Education & Pedagogy

Discusses the objectives and activities carried out by the Minority Engineering Education Effort Task Force, including summer program planning and production and distribution of guidance literature and audio-visual aids. Contained is a list of the Task Force members. (CC)

The paper examines the role of adult education and the contribution it can make to the solution of current problems in developing countries, particularly the problems of economic under-development and over-population. (Author/AG)

The jurisdictions outside the 50 states add a dynamic and diverse set of voices to the conversation surrounding education. This infographic provides an overview of these communities along with resources to support them in closing achievement gaps for all.

This paper looks at the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Guidelines for Music Teacher Education, a governmentally defined technology of accountability for preservice teacher education. In this investigation, the author draws upon Jean-Francois Lyotard's analysis of "differends" to frame the conflict between the state-authorized technologies for accountability (DPI Guidelines) and discourses of education supporting ideals of social justice. Drawing from Lyotard's arguments, the author posits that the language of the guidelines constitutes a unique "phrase universe" that defines what (and thus whose) knowledge students need to enter the classroom as state-certified music teachers. This particular phrase universe contributes to ongoing exclusionary practices within music education. The DPI guidelines are drawn from the Eurocentric phrase universe of aesthetic education, a phrase universe that locates "music" as an object for analysis, reduces acts of music making to behavioral descriptions sometimes far removed from real life music-making experiences, and in the process creates a hierarchy of "music worthy for education" that prioritizes European and North American classical composers' output. Using critical race theory and antiracism education as lenses for analysis, the author interrogates the differend created between the DPI guidelines and music-teacher education as-for social justice--the space between the proverbial "rock and a hard place." Her purpose in this interrogation is twofold. She first wants to tease out a space between the rock of the state guidelines and the hard place of undergraduate music-teacher education as-for social justice through an analysis of selected assessment guidelines for music-teacher education, which serve not only to reproduce but also valorize a white supremacist status quo. Her second purpose for the paper emerges from newly chiseled space between the state's teacher-education guidelines and discourses of critical race theory and antiracism education. She seeks to reopen dialogue about governmentally defined technologies of accountability as they relate to issues of equity and social justice in music education. This purpose frames the differend, not as incommensurable, but as a dialectic creating possibilities for other voices to be heard. Following this line of thought, the author concludes by discussing antiracism pedagogy as an ethical and epistemological space from which to contest and work through the incommensurable. (Contains 69 notes.)

This article discusses the standards and practice of physical education in China. In China, 200,000,000 children in grades one through 12 receive physical education programming in 540,000 schools (People's Education Press, 2002). Since the 1990s, in response to this enormous task, the Chinese government has established national guidelines and standards for educating physical educators (China Ministry of Education (CME), 1995, 2003) and for addressing the fitness needs of students (CME, 2002; China State Council, 1995). Standards also have been established to outline how physical education is to be provided throughout the nation. In 1992, the China Regulations of Physical Education and Student Athletics (CME, 1992) mandated that physical education be provided to grades one through 12. Satisfactory completion of physical education is a requirement for advancement to the next grade level and for graduation. Administrative sanctions can be applied to schools that fail to provide one hour of physical activity each day, including at least three after-school physical activity sessions and two physical education classes each week. In 1995, the landmark China Law of Physical Education and Sports was passed (National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, 1995). This law established seven mandates that schools must comply with: (1) Physical education is a regular part of school education; (2) Physical education classes are listed as an academic course that is regularly assessed and sufficient to meet the needs of special students; (3) Time must be allocated for students to participate in physical activities every day for the purpose of meeting national fitness standards; (4) A variety of after-school physical activity programs, training, and sports competitions are provided; annually, a school-wide physical activity and sport meet is conducted; (5) Physical educators need to be qualified according to national regulations and should have benefits related to the job specifications; (6) Physical activity fields, facilities, and equipment must be used for physical activities only; and (7) Student physical examinations must be given, and administrative supervision for the improvement of students' fitness must be provided. Although these seven mandates are positive in principle, enforcing compliance has been problematic. As a result, implementation of the mandates has been uneven.

