Education & Pedagogy

The philosophy of education is both an activity and a process which is envisaged to underpin and evaluate pedagogical events and activities in terms of what is taught, how it is taught, who is taught, and the process of teaching and learning. Educational theory is a compound concept that refers to the purpose of learning in terms of its totality of applying, interpreting, and integrating teaching and learning experiences. The practice of education includes the process of converting ideas into reality within the learning context. The purpose of any philosophy of education is central in education because it envisages examining the significance of that which is taught. This study seeks to assess how current educational theory, policy and practice can correlate with the philosophy of education at all levels of education.

The field of health professions education research draws inspiration from many disciplines, creating a dynamic socio-cultural context that is replete with contests over research rigour and quality. These knowledge politics are never definitively resolved. Thus, an important question that any graduate program established within the field has to contend with is what should constitute expertise in HPER [health professions education research]. In this paper we explore interrelated contextual, conceptual and procedural dimensions of expertise to substantiate our suggestions for a core curriculum for graduate students in health professions education. We argue that an expert in health professions education research should have both an appreciation of when knowledge politics are relevant to their research process as part of their procedural knowledge and also an awareness of why these politics can affect their work as part of their conceptual knowledge.

In this paper, we discuss a perennial question in the field of music teacher education: is school music education better served with generalist or specialist teachers? To answer this question, we discuss the educational policy reforms implemented in two African countries, Uganda and South Africa, and in Spain as well. We also discuss how teacher education is implemented in these countries--in the case of Spain, in the lights of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)--in what refers music teacher education and its professional development. From this policy analysis at curriculum and teacher education levels, we raise implications for teacher preparation and subsequent professional development of music generalist and specialist teachers. In our conclusion, we deduce that students may be well served with either generalist or specialist music teachers as long as they are prepared to move content forward, to meet contemporary global student needs.

Social inclusion policy in higher education--also referenced as affirmative action, reservations, schedules, or antidiscrimination--has been used widely to promote equity and access for minority and historically discriminated subgroups who wish to participate in tertiary education. Inclusion is often protected de jure through a country's constitution. Even so, the effects of the legislation vary according to the context within which it was instituted. This article offers a comparative review of the historical and legal evolution of social inclusion in higher education in Brazil, India, South Africa, and the United States and the educational outcomes created by systems of social inclusion around the world. The development and impacts of these policies are discussed within the frameworks of social inclusion and critical legal studies to suggest that social inclusion policy links higher education to its place.

This study looks at the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on four education and technical colleges from the San Nicolas District in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. We analyse information collected from directors, a regional teacher trainer, and an education specialist on how colleges react, adapt, and respond to student-teacher needs during the tine of the pandemic. We also examine the changes to the practicum for 21 teachers. The reality of the pandemic has inspired management and teachers from training and technical institutions to propose an innovative educational response for the student-teachers and to contemplate how teacher training can reshape practice and learning moving from the old to the new normal.

Drawing on an integrative review of the literature on the privatization of education and an empirical case study of technology corporations in education, this article examines the corporate within the political economy of education. It argues that by analytically conceiving of corporations under the banner of the private sphere and, correspondingly, by subsuming the processes of corporatization within the processes of privatization, the literature on privatization conceals the very specific role and influence of corporations. The article puts forward an analytic framework for researching and theorizing corporations in education. How the field of education conceives of corporate actors and their related practices, processes, and power relations is analytically and empirically significant for ensuring equitable, transparent, and accountable educational systems in the United States and globally.

Educators and employers are working together to promote students diagnosed with autism by developing skills related to the STEM fields. Students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are showing high levels of interest in STEM fields. This paper will review STEM and ASD literature and offer methods for improving student access to education through transition services and using a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in efforts to encourage a blend of evidence-based instructional methods and supports for STEM educators working to include students diagnosed with ASD in their classrooms.

This study aims to ascertain how the relationships between structures in the South African engineering education and training system condition the likelihood of the systemic transformation required by the changing contemporary engineering industry. Drawing on social realism as its theoretical framework, this qualitative case study analyses the relationships between the Engineering Council of South Africa, higher education and industry. The findings show that the South African engineering education and training system exhibits a tendency towards maintenance of the status quo and that systemic transformation is therefore unlikely. The relationship that shows the most potential for evolution is that between higher education and industry as their relationship is based on tenuous containment and compromise. The implication of the study is that those interested in engineering education and training should delve beyond curriculum- and pedagogy-based initiatives in order to better understand the likelihood of the occurrence of systemic transformation.

