Education & Pedagogy

Curriculum development at the secondary and higher education levels was examined to identify issues and features of interest to curriculum workers within the further education sector. The main study of the curriculum projects was concentrated on an indepth analysis of four key variables: (1) aims, goals, objectives, and associated curriculum models; (2) the organization of curriculum content; (3) instructional procedures; and (4) evaluation and assessment. Advantages and disadvantages were considered for two models of curriculum development based respectively on objectives and procedures. Two basic processes of organizing curricular content were defined and illustrated--integration and coordination. Instructional procedures were appraised in terms of four dimensions about which a curriculum planner must make decisions when determining instructional procedures: discovery, experience, control, and autonomy of learning. Development of evaluation methods for cognitive abilities, psychomotor skills, and affective characteristics was also studied. The analysis was related to curriculum development in further education, and it was concluded that many curricular issues in further education are similar to those in secondary and higher education. Criticism was made of the emphasis on the objectives model and inconsistent terminology in further education. (An overview of selected projects is appended.) (YLB)

On June 1, 1980, the South Carolina Department of Education, Office of Vocational Education, entered into a contractual agreement with the Governor's Office, CETA Division, for the purpose of operating a Manpower Training Coordinators Program in 10 school districts serving rural areas. The project was designed to establish and maintain effective linkage contacts and coordination between vocational education and business and industry, job service, CETA, vocational rehabilitation, technical education, other educational institutions, and community concerns. The final evaluation of the Manpower Training Coordinators Project indicates the most noteworthy results of the program were that: a sound and functional job placement program was established and developed in each location; business/industry, state/local agencies, higher education, and community leaders became closely involved with the vocational programs and made positive input; positive linkages were established between the vocational education centers and the communities served; an informal communications network was established and developed at each site; and vocational students benefited from the activities of the coordinator, and skills were obtained to assist in the school-to-work transition. Using seven assumptions of success, the Office of Vocational Education assumed the program was successful and recommended potential funding be considered for as many sites as possible. (AH)

The use and significance of metaphors in 12 education policy reports are considered, including metaphors that involve conceptions of knowledge and its use (e.g., "knowledge as a landscape,""intellectual activity as a journey"). Some knowledge metaphors are linked to metaphors invoking business, wealth, and capital analogies. Orientational and spatial relationship metaphors are also considered (e.g., humanities are the core of the common studies). Reports that are examined and their authors/sources are as follows: "To Secure the Blessings of Liberty" (American Association of State Colleges and Universities); "To Reclaim a Legacy" (William Bennett); "Transforming the State Role in Undergraduate Education" (Education Commission of the States); "Involvement in Learning" (National Institute of Education); "Integrity in the College Curriculum" (Association of American Colleges Committee); "Sustaining the Vision" (Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching); "Newman's Report of Higher Education Policy" (Carnegie Foundation); "The Undergraduate Experience in America" (Carnegie Foundation); "Time for Results: Governors' 1991 Report on Education"; "A Call for Change in Teacher Education" (The National Commission for Excellence in Teacher Education); "Tomorrow's Teachers" (Holmes Group); and "A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century" (Carnegie Foundation). (SW)

Because of a perceived lack in the development and use of evaluation procedures for vocational education in Illinois, a new evaluation system was begun in 1984. It required that at least 20 percent of funded vocational programs be evaluated annually, in compliance with requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The evaluation system provides for the assessment of indicators of program quality, efficiency, and expanded student opportunities. The identified indicators include placement, enrollment, employer satisfaction, student satisfaction, student performance, program cost, and objective labor market justification. In the new evaluation system, it is the responsibility of local personnel to conduct self-evaluations, analyzing information pertinent to the indicators and determining whether accepted standards are met in their programs. The Illinois Council on Vocational Education made two recommendations pursuant to the vocational education evaluation system: (1) implement an evaluation system that has the potential to provide high quality education for employment programs to assist in preparing and maintaining the work force; and (2) include in the State Board of Education's annual report the outcome of student successes in vocational education. (KC)

The volume provides comparative data for faculty salaries in public and private colleges, based on an annual survey of over 700 colleges and universities. The following 15 disciplines are included: nursing, philosophy and religion, physical education, physical sciences, physics, political science and government, psychology, reading education, secretarial and related programs, social sciences, sociology, special education, student counseling and personnel services, teacher education, general programs, and visual and performing arts. Presented for each discipline is a summary of the overall average salary increases between the baseline year of 1985-86 and 1988-89 for both state and private institutions. Data from institutions participating in both years are compared with each other and with the consumer price index. Also included are average salaries by rank and the faculty mix percentage as well as comparisons with other disciplines. The participating institutions are listed. (DB)

