Education & Pedagogy

In this anthology, 18 authors address art education and classroom issues of concern to the middle and high school level teacher. The volume includes: (1) "The Discipline of Art" (Harlan Hoffa); (2) "Art Criticism and Social Integration of the Disciplines of Art" (Tom Anderson); (3) "The Period of Transescence and Its Relevance for the Secondary Level Art Education Program" (Andra N. Johnson); (4) "Forms of Instruction Used by Art Teachers with Pre-Adolescents" (Mary Stokrocki); (5) "Are Art Teachers Prepared To Teach the NAEA Essential Components?" (Adelaide Rusch; William J. Thomas); (6) "Grading Student Artwork: A Plan for Effective Assessment" (Carole Henry); (7) "Environment of Middle and Secondary Art Classrooms: Becoming Aware of, Designing, and Implementing Changes in the Furniture, Facilities, and Spaces" (Antonia Araca); (8) "The Art Classroom as a Behavior Setting" (Frank D. Susi); (9) "Sketchbooks" (Roberta W. Rice; Sue Ellen McNeil); (10) "Computers in Art Education" (Deborah Greh); (11) "Health Hazards in Secondary Art Education" (Sally Hagaman); (12) "Recurring Themes: A Program for Interdisciplinary Learning" (Arnold Amster); (13) "Teaching Exceptional Students in the Regular School Art Classroom" (Robert D. Clements; Claire B. Clements); (14) "Preparing To Teach Art to Secondary Students from All Cultural Backgrounds" (Enid Zimmerman); (15) "The Role of Researcher in Secondary Art Education" (Linda S. Bradley); (16) "Theory-Practice Schisms of the 1990s" (Karen A. Hamblem); (17) "New Approaches to Secondary School Art Education--A Program for the Artist of the Future" (George Szekely); and (18) "The Next Generation: Initiative or Inertia in Secondary Art Education" (Guy Hubbard). (MM)

This document, prepared by the Chief Inspector of Schools in France, is based on work done by UNESCO in enhancing the humanistic, cultural and international dimensions of both formal and non-formal education. The paper consists of a synopsis of the work relating to the various aspects of humanistic education, and a select bibliography. Although this overview has been written from a European standpoint, it highlights universal values based on the standard setting instruments of UNESCO and the United Nations. In addition, it develops an integral concept of humanistic, ethical, and cultural education in an international dimension, and can therefore serve as a reference document for similar planning activities in other regions. The paper discusses human rights education, bioethics, environmental education, intercultural dialogue and a knowledge of other cultures, and education for development. These topics form a conceptual network that can give an overall purpose to any educational system wishing to translate the principles of UNESCO into educational action and decision making. This overall purpose is a humanistic one, in which ethics and universal human rights indicate the values that education must transmit and promote. European culture is permeated by the ethical principles of respect for freedom and for the dignity of the individual, and the equality of all human beings. Establishing a worldwide humanistic education means taking these same principles as a basis. To get this combination of ideas to flourish in schools throughout Europe, if not throughout the world, teachers will have to be fully informed and trained on an international scale. (DK)

This document explores the evidence that exists worldwide on the impact of girls' education, particularly primary education. It indicates areas in which impact of education is probably occurring, especially in those areas that have received little or no attention in the literature or that have been studies with methodologies that limit what can be learned. The literature review incorporates research conducted throughout the world to gain a broad perspective of the impact of girls' education. By reviewing data from countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the researchers were able to capture and consider the diverse circumstances that influence the impact of education on women, and to identify trends throughout the world. A need exists to focus on studying specifically the impact of educating girls because of the relatively lesser access of girls to education, and equally importantly, the different types of impacts that literate women, as compared to literate men, might have on their societies. The economic role women play in their societies has been long underestimated by the assumptions underlying how economic input is measured. The social roles women play have been underestimated by a narrow definition of what those roles are and how they affect society. This report concludes that girls' primary education results in more active participation by women in the labor force. The positive outcomes of girls' primary education are conditioned by the prevailing economic, social, and cultural environments. (Contains approximately 400 references.) (DK)

