to the Stalinist era's bureaucratic, counterrevolutionary tendencies. Argues current educational reform revisits the Leninist ideal of combining instruction with social production needs and democratizing relations in the classroom. (CH)

Among the topics examined in this research review of issues in bilingual and bicultural education are (1) demographic and educational trends that point to growing numbers of bilingual and bicultural children; (2) continuing misconceptions about how young children learn a second language; (3) successful approaches in early childhood bilingual education; and (4) practical applications for teachers. (GH)

The Gateway to Higher Education program, established in New York City in 1986, has demonstrated that minority students who perform at least at grade level can begin a rigorous college preparatory curriculum in ninth grade and achieve outstanding academic achievement through their high school years, if necessary support is available. (Author/MSE)