A study of the education program approval process involving the Veterans Administration (VA) and the State Approving Agencies (SAAs) had the following objectives: to describe the present education program approval process; to determine time and costs associated with the education program approval process; to describe the approval process at another federal agency; and to develop models of exemplary activities for the process of education program approval. Data were gathered from Department of Veterans Benefits (DVB) management and statistical recurring reports; personal interviews with VA central office and regional office personnel, staff members of SAAs, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Education; and survey questionnaires. Among the findings of the study were the following: veteran students primarily attend institutes of higher learning; placement of SAAs in state organizations varies; funding of the SAA function is not timely; there is regional variation in education program approval workload and productivity; capability to share data electronically is not used; the optimal staff size of a SAA office is four professionals; the Department of Labor approves and registers apprenticeship programs nationwide; and the Department of Education recognizes accrediting agencies that judge the quality of an educational institution or program. (The document includes 32 data tables, 7 exhibits, 5 appendices, and an 18-item bibliography.) (CML)

An overview of the accessibility of postsecondary education in Canada is presented. The issues are dealt with in a brief, therefore necessarily simplified manner, and universities receive more attention than colleges, largely because there is considerably more data about them. Canadian postsecondary education is the constitutional responsibility of the provinces. The national government has no ministry or office of education at all. The development of postsecondary education in Canada increased dramatically after World War II and especially in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1981 to 1984, enrollment rose rapidly and has continued since then at very high levels. Several conceptions of accessibility are discussed, with three views outlined. One is concerned with the total number of places available for qualified applicants; the second concerns the distribution of available places among institutions and programs, and the third has to do with who in the population actually attends postsecondary education. The future for accessibility questions is examined, and it is suggested that: (1) demand will likely continue at very high levels; (2) there is likely to be increasing interest in alternatives to conventional education programs; and (3) significant progress in equity issues in the distribution of available places to different people is possible. Issues of accessibility are very likely to remain squarely on the agenda for postsecondary education. Contains 18 references. (SM)

Cries for reform in teacher education are based on reports of declining student test scores and criticisms that colleges of education fail to teach values held by conservatives and recruit below average students. However, reforms may cause hardships for rural schools because of the historically lower status of rural schools. The recommendations made by the Holmes Group for improving the quality of teaching and teacher education may cause problems in the small and rural schools. First, the recruitment of teachers for rural schools is difficult because the main source of rural education personnel, rural youth, is poorly educated; second, most of the research institutions eligible for teacher education are located in urban areas; third, rural schools need generalists with several minors, rather than specialists as suggested by the Holmes Group report. Rural school teachers are found in survey research to be less favorably inclined toward extended programs, more liberal arts coursework, field experience, and professional coursework, and less likely to agree that the standards in teacher education are too easy. Direct threat to rural schools by reforms in teacher education includes: reducing the numbers of teacher in the pipeline; driving up salaries due to career ladders and teacher shortages; increasing recruitment difficulties due to urban oriented professional institutions. Reform must recognize the unique living conditions and needs of rural communities. (GGH)

Over 50 professors in the California State University (CSU) system provided testimonies concerning the ways they have introduced law-related education concepts, materials, and methods into their courses, especially those classes in which future teachers are present. Incorporation of law-related education (LRE) in the various stages of the teacher preparation curriculum within the CSU system is the major goal of the Civic Education Enhancement Project. The statements are each two pages long and include (1) an abstract, (2) a statement of the course objectives and how some aspect of LRE fits logically within the course structure, (3) a review of the way(s) students actively participated in the lesson or unit of study, (4) a description of tasks assigned by the professor to enable students to demonstrate their application of LRE content, and (5) a summary of evaluations of the modification conducted by the professor and/or the students based on observations, comments, ratings, and inventories. The statements are presented in three groups representing the academic fields of education, humanities, and social sciences. A few of the topics covered are (1) free speech in schools, (2) computer ethics, (3) legal rights and responsibilities of teachers, (4) teaching the U.S. Constitution, (5) juvenile justice, and (6) religious conviction and personal values versus public education. (JB)

Cooperative education can enhance classroom instruction by providing practical work experience that is relevant to students' career goals. Among co-op's benefits to students are increased relevance of learning and motivation for study; improved self-reliance, self-confidence, and responsibility; contacts with potential employers; and higher starting salary after graduation. Among the benefits to participating institutions are improved relationships with business and the community; enhanced student retention and graduate placement; workplace-tested curriculum; and less need to maintain expensive state-of-the-art facilities. Among the benefits to employers are effective screening and recruitment; higher employee retention and productivity; and improved public relations. Co-op education appears to work best in metropolitan settings, in community colleges, and for students who major in engineering, business, and health occupations. However, fewer than 2 percent of all full-time postsecondary students and no more than 10 percent of all secondary vocational education students are involved in co-op programs. Some research on the effects of co-op education has been criticized for methodological weaknesses. Among the suggestions for increasing co-op's impact are to recruit larger numbers of the students most likely to benefit from it and to promote co-op as a viable alternative to heavy borrowing for college expenses. (Eleven references are included.) (CML)