This report evaluates a program developed to address the shortage of qualified special education teachers in rural school districts in Maine. The goal of the program is to offer accessible special education training at the baccalaureate degree level to transitionally and conditionally certified special education teachers and to educational technicians who assist in special education clssrooms. Course work is based on the curriculum of the special education degree at the University of Maine at Farmington and includes on-campus summer classes and distance education classes offered through the interactive television system, a two-way audio, one-way video system that broadcasts to approximately 90 sites throughout the state. In addition, teacher-mentors in participating schools received training in the supervision of student practica and on current issues in special education. Trained mentors evaluated the program positively and disclosed that training helped clarify their function and provided skills necessary for their roles as mentors. Student evaluations of the program viewed the use of distance learning favorably. Additionally, students responded positively to questions evaluating planning, the learning environment, tests, and assignments. Students indicated they believed that courses were of comparable difficulty to others they had taken. More than 77 percent of students received a grade of B or better, and no one received a grade lower than C plus. Included are tables summarizing responses to mentor training workshops and student evaluations; descriptive information on course participants; reported grades from courses; student profile questionnaire; student course evaluation; and program questionnaire. (LP)

The concept of student support within distance education is particularly diffuse. A learner- or student-centered vision of education considers the needs of individual learners. Another view confines the concept to an add-on, complementary or compensatory approach. One way to consider the question of what student support is necessary is to appraise the totality of efforts to support students in terms of the quality of the resulting education. Asking questions about quality involves the following questions: quality in terms of what? quality for whom? and quality in terms of whose interests are being served? The Project to Investigate Quality and Standards in Distance Education involved eight Australian universities designated Distance Education Centres. It investigated elements of quality, indicators that signified achievement of elements, and processes that foster achievement of quality. Views were sought through policy and "working documents" of institutions, structured interviews with groups providing services to support distance education, interviews with distance education teachers, and through responses of institutional and corporate clients to a listing of factors. Institutions were encouraged to fund student support and provide equitable access to it. Australian distance education was found to be the first area within higher education to be faced with the mismatch of values between publicly funded and user-pays educational systems. Quality and standards had no currency under circumstances in which the user had a choice over what is paid for. (YLB)

This resource book contains demographic data for the eight states of the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association. All information is current (1990-92) and comes from the national census and hundreds of research studies. Chapter I provides a demographic perspective of the nation, describes a holistic view of demographics, and discusses implications for adult and continuing education. Chapters II-IX present data by state: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Data on people include growth, urbanization, and ethnicity. Data on education are provided in the following categories: adult basic education--state system for public-supported programs; postsecondary education--state system for public-supported community colleges and universities, private colleges and universities, public-supported vocational technical schools, private vocational technical and proprietary schools, and student assistance programs; master planning for higher education; cultural institutions; historic sites; and communications media. Information on government is followed by data on the economy: agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, tourism, transportation, and energy. Other data include the following: annual performance report in adult education, Tests of General Educational Development, estimates of levels of proficiency in basic skills, accredited institutions of postsecondary education, members of the executive and legislative branches, and senators and representatives in Congress. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers are listed. Chapter X contains socioeconomic indicators in the Mountain Plains states. Chapter XI discusses implications for adult and continuing education. There are 208 tables and 133 figures. Sources are listed for each state and in an appendix. (YLB)

This paper discusses the potential role of outdoor education research in the formation of public policies on natural resource management, social issues, and education. Some current environmental, social, and educational problems include the lack of public knowledge about natural resources at a time of heightened and conflicting demands for those resources, the need to promote behaviors that conserve energy, the growing population of at-risk youth that is unresponsive to traditional educational approaches, and the need for learning experiences that children see as relevant to their lives. Outdoor education researchers commonly lament that both research funding and publication outlets are scarce, but these situations may have developed because outdoor education research has not addressed the important issues in our society. In the past, outdoor education research has been framed by the perspectives of White, upper middle-class, middle-aged men, and has ignored such issues as the nonparticipation in outdoor programs of people of color and the disadvantaged. Outdoor education researchers must look at their topics, research participants, and settings to determine if they are looking at a mirror of themselves or through the window of reality. In the natural resource arena, it is proposed that outdoor education and related research be broadened to include issues surrounding outdoor environments and the political processes influencing those environments. This paper lists 19 policy issues that could be addressed by outdoor education research, and includes a timeline of the development of outdoor education compared to U.S. and world history. (SV)

