Education & Pedagogy

Examines the contributions of alternative perspectives from environmental philosophy to university teaching practices that address the question of how to produce ecologically educated citizens. Considers the challenges to modern resource education found in feminist and ecofeminist philosophies and in Aldo Leopold's "Land Ethic." Discusses classroom applications to infuse an ethic of care into environmental education. Contains 25 references. (PVD)

Assesses the activities of educators in a Cooperative Extension Service including preparation to infuse environmental education (EE) concepts into the programming, attitudes towards and perceived competencies in EE issues, and the extent to which EE concepts were infused into the programming. Findings indicate that EE has not achieved a prominent role in the extension service programming. (Author/PVD)

Increasingly, students enrolled in regular college classes are taking online courses for convenience. Offering students these options raises administrative issues, including how to balance faculty teaching loads and pay for both forms of instruction. Critics say students choosing online courses are not getting the education they pay for, and question whether universities should be providing such instruction. (MSE)

The authors of an article on research and professional development of general education teachers who have students with learning disabilities respond to a commentary. They address the distinct research traditions of general education researchers and special education researchers and urge the integration of their particular research methodologies and collaboration. (DB)

Summarizes two trends in teacher education: using performance-based portfolios for assessment, instruction, and professional development and transforming computers from complicated instruments to universally available tools that facilitate tasks involving knowledge access and processing. The article explores connections between the two trends and poses possibilities for teacher educators as they plan for the future. (SM)

Describes one approach to teacher leadership that views teaching, learning, and leading as synonymous, supporting this view with data from a Florida school improvement project. The Lockheed Martin/University of Central Florida Academy for Mathematics and Science is a school-university-business partnership which creates a network of school-based leadership in mathematics and science education. (SM)

Argues that citizenship education must include an examination of the great issues of the times using active, critical teaching methods and reflective inquiry. Maintains that this is necessary to prevent political apathy in young people. Briefly discusses the history of social studies educational reform and the creation of national standards. (MJP)

Discusses the introduction and implementation of the 1988 Education Reform Act for England and Wales. Traces the attempts of several existing private schools to become grant maintained (eligible for various forms of government support). Most private and faith-based schools have not been successful in this endeavor. Discusses the reasons for this. (MJP)

Provides an overview of recent British educational policy regarding "specialization" (school choice given to parents) and "selection" (student placement by ability or interest, controlled by the school). Specifically discusses the Assisted Places Scheme, a program granting need- and ability-based scholarships to academically selective private schools. (MJP)

Discussion of problems facing Russian higher education during a transitional period addresses such issues as enrollment, employment in higher education, the need to increase efficiency, and application of information technology to teaching, learning, and research. It is argued that, although preserving some elements of traditional higher education is necessary, increased use of technology is desirable in all disciplines. (Author/MSE)

Currently, about 200 colleges and universities offer programs in jazz performance. Although many are in conservatories, the majority reside in college and university music departments. This development reflects a changing jazz infrastructure, formerly centered in local bands but increasingly based in a network of higher education institutions, and the growing conviction that jazz can be taught in academic settings. (MSE)

Investigated the lived status of Title IX in a fourth-grade physical education class. Interviews, observations, field notes, and document analysis indicated that patriarchal gender differentiation continued to shape and define the lives of boys and girls in physical education, with boys largely awarded physical space and girls situated as inferior. (SM)

Describes an experimental course at an urban school that focuses on experiences of service work outside the school as well as involvement in the political and social structure within the school. Suggests ways that schools can design a curriculum that reflects on social activity as an element of community life. (MJP)

Utilizes excerpts from an undergraduate elementary education student's journal to examine generalist teachers' attitudes towards musical competency and the necessary qualifications for teachers. Traces one teacher's recognition of her own musicality and the corresponding influence on her feelings of competency to teach this subject in an elementary classroom. (MJP)

In Alberta, reductions in educational funding and a "back to basics" mentality have resulted in reduced support for outdoor and environmental education. Elementary/secondary programs have responded by taking the programs directly to the schools to avoid transportation costs, and by cutting the more adventurous programs. Postsecondary programs continue to offer some level of outdoor education, often by combining courses. (TD)