Education & Pedagogy

The bibliography contains over 3,000 citations on all aspects of career education and provides a frame of reference to adapt programs for the physically disabled. Sources were derived from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system, Dissertation Abstracts International (1972-1977), Education Index (1971-1977), and various public and private sector publications. The following major areas are covered: the theory of career education, curriculum, participants in career education programs, program evaluation, a survey of research, vocational educational, occupational information, career counseling and staff roles, job placement, world of work, and the case for career education. The curriculum section is divided into the following subsections: general, elementary, junior high, senior high, college, specific academic areas, physically disabled, minorities, intellectually gifted, deaf, educable mentally retarded, other countries, business ventures, resource materials, and electronic media and computers. The section on participants includes references on teacher inservice training, parents, the community, and business. Research areas include: career maturity, attitudes, self-image and personality, interest and motivation, vocational preference and choice, job status, values, women, sex roles, testing and instrumentation, and job satisfaction. References are arranged alphabetically by author within each topic area and usually include author, title, date, and source. (SEW)

These proceedings contain 11 papers that focus on how education must change what and how it teaches to keep up with the technological revolution. The presentations address the need for vocational education to produce students with skills in electronics and data communications (including computer-to-computer transmission); office systems and management of information; computer-aided design and manufacturing; robotics (including definition, need, technologies involved, major applications, and required skills); private sector initiatives to deal with social or economic problems; the role of vocational education in meeting the technical manpower needs of the energy industry; the need for workers with skills in biomedical engineering--both clinical engineering and bioengineering; the need for workers in the aerospace industry with skills in computer software, computer systems operations and maintenance of computer systems, software, and machines; high technological instructional options, especially industry/education cooperation; implications of high technology for education; and the need for the frequent re-education of workers and teachers caused by technological change. A final section provides comments from leaders in industry, government, and education regarding high technology, education, and the economy. (YLB)

Strategies and techniques appropriate for providing vocational education and employment to learning-disabled adolescents and adults at both the secondary and postsecondary levels now exist. The first step involves formal and informal activities to appropriately identify learning disabled students. Formal assessments should be conducted by qualified personnel, informal assessments by vocational teachers in the classroom and shop. Vocational teachers need to be involved in the development of an Individualized Education Program and an Individualized Written Rehabilitation Program. Finally, before instruction begins, students need an orientation to the school, teachers, and instructional environment. Ten main tasks to be accomplished in the vocational education of learning-disabled students are finding a bridge builder to provide a link between vocational education, special education, and other school and community agencies; teaching skills that are in demand; teaching survival skills; teaching how to compensate for reading and writing skill deficiencies; teaching how to solve problems through learning strategies; teaching the error and correction strategy; teaching in visual, auditory, and tactile modes; teaching skill transfer; and helping to develop self esteem. A final step in the vocational education of learning-disabled students is successful job placement. (Informal assessment instruments are appended.) (YLB)

This paper on the future of preservice teacher education examines the question of whether a crisis exists today in schools and in teacher education. It is noted that judgments vary, given different perspectives and vantage points for observation, and that a reliable assessment of the current health of schooling and teacher education is difficult. Possible future directions for teacher education are suggested, and discernable conditions and events on the horizon are examined. A major conclusion is that the only way heightened or extended expectations can reasonably be accommodated are through more formalized and shared responsibilities by schools with other socially responsible parties. No major reform is envisioned in initial teacher education. Emphasis in this paper is placed on a multi-faceted approach to incremental improvements in the quality of teachers and teaching. Strategies for improving the quality of teaching are identified: (1) improve methods and procedures for recruiting and selecting teachers; (2) upgrade the quality of and/or extend, programs for preparing teachers; (3) improve evaluation of teachers and teacher education programs; and (4) critically reexamine teachers' role expectations and school conditions. (JD)

Recent trends in science education associated with the evolution of science curriculum development centers in the Asian region are reviewed. These trends, and factors influencing them, are discussed under the following headings: science education and curriculum development centers; adaptation phase; shifts toward indigenous programs; science education, rural development, and informal education; science equipment; decentralization and dissemination; regional cooperation; and research and development. The role in promoting the trends at three centers is also discussed. The centers include Science Education Centre of the University of the Philippines and the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology of Thailand (examples of national centers) and the regional Centre for Science and Mathematics Education, set up as a training institution for key science education personnel throughout the region. Establishment of the centers, science education research projects, curriculum and instructional material development, science equipment, and teacher training are among the topics discussed. Major accomplishments/progress in science education in southeast Asia are summarized in a concluding section, indicating among others that in-service teaching training has formed a vital and integral part of curriculum development/implementation and is a vital cornerstone in the new programs developed. (Author/JN)