Among the main objectives of the 'Primary School Physical Education Curriculum' is to raise individuals with knowledge, skills and behaviors integrated with values and competencies. In addition, one of the important goals of the Kazakh education system is to provide students with 21st century and related digital skills in all lessons. For this purpose, the current study examined the effect of digital technology and face-to-face teaching practices on students' lesson achievement, skills, attitudes, cultural awareness and value perceptions in primary school physical education lessons compared to traditional teaching. The study was conducted with a control group pre-test post-test design. A total of 60 students attending the 4th grade of primary school took part in the study. In the experimental group of the study, digital technologies supported face-to-face education and in the control group, traditional teaching practices were carried out. The research data were collected with 'Physical Education Lesson Acquisition Test', 'Physical Education Psychomotor Skills Test', 'Attitude Towards Physical Education Scale' and 'Cultural Awareness and Value Perception Scale in Physical Education' measurement tools. The experimental applications of the research lasted 8 weeks simultaneously in the control and experimental groups. According to the findings of the study, significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group in physical education lesson outcomes and attitudes. However, no significant difference was found between the groups in psychomotor skills and value perception.

The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on nonformal adult education has become a frequently discussed issue in lifelong learning. Nonformal adult education is understood here as all organised adult learning outside formal education that usually does not result in official certification. Many scholars have considered the pandemic as the leading cause of both decreased participation in nonformal adult education and increased inequality among adults. Nevertheless, it has not yet been empirically established how profound this outcome has been for participation patterns, inequality and perceived barriers to involvement in nonformal adult education. Accordingly, this study explored how much the pandemic contributed to a decrease in overall participation, changes in participation patterns, as well as contributed to an increase in related inequalities in the Czech Republic. This article reports on results from a national representative survey in June 2020 (N = 1013) conducted between the first and second wave of the pandemic. Trends in participation in nonformal adult education along with barriers were mapped for the 12 months preceding the survey. To establish trends, we compared our results with data from the Adult Education Survey conducted in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Our analytical approach is primarily based on descriptive statistics and modelling factors influencing the involvement of adults in nonformal adult education. We found that overall participation in nonformal adult education decreased from June 2019 to June 2020 to its lowest recorded level. Furthermore, the results indicate that inequality based on educational attainment, as well as the perception of substantial institutional and situational barriers have significantly increased.

Over the decades, higher education has markedly expanded worldwide. Alongside its trajectory, scholars have investigated how such high participation systems (HPS) affect social stratification, with close attention to (in)equality in educational opportunities and heterogeneous/declining returns to tertiary degrees. While HPS have thus been the fundamental concept for education and social science research, recent studies argue that the accumulation of highly skilled human resources, or skills diffusion, operates as a distinct societal trait for stratification. However, we know little about how higher education expansion (EE) and skills diffusion (SD) have progressed within societies and how such pathways differ cross-nationally. Using the large-scale OECD data for 27 countries in tandem with the typological framework "EE-SD Model," this study detects five distinctive societal clusters according to heterogeneous trends of EE and SD: (1) reaching universal higher education with mid-high skills (universal escalator); (2) moving towards universal escalator with mass higher education (mass escalator); (3) improving skills with relatively limited higher education expansion (mass elevator); (4) enhancing higher education without explicit skills development (mid-skilled travelator); and (5) rising from low levels of education and skills (emerging). These frameworks/findings, along with the HPS model, will advance comparative studies on (1) the qualitative differences in higher education and related social systems that affect the process of EE and SD; (2) social inequality in educational attainment and skills acquisition; (3) returns to higher education and skills including their distribution across individuals with diverse socio-demographic attributes; (4) the societal-level consequences; and (5) typologies of societies.

In the UK, the Research Excellence Framework is a mechanism used for ranking the quality of research in higher education institutions. While there has been analysis of the entire Research Excellence Framework, and of the Education unit of assessment more generally, analysis of how research on initial teacher education featured in the Research Excellence Framework has been minimal. In this article, we report on Phase I of an 18-month project that mapped the extent to which initial teacher education-focused research was included in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Employing a novel methodology and a theoretical framework based on policy as text and discourse, we identify a sample of 12 higher education institutions that provided initial teacher education programmes and returned outputs to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Analysis of over 1,600 outputs suggest that in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework only 5.5 per cent of these were focused on initial teacher education. We discuss the methodological approach, some headline findings and areas for future research, arguing that these add evidence to the literature of initial teacher education-focused research and, in doing so, can inform policy at the levels of schools, higher education institutions, Research Excellence Framework and the government. We conclude that although the Research Excellence Framework only concerns the UK, similar exercises are becoming increasingly prevalent globally, and therefore the extent to which research on initial teacher education was marginalised in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework is of interest to all concerned with teacher education.

