Education & Pedagogy

This report examines the implications of the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) epidemic for general professional education in medicine with a focus on the period of medical student education and the early years of residency training. Five sections are as follows: impact of the HIV epidemic on medical practice; issues for general professional education in medicine (basic values and attitudes, basic knowledge and skills, and HIV/AIDS knowledge and skills); resources needed for effective HIV/AIDS education (clinical and community resources and faculty resources); special issues (HIV/AIDS and the attractiveness of medicine as a profession, HIV/AIDS and the choice of specialty and residency program, and educational imbalances in clerkship and residency programs); and role of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). An appendix provides the AAMC statement on professional responsibility in treating AIDS patients, approved and endorsed by the AAMC Executive Council, February 25, 1988. (SM)

The Cook Islands are located in the south Pacific and had a population of 17,754 in 1981. The literacy rate was 75 percent in 1980. Free secular education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 15. There are two libraries on the islands. As of 1987, the coral island of Niue had a population of 2,422. Education is free and compulsory for 6 to 14-year-olds. There is one small public library and the one high school has a library. Tokelau is a dependency of New Zealand. The total population of the three large atolls is 1,600. Free primary education on each island is provided by the New Zealand Education Department. Some students receive scholarships for off-island secondary and tertiary education and vocational training. The bibliography contains 31 items written in English and relating to education and libraries in these islands. (JB)

Since the early 1980s, many reports have appealed for improvement in science and mathematics education in the schools. Even when new and/or supplementary materials are provided and made available to teachers, natural inertia is difficult to overcome. This document reports on the status of science and mathematics education improvement in three states: Colorado, Ohio, and North Carolina. An overview of the project is presented by Anne Lewis. The reports of three journalists: Jim Wright (The Rocky Mountain News); Kathy Foster (The Columbus Dispatch); and David Perkins (Raleigh News and Observer) are presented in this document. The project itself, rural schools, teacher education, teacher qualifications, elementary schools, attracting women and minorities, teacher shortages, teaching innovations, and math-science networks are discussed. The appendices provide news stories based on two of the reports, as well as a list of assessment project questions. (CW)

This survey of the nation's state education agencies provides information on geography education in elementary and secondary schools. The questionnaire was sent to all 56 state and extra-state jurisdictions, and covered five areas: (1) state requirements for study of geography; (2) geography as part of other disciplines; (3) state personnel responsible for geographic instruction; (4) teacher training requirements; and (5) recommendations of how the Council of Chief State School Officers can help strengthen geography instruction. The survey reveals a strong interest by the respondents in geography education, with a majority favoring an increased emphasis on and improvement in geography instruction at all grade levels, with state and district level workshops for teachers and administrators being cited as the best way to improve classroom instruction. This survey had a respondent rate of 89 percent, and the report includes the original survey instrument with the results. (PPB)

This resource contains all available occupational, student organization, classroom management, and competency documentation information for agricultural education programs taught in Virginia. Its primary purpose is to assist teachers and curriculum specialists in developing instructional materials that meet competency-based education (CBE) standards and requirements for vocational and adult programs. Section I on occupational information provides specific information concerning the occupational nature of the work and references to sources listing places of employment, training, qualifications, employment outlook, working conditions, and salary. Section II provides information about the role of student organizations in vocational education and about the specific activities of the Future Farmers of America. Section III illustrates samples of classroom management systems developed by teachers incorporating competency-based vocational education techniques into their courses and programs, including lesson plans, student task sheets, learning contracts, and self-contained learning systems. Section IV contains information on the characteristics of grading and recording systems for CBE. It contains sample classroom, permanent record, and recording systems. (YLB)

This paper explores the question of the relative quality of the academic and professional components of teacher education programs from three different angles: (1) a critical assessment of several widely publicized and representative critiques of education courses with a focus on describing the variety of the criticisms and on assessing the quality of the evidence underlying the critiques; (2) an examination of two recent surveys of teacher education students' opinions of their courses which challenge commonly accepted views of what students think about their courses; and (3) an exploration of a new direction for studies of the quality of the components of teacher education programs which overcomes some of the weaknesses of existing approaches. It is concluded that recent state policies which place strict limits on the number of education courses in students' programs may be misguided given the currently weak knowledge base regarding the quality of academic and professional program components. (Author)

Included in this volume are a series of dialogues about various approaches to teacher education. Each dialogue consists of a brief sketch of a particular teacher education program, along with a response from the director of that program. The sketches, though organized differently, tend to describe similar program features: purposes, context, constitutents, practices, and the views of good teaching that seem to be implicit in these purposes and practices. The responses are more various, addressing issues of particular salience to the particular programs. The sketches were prepared during 1985-86, to help the National Center for Research on Teacher Education prepare its 5-year research agenda, and were intended to stimulate thought more than to thoroughly portray particular programs. They are presented here along with responses in an effort to further facilitate thought about teacher education. Included in this volume are dialogues about preservice and inservice programs as well as programs designed to help first-year teachers and an alternate route program. (Author)

The history of research on distance education was studied. Major research done on distance education in such diverse areas as the United States, Venezuela, and Europe was analyzed. It was discovered that the earliest attempts to develop theories of distance education were mainly concerned with identifying its very concept. Like most educational research, studies of distance education were, from the outset, based both on intellectual inquisitiveness and practical requirements. During the 1970s and 1980s (when distance education research seems to have come of age), most research emanated from distance education organizations. Many studies were carried out in the planning stage in anticipation of the needs of new distance teaching organizations. Statistical studies seemed to dominate for a long time. Inductive methods were often used. An articulated discipline of research on distance education should include attention to the following areas: the philosophy and theory of distance education, the characteristics and attitudes of distance students, subject-matter presentation, interaction between students and supporting organizations, administration and organization, economics, systems, and history. (MN)

