Education & Pedagogy

The processes of puberty are now commonly observed in primary school-aged students. Schools, therefore, need to address puberty and sexuality education for students' health, well-being, safety and pastoral care. Similarly, preservice teacher education needs to address future primary school teachers' unfamiliarity and lack of confidence with these issues and topics, and develop appropriate and normative learning and teaching practices to benefit students of all ages. This paper explores the types of sexuality education content and pedagogies student-teachers prefer to learn about, and be assessed on, in a dedicated sexuality education course in their preservice Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree. A mixed-method design collected quantitative preference ratings and qualitative responses revealing that student-teachers prefer content about the social, developmental and psychological aspects of primary school children's puberty and sexuality. Student-teachers also prefer school counsellors and school nurses as guest speakers, learning pedagogies in tutorial or small groups and assessments through case studies by oneself or small groups. This Australian evidence may be useful to designers of preservice health and sexuality education courses, who aim to assist primary school student-teachers become more competent, confident and professionally trained in puberty and sexuality education.

Previous studies indicate that ideas related to special education could influence the way arts education is performed and motivated in schools. Further investigation is therefore required in order to raise awareness of how perspectives on inclusion can serve as a starting point for arts education, and vice versa. This article takes it starting point in an ethnographic double case study of arts education practices. Data were collected during the school year 2013/2014 in two Scandinavian schools (for pupils aged 6-13) with an articulated commitment to the arts. The methods used for data collection were observation and interviews. The material was analysed from a phenomenological point of view, and the analysis showed a predominantly holistic view of inclusion in the two schools. Five dimensions of inclusion were identified through the analysis: providing "arts education for all," "being connected to something larger," "allowing access to different forms of expression and communication," "establishing preconditions for holistic inclusion," and developing "special arts education." The results indicate that these schools have made considerable progress in developing an inclusive arts learning environment. Results also suggest that a holistic inclusive view of education encourages a functional and vivid arts education for "all," both inside and outside the classroom.

This paper examines regional differentials in pass rates in Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in Mainland Tanzania. In particular, the paper investigates the effects of pupil-teacher ratio (PTR), pupil-latrine ratio (PLR), pupil-classroom ratio (PCR), availability of electricity in schools, and secondary school and above education of women and men aged 15-49 years on the percentage of students passing the PSLE. The paper employs a multilevel framework using aggregate regional data from Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania (BEST) and Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS). The results indicate that regional pass rates in PSLE are negatively associated with regional PTR and PLR, and that there are regional differences in these education resources. However, their effects were found to be statistically insignificant. Education of women on the other hand, was positively and significantly related to the pass rate in the PSLE. Accordingly, there is a need for formulating education policies that would promote the enrolment of women in higher education in Tanzania so as to ensure that children achieve progress in education and social economic development later in life. In addition, measures to ensure efficient allocation of resources are needed in order to address apparent regional disparities regarding access to essential education resources.

Education is an important aspect of care for diabetic patients. This study aimed to compare the effect of education by health care provider and peer on self-care behaviors among Iranian patients with diabetes. In this clinical randomized control trial, we enrolled 120 patients with type 2 diabetes who were referred to the Diabetes Clinic at a university medical center hospital in an urban area of Iran. Participants were randomly allocated into three groups. Patients in care provider group (CPG) received additional education provided by a nurse, other than routine education in a Diabetes Clinic. Patients in peer education group (PEG) received education given by a peer. Patients in control group (CG) received the routine education in accordance with the usual procedures at the Diabetes Clinic. Data collected at baseline and 12 weeks (3 months) were demographic variables and diabetes self-care activities. Self-care behaviors post intervention differed significantly by group; PEG patients demonstrated the greatest improvement. CG patients' self-care behaviors did not change significantly and were significantly lower than scores by CPG and PEG patients. In line with the World Health Organization recommendations, future studies are warranted to confirm the effectiveness of peer-led education among diabetic patients in the Iranian culture.

In recent years the words 'Finnish education' have been accompanied by utterances of 'an education miracle,' 'the best education system,' 'a success' and a number of other adjectives and superlatives to 'describe' education in Finland. While Finland's PISA ranking has declined media interest and discourses on 'Finnish education' have not relented. Seemingly, Finland's educational system is as popular as it has ever been. Finland's education system is viewed with 'international admiration' yet behind these discourses are a number of discursive contradictions. Using the discursive concept of ventriloquism (Tannen, 2010; Cooren, 2014) we show how 'Finnish education' has become ventriloquised--when 'Finnish education' is uttered a number of automatically generated responses are uttered by speakers. In this sense, discourses on 'the success of the Finnish education system' act as prevailing meta-discourses. We argue that, behind these constructs, can too easily lie ventriloquised discourses reinforcing and (re)producing Finnish ethnocentrisms, intercultural ignorance and a lack of regard for the other. Through analysing the discourses of specific educators and academics on 'Finnish education' we show that behind the 'hype' and meta-discourses on the Finnish education system lie possible sentiments of (hidden) ethnocentrisms, (hidden) xenophobia, and (hidden) racism.