Rural communities and partnerships are critical in career education, promoting pathways into work and further education and training. Families, teachers, and employers all may influence young people and adults who are considering pathway choices. This research aimed to equip these 'key influencers' with the knowledge and confidence to have supportive pathway conversations with rural young people and adults. The focus was not on those needing help with education/career choices, but rather those who influence their decisions. We used a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach in three communities to address the question: How can a whole of community approach best equip key influencers to inform and support rural student post school pathways? Community working parties were established to work alongside researchers to select, trial and evaluate of whole community, place-based, coordinated career education interventions, which targeted communities' individual geographic, demographic and employment context. Communities were resourced with a local pathway broker and small budget for interventions. Individual interventions and the overall project approach were evaluated. Findings suggest that rural community-researcher partnerships can be effective in equipping key influencers with confidence and knowledge to inform and support education/career pathway choices. Community partnerships can take account of community assets and allow for interventions that address community contexts. Partnerships should foster community ownership to deliver education/career pathway information interventions that are flexible, accessible, sustainable, place-based, and authentic. This paper sets out a model for partnerships that effectively equips key influencers in rural communities to support education/career pathway choices.

The education system in Northern Ireland (NI) is complex with the diversity of management structures reflecting religious affiliation and academic selection. Within the system, integrated education provides a mechanism to promote reconciliation among divided communities. Integrated education has been aided by legislation--most recently, the Integrated Education Act (NI) 2022, which places responsibility on the Department of Education and the Education Authority to encourage, facilitate and support integrated education. However, there is no standardised or agreed operational methodology on assessing demand for this. This study aims to examine the current approaches to assessing demand for integrated education in NI by collating existing evidence from key stakeholders and reviewing academic literature. Publicly available information was synthesised from the websites of key stakeholders, and a rapid literature review was conducted to identify methods used in NI and internationally to ascertain demand for education provision. The literature review returned limited results, and the review of key stakeholders' websites illustrated that although existing methods used in NI monitor support in principle for integrated education, they do not capture the full range of factors considered by parents when selecting a school. As a result, the findings indicate a mismatch between articulated preferences for integrated education, the availability of places in integrated schools, and the uptake of these. This study concludes that although existing methods provide part of the evidence jigsaw necessary to assess demand, alternative approaches must be considered to acknowledge the existing complexities within the education system and wider societal structures in NI.

While environmental education has been present in the field of education for decades now, only recently our particular subject areas of science and geography have started to pay more critical attention to specific concerns surrounding the intersection of environmental issues and social justice (also known as environmental justice) within the context of formal secondary education, including in secondary teacher education programmes. Drawing on scholarship, policy landscapes and socio-environmental concerns from both the global South and the global North, and on a methodological approach based on transnational collective reflection and collaborative-dialogic writing, in this article we delve into our different cultural, geographical and disciplinary contexts, views and experiences as four teacher educators from Brazil and England who have been working at this intersection between environmental justice and Science and Geography teacher education programmes for secondary formal education. Here we will argue that environmental justice needs to have a central role in such teacher education programmes if we aim to support young people and their teachers in navigating the spatially diverse and unequal impacts of environmental emergencies in global North and South communities. We also consider future directions for research and collaboration across national and disciplinary boundaries within the landscape of environmental education for environmental justice, reflecting on the future of teacher education across the global North and the global South when facing more frequent and severe environmental emergencies.

The emergence of a modern teacher education system in Singapore can be traced to 1950 when the Teachers Training College (TTC) was established. The TTC was a separate entity from the School of Education at the University of Singapore. Rapid economic growth in the 1970s and 80s necessitated changes to upgrade the education system, such that school leavers could be better prepared for work in a post-industrial economy. It was recognised then that teacher preparation had to be upgraded to represent the field as an evidence-based profession, thus leading to the establishment of the Institute of Education in 1973; this was a significant first step in the journey towards universitising teacher education in Singapore. Continued and transformative economic growth in the 1980s and 90 s necessitated further changes in education goals, best represented by the Thinking Schools, Learning Nation initiative in 1997, the Teach Less Learn More initiative in 2004, and the ICT MasterPlans initiatives. In response, in 1991, the National Institute of Education (NIE) was established, as an institute of Nanyang Technological University. The move to universitise teacher education in Singapore enabled the profession to attract a better calibre of teacher-students, develop rigorous graduate and postgraduate programmes in education, recruit faculty with postgraduate qualifications, and invest in Singapore-centric education research. Though the journey has been long, steady progress towards universitisation has contributed significantly to Singapore's development, and the NIE can today claim to be an internationally recognised Institute of Distinction.