This report describes New Jersey's continuing efforts to help urban school districts comply with the state's Public School Education Act of 1975 in view of the particularly complex problems which the urban districts face in complying with the act's mandate requiring all districts to provide their students with a "thorough and efficient" education. The report is divided into four parts. A background section discusses the challenge of urban education and summarizes findings of effective schools research. "Activities on Behalf of Urban Districts" outlines the following initiatives: (1) Department of Education reorganization including the creation of 11 Urban Specialist positions, the location of the Regional Curriculum Service Unit in an urban community, the creation of a Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Urban Education, and the appointment of an Urban Education Advisory Committee; (2) an Urban Education Seminar; (3) the Urban Initiative, comprised of the Broad Based Component and Operation School Renewal; (4) programs for urban dropouts; (5) vocational programs; (6) High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) summer assistance; (7) HSPT curriculum assistance, including Curriculum Alignment Workshops and HSPT Institutes; (8) compensatory education funding; and (9) a youth employment program. "Activities with Relevance to Urban School Populations" describes 16 additional policies, incentive programs, competitive grants programs, and conferences with particular application for urban school populations and problems. The final section consists of a brief conclusion. (AF)

This paper (1) briefly describes Tennessee Technological University's past involvement in teacher education follow-up evaluation; (2) discusses work related to the evaluation of programs training early childhood teachers; and (3) describes a new center established to study teacher education program evaluation. In 1973, the University developed and implemented a longitudinal model for systematic data gathering and for making evaluations of its programs in teacher education. During the past 13 years, a variety of data have been collected on 150 variables from over 200 graduates receiving bachelor's and master's degrees who were trained to teach in kindergarten and the primary grades. Graduates appeared to be at a level comparable to or above the 50th percentile and to exhibit many of the characteristics of good teachers. Because of the project, the teacher preparation programs have developed new modules of study in the elementary and early childhood education programs; made major changes in the historical and sociological foundations of education courses; and introduced more educational technology into the undergraduate teacher preparation curriculum. The final part of the paper discusses the Center for Teacher Education Evaluation, which was established in 1986 and aims to develop and implement teacher education program evaluation models; research teacher education program evaluation; and establish improved delivery systems for information about teacher education program evaluation. (RH)

A catalogue in Finnish describes 80 research and 27 research and development (R&D) programs in the field of higher education that were completed or in progress in 1983-1984 in Finland. The introduction, abstract, titles of the research descriptions, and names of research institutes are translated into English. A brief review of higher education research and R&D work includes English tables. The programs are categorized as follows: general, systems and institutions, teaching and learning, information networks, students--general, selection and performance of students, careers and employment of students, staff, and continuing education. The most popular R&D targets in the field were teaching and learning (31%). Most of the research and the R&D work was carried out in the social science disciplines (40%) and/or educational science (36%). Ninety-one percent of the projects were conducted in higher education institutions or their special institutes; the share of the departments of education was 21%, other subjects were 27%, and teacher education was 13%. Included are indexes of: researchers, scientific supervisors, or project heads; keywords; and research institutes. (SW)

Character Education initiatives within schools have gained both proponents and opponents over recent years and continue to garner mixed reviews. Proponents argue that the need is urgent and the increasing level of school disruption, antisocial behavior and violence requires a focus on values/virtues/moral education and claim this is synonymous with good practice in education. Opponents ask, whose values will be taught and how does this address the needs of our multicultural reality? While others claim that, many initiatives embrace moral education delivered in a behaviorist fashion promoting control by other and lack a humanistic understanding of the pluralistic nature of modern society. This review addresses these issues by exploring, critically interpreting, and synthesizing educational and psychological research. The aim being to develop a definition of character education that is not confined to antiquated understandings of ethnocentric non-negotiable ideological values/virtues/morals. The main focus of the review being to inform a unified theory of character education embedded in a sociocultural understanding of personality development that can inform practice in multicultural settings. By developing a research informed discussion of characteristics beneficial to life outcomes a theory of integrative character education is offered.

Sustainability is internationally often emphasized as an essential aim of higher education, but more as a principle than on the practical level. This is also obvious in the academic education of primary teachers in Finland. Therefore, it is a great challenge for Finnish teachers to include sustainability in their teaching and everyday life in schools. The aim of this article is to critically analyze why the implementation of sustainability in teacher education is so intricate and to discuss possible solutions with Finland--a country highly valued for its education--as an example. The article reports outcomes from educational policy documents and research on educational, philosophical, scientific and social aspects of sustainability, including evaluation of how sustainability has been implemented in schools and at universities, especially among teacher educators. In addition, the article builds on analyses of comprehensive university strategies and primary school teacher education programs. We found these reasons for the ignoring of sustainability in the Finnish teacher education: sustainability is in conflict with overall trends in society and politics, teacher education takes place at universities and is based on separate academic disciplines. Sustainability is also intricate because it is strongly connected to ecological literacy and it is value dependent. Universities need to overcome these obstacles and become forerunners in the sustainability process.