Education & Pedagogy

By examining writing about Israel education since the founding of the State, this paper highlights three questions that have surfaced repeatedly in Jewish educational discourse: What is the purpose of teaching American Jews about Israel? Who is best equipped to teach American Jews about Israel? How can Israel education foster positive identification with Israel without whitewashing over the imperfections of the Jewish State? By exploring how each question has manifested in Jewish education, it examines why--for very different reasons--these questions have endured over time, and considers what it might take to arrive at lasting conclusions about them.

When communities fall into decline, disabled people can find themselves alone and invisible in a society of indifferent individuals. Arendt offers an account of such a time in her discussion of the rise of a society of mass labouring and consuming. Bauman's insights into the fragmentation of life, in which established norms, traditional ties and customs fade and solid institutions liquefy, are equally pertinent. Together, Arendt and Bauman point to the conditions and demands that have given rise to the present policy of austerity, current approaches to the education and care of the disabled and the rejection of inclusive education.

Experiential Jewish education has been experiencing a time of growth, during which theory development, research, and practice have established a strong voice for the construct. Much of the focus to this point has been on definitions (particularly the distinction between "experiential" and "informal" Jewish education) and on outcomes of settings often associated with an experiential Jewish education (EJE) approach. Along with increased understanding of EJE comes the potential to explore a more nuanced set of questions about the nature of educational experiences. This point of development of the field also raises question of the relationship of EJE and the broader field of Jewish education.

This study draws on forty-six interviews conducted with staff from think tanks, education advocacy organizations, and university based education policy centers to discuss five prominent frames--the Public Education in Crisis frame, the Human Capital frame, the Unions are the Problem frame, the Advocates not Researchers frame, and the Irrelevant Academics frame. These frames are analyzed within context of the historical rise of conservative think tanks, the influence of neoliberal and neoconservative discourse in the policy arena, and the homogeneity of policy positions across ideologically different think tanks and advocacy organizations.

Given the importance of higher education in social and economic development, governments need to build a strong higher education data and policy research infrastructure to support informed decision-making, provide policy advice, and offer a critical assessment of key trends and issues. The author discusses the decline of higher education policy research capacity in Canada and reviews the importance of strong national data systems in addressing issues of access and student mobility, and in understanding the implications of the increasing fragmentation of academic work. An international comparative study of national arrangements could illuminate useful strategies and approaches for strengthening this important policy research infrastructure.

This paper explores two new perspectives for the research on higher education. Building on the case of Europe with a special focus on France, it first addresses the trend toward more competition and more differentiation that can be observed in countries that traditionally were more egalitarian and the strong implication of European states in reshaping their higher education and research systems. It also questions the social role of higher education while knowledge economies are engaged in a competitive race. Finally, it looks at the capacity of higher education studies to address such issues and critically questions how should this domain further develop.

Rachel and Margaret McMillan created an open-air nursery in Deptford, London that has influenced early years education for 100 years. Their vision for young children living in poverty and deprivation to have access to fresh air through outdoor learning, nutritious meals, and an enriching environment to explore and develop has been embraced and interpreted internationally since its inception. This article explores the founding of the nursery, the ethos behind the practice, and the influence the open-air nursery has had on contemporary early years practice in England.

This article examines the development of South Korean special education policy and suggests that different strategies of policy diffusion influenced the design of the policy at different times. Historically, South Korea relied on external pressures and influences, particularly US law and UN guidelines, to develop much of its human rights law, including special education. This article suggests that development of democratic infrastructure in South Korea led to improvements in the legislative development process in relation to current special education law, and this led to legislation that better identifies and addresses the needs of children with disabilities.

This study of media literacy education at all levels of the educational system considered faculty perceptions of student media literacy competencies, the extent to which media literacy is addressed in class, and the extent to which faculty members consider media literacy education to be important. Data suggest that despite the research and policy focus on media literacy at the K-12 level, educators reported addressing media literacy competencies most frequently within higher education. Results also suggested that training and experience, not youth or digital nativity, are the factors that lead to an interest in teaching about media literacy among faculty.

This article reflects on the possibilities for democratic and direct participation that have emerged through socially engaged research on education rights in South Africa. The Education Rights Project is located in a university-based research and advocacy center for education rights and social justice that has been working with township communities to monitor the implementation of right to education legislation. In this article we examine the ways in which rights-based participatory research combined with citizen struggle and community mobilization can contribute to new understandings of rights-based education policy, citizen participation, and democracy.

This article provides a critical reading of a curriculum initiative in tertiary education designed to address students who are traditionally marginalised in the Australian tertiary sector. An argument is made that this curriculum approach with its emphases on authenticity, identity, agency and embodied learning addresses issues of the disjunct between access to knowledge, museums and cultural capital. The political work of this curriculum is situated in the new museology. The author draws on Ellsworth's sensation of learning to elaborate the contributions made possible by the curriculum "Learning and teaching in public spaces" to museum education and tertiary education.

School nurses require ongoing continuing education in a number of areas. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) framework can be utilized in considering school nurses' roles and developing continuing education. Focusing on neurology continuing education, the QSEN framework is illustrated with the example of concussion management in athletes. QSEN strategies can stimulate change to the status quo and outline the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that need to be adapted. With their competencies and knowledge, professional school nurses can incorporate evidence-based practices in conjunction with input from health care providers and families to create high-quality care and positive outcomes for students.

This issue of Investigations in Science Education contains articles about attitude research in science education. It contains the critiques of nine articles about attitude research as well as three responses to critiques. One response relates to a critique published in an earlier issue while the other two responses are paired with the critiques that provoked the response. One critique-response pair relates to attitude research; the other pair, to research related to cognitive development. Topics related to attitude research vary and include attitude assessment as well as studies of the effects of attitudes of students on instruction in science. (PEB)

The quality of teaching, teachers, and teacher education is examined. An essay appraises current research and public opinion on teacher competence, noting efforts by school districts, teacher education institutions, and professional teacher associations to improve the quality of teachers. Minimum competency examinations, provisional certification, and inservice training are discussed. A workshop program which trains school administrators in evaluating and improving teacher performance is described. The program, offered on a district level, focuses on creating a supervisory partnership between the administrator and teacher. Examples of the trends toward 5-year teacher education programs and competency based teacher education programs are given. (FG)

The Hearing before the Committee on Education and the Workforce was held January 27, 1999. It contains opening statements by the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Ohio Senator Voinovich, Governor Ridge of the State of Pennsylvania, and the Committees' reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Appendices list opening statements of the chairman, Congressmen, Governor, and Senator. The hearing focuses on elementary and secondary education reform efforts that have been undertaken by certain states and communities. (DFR)