Education & Pedagogy

Investigated the use of one mathematics-classroom situation, the decimal-point situation, in an inservice course for elementary teachers. Data from questionnaires, interviews, whole-class discussions, and elementary-student interviews supported the assertion that using specific problematic situations in teacher education has the potential to provide meaningful opportunities for teachers to think about and reflect on mathematics teaching and learning. (SM)

Describes focus-group discussions involving teachers and principals participating in the restructuring of the Queen's University of Kingston teacher-education program, examining the new program's emphasis on experiential learning, discussing how the focus groups sought the views of school partners on four aspects of the program, and noting three themes (partnership, pragmatics, and problematics) resulting from the focus groups. (SM)

Investigated the phenomena of cultural denial and cultural limbo among African American preservice teachers with linguistic allegiance to African American English, presenting data from interviews with two preservice teachers. Discusses African American self-love within the language politics of teacher education. Examines survival strategies used by the student teachers to cope with linguistic ideological pressures within their preservice programs. (SM)

Describes the development of English, Welsh, and Israeli preservice secondary science teachers from immediately before to immediately after their initial teacher education courses. Finds that all students passed through a dynamic process of transformation and changed their perceptions about teaching, but the British students' ideas were more progressive and more professionally positive than the Israeli students' ideas. (Author/WRM)

Describes development of the first community service-learning program for democratic education in South Africa, based on the Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania) Democracy Education Project at a black high school near Capetown (South Africa). Notes that successful transposition of the model requires recognition of complex historical and cultural relationships and involvement of the new community as a partner. (Author/MSE)

An analysis of the 1998 California educational standards confronts the assimilationist ideology embedded in the push for standards and accountability in American education. The standards explicitly define "America" and"Americans" as White and Anglo, ignore Indigenous history and contributions of non-European cultures and women, distort economics and civics education by emphasizing capitalist ideology, and ignore non-Western science. (TD)

Select student interns from Indiana University spent 6-15 weeks teaching in schools of the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas. An ethnographic study explored ways that cross-cultural teaching experiences affected cross-cultural awareness, self awareness, attitudes toward culturally relevant teaching, understandings of bilingual education, and knowledge and expectations concerning diverse student populations. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/SV)

Describes the Hawaii Partnership for Standards-Based School Health Education, which includes various state agencies, a university, local businesses, and the American Cancer Society, highlighting: the development of the standards; the history of the partnership; partnership activities to date; concurrent supporting efforts; future plans; and lessons learned during the first year of the effort. (SM)

Examines what distance education offers, and the difference between computer-mediated and traditional classroom instruction. Discussion includes investment in education; the reduced cost of travel; standard training and liberal education; prejudice in favor of traditional instruction; the uniqueness of the Internet; matching instruction with individual students; shifting the focus from teaching to learning; sensing and capturing the difference between classroom and computer-mediated instruction; and the impact of complex adaptive learning systems. (AEF)

Evaluated the effectiveness of instructional information management system (IIMS) technologies within teacher education practicums in facilitating technology-supported supervision, exploring how teacher-generated data, stored within IIMSs might be contemplated by student teachers and supervisors in promoting reflective practice. Results indicated that the congruence of new information technologies, appropriately applied to practicum experiences, can enrich students' and supervisors' experiences. (SM)

Describes the theoretical framework, methodology, and results of two scientific programs on content in physical education (PE): pedagogical content knowledge and the didactics of PE. Their similarities and differences and each one's contribution to teaching and learning of PE content are noted. Common themes (understanding processes at the origin of the elaboration and implementation of teaching content) underlie the studies. (SM)

Recommendations to the Virginia Department of Education to promote more opportunities for preschool integration were elicited from 9 early childhood special education (ECSE) staff, 10 ECSE educators, 8 special education administrators, and 5 parents. Recommendations included the provision of written information, staff development, financial support, and support for interagency coordination. (Author/CR)

Special and general education faculty articulate issues and concerns regarding inclusive education within the fields of hearing loss, learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, severe disabilities, and visual impairments. Reflections from a general educator follow. The need for adequate classroom supports and increased collaboration in schools is stressed. (Author/CR)

Besides challenges in health and physical well-being, today's children face challenges based in behavior and lifestyle choices, which do not offer well-defined solutions. The paper describes coordinated school health programs; explains the importance of school, community, and family involvement in health; presents the U.S. Department of Education's perspective; and discusses reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (SM)

A survey of 403 general and special education teachers found most had received no training in multicultural education even though most reported that cultural knowledge would help them understand the influence of their students' verbal and nonverbal learning/behavioral styles. Knowledge about the language of multicultural students and child language development were cited as important training needs. (Contains extensive references.) (CR)