Education & Pedagogy

As schools attempt to accommodate an increasing range of students with disabilities, linguistic differences, or other unique requirements, teachers worry about their preparation to deal with these differences. General education teachers do not always have the necessary background. Special education teachers may have only limited knowledge about the general curriculum and general education teaching practices. Two options are possible to solve this dilemma: (1) "hybrid" teachers with the capacity to work with general and special education students because of their training in both fields; and (2) to make groups of teachers collectively responsible for groups of diverse learners. A key feature of mixed-ability grouping practice is that teachers share working with all children and youth as part of a team. (SLD)

The Basic Education and Policy Support (BEPS) Activity is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-sponsored, multi-year initiative designed to further improve the quality of, effectiveness of, and access to formal and nonformal basic education. This catalog is one element of the BEPS information dissemination process. The catalog includes products and tools now available through BEPS that were developed under USAID's Advancing Basic Education and Literacy (ABEL 2) Project and are now available either through Creative Associates International, Inc., (CAII) and/or USAID's Center for Development Information and Evaluation (CDIE)/Development Experience System (DEXS). Product descriptions are organized into one of eight topics related to basic education: adult literacy, alternative primary school systems; girls' education; classroom-level improvements; community participation; human capacity development; learning technologies; and system reform. Products in the catalog are clearly identified by title, author, DEXS document, order number, and language(s) available. Icons next to each entry indicate availability. (BT)

A common call is for education in emerging as well as settled democracies to educate young and not so young learners to become responsible, participatory, and reflective citizens. These calls are based on the assumption that education can play a significant role in educating the youth for citizenship. In this manner education can contribute to the building of a united, peaceful, and democratic country. This paper begins by sketching in brief what education for democracy entails with reference to international and South African literature. The paper discusses several of the important policy documents and initiatives to instill this vision of education in a new democracy, namely in South Africa. Finally, it considers some of the challenges and potential advantages facing this country, with particular reference to the micro-interaction at the classroom level. (Contains 34 references.) (BT)

This document contains summaries of research in science education for the year 1998 and provides easy access to research findings and a critique of research efforts. Contents include: (1) "Science Education Research Published in Professional Journals" (Judith Sulkes Ridgway and Hyonyong Lee); (2) "Science Education Research Papers, Monographs, and Electronic Documents" (Lynda C. Titterington and Youngsun Kwak); (3) "Science Education Dissertations and Theses" (Suzanne Shaw Drummer, Chris A. Ingersol, and Joyce C. Miller); (4) "Concept Representation and Modeling in Science" (Judith Sulkes Ridgway); (5) "Evolution Education" (Suzanne Shaw Drummer); (6) "Constructivist Perspectives of Teaching and Learning Science" (Youngsun Kwak); (7) "Computer-Based Learning in Science" (Lynda C. Titterington); and (8) "Integrating Science with Other School Subjects" (Hyonyong Lee). (YDS)

This collection of writings and speeches focuses on the current state of higher education in the United States, based largely on the experience of the president of the George Washington University (GWU) for the past 10 years. Individual selections focus on teaching effectiveness and the need for academic change; searching for perspective in a de-controlled world; lessons from the humanities; productivity in academia; equity and equality; the importance of ancient history; the death and rebirth of empathy; race relations; the history of GWU; a vision for the reform of higher education; the consequences of "thinking marketability" in higher education institutions; and the sources of real power in Washington, D.C. The collection also includes short quotes on various issues related to higher education. (MDM)

This paper deals with the use of personal technologies in decentralized university education. Decentralized education, delivered to off-campus students located in the same geographical area, is a hybrid genre combining features of both on-campus and distance education. The paper reports two studies. The first study focused on communication patterns among students in a regular decentralized education setting. It was shown that: there are obstacles preventing the students from developing communities of practice, and some of the obstacles are likely to be eliminated with personal technologies helping the students to get access to various resources and to communicate with each other. The second study included providing a student group with a set of PDAs and analyzing the impact of the technology on students' learning and communication patterns. The prospects for using personal technologies in decentralized education are discussed. (Contains 26 references.) (Author)

This monograph parallels others in the "Monographs" series, allowing easy comparisons among the higher education systems of Europe. The volume describes the development of the higher education system in the Republic of Moldava and analyzes its legislative framework and administrative structures. It outlines steps on the academic career ladder and study paths of students. The chapters are: (1) "Higher EducationHistory and Present Challenges"; (2) "Governance of Higher Education at the National Level"; (3) "Institutional Patterns and Quantitative Developments"; (4) "Governance and Administration at Institutional Level"; (5) "Faculty Structure and Academic Work"; (6) "Students and Graduates"; and (7) "The Future of Higher Education in Moldova." Appendixes list higher education institutions subordinated to the Republic's Ministry of Education and present tables of educational expenditures. (Contains 11 figures, 45 tables, and 46 references.) (SLD)

