Education & Pedagogy

Sexuality education in schools continues to be a controversial issue although public debate has seemingly calmed in recent years. Dialogue about the value and purpose of sexuality education for adolescents can provide health education specialists a better understanding of public opinion and online discussion may be a potentially ideal way to foster these discussions. The purpose of this study was two-fold--to analyze college students' perceptions of sexuality education in schools and to consider the unique context of online discussion about this topic and the influence of this format on discourse. A qualitative research design was used to analyze the content of five asynchronous online discussion forums about sexuality education in schools. Several themes emerged from the analysis including participants' observations about the quality of sexuality education, what adolescents should be taught, parent and sibling roles, and the influence of the media. Xin and Feenberg's four component model of computer-mediated communication was used to consider the value of online discussion. Reflections on the components led to the conclusion that online discussion produced vigorous and rich dialogue about sexuality education.

For multicultural education to be effective, it must be introduced in the early years and reinforced throughout the school years. It is important for teachers of young children to be equipped with the appropriate knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to promote multiculturalism in their classrooms. This paper reports on a survey involving preschool teachers in Singapore who were participating in an in-service training course. The teachers completed a questionnaire to indicate their understandings of multicultural education and their perceptions of its importance in early childhood education. The findings indicated that the teachers endorsed the need for multicultural education in preschools and the importance of children learning tolerance and understanding of other cultures in the Singaporean context. However, while preschool teachers held positive attitudes towards multicultural education, there was limited understanding of the challenges in implementing an anti-bias teaching and curriculum approach. The implications of these findings for preschool teacher education programs in Singapore and in other countries focus on supporting teachers in developing more critical and deeper understandings of multiculturalism.

Accountability mechanisms in adult education, their constitution and their effects, are of increasing concern in an era threatening massive reductions to resources for adult education activity. Such mechanisms are frequently portrayed as unassailably oppressive. However, alternative analyses have illuminated contradictions and ambiguities in the assembly and mobilization of such mechanisms that offer escape routes and non-calculable or even transgressive spaces. Actor-network theory (ANT), for example, increasingly has been employed in studies of accountability systems and the evaluation mechanisms serving them. This article presents sample studies that draw from ANT to analyse processes of accountability in workplace learning, professional education, literacy tutoring and public pedagogy. These examples establish not only the complexities of calculation as it is enacted through heterogeneous networks, but also the spaces of non-calculation that can be found or torn open to allow more freedom of play. The conclusion summarizes ANT's theoretical contributions to the study of accountability in adult education, and suggests further work that might be undertaken to develop ANT's potential contributions to evaluative practices in adult education. (Contains 1 note.)

This article presents the concept and practice of adult education as a key issue for Brazil and other Latin American countries, both for formal and non-formal education in the public and private sectors. It includes citizen education focused on democratisation of society and sustainable development. The concept is pluralist and ideological as well as technical. All along the history of contemporary education it is essential to highlight the importance of the CONFINTEA conferences for the construction of an expanded vision of this concept. Adult education is understood as a human right. The right to education does not end when a person has reached the so-called "proper" age; it continues to be a right for the duration of everyone's entire life. This article explores Paulo Freire's contribution, particularly the methodology of MOVA (Youth and Adult Literacy Movement). It also presents the ecopedagogic perspective, which was inspired by Paulo Freire's legacy. Finally, this article stresses the need to support a long-term policy for adult education, following the recommendations of the Civil Society International Forum (FISC) and CONFINTEA VI, both held in Belem, Brazil, in 2009.

This article attempts to bridge the philosophical gap between Western music education philosophers and practicing Suzuki music teachers. Specifically addressed is Estelle Jorgensen's critique of Suzuki-trained educators who may rely too heavily on rote pedagogical methods without careful reflection of the philosophical principles underlying their approach. By first discussing the cultural relativity of philosophical expression, this article suggests that Suzuki's philosophy may be better (although differently) articulated than Western scholars give it credit. On the other hand, this article also invites contemporary string pedagogues who use Suzuki's methods to candidly consider how much attention they pay to Suzuki's (and their own) educational philosophy as they teach. Finally, this article articulates Suzuki's philosophy of music education, named here "Music Education as Love Education" (a play on words with the familiar term "Music Education as Aesthetic Education," to reflect Suzuki's principal focus on the nurturing of students)--in order to offer a fresh look at a philosophy that may be often, though differently, disregarded by both sides of the debate. Suzuki's writings and interviews with individuals who worked with Suzuki are used to demonstrate his belief in the spiritual nature of musical tone, and the high priority he placed upon character development.