An initial set of potential indicators for use in planning, reviewing, and providing puplic information about vocational education in Minnesota was identified. A list of approximately 70 characteristics of vocational education was submitted for review by secondary, postsecondary, and adult vocational education program administrators and the staff of the Division of Vocational-Technical Education in the State Department of Education. Subjects responded on a scale from 1 (not necessary) to 7 (essential) in terms of importance regarding four categories of characteristics: program enrollees (inputs), program leavers (outputs), program structure (process), and program need (context). The characteristics judged most important and recommended for an initial set of vocational education indicators were employer satisfaction with the quality of graduates' work, number of graduates employed in occupations related to the program, projected job openings in occupations related to the program, number of graduates employed, occupations for which the program is designed to provide training, performance of enrollees in the program, and program cost. Recommendations included further justification for the potential indicators by clients and those providing resources to operate vocational education. They also include the need for pilot testing of the potential indicators. (Appendixes include the questionnaire and some data.) (YLB)

Two workshops on the preparation of teachers for vocational and technical education in Asia and the Pacific were held in 1981 and 1982 in Bangkok, Thailand. During the two meetings, the following activities were carried out: (1) problems faced by the developing countries in preparing teachers, instructors, and teacher educators for vocational and technical education were identified; (2) feasible solutions to these problems, taking into account the growth points and gaps in respect of structures, strategies and methodologies adapted for training, retraining, and upgrading of vocational and technical teachers were explored; (3) the existing curriculum/course content for preservice and inservice/continuing programs for vocational and technical education in secondary and postsecondary schools in Asia and the Pacific was reviewed; (4) guidelines for preservice and inservice/continuing programs in preparing and upgrading vocational and technical teachers, for use in training institutions and workshops and as guides for supervisors or teacher trainers were developed; and (5) recommendations for regional cooperation in vocational education and in teacher preparation programs were made. (Summaries of reports given by delegates from 16 Asian and Pacific countries are included in the conference proceedings.) (KC)

Cooperative education programs aid students in making the transition from school to work. Other benefits include enhanced employability and earning power. Employers benefit through the ability of cooperative education programs to adapt to labor market needs, through reduced recruitment and training problems, and through the satisfaction gained from helping to educate students. The essential elements of cooperative education programs include (1) alternate or parallel periods of instruction in school and supervised employment, (2) written training agreements, (3) vocational instruction related to the job and the student's academic study or career goals, (4) carefully planned alternation of study and work, and (5) students' employment and compensation. These activities are guided by a cooperative education coordinator--an individual who functions in each of the five areas into which the program is organized: administration, coordination, guidance, public relations, and professional development. Issues and recommendations for future cooperative education programs include increased funding, required preservice and inservice training for coordinators, and an expanded role for advisory committees. (Appendixes include descriptions of experiential educational programs, a list of cooperative education coordinator functions, a sample training agreement and school year training plan, a directory of state officials with supervisory responsibility for cooperative education programs, and a glossary.) (YLB)

Social implications of distance education at the university level are considered, based primarily on the case of La Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) of Costa Rica. UNED, which is Costa Rica's attempt to implement Great Britain's open university philosophy of education, was developed in response to the following needs: to provide opportunities for university education without moving to San Jose or another large city; and the need to educate persons in specific areas of national need (e.g., education, management, agriculture, health services). Six influences or changes of the social environment brought about by this new system are as follows: (1) long-range social planning is needed; (2) new educational modes without a lecturer or classroom are adopted; (3) community and individual development may be enhanced since small study groups may become active social forces; (4) the accessibility of education is improved; (5) modern communication channels are used to convey information to learners; and (6) an interplay between this educational approach and the political atmosphere in the country may occur (i.e., distance education can be used as an instrument of the government). It is concluded that a distance education university in a Latin American culture has the potential of being a major social change agent. (SW)

The use and effectiveness of study centers and study center networks as a support system in distance education were investigated, based on interviews with students, tutors, and coordinators of four Australian distance education systems. The investigation of study centers at the University of Queensland, the Riverina College of Advanced Education, the Victorian TAFE Off Campus Network, and Deakin University gathered information about each institution's distance education philosophies and practices, as well as students views and needs. In addition, differences in study centers by state (Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria) were assessed. Profiles of selected study centers and a model of study centers were developed. In addition, the possibility of more extensive networks of study centers was analyzed. Although there were considerable differences between study centers, there were marked similarities in patterns of student usage. Support services used in distance education in various parts of the world were also reviewed, including Britain's Open University study center network and variations of the Open University theme. Attention was directed to the British tutor-counsellor system, the American mentor system, contract learning, self-help or study groups, and the use of technology. (SW)