In this study, I aim to provide an analysis of gender equality in the Turkish education system by looking at policies and their outcomes on girl's schooling. My goal is to demonstrate the ways educational policies have been complicit in reproducing inequality and difference between the sexes by examining what issues regarding education and gender have become a part of public discourse, and which issues have not. The investigation of the role of the state in contributing to gendered outcomes in education is operationalized by two data gathering processes. The first is document analysis of policy documents directly related to education which are Article 42 of the Constitution, Basic Law of National Education. Law 1739, and Basic Education Reform Act. No. 4306. The second is the collection of educational statistics and documents that would shed light to the condition of girls' education in Turkey. The central finding of the study is that the educational policies and practices in Turkey are based on the premises of "formal equality" and "meritocracy" which aims to provide the same opportunities to every member of society. However, the functional view of schooling based on the concepts of "formal equality" and "meritocracy" fosters the belief that males and females are benefitting equally and serve to mask the inequitable distribution of knowledge and skills between men and women. Therefore, educational policies continue to be gender-neutral, far from challenging the gender dynamics that discriminate against girls and women. Article 42 of the Constitution, the Basic Law of National Education. Law 1739, the Basic Education Reform Act. No. 4306 and its extension, 4+Reform, focuses on the expansion and improvement of primary and secondary education, but does not carry any special measures to change the structures and relations that discriminate against girls. No national policies to counter the impact of negative socialization by curriculum and textbook revision have been adopted. Moreover, high female attrition rates especially in the underdeveloped regions of Turkey continue to exist. Gender-streaming is still apparent in the program choices made in vocational and higher education. Turkey depends on macro education policies without any gender differentiation to ensure educational equality.

"Theory and Method in Higher Education Research" contains contemporary contributions to international debates regarding the application and development of theory and methodology in researching higher education. Higher education research is a developing field internationally, which is attracting more and more researchers from a great variety of disciplinary backgrounds within and beyond higher education institutions. As such, it is an arena within which a wide range of theories, methods and methodologies is being applied. As an expanding multidisciplinary area of interest, we may also expect increased development of theory and method. This volume aims to offer a channel for discussion, critique and innovation. It should become essential reading for the growing numbers of researchers engaging with higher education across the globe. This book contains the following chapters: (1) Comparative Research in Higher Education Studies: Considering the Different Levels of Comparison and Emerging Methodological Challenges (Lorenza Antonucci); (2) Policy Research in Higher Education: Theories and Methods for Globalising Times (Lesley Vidovich); (3) The Critical Higher Education Policy Discourse Analysis Framework (David Hyatt); (4) Critical Discourse Analysis and Higher Education Research (Karen Smith); (5) Discourse Analysis in Higher Education Research (Sofia Branco Sousa and António Magalhães); (6) Tracking Experience Over Time: Epistemological Issues and Methodological Challenges (Lynn McAlpine, Cheryl Amundsen, and Gill Turner); (7) Identity as a Theoretical Construct in Research about Academic Careers (Meghan Pifer and Vicki Baker); (8) Addressing Challenges of Conducting Quality Mixed Methods Studies in Higher Education (Antigoni Papadimitriou, Nataliya Ivankova, and Sylvia Hurtado); (9) Methods on the Margins? Queer Theory as Method in Higher Education Research (Vicky Gunn and Chris McAllister); (10) Within/Against: Feminist Theory as Praxis in Higher Education Research (Jill Blackmore); (11) Visualising Knowledge Structures to Highlight the Articulation Between Theory and Method in Higher Education Research (Ian M. Kinchin); (12) Using Structural Equation Modelling to Understand Predictors of Undergraduate Students' Academic Performance (Paul Sander, David Putwain, and Jesús de la Fuente); (13) Phenomenography: From Critical Aspects to Knowledge Claim (Brandon Collier-Reed and Åke Ingerman); and (14) An Application of Variation Theory of Learning in Higher Education (Airi Rovio-Johansson).