This article argues that at a moment of crisis in education, the defence of critical pedagogy is vitally important. However, it also suggests that such a defence should be more than a "cri de coeur" that asserts principles and methods of criticality against those of neoliberal or conservative education policy. Narratives of a totalising "crisis of critique" in education and the wider society are now ubiquitous in the critical pedagogical literature. But while these may mobilize the defence of critical education, they can also obscure tensions between different approaches to critical pedagogy, the history of "the crisis;" the co-optation of critical discourses; the proliferation of radical educational projects that do not draw inspiration from orthodox forms of critical pedagogy; the professional investments that critical educators may have in maintaining the status quo; and the possible relationships between formal education, popular education and broader "public pedagogies." The article concludes by suggesting that, in addition to defending specific pedagogical projects, it is also important to cultivate a critical attitude that interrogates the politics of critical pedagogy itself, even as we work to defend its necessity for democratic public life. (Contains 9 footnotes.)

The author presents the science and engineering practices from the recently released "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas." He recognizes the changes implied by the new framework, and eventually a new generation of science education standards will present new perspectives for the science education community. Although the NRC report is a framework and not standards, it is prudent for those in the science and technology education community to begin preparing for the new standards. Because science and engineering practices are basic to science education and the change from inquiry to practices is central, this innovation for the new standards will likely be one of the most significant challenges for the successful implementation of science education standards. He is especially sensitive to the challenges for those students in teacher preparation programs and classroom teachers of science at all levels. Questions such as "Why practices and why not inquiry?" and "Why science and engineering?" are reasonable, and the author discusses them in this article. But to provide background and context, he first discusses the practices. (Contains 8 figures.)

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of changing patterns since the mid-1990s in the Korean government's policies for internationalizing its higher education system. The study examines the driving forces behind the government's internationalization policies for Korean higher education, how the internationalization process affected Korean higher education, the ways in which the government and higher education institutions responded, and the issues and challenges now arising from the internationalization of the Korean higher education system. The results indicate internationalization is already an integral part of mainstream higher education policies and programs in Korea and is increasingly perceived as a key tool for improving the quality of higher education. The study suggests that for Korea to more effectively cope with internationalization in the future, it must address the following key challenges: (a) establishing an effective quality assurance mechanism for cross-border educational activities; (b) redressing the government's previous, overriding emphasis on the quantitative aspects of internationalization, at the expense of quality; and (c) maintaining a balance between the conflicting demands of competition and cooperation with other countries. (Contains 1 figure, 2 tables, and 9 notes.)

Higher education in Africa has had diverse histories and trajectories, and has played different roles over time. This article is concerned with the evolution and future of higher education on the continent, and the role that open educational resources (OER) might play therein. It is generally accepted that "the university in Africa and higher education in general remain a significant part of the overall social, economic, and cultural constitution of societies and nations." In Africa, despite many local variances, the evolution of the university and higher education in general has reflected the historical phases of colonialism, post-colonialism, and current ongoing national and regional agendas. OER Africa, an initiative of South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE), was established to help educators and the institutions at which they work to conceptualize, adapt, implement, and use OER to improve both the content and practice of teaching and learning. The work of OER Africa has demonstrated how OER can positively support the development and capacity of higher education systems and institutions in Africa. (Contains 1 note.)

This article is a study of the competing academic and professional identity frameworks of lecturers whose discipline has only recently become part of the business of higher education. The article engages with important questions about higher education change and purpose, standards and parity among disciplines. Taking a critical ethnographic approach, it combines policy discussion of shifting higher educational and nurse education regimes with an insider investigation into the attempts of a group of new nurse lecturers in a pre-1992 English university to make sense of their work and identity in an already contested site. These experiences and perceptions are analysed from the perspectives of autonomy, status and rival knowledge regimes. By underlining the diversity of lecturer experiences in these terms, the article contributes to discussion of new stratification. It suggests that despite the apparent merging in many respects of professional and academic frameworks, higher education practitioners in such newly "academic" disciplines can still find traditional professional identities more reliable conferrers of meaning than academic ones. (Contains 1 footnote.)