Nationwide, agricultural education has experienced a shortage of qualified school-based agriculture teachers for over four decades. Students who seek careers as agriculture teachers are often those who participated in agricultural education and FFA in high school. The Ag Ed FITChoice® Model (Lawver 2009; Lawver & Torres, 2012) was used as the investigative framework for this phenomenological study, which sought to explore how active participation in school-based agricultural education programs influenced students' choice to major in agricultural education and pursue a career in teaching. Seven agricultural education majors who participated in agricultural education and FFA in high school participated in a focus group interview. Transcripts of the focus group interview were analyzed and coded for thematic content using open, axial, and selective coding protocols. Five themes emerged from the data, which included, 1) socializer influencers, 2) social value 3) passion for agriculture, 4) alignment with personal values, and 5) agricultural education factors. The agricultural education factors theme was broken into four subthemes, which include agriculture teacher encouragement, FFA events, increased self-efficacy through a quality program, and post-high school opportunities. Based on the findings, implications and recommendations for recruitment are discussed.

This study centered on values-based business education for empowerment, self-reliance and poverty reduction in Nigeria. The study identified 30 critical values business education students need to possess. 192 questionnaire items were constructed after careful review of literature (Njoku, 2007 and Living Values Education, 2013) and administered them to 170 year I to 4 business education students, College of Education, and 22 lecturers of College of Education, Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria. All the respondents completed and returned their questionnaire. One research question, "what are the values required by business education students for empowerment, self-reliance and poverty reduction in Nigeria?" was answered using mean and standard deviation. One hypothesis, "Lecturers and students do not differ significantly in their views regarding values required for empowerment, self-reliance and poverty reduction in Nigeria" was tested using t-test statistics. It was found that students need to possess these identified values in order to be empowered for self-reliance, and poverty reduction in Nigeria. It was recommended, among others, that all the identified values be learned along-side business education subjects so that business education graduates will not only imbibe these values but also exhibit those values in real life situations.

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. This month's issue describes preservice elementary teachers learning engineering principles from engineers. Few elementary teachers have experience with implementing engineering into the classroom. While engineering professional development opportunities for inservice teachers are becoming more numerous, engineering education is rarely required or even offered in elementary teacher-preparation programs. To prepare future elementary teachers to teach engineering, a collaborative partnership was formed between professors in Iowa State University's College of Engineering (CoE) and School of Education (SoE). The partnership included teacher education faculty in science and mathematics education and three engineering faculty who provided perspectives on content, knowledge, and skills foundational to engineering. Members of the partnership worked together to co-plan and co-implement engineering experiences across a teacher education program. These experiences included building engineering content knowledge through a Saturday short course, inclusion of engineering in methods courses, and a summer workshop that preceded a partnership with an engineering graduate student. This article describes the Saturday short course provided to prospective elementary teachers by three members of the engineering faculty and two from the teacher education faculty.

This investigation addressed methods and experiences used to educate doctoral music education students to work as university college professors. Selected faculty representing every institution offering a Ph.D. in music education in the United States and Canada (N = 46) were sent an online questionnaire concerning (1) the extent respondents believed doctoral music education students should perform student/class observations, teach music education classes, supervise field-teaching experiences, participate in teacher-related activities, and participate in scholarly activities; and (2) whether respondents' institutions had doctoral music education students perform student/class observations, teach music education classes, supervise field/student teaching experiences, participate in teacher-related activities, and participate in scholarly activities. Respondents strongly believed music education doctoral students should observe and assist in undergraduate classes, supervise field-teaching experiences, and conduct scholarly activities. Respondents placed less value on students interacting with public school teachers, teaching graduate music education courses, and participating in school/college committees. Respondents indicated their institutions did have students perform student/class observations, teach music education classes, supervise field-teaching experiences, participate in teacher-related activities, and participate in scholarly activities. However, interactions with public school teachers, teaching a graduate class, and participating in school/college committees were performed less.

Background: The current study, Project EARPOD (Engaging At-Risk Populations Outdoors, Digitally), addressed two questions: First, does the use of technology in environmental education detract from students' experiences outdoors? Second, can these technological interventions be expanded to provide access to students and schools across the socioeconomic spectrum? Purpose: EARPOD used an integrated technology program, Digital Observation Technology Skills (DOTS), to engage underserved students in experiential education meant to increase environmental literacy and provide evaluative data for pedagogical development in environmental education. Methodology/Approach: Researchers collected data on the impact of technology-integrated environmental programming on students' knowledge and attitudes toward using technology in outdoor education. Lessons were conducted in small groups, encouraging peer mentoring with regard to tool use and observation that promoted teamwork within groups at an informal science learning (ISL) center. Findings/Conclusions: Preliminary results showed that students reported an increase in three main characteristics with regard to technology: confidence in using technologies outdoors, knowledge of available technologies, and knowledge of using different technologies. Implications: The results of the Project EARPOD study will help future educators and administrators make decisions regarding best practices and resource allocation for the use of technology within the field of environmental education.