Higher education research is a developing field internationally, attracting more and more researchers from a great variety of disciplinary backgrounds within and beyond higher education institutions. As such, it is an arena within which a wide range of theories, methods, and methodologies are being applied. As an expanding multidisciplinary area of interest, we may also expect increased development of theory and method. This is the second volume in this series dedicated to Theory and Method in Higher Education Research. Publishing contemporary contributions to international debates regarding the application and development of theory and methodology in researching higher education, this volume aims to offer a channel for discussion, critique, and innovation. It should become essential reading for the growing numbers of researchers engaging with higher education across the globe. This book contains the following chapters: (1) Theorising Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Research (Peter Kandlbinder); (2) Finding Meaning in Higher Education: A Social Hermeneutics Approach to Higher Education Research (Manfred Lueger and Oliver Vettori); (3) Narratives and Accounts: Their Collection and Analysis (Sara Delamont and Paul Atkinson); (4) Methodological Meditations on Producing Rich Narrative Data (Cecilia Jacobs); (5) More-than-Human Theorising -- "Inclusive" Communities of Practice in Student Practice-Based Learning (Paul Hodge, Sarah Wright, and Fee Mozeley); (6) Researching Academic Writing: What Textography Affords (Sue Starfield, Brian Paltridge, and Louise Ravelli); (7) Learning Architectures and Communities of Practice in Higher Education (Jonathan Tummons); (8) A Temporal Approach to Higher Education Research (Oili-Helena Ylijoki); (9) Using Crisp and Fuzzy Set-Theoretic Analyses for Middle-Range Theorising: A Configurational Comparative Approach to Case-Based Research (Farshid Shams); (10) Analytic Autoethnography: One Story of the Method (John Struthers); (11) The Dilemma of Methodological Idolatry in Higher Education Research: The Case of Phenomenography (Fiona Hallett); (12) The Potential of Combining Phenomenography, Variation Theory and Threshold Concepts to Inform Curriculum Design in Higher Education (Gerlese Åkerlind, Jo McKenzie, and Mandy Lupton); and (13) Theory Development and Application in Higher Education Research: The Case of Threshold Concepts (Malcolm Tight). [For "Theory and Method in Higher Education Research. International Perspectives on Higher Education Research. Volume 9," see ED595152.]

