Education & Pedagogy

The 1977 annual report of the National Advisory Council on Vocational Education is presented in this document. Section 1 describes the Council functions. Names and addresses of council members are listed in section 2. Dates and locations of meetings held during 1977 are given in section 3. The next section summarizes council activities for 1977, which were performed in the areas of legislation, assessment of administration and operation of the Bureau of Adult Education, management evaluation review for compliance, American Indian vocational education, disadvantaged and handicapped, national vocational education policy, and manpower policy. Section 5 lists the titles of council reports by month. The concluding section presents the council reports' findings and recommendations, including recommendations relative to the following: notice of intent to issue regulations (Public Law 94-482), public hearings on native Americans in vocational education, youth unemployment, testimony to Congress (Youth Unemployment Act), and energy report (the response of vocational education to the national energy crisis). (JH)

A collection of 12 essays provides an overview of population education in Asia and Oceania with regard to concepts, status, approaches in curriculum and materials development, methodologies, and research and evaluation. The collection is presented in five sections. Section I explores general definitions of population education; its role as part of national or independent programs; relationships between population growth, national development, resource utilization, and environment; and population education as a means to promote family planning. Section II outlines interdisciplinary approaches in several countries and gives examples of population education content of school subjects including home economics, science, and social studies. Section III reviews various approaches to teaching population education (i.e., discovery, expository teaching); presents sample units; and identifies relevant ethical issues in areas including distributive justice, politics, and economic development. Section IV suggests various research and evaluation designs. Section V discusses out-of-school population education in terms of program development and materials production. (AV)

The guidelines for vocational assessment of handicapped students are intended to help Texas educators fulfill requirements that a vocational assessment be completed before a handicapped student is placed in a vocational education program. Three levels of assessment data are distinguished: Level I data which are collected by special education teachers within the local school district; Level II data which are collected by special education support staff members in the local district or special education cooperative; and Level III data collected (when necessary) by specially trained persons in the local school district, special education cooperative, or region. Vocational alternatives for handicapped students are seen to include regular vocational classes, regular vocational classes with support, coordinated vocational/academic education, special vocational education classes for the handicapped, and a vocational adjustment class. A flow chart of a comprehensive vocational education program for handicapped students is given. The role of the admission, review, and dismissal committee in the vocational planning process is briefly considered. A glossary of 17 terms such as career education, least restrictive environment, and prevocational instruction is also included. (DB)

This paper describes a community education model which represents one aspect of developmental efforts with a community education evaluation project undertaken in Kanawha County, West Virginia. It begins by reviewing relevant community education literature which, together with local data sources from Kanawha County, was used as a foundation for the model. A description follows of the conceptual model (Cube) for community education which reflects the nature of a community education program. This discussion details the interaction of three program dimensions (parameters, environment, and processes) and how the dimensions influence community education results (outcomes and impacts). The three dimensions are defined and explained in terms of their components. Program outcomes and impacts are then addressed in terms of specific results. Using one community education program outcome--community involvement--as the basis, the model's interactive nature is then demonstrated. The paper concludes with a brief note on the Cube's generalizability to urban, suburban, and rural community education programs. (YLB)

This guide provides an outline of the policies, procedures, responsibilities, and functions of Georgia agencies and individuals participating in laboratory experiences for teacher education students. In Unit I, the policies of the Georgia Board of Education relating to laboratory experiences are presented. Criteria are listed for: professional laboratory experiences; selection of professional laboratory centers; selection of supervising teachers; and the preparation of supervising teachers. Policies regarding the roles and responsibilities of professional laboratory participants and other services are also presented in this unit. The second unit defines the roles and responsibilities of the Georgia Board of Education, college faculty, and public school personnel in professional laboratory experiences. Procedural steps in initiating laboratory experiences are outlined in Unit III: selection of sites; placement of students; and cooperative evaluation. Appendices contain a glossary, a sample agreement between state agencies (a county board of education and a state college), and a list of Georgia teacher education institutions. (FG)

In a critical examination of the state of teacher education, strong and weak areas are pointed out. The following six principles are offered as foundations upon which programs within schools and departments of education can be built: (1) All teacher education programs should be rooted in the knowledge of teaching and learning; (2) The principles of equity and concern for the welfare of all persons should be a philosophic base for education programs; (3) Teacher education in both example and teaching should recognize our pluralistic society and include diverse approaches to both the preparation of teachers and the organization of teaching experiences; (4) Continuous and cooperative monitoring of all programs is necessary to assure constant adaptation to changing needs; (5) Cooperative development of all programs with relevant constituencies is essential to achieve excellence in preparation of professional personnel; and (6) Schools of education should become advocates of those policies and programs which are necessary and desirable to best serve the needs of students. (JD)

Results of a nationwide survey of school board members and superintendents indicate that although most districts approve of global education, other priorities are seen as more pressing. Responses were received by 215 school board presidents and 833 superintendents, for a total sample of 1,048. Participants were questioned about general educational trends and priorities before being questioned about global education specifically. The respondents preferred an emphasis on career, family, and consumer education. They believed that curriculum expansion should occur in vocational, industrial, economic, and basic education. Areas of least interest, and financial support included bilingual education, foreign language, field trips, and student exchange programs. On questions concerning global education specifically, 60% indicated that global education is an important issue and 80% suggested that it is an approach that school boards need to know more about. Impediments to global education were identified as concerns for the basics, higher priorities, funding, and lack of teacher preparation. (Author/KC)

Music education plays a crucial role in shaping cultural identity, fostering creativity, and promoting social cohesion. However, persistent inequalities and inherited colonial structures continue to limit the recognition of diverse musical traditions and ways of knowing. Reimagining music education through inclusive and decolonial approaches can empower learners, affirm cultural heritage, and bridge divides across communities. By integrating indigenous knowledge systems and diverse pedagogical perspectives, music education can become a transformative force for equity, representation, and social renewal. "Reshaping Music Education: Inclusive Pedagogies and Curriculum Renewal" brings together examinations of how music education can become more inclusive, relevant, and socially responsive. It positions music education not merely as an artistic discipline but also as a powerful vehicle for social justice, critical inquiry, and cultural affirmation. Covering topics such as Afrosonic pedagogies, higher education, and ubuntu, this book is an excellent resource for music educators, curriculum developers, educational policymakers, researchers, academicians, postgraduate students, and more.