This study examines the institutionalization of policies and curriculum standards for multicultural education across countries. We used two sources of cross-national data on education: the World Data on Education (WDE) compiled by the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (World data on education, 2007) and the data from the Curriculum Questionnaire of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007. WDE was used to gather country profiles regarding policies for multicultural education, and the data from the TIMSS 2007 Curriculum Questionnaire allowed us to look cross-nationally at multicultural curriculum standards for mathematics and science. The main findings of this study show that countries with more linkages to global civil society were significantly more likely to have national policies and curriculum standards for multicultural education. The significant effect of the linkages to global civil society persisted even after a range of other national-level characteristics were held constant. Such a persistent effect suggests the possibility that individual countries' adoption of multicultural education policies and related curriculum standards may not simply be a national functional response; it may also be an institutional embodiment of universalistic world models and principles that emphasize the ontological status of the individual as the primordial constituent of global civil society.

In Turkey, education in state schools can be delivered in foreign languages such as German, French and English. However, mother tongue education cannot be provided in the languages of minorities or local groups other than those officially accepted as minorities (that is, according to the Treaty of Lausanne). In this regard, the primary aim of this study was to reveal the views of postgraduate students (Masters (MA)/PhD) studying at a graduate school of educational sciences on mother tongue education and the applicability of mother tongue education in Turkey. The study was conducted with a total of 46 students, 28 MA and 18 PhD students. The data were gathered through semi-structured open-ended questions in November 2017. According to the findings, most of the participants viewed mother tongue education as one of the basic human rights. Moreover, while some of the participants thought that the country was not yet ready to provide education to non-official minorities or local communities in their mother tongues, some objected to mother tongue education with the concern that it would cause division within the country.

Scholarly journals are not passive receptors of scientific information. On the contrary, they, within the process of filtrating the kind of research that will finally been published, contextualize a scientific field. In the present review I examine the Environmental Education related articles published in science education journals between the years 2000 and 2014. It turned to be that EE-related research published in science education journals is characterized by an emphasis on the development and study of inquiry-oriented educational settings in both indoor and outdoor learning environments, as well as a preference for studies on biodiversity and increasingly on climate change, while research questions cover a wide range of topics (although not in equal terms) extended from the study of conceptual understanding and psychological characteristics to the development of cognitive skills and the elaboration of community oriented actions. Methodological approaches are characterized by flexibility, while an important amount of EE-related research is produced in science departments. A lack of research on early childhood as well as on adult education and a need on greater emphasis on learning for empowerment and active participation are the most important weakness of the literature under review.

Searching for development paths and suitable educational policies, postcolonial governments often turned to the experiences of other countries and sought to adapt these to their own contexts. Research on such processes has largely neglected the resulting entanglements between postcolonial and European socialist countries, and between different postcolonial countries. This gap in research is addressed in this article by tracing a world-spanning history of educational transfers that has its origins in the Workers' Faculties of the early Soviet Union. Workers' Faculties were established with two goals: quickly channelling members of formerly disadvantaged social groups into higher education by providing university-preparatory education to workers and peasants; and providing suitably educated cadres for the development of a socialist society. After World War 2, institutions drawing on the Soviet experiences and combining these two goals were established in European, Asian, Latin American, and African countries. Tracing the processes of transfers and local interpretations of these institutions gives insights into an entangled history of postcolonial and socialist education, but also into how tensions between education as a means to provide social equality and education as a tool for (socialist) development played out in various national contexts.

Increasingly in K-12 schools, students are gaining access to computational thinking (CT) and computer science (CS). This access, however, is not always extended to students with disabilities. One way to increase CT and CS (CT/CS) exposure for students with disabilities is through preparing special education teachers to do so. In this study, researchers explore exposing special education preservice teachers to the ideas of CT/CS in the context of a mathematics methods course for students with disabilities or those at risk of disability. Through analyzing lesson plans and reflections from 31 preservice special education teachers, the researchers learned that overall emerging promise exists with regard to the limited exposure of preservice special education teachers to CT/CS in mathematics. Specifically, preservice teachers demonstrated the ability to include CT/CS in math lesson plans and showed understanding of how CT/CS might enhance instruction with students with disabilities via reflections on these lessons. The researchers, however, also found a need for increased experiences and opportunities for preservice special education teachers with CT/CS to more positively impact access for students with disabilities.