This pamphlet describes the National Household Education Surveys (NHES) program, a system of telephone surveys of the noninstitutionalized civilian population of the United States. This data collection system provides information on a wide range of education-related issues. The surveys provide descriptive data on the educational activities of the U.S. population. About 45,000 to 64,000 households are contacted to identify persons eligible for the surveys, which are conducted by WESTAT through computer-assisted telephone interviewing. The survey topics for 1991 through 2003 are: (1) Adult Education (1991, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003); (2) Before- and After-School Programs and Activities (1999, 2001); (3) Civic Involvement (1996, 1999); (4) Early Childhood Program Participation (1991, 1995, 1999, 2001); (5) Household and Library Use (1996); (6) Parent and Family Involvement in Education (1996, 1999, 2003); (7) School Readiness (1993, 2003); and (8) School Safety and Discipline (1993). (SLD)

This paper provides an example of how an undergraduate foundations of education course is contributing to the conceptual and practical side of teacher preparation. It describes the course, traces its development, analyzes key alignments, and provides reflections on candidate learning with reference to the foundations of education. Ways candidate work may meet the Standards for Academic and Professional Instruction in Foundations of Education, Educational Studies, and Educational Policy Studies of the Council for Social Foundations of Education are outlined. Among the points emphasized are that an interdisciplinary approach to the course is conducive to helping teacher candidates focus on foundational thinking while providing ideas for classroom practice and that making the standards for the course public through scoring guides (rubrics) makes course expectations clear to students. Also discussed are the role of performance assessment and the usefulness of portfolios. (Contains 22 references.) (SLD)

The essays in this collection were commissioned to launch an initiative focusing on state policies to respond to the challenges facing higher education in the new century. The initiative will engage governors and their key advisors in three priorities: increasing student access, learning, and degree attainment; building and sustaining seamless learning; and fostering economic development. The essays are: (1) "Privatization in Higher Education" (Arthur Levine); (2) "Economics, Demography and the Future of Higher Education Policy" (Anthony P. Carnevale and Richard A. Fry); (3) "Assessing the Quality of Student Learning: An Imperative for State Policy and Practice" (Richard H. Hersh and Roger Benjamin); (4) "Technology: Creating New Models in Higher Education" (Robert W. Mendenhall); and (5) "Creating High-Performance Postsecondary Education" (Donald F. Kettl). An appendix uses the case study of Oregon's higher education system to illustrate issues in the future of higher education. (SLD)

Noting that there are special considerations to take into account when creating appropriate and effective programs for young children, this issue of Progress of Education Reform focuses on early childhood care and education. The report is intended for use by policymakers who are considering implementing and/or reforming early care and education practices in their states. Four questions are discussed in the report: (1) whether young children do better when their early childhood curriculum is aligned with curriculum in the early primary grades; (2) when children should start school; (3) whether children who are assessed regularly fare better than children who are not; and (4) whether young children fare better with teachers having bachelor-degree-level education than with teachers having less education. Each question/issue is presented with relevant research findings, implications for policy, and references. (Contains 19 references.) (KB)

This paper addresses three major questions: (1) What can be done at the preservice and inservice levels to help teachers become more effective teachers of numeracy? (2) How can teachers be supported to teach numeracy more effectively to children from various ethnic, indigenous, and socio-economic backgrounds? and (3) What are the responsibilities of teacher educators and those who cater to the continuing professional development of teachers in numeracy? As well as addressing these questions, the current status of professional development, from a research and practical perspective both nationally and internationally, is discussed. The goal is to raise and discuss issues that may affect teachers implementing a numeracy education agenda and to inform those responsible for making decisions about the development of approaches and future directions of numeracy education at the preservice and inservice levels. (Contains 81 references.) (MM)

The report details the activities of the Virginia Assessment Study Group in documenting the utility of various approaches to assessing adult education programs and instruction within the state. A group of diverse practitioners convened during 1997 to establish project objectives and research questions and to report on their work. The reports of seven group members, all adult education teachers, concerning a variety of assessment procedures are presented here. The members bring experience from the fields of adult basic education, English as a second language (ESL), correctional education, social services, and family literacy programming. Reports include information about the types of learners and classes involved, the physical setting, class schedules, enrollment procedures, and relevant employment situations. Recommendations for assessment practices and for future study groups emerging from the project are also presented. (Contains 102 references.) (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)

This report summarizes current statistical programs of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), including its major publications and plans for future work. In addition to updating the descriptions of long-standing data collections, such as the Common Core of Data, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress, this edition focuses on some of the new and innovative work of the NCES, such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort. An introduction describes NCES data collection efforts. Information on NCES programs is grouped into these sections: (1) NCES Center-wide programs and services; (2) elementary and secondary education; (3) postsecondary and adult education; (4) educational assessment; (5) national longitudinal studies; (6) international statistics; (7) vocational education; (8) libraries; and (9) general publications of the NCES. (SLD)

This document contains a chapter from each Australian State and Territory and from the Commonwealth on their full range of achievements in 1996 related to the National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training. Achievements of all State and Territory Training Authorities are outlined in terms of the four themes of the national strategy: greater responsiveness, enhanced quality, improved accessibility, and increased efficiency. The report also includes information on Commonwealth initiatives in vocational education and training. Among the major achievements detailed in the report are the following: (1) reform of the apprenticeship and traineeship system; (2) reform of the vocational education system; (3) literacy training; (4) small business services; (5) quality initiatives; (6) migrant services; (7) improving access for disadvantaged groups; (8) industry-education partnerships; (9) development of the training market; and (10) small business training opportunities for women. (KC)