Data from a 1986 modified Delphi survey of adult education professionals in a 13-state region is used to determine what public policies were regarded as important and feasible for providing adequate opportunities for rural adults. The document focuses on 89 proposed policies to determine differences in perceptions among three subregions (Mountain, Plains and Northwest Coastal) and among respondents according to their roles (legislators, adult educators, college staff, cooperative extension personnel, state education agency personnel, rural school staff, regional education services staff and others. The study includes a list of 26 policies rated feasible and important for improving education opportunities for rural adults, and includes a list of 8 policies seen as important but less feasible. The study concludes that most respondents believe that the commitment of government to adult education is both important and feasible. According to the study, however, respondents do not believe such a commitment exists at present. (TES)

This planning paper reviews the topics that are pertinent to a conference action group on mathematics in adult, technical, and vocational (including distance) education. The first section of the paper provides an overview of the need for and current practices for providing mathematics instruction in vocational-technical, adult, and distance education programs. The second section discusses the impact of new technologies on the need for infusing mathematics instruction into adult and vocational programs and the importance of providing such instruction in developing nations. Both the first and second sections include information on how these topics have been covered in the past. The third section outlines the planned organization and working structure of the action group, including possible topics for each of the action group's subgroups and subgroup sessions. A list of references is also included. (MN)

This descriptive study examined the interaction between 25 mentally retarded (MR) adult participants in a physical education setting and 51 physical education majors. The study was designed to identify and analyze the causal attributions of physical education majors concerning MR adults' motor performance, to identify and analyze the causal attributions of MR adults concerning their own motor performance, and to examine the expectancies of both physical education majors and MR adults for future success of MR adults' motor performance. Written questionnaires completed by physical education majors indicated that physical education majors' primary causal categories were unstable, internal, and controllable; and their expectancies appeared to vary according to MR adults' performance. In interviews, MR adults reported the causal categories of effort and intrinsic motive most often; their overall causal dimensions were stable, internal, and uncontrollable; and their expectations were significantly more positive than negative for future success on motor performance. (Author/JDD)

The following education-related papers are among the 91 papers included in these proceedings: (1) "Recent Trends in the Historiography of Consumption" (Pope); (2) "Thinking Critically in the Teaching of Consumer Issues" (Copa, Schuler); (3) "Recent Research in Consumer Education Utilizing Innovative Methodologies" (Hall); (4) "Justice and Consumer Education" (Peterson); (5) "Research in Consumer Education" (Vosburgh); (6) "Financial Management: Application for the Classroom" (Whan et al.); (7) "Inservice Education for Community Workers" (Prochaska-Cue); (8) "Status Report and Future Directions for the National Coalition for Consumer Education" (Knapp); (9) "Identifying Important Research Questions in the Consumer Interest" (Maynes); (10) "Dealing with Budgets for Consumer Education" (Schuchardt); (11) "Establishment of a National Clearinghouse on Elder Abuse and Neglect" (Stein); (12) "Advertising as Misinformation" (Maynes, Lino); and (13) "Are Consumers' Learning and Decision Making Related Phenomena?" (Sproles, Sproles). (MN)

The following organizations and agencies sent their suggestions and comments on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Elementary/Secondary Education Data Redesign Project: American Association for Counseling and Development, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Library Association, Indiana University, School of Public Affairs, Association of American Publishers, Association of Teacher Educators, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of State Governments, Educational Testing Service, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, National Center for Research in Vocational Education, National Education Association, National Governors' Association, National School Boards Association, Rural Education Association, State Higher Education Executive Officers, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Science Foundation, and Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management and Personnel). Eleven of the organizations and agencies sent letters and the rest provided their comments in papers prepared by individuals. Topics discussed include research needs and problems; collection of data on different levels and types of education and their relevance, quality and utility; and improvement of the utility of NCES statistics in policy studies. (JAZ)

The paper traces the development of special education legislation beginning in the 1960's and describes trends in educational programing. The role of the civil rights movement in legislation is noted, as is the advocacy of professional and parent associations. Federal initiatives, especially P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, are discussed. The evaluation of special education programing is traced from its dependence on regular education instructional materials and infrequent reassessment of placement decisions to increased classroom participation of interdisciplinary staff and placement in the public schools of formerly institutionalized students. Future projections are considered: in answer to a survey completed by 43 state or territory special education directors in 1984, the respondents rated in-process or anticipated developments emphasizing those in career and/or independent living skills, early intervention, inservice education for regular teachers and principals, and computer-assisted instruction and/or management. The paper concludes with a focus on trends in early intervention and career education. (CL)

This monograph is an edited collection of some of the papers presented at the conference on "New Developments in Nutrition," held in London in 1983. One of the strengths of the conference was the diverse background of the participants, who represented more than thirty different countries. This diversity of interest and expertise is reflected in the texts in which those engaged in nutrition education examine, from a number of perspectives, a wide range of important issues in nutrition education. Discussions are included on the effectiveness of traditional nutrition education activities which have taken place outside the education sectors, and experiences are reviewed which have included extensive experimentation with new and different approaches, attitudes, and behaviors. The following issues and problems are addressed: (1) the importance of nutrition education; (2) teaching approaches; (3) teaching resources; (4) training and education of teachers and individuals; (5) use of mass media; (6) coordination of education agencies; (7) national and local level food and nutrition policies; and (8) evaluation of nutrition education. (JD)