Research based on followup interviews with some "key actors" at the federal level about the most significant recent events in education identified five topics: the cutbacks in federal education spending, the deregulation and decentralization embodied in provisions of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA), proposed and de facto disestablishment of the Department of Education, and deemphasis of education as a national priority. Telephone interviews with the chief state school officers (CSSOs) of nine states centered on these five topics. State agencies were cutting back on a wide range of activities, and all were decreasing their staffs. Respondents generally viewed unknown or loose regulations as being worse than stringent regulations. Decentralization has led to maneuvering among state factions for control of block grants. Disestablishment and deemphasis have resulted in a communication breakdown between CSSOs and people in the Department of Education. Finally, the CSSOs predicted a decline in school improvement activities and a decrease in services targeted to the disadvantaged. The researchers conclude that, although the New Federalism will have long-term effects, it is educators' responsibility to minimize the effects of federal disengagement from education policy. (MLF)

Traditional attempts at development--such as sending in food, sending in educators, and then sending in technology from developed countries--have not been very successful in the development of Third World countries since these attempts began in the 1950s and 1960s. At that time, education, especially vocational education, was seen as the great path to economic development for these countries. Later, assessment of educational programs showed that, in many cases, developmental objectives had not been met. Instead, vocational education had tried to impart manual skills to the privileged few, who preferred academic training and unemployment to such "demeaning" tasks, while failing to reach vast numbers of underprivileged people. A better approach may be that of "nonformal education," which focuses on transmission of immediately needed skills, combined with technological training, in the production of immediately useful goods and services. Technological training projects that exemplify this approach include a small scale weavers' project in Botswana, a retraining project for unemployed fishermen in Ghana, and a credit cooperative in Afghanistan. By focusing on practical education, the duo of nonformal education and technological training may also help to reduce illiteracy and thus contribute to true development, the transformation of learning opportunities for the underprivileged by the developed countries. (KC)

A study examined the perceptions of present and former high school students enrolled in vocational homemaking education courses in Texas concerning the usefulness of consumer education concepts developed in the homemaking education program. Using a project-developed survey instrument, researchers collected data from 490 current and 416 randomly selected former students enrolled in vocational homemaking courses. Both the current and former students perceived the consumer education concepts in child development as the most useful. Comparison of the mean scores of former and current students shows that the former students perceive the consumer education concepts in consumer education, home management, housing and home furnishings, food and nutrition, and clothing and textiles to be significantly more useful than did the current students. Included among the background variables found to influence the respondents' perceptions of the usefulness of consumer education concepts were school enrollment status, community size, and number of homemaking courses taken. Based on these findings, recommendations were made calling for development of additional strategies to motivate students to study concepts such as consumer cooperatives, the consumer price index, credit abuse, consumer legislation, consumer complaints, and international trade. (MN)

This summary of social studies/social science education doctoral dissertations provides a reference work of use to students, educators, researchers, and others interested in the topics, methods, outcomes, and patterns of recent graduate dissertations. Following an analytical introduction which describes the topics and problems most frequently addressed in the dissertations, summaries of 394 dissertations written between 1977 and 1982 are presented. The dissertations were selected from Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) and classified into five categories: curriculum materials; teaching methods; school organization, curriculum organization, and school climate; teacher education and teacher characteristics; and studies of social studies in other countries. Each category includes the following subcategories: (1) social studies general subjects; (2) citizenship, law-related, and political education; (3) economics education; (4) geography and global studies; (5) behavioral sciences, ethnic, multicultural, and women's studies; (6) reading; and (7) values and moral education. In addition to the abstract, each entry includes author name, degree awarded, institution, dissertation title, descriptors indicating the main ideas of the study, and DAI order number. The document concludes with indices on topics, authors, authors' institutions, and instruments cited. (LH)

Issues confronting state agencies in planning for lifelong learning are reviewed. In considering the providers of education, attention is directed to relationships within formal education structures, as well as relationships between higher education and business/industry, professional associations and labor unions, and community organizations. Three questions concerning access are addressed: the current participation of adults in adult education, barriers to participation, and extending educational opportunities to adults. In discussing quality assurance, attention is directed to programs and procedures that offer degrees or academic credit. Also of concern is the question of why state officials, particularly governors, are interested in the preparation of workers, the types of programs that are believed to aid the economy through education and training of adults, and approaches states can take to provide the private sector with a skilled work force. Five policy questions are also addressed: enhancing productivity, product life cycle theory, technology and job skills, dual labor markets, and education beyond skill training. A framework for considering state roles is also discussed. Information on New York State goals for adult learning services by the year 2000 is appended, along with a bibliography. (SW)