Postsecondary distance education has attracted increasing attention in recent years, an understandable change when one considers that innovative approaches to distance education have offered opportunities to overcome some of the key challenges in traditional "brick and mortar" education. Nonetheless, there are a plethora of issues that must be considered by postsecondary distance education institutions negotiating the delicate balance between educational access, efficiency, and quality. This article, the result of an interview with Professor Manuel Moreno (Rector of the University of Guadalajara's Virtual University System, and a leader in distance education in Mexico and beyond), highlights some of the key trends and issues faced in strategic planning, visioning, and leadership for postsecondary distance education initiatives. The work pays particular attention to the following themes: quality assurance; accreditation; globalization and transnationalism; and technological innovation.

Recent changes in higher education have confronted education research with a conundrum: how our traditionally multidisciplinary field can refine itself as a unified discipline. In this address I sketch out what this conundrum may mean for education research, both substantively and methodologically, in the future. I propose that one starting point is for education researchers to consider what unites rather than divides us. One common, unifying conceptual concern is with the operation of culture/s in educational settings. I use the narratives of two teachers from different places and times to illustrate how culture analysis can be a fruitful tool for understanding the experience and practice of Education. In my conclusion, I extend the theme of culture to education research itself. I suggest that the challenge of disciplinary identity confronting education research requires a culture change in the modus operandi of our practice, and that this will involve an articulated focus on methodological pluralism, interdisciplinarity, and the use of new modes of communication as key unifying elements of the discipline of education research.

This article offers a sympathetic interpretation of Paul Feyerabend's remarks on science and education. I present a formative episode in the development of his educational ideas--the "Berkeley experience"--and describe how it affected his views on the place of science within modern education. It emerges that Feyerabend arrived at a conception of education closely related to that of Michael Oakeshott and Martin Heidegger--that of education as "'releasement." Each of those three figures argued that the purpose of education was not to induct students into prevailing norms and convictions, but rather to initiate them into the "civilized inheritance of mankind." I conclude that interpreting Feyerabend's educational ideas within this conception of education as releasement lends a new coherence to his remarks on science and education, in a way that renders certain of his political proposals--such as the "separation of science and the state"--both more coherent and more compelling.

Studies on sociology and music education are important because they can enlighten how music education relates to social change. By studying how music education changes and is changed by society we enable ourselves to describe how it can contribute to the understanding of social change generally. This may lay the ground for us in contributing to understanding society at large and giving music education a significant voice in the general debate on society. Based on the expansion of our notions of learning, teaching and education in the light of the formal-informal nexus, connections between music education and social change can be studied on society's macro, meso and micro level and make us see some of the various directions of social change, for better or worse, to which music education contributes.

This paper explores the role of physical education in Labour Universities (1955-1978) during Franco's regime as an instrument of indoctrination and declassing of the working class. The conclusions obtained after the study and the analysis of various primary sources indicate that, initially, physical education was used as an instrument of indoctrination for the purposes of achieving the social and ideological model of Franco's regime after the Fascist uprising (1936-1939). However, this initial orientation became less relevant in the 1960s, in favour of the inherent aspects of sport, which contributed to the declassing of the young workers. In fact, Labour Universities became national benchmarks in the area of sports within the education system. Physical education lost its indoctrinating and declassing roles after the General Law of Education was passed in 1970, and the focus shifted instead to its role as an activity for participation, education and comprehensive training.

Most governments, at an official level, espouse the principles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Among its statements is that education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Yet while the façade of government education systems presents an image that instruction is free of charge, families across the world increasingly find it necessary to invest in the so-called shadow education system of private supplementary tutoring. The spread of shadow education, which is no longer confined to relatively prosperous families, has far-reaching implications for social inequalities and therefore social justice. It is a hidden form of privatisation behind the façade of public education systems; and the fact that shadow education is seen by many families as unavoidable appears to be incompatible with the spirit of the Universal Declaration. The question then is whether the spirit of the Universal Declaration should be abandoned, or whether it should be protected--and, if so, how.

Nomadic groups are highly discriminated against in access to education services, and the 2010 Education For All Global Monitoring Report demanded urgent action to address their education deprivation. Mobile pastoralists, particularly, appear to be falling beyond the remit of migration studies in education, although they are among the most mobile people in the world. Pastoralists' education inclusion has been promoted by models of provision across the "mainstream", "alternative" and Open Learning traditions, but examples from around the world show that each broad approach comes with identifiable "terms of inclusion" that, in different ways, reproduce and/or challenge pastoralists' marginalisation. Achieving political commitment to addressing the scale and extent of pastoralists' education deprivation is not unimaginable, but contingent on significant reappraisal of mobility as a livelihood strategy and of the legitimacy of pastoralism as a sustainable contemporary livelihood.