With the rapid industrialization and economic development in the past decades, heavy environmental loads caused some serious environmental scenarios in Taiwan, an island country with a dense population and only limited natural resources. As a result, environmental education in Taiwan has been a leading tool to promote sustainable development since the 1990s. The central government-level agencies responsible for environmental education in Taiwan, including the Environmental Protection Administrations (EPA), the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Science Council (NSC), began to promulgate regulations on the establishment of an integrated environmental education system. This paper presents the governmental regulations and policies for promoting environmental education in Taiwan. This article also analyzes the success of environmental education through cross-ministerial mechanisms and plans based on the current status of energy sustainability in the past two decades (1990-2009). In June 2011, the Environmental Education Act, which is aimed at upgrading environmental education and achieving sustainable development, will begin to be effective in Taiwan. It is thus prospective that the environmental sustainability will be in line with the education for sustainable development. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Experiential learning has been a foundational tenant of agricultural education since its inception. However, the theory of experiential education has received limited attention in the permanent agricultural education literature base. As such, this philosophical manuscript examined Kolb's experiential learning process further, and considered the implications for experiential learning theory (ELT) in secondary agricultural education. Specifically, the researchers outlined Kolb's ELT and conducted a telephone interview with Dr. David A. Kolb. Analysis of the interview indicated that experiential learning is a critical component of a comprehensive agricultural education model (i.e., three-circle model). It was explained that experiential learning builds meta-cognitive skills and can be goal-oriented and assessed. However, agricultural educators must be present and purposeful when providing experiences for students. Additionally, they must ask reflection questions (e.g., "What happened?" "Now what?" "So what?") during each phase of ELT throughout the comprehensive agricultural education model (i.e., classroom and laboratory, Supervised Agricultural Experience [SAE], and FFA). Based on these conclusions, a Comprehensive Model for Secondary Agricultural Education was proposed to include the role of experiential learning more intentionally. (Contains 4 figures.)

Recognizing that the term "global education" has become commonplace but, too often, is put forward without adequate substance, this proposal seeks to envision a foundational higher education for the twenty-first century. The authors believe it is important to imagine an education fit for global possibilities because theirs has become a world in which connections and consequences reach across borders and leap oceans. For much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it may have been appropriate to frame education in national terms. The challenges of the twenty-first century--the possibilities of prosperity, of peace, of health, of fulfillment--all unfold on a global stage. They know that there are many approaches to higher education across the world, some more narrowly focused on preparation for vocation, some aiming to educate the whole person. They intend to articulate the main features of any education that can be truly adequate to global challenges. In relation to current educational systems around the world, this is an approach that is generally more interdisciplinary, more collaborative, and more attuned to stewardship than to instrumental effort or narrow self-interest. (Contains 3 notes.)

This study was designed to explore the impact of service-learning on graduate physical education teacher education students. Social-Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986; 1999) served as the framework to examine graduate student's experiences in a service-learning program. Participants were graduate students (N =16) enrolled in a curriculum and instruction in physical education course at a major university in the southwest United States. The course's service-learning component provided graduate students opportunities to teach physical activity to Hispanic-American and African-American children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Participant's described their experiences through weekly reflections and discussions. Content analysis of data sources indicated that participation in the service-learning program strengthened graduate student's efficacy for teaching, contributed to their acquisition of varied teaching strategies, and enhanced graduate students understanding of children living in low-income, minority households. Findings suggest service-learning can be a valuable pedagogy to infuse into graduate teacher education programs. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

The quality of teachers is one of the most frequently cited factors explaining the quality of an education system. This article discusses the nature and role teacher education plays as a part of the Finnish education system. Teacher education in Finland is a highly competitive field of masters' degree university studies and is provided in universities all across the country. Students are selected through two-phase entrance exams which emphasise, in addition to academic qualifications, the candidates' personal suitability and motivation for teacher's work. Elementary-class-teacher education, which is discussed in more detail, includes a strong practical and research orientation. The Finnish school system's approach in responding to the demands of increasing standards is to put a lot of trust in teachers and local education authorities to deliver good outcomes instead of centralised norms and consequential accountability. One Finnish solution is also the extensive learning support system; for example, by special education, which can also be regarded as a challenge for the future with regard to the universally agreed goals of inclusive education. (Contains 1 table.)