Education & Pedagogy

The article examines harmonization of higher education as an prerequisite of improvement of study quality in Lithuania. It overviews the development of higher education and criteria of university and higher non-university study programmes. An assumption is made that higher university and higher non-university studies are poorly harmonized and the strategy for realization of studies is lacking relevant coherence. Unification of assessment criteria shows lack of harmonization in and between non-university and university studies as well as the problem of realization of the mission of components of a binary higher education system. (Contains 1 figure and 2 footnotes.)

Participation in experiential education is said to enhance people's appreciation for diversity. This article reports on a study that found significant changes in participants' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors following a non-formal diversity education program using adventure-based and community-service activities. Additionally, hypothesized program conditions, as outlined by contact theory, were significantly predictive of outcomes, although majority and minority participants differed on their perceptions of these conditions. These findings suggest that experiential activities may be considered a viable approach to diversity education in nonformal settings, assuming key conditions are met. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This article describes the Dallas-based Camp Thunderbird, an enrichment program that brought together minority students in special education and students from general education for a summer of physical activity and the arts. Among the camp participants were students who functioned at a high level in the areas of autism spectrum disorders, mental retardation, behavioral or emotional disturbance, and other health impairments including orthopedic and auditory. The curriculum offered classes in dance, music, drama, and other activities. Positive testimonials from faculty and parents, as well as the progress seen in many of students, show the value of such programs.

The main purpose of the article is to inform about the Cuban Vocational Education and Training System. Based on the analyse of different studies, on expert interviews and on field experiences the authors give a clear overview of the Cuban VET-System. This description is embedded in the presentation of the general education system in Cuba and in a short look on the specific Cuban labour market. Due to the beginning economic changes in Cuba the actual development and the future changes in the Cuban vocational education and training system is outlined. Open questions are discussed at the end in the conclusion. (Contains 3 figures.)

Sexuality education debates are layered with discourses based on markedly different constructions of sexuality. Rather than seeing these discourses as purely oppositional, this article frames them as complex and varied. It provides a new framework for understanding sexuality education which differentiates 28 discourses by orientation to education, whether conservative, liberal, critical, or postmodern. Their key assumptions, school-based approaches, sexuality frameworks, authorities, and methods are detailed. The article argues the value of considering multiple approaches and postmodern perspectives. This framework provides an introduction to sexuality education for those new to it and a fresh (re)conceptualisation of the field for other readers. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)

This article addresses the paradox and complexity of the interactions of the social-cultural context of my students and my identity, as a female Chinese junior professor in social foundations/diversity in my predominantly European American urban classroom. This article will describe the hidden dimensions of teaching diversity courses, the challenges, and strategies to bring multicultural and international education awareness to the students of education majors. Suggestions for the future of multicultural education will be discussed. (Contains 3 notes.)

From bipartisan origins and a laudable intent, the No Child Left Behind (Act) of 2001 has profoundly altered the condition of art education. A historical vantage point and review of literature reveals the current status of pending arts language revisions to the NCLB Act, as well as a pressing need to examine the key recommendations and to consider a blend of the proposals from the National Education Task Force, the Study Group on the Lost Curriculum, and the Arts Education Working Group. This current research possesses significant implications for NCLB arts language and provides the opportunity for a unified message for revisions, leaving no child behind in art education.

In Australia there has been a rapid move to an acceptance of education for sustainability as mainstream environmental education. We argue that education for sustainability, with its platform of assisting individuals in making apparently informed decisions to create a more sustainable world, is at some distance from promoting more ethically-based environmental responsibility. If environmental education is to encourage environmental responsibility, then ethically challenging curricula should provide more suitable mechanisms to encapsulate a sense of what it means to care for country, described by Leopold as "an intense consciousness of land," and foreseen decades ago with his concept of the land ethic.

This paper reviews research literature on the impact of environmental education initiatives on learners' attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. The review focuses on initiatives involving learners of all ages and school-aged learners in particular. The review shows two things. There is some evidence that environmental education initiatives are associated with changed beliefs and attitudes, and this is mainly in the short-term. There is little evidence that environmental education initiatives lead to behavioural change, especially in the longer-term. The review concludes that there is a need for more and better research evidence that behavioural change in learners follows from involvement in environmental education.

In this article, I argue that the expansion of higher education worldwide has had important effects in restructuring the political system of affluent democracies. A large literature has developed that describes how democracy has been "downsized" (e.g., lower voting rates). This, I argue, is one impact of expanded higher education. But there is another less-noticed effect that is just as important. Modern democratic polities have expanded so that they are now turbocharged with social movements, nongovernmental organizations, and other kinds of citizen organizations. I theorize in this article about how the expansion of higher education has produced these contradictory and perhaps temporary effects.

The training of early childhood development and education (ECDE) teachers in Kenya remains a priority in recognition of the vital role well-trained professionals play in the quality of early childhood experiences for children ages 0+ to 5+. This article provides a detailed overview of the current structure and training of ECDE professionals, including pedagogical strategies and curricular guidelines. Specific attention is given to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology's intersectoral framework for stakeholders and the holistic, child-centered, multidimensional approach to coordinated early childhood development and education. A cross-section of challenges to training ECDE teachers and recommendations are offered. (Contains 2 tables.)

Is a functional curriculum aligned with the federal education policies of No Child Left Behind (2002) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004)? This article analyzes the alignment, or lack thereof, between this approach to educating secondary students with mild mental impairment and the two main federal education laws governing their education. It explores the relationship across four areas: general education curriculum and setting, accountability, highly qualified teachers, and scientifically-based research. The analysis suggests that there may be a conflict of interest between the functional curriculum model and federal legislation.

This article presents an interview with Willie L. Hill Jr., founder and director of the Society for Jazz Education. Currently a professor of music education at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the director of the UMass Fine Arts Center, Hill has served as director of education for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. He is a past president of MENC: The National Association for Music Education as well as of the International Association for Jazz Education, which ceased operation in 2008. He taught instrumental music education for sixteen years and has served as instrumental music supervisor in the Denver Public Schools. In this interview, Hill reflects on jazz education in the United States today.

This paper presents findings from two studies that each aimed to develop understandings of how to more effectively support Maori learners with special education needs. The first study occurred just prior to Specialist Education Services (SES) move into the Ministry of Education. The second study comes from the Enhancing Effective Practice in Special Education (EEPiSE) project. Both studies identified the importance of developing culturally responsive whanau relations for including Maori students in education. An example of an immersion school's response for including a student identified as having severe behaviour is presented from the EEPiSE study to exemplify what culturally responsive whanau relations looks like. (Contains 19 footnotes.)

This chapter traces the development of short-cycle higher education in Bulgaria. An emphasis is placed on (a) the evolution of nonuniversity short-cycle institutes and (b) the challenges of bridging the gap between secondary and higher education and creating links between vocational and academic learning pathways. The case study of Bulgaria may provide insights applicable to other postcommunist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Estonia, where nonuniversity institutions and programs of shorter duration have faced similar challenges of recognition and incorporation since 1989. (Contains 1 table and 3 notes.)