An empirical study using descriptive-quantitative methods was conducted to investigate this hypothesis and examine the appropriateness of the framework components on the potential offering of an academic program at Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC). The Identify, Determine, Assess and Establish (IDAE) model provided strategies and results essential for institutional decision-making. The model also proposes that if at least one of the components- I-D-A were not satisfied, the last component- E should not be pursued. Simply put, the academic program should not be instituted. However, further research is encouraged to support these arguments.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors of quality in higher education in the eyes of stakeholders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 151 respondents were taken for this scientific research. Biographical Information Blank and Quality in Higher Education questionnaires were administered to the respondents to explore prevailing factors in higher education to maintain the realm of quality. Through factor analysis, the investigation revealed six factors that the stakeholders perceived as contributory factors existing in terms of quality in the higher education. It is suggested that leaders and policymakers of higher education in the Kingdom must focus on six factors obtained in the current investigation to enhance the effectiveness of quality in the higher education.

In most modern countries, much learning in childhood and adolescence takes place outside of regular school hours. That holds for community-based programs -- like afterschool programs -- as well as for private offerings -- like private tutoring. In the international research literature, this field of learning opportunity is called extended education. This article attempts to define the term, extended education, and to describe in some detail the common features of extended education programs and activities, focusing among other things on questions of methods, outcomes and professionals working in this field. The article addresses additionally the question whether learning in the field of extended education decreases social inequality, or, on the contrary, widens the social gap. The most important conclusion is that many relevant questions regarding social inequality and the effectiveness of extended education are still empirically open to research.

A distinct feature of the Austrian education system is its differentiation of programs in vocational education. Among these programs, the dual education system has a long tradition: Students undergo an apprenticeship in a company while also attending a vocational school in part-time. More than other forms of education, this combination of on-the-job training at the work place and instruction in vocational school requires constant adaptation to economic requirements. Against this background, a new instructional approach, so called areas of learning with a focus on competence were introduced in the vocational school Eisenstadt in the year 2010. The introduction of this approach offered an opportunity for comparing it with a "traditional" subject-oriented approach. Results of the comparison will be presented and discussed in this article.

This study explored relationships between special education personnel absences and demographic, policy, and practice variables to identify potential actions that could increase access to qualified personnel and continuity of instruction. Findings from 51 inclusion-oriented schools indicated that special educators and special education paraprofessionals were absent 12 days per year on average. Special educator absences were correlated with variables amenable to action by school leaders including special educator school density (i.e., ratio of special educators in full-time equivalents to total school enrollment) and special services concentration (i.e., ratio of special educators to special education paraprofessionals in full-time equivalents). Special education paraprofessional absences were not correlated with these variables. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Open education has long been forwarded as a producer of equity. However, there currently exists a lack of critical engagement with issues of justice in open educational practices (OEP). Although the affordances of open education have potential for increasing equity, creating knowledge alongside learners is inherently rife with complexities for inclusion and diversity. As online faculty build relationships with and between students and engage in unconventional but authentic instruction, they must be cognizant of the ways in which historically underrepresented populations are systematically marginalized and might be excluded from full participation. This article seeks to investigate tensions at the nexus of OEP and social justice, identify underlying principles of inclusive OEP, and offer initial strategies on using OEP inclusively and in alignment with a social justice framework.

Education forms a very significant activity within the Roman Catholic Church. The cultural and ethical formation of young generations and thus the future of society and the Church depend largely on it. Catholic schools grant the opportunity to base formal education on Christian anthropology and to shape students' personality in the light of the Gospel. The pontificate of John Paul II made a significant contribution to the development of Catholic education, and its theoretical foundations in particular. Due to the importance of the Pope's teaching and its timeliness for contemporary Catholic education, we carried out scientific reflection devoted to it. This study is primarily of a source nature, based on an analysis of the statements of John Paul II and the dicasteries of the Roman Curia during his pontificate. It can certainly inspire Catholic educators throughout the world.