The field of special education is facing a shortage of teachers. A shortage of special education teachers is an example of a pressing issue within education. The problem is that teacher attrition rates are among the highest within special education. Many special education teachers are leaving the profession after a few years of teaching for varied reasons, but burnout stands are noticeable reason. Retaining special education teachers is critical to resolving the problem of special education teacher shortages. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify what key administrative supports are critical in reducing teacher burnout and therefore retaining special education teachers. A qualitative research design was used in this research study. A group of special education teachers from a public school in northeast Georgia was interviewed using open box dialogue via Qualtrics. The interviews illuminated specific supports that teachers perceive to be both helpful and meaningful. Three research questions guided this study. First, what specific supports from administrators encourage special education teachers? Second, what specific supports from administrators reduce stress levels in special education teachers? Third, what specific supports from administrators may help reduce attrition rates in the field of special education? The results of this study indicate that teacher perceptions of administrative support is varied, but that teachers find supports from administration critical and essential to reducing burnout. Specific encouragements such as incentives, words of affirmation, and kind gestures were themes that occurred across the sample population. The participants collectively agreed that administrators have the responsibility of addressing burnout in special education teachers. Specifically, administrators can provide the opportunity to include stress reducers such as professional learning, physical activity, meditation, and self-care events. Recommendations for administrators include engaging special education teachers to determine what stress reducers work amongst their teachers. Recommendations for future studies include a broader population sample. New information garnered from this study may address the problem of special education teacher attrition by understanding what supports possibly reduce burnout. The information gleaned in the study also may enrich the special education community by providing details on how to retain special education teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The development of the creative potential of individuals is considered to be one of the requirements of modern education. As in all areas, the development of students' creative potential is also among the objectives of education programs in music education. The ability of music teachers to achieve this objective and create creative learning environments for their own students' creative potential, is dependent on their training in such a learning environment. In this regard, one aim of this research is to develop a scale which can assess the creativity-based learning environment for Major Instrument courses carried out within faculties of Education, Fine Arts Education, Music Education programs. The second aim is to evaluate using this scale, the creativity-based learning environment for the Major Instrument courses carried out in the Buca Faculty of Education, Department of Music Education. The scale was developed as 5-point Likert scale and was applied to 528 students who were studying in the Faculty of Education, Fine Arts Education, Music Education Department in several universities during the 2012-2013 academic year. The data was analyzed with SPSS 16.0. Additionally, the LISREL 8.8 program was used for confirmatory factor analyses. After items distorting the factor structure were removed, the scale was left with 12 items. The scale's Cronbach Alpha value was determined as 0.928. At the end of the confirmatory factor analysis the level of fit criteria were found to be; x[superscript 2]/sd: 4.0; RMSEA: 0.07; NNFI: 0.98; CFI: 0.98; GFI: 0.94. The data show that the scale in general has an improved fit. The scale was applied to 72 students studying at the Buca Faculty of Education, Fine Arts Education, Music Education Department in the 2014-2015 academic year with the aim of determining the Major Instrument courses' learning environments. The scale's Cronbach Alpha value was determined as 0.948. Responses by students taking Major Instrument courses showed that lessons were carried out in creativity-based (x-bar = 3.95) and positive learning environments (x-bar = 4.25) in which the students' creativity was supported (x-bar = 3.73). With regard to the creativity-based learning environment, Major Instrument Guitar courses presented the highest level (x-bar = 4.55) and Major Instrument Baglama course, the lowest (x-bar = 2.95). [This article was presented at ERPA International Congresses on Education 2015.]

Despite legislative mandates, only 32% of states require specific licensure in adapted physical education (APE); consequently, general physical educators are challenged with including students with disabilities into regular classrooms. Although physical education teachers are considered qualified personnel to teach students with disabilities in general physical education (GPE), teachers expressed the need to receive additional training toward inclusion. In the United States, Public Law 108-446 governs that schools allow individuals with disabilities to participate equally with GPE students. Though legislation mandates that these students have full inclusion it is evident that oftentimes students with disabilities are not provided with equal opportunities as compared to their counterparts in physical education and activity. Because of the lack of participation in physical education, these students are legally excluded from the same educational experiences as their peers. Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs should significantly impact pre-service teachers' ability to support inclusion. If university teacher preparation programs are responsible for preparing educators to promote inclusion for students with disabilities, then examining the perceptions of physical education teachers' initial training could ensure these programs are meeting their intended goals. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine physical education teachers' perceptions of their teacher training to include students with disabilities in GPE. Five certified physical educators from a K12 urban school district in central Kansas served as participants in this study. Data collection was conducted through anonymous online interviews using SurveyMonkey. QRS NVivo software was employed to systematically organize codes from the interviews. Three themes emerged in relation to the research questions. Implications were: (a) teacher training raised awareness toward students with disabilities, (b) more specific teacher training related to students with disabilities is needed, and (c) a lack of resources is the primary obstacle teachers encounter when including students with disabilities in GPE. It is recommended that efforts to evaluate PETE training methods, ensure physical education teachers are adequately prepared toward inclusion, and provide students with disabilities fair and equal opportunities in physical education endure. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Recently there has been a notable increase in the amount of attention given to the subject of vocational education on the part of the general public as well as by educators. There has been much debate among educators over the respective merits and functions of vocational education and general education, and there are still educational leaders who appear to regard vocational education and general education as two mutually exclusive "horns of a dilemma," and to feel impelled by the exigencies of the situation to place themselves on one side or the other of what they deem to be a controversy over fundamental policies. Of even greater significance is the extent of the interest taken by the general public. A large number of articles have appeared in magazines of all classes, including those of literary and scientific leanings, and even some of highly specialized outlook, as well as many of the more popular periodicals. Even the daily press has given unwonted attention to questions formerly regarded as too technical to be of interest to the general reader. One serious defect in much of this general popular discussion of vocational education is that it has been uninformed and superficial. Unfortunately, educators are in part responsible for the confusion because of the loose way in which the term "vocational" has been used. The enactment of the Smith-Hughes vocational education law of 1917 established certain standards and tended to fix the definitions of certain types of educational activities, but not even five years of experience under this legislation have served to bring about general agreement as to the meaning of essential terms. Topics covered in this bulletin include: (1) Increased popular interest; (2) Relation of vocational education to general education; (3) Important factors of progress; (4) Federal Board for Vocational Education; (5) The part-time school; (6) Business and industry assume a share of responsibility; (7) Industrial teachers' scholarships; (8) The literature of vocational education; (9) Prevocational education; (10) Vocational guidance; (11) Validity of Federal aid legislation assailed; (12) Vocational education in the Army and the Navy; (13) Correspondence schools; and (14) Manual arts instruction. (Contains 27 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]

This document contains 33 papers from a conference on research in adult, continuing, and community education. Representative papers include the following: "Highlander Folk School: A Commune Based on Intellectual Property" (Keith B. Armstrong, Donna J. Martin); "Women, Welfare and Mandated Education: An Analysis of Single Mothers' Meaning of Learning and its Relevance to Successful Programming" (Irene C. Baird); "Metacognition, Metamemory, and Commitment to Change Strategy: Enhancing Adoption of Innovation of Staff Development" (Cynths S. Blodgett-McDeavitt, John M. Dirkx); "Planning Adult Basic Education within a Lifelong Education Framework: Insights from Taiwan: (Yau-Jane Chen); "Continuing Education Program Administration: A Study of Competent Performance Indicators" (Peter S. Cookson, John English); "The LEPP Model: A New Approach to Planning Adult Education Programs" (Peter S. Cookson); "Older Adult Basic Education Needs and Activities from a Developmental Perspective" (James C. Fisher); "Teaching Adults to Write: A Situated Activity" (Catherine A. Hansman-Fergusin, Arthur L. Wilson); "Developing a Mentoring Program Improvement Evaluation Model" (John A. Henschke); "Aspects of Arab Culture Affecting Adult Learners: Gender, Class, and Religious Issues" (Jenny Hopkins); "Whole Language and Adult Literacy" (Jiazhen Hu); "Teacher Beliefs about Staff Development via Distance Education: A Research Approach in Planning Practice" (Ruth Schmidle Lavin, John M. Dirkx); '"Delivering University Adult Education in a Contested Political and Ethnic Environment" (Winston Lawrence); "Incorporating Self-Directed Learning into the Classroom" (Huey B. Long); "Toward a Theory of Learning Science for Scientific Literacy among Professional Educators" (Daniel R. Olson); "Goal Setting for the 21st Century: A Study of Public Perceptions of Adult Basic Education" (Richard A. Orem, Patricia Hunsaker); "Metacognitive Dimensions of the Selection and Use of Learning Strategies by Adult College Students and Traditional Age College Students" (Mary Ann Rasnak); and "Preparation for Peer Mentoring: A Pilot Project" (Susan Timm, Keith Armstrong, George Gutierrez). Papers include abstracts and references. (KC)

The following are among the 51 papers and 7 poster sessions included: "Agriculture in the Classroom" (Hillison); "Effects of an Elementary Agri-Science Program on Student Perceptions of and Performance in Agriculture and Science" (Howell); "Current Status of Preservice Teacher Education Programs in Agriculture" (Swortzel); "Problems and Challenges Associated with the First Years of Teaching Agriculture" (Mundt, Connors); "A Comparison of Attitudes of Students, Parents, and Counselors toward Agriculture and Agricultural Education" (Dyer, Osborne); "Comparison of Attitudes toward Agriculture of Urban High School Students by Agricultural Education Enrollment Status, Minority Status, and Gender" (Talbert); "Ethics and Agricultural Education" (Foster); "Changing the Opportunities Provided for Cognitive Processing in College of Agriculture Classrooms" (Whittington, Bowman, Tirima); "Comparing Academic Rigor in On-Campus and Off-Campus Courses" (Miller, Shih); "Relationships between Instructional Method and Critical Thinking in a Turfgrass Management Course" (Houser, Huff, Radhakrishna); "Effects of World Wide Web Instruction and Traditional Instruction and Learning Styles on Achievement and Changes in Student Attitudes in a Technical Writing in Agricommunication Course" (Day, Raven, Newman); "Assessment of College Achievement of Incoming Students to the College of Agriculture at the University of Idaho" (Touchstone, Riesenberg); "Demographic Characteristics of Preservice Teacher Education Students and Their Reasons for Majoring in Agricultural Education" (Swortzel); "Laboratory Safety Inservice Needs of Texas Agricultural Science Teachers" (McDonald, Lawver); "Implications of Integrating Science in Secondary Agricultural Education Programs" (Thompson, Schumacher); "Method of Reinforcement and Student Gender" (Johnson, Wardlow, Franklin); "Perceptions and Attitudes of Northwest Agriculture Instructors towards the Use of Computers in Agricultural Education Programs" (Nordheim, Knight, Connors); "Differences in Learning Styles of County Extension Faculty in Florida Based upon Selected Personal and Organizational Characteristics" (Baker et al.); "Perceived Existing and Desired Management Systems of the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service and Their Relationship to Employee Motivation" (Sadighi, Raven, Taylor); "Profile of the Program of Activities Use by FFA (Future Farmers of America) Chapter Advisors" (Torres, Dormody); "Predicting Student Achievement in Agriculture Courses Delivered by Videotape" (Miller); and "Teaching Evaluation Skills Using Experiential Learning" (Wulff-Risner, Steward). (MN)

The purpose of this report is to set forth policy options for supporting developing countries and transition economies in adapting their secondary education systems to demands arising from the successful expansion of primary education and the socioeconomic challenges presented by globalization and the knowledge-based economy. The report analyzes the key issues facing secondary education in the 21st century and, on the basis of global experience, presents a policy framework to guide decision makers in their efforts to transform and expand secondary education systems. It focuses on six main messages: (1) Secondary education has taken on a mission of its own, one that has the policy peculiarities of being at the same time terminal and preparatory, compulsory and postcompulsory, uniform and diverse; (2) Expanding equitable access and improving quality to ensure relevance are the twin challenges of secondary education worldwide; (3) In the context of the knowledge society, changing work patterns are leading to radically new approaches in the way curricular knowledge is selected, organized, and sequenced; (4) Qualified and motivated secondary school teachers are critical to the success of reforms of secondary education; (5) Multiple sources of funding and efficiency-enhancing measures should be considered to cover the significant financial investments required to expand access and improve the quality of secondary education; and (6) Traditional modes of state intervention and public management strategies need to be reformed in order to promote delivery of high-quality secondary education services. The following are appended: (1) Structure of Education Systems and Compulsory Education; (2) Grade Completion by Income Group and Gender, Selected Countries, Various Years; (3) Educational Attainment by Income Group and Gender, Selected Countries; (4) Selected Education Pyramids; (5) Gross Enrollment Rates and Educational Attainment by Income Level; (6) A Road Map of Teacher Competencies for a Knowledge-Based Secondary School; (7) Public-Private Partnerships for Secondary Education; (8) Formula Funding in Secondary Education: Country Examples; (9) Asymmetric Decentralization in Colombia and South Africa; and (10) World Bank Support for Secondary Education. A bibliography and index are also included. (Contains 30 boxes, 33 figures, 30 tables, and 21 notes.)