Education & Pedagogy

This study involves the assessment of the quality management models in Higher Education by explaining the importance of quality in higher education and by examining the higher education quality assurance system practices in other countries. The qualitative study was carried out with the members of the Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council and Director of Higher Education and External Affairs Unit of the Ministry of National Education. Purposive sampling and snowball/chain sampling was done due to low number. The semi-structured interview form was designed in light of the theoretical framework as the data collection tool. The data was analysed through content analysis. The results of the study showed that higher education authorities are not able to perform their responsibilities with the current bureaucratic structure and major duties fall onto the higher education institutions in terms of quality management.

With the development of Internet technologies, online distance education is becoming an important format for teaching, learning, and instruction. In the 21st century, bleeding edge technologies make it possible for more and more students, especially adults, to benefit from an online education. This new paradigm in education allows students to pursue a second or third degree without sacrificing their jobs. Despite the advances in technology, existing online course management systems are far behind in the technological applications needed to deliver the highest quality online education. The existing distance education systems do not give enough consideration to many important issues, like personalization, mobility of students and instructors, and coordination among online study groups, which seriously affect further development of online education. This article discusses the potential applications of intelligent agents and other modern technologies to solve these problems and make online education more accountable in the open and dynamic environment.

The cumulative tale "the house that Jack built" is used as an analogy for flawed theories. This paper considers how the marketisation of higher education in neoliberal countries like England is affecting teaching and learning in Higher Education Institutions. Neoliberal policy approaches resulting in the marketisation of higher education may also be considered as a "house that Jack built". The policies are cumulative and they can be interpreted as being flawed due to their contradictory nature. The paper presents research findings revealing the impact of neoliberal agendas on teaching and learning in higher education in the UK. The content of the paper is relevant to other neoliberal contexts including the USA and Australia. The commodification of higher education has implications for the teaching relationship between academics and students as "student satisfaction", "value for money" and "critical pedagogy" form part of the interplaying discourse in higher education.

Health education and physical education are essential components of a school's coordinated health and physical education (HPE) curriculum. Traditionally, teachers have taught the subject matters in these programs using a skill development approach to enhance students' personal and social responsibility. Physical education teachers have been using the teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) model as a teaching strategy in physical education programs to develop student responsibility for several years (Hellison, 2003, 2011; Hellison & McBride, 1986; McBride & Hellison, 1986). The TPSR model addresses issues related to challenging and encouraging students to take responsibility for their own physical, emotional, and social needs and is therefore a natural fit as an instructional model in the HPE curriculum. However, few instances of using TPSR in health education have been documented. The purpose of this article was to describe the exploration of TPSR-based health education and the essential aspects of TPSR-based health education derived from this process.

What is the link between art and creativity? The purpose of this study was to determine the role of art education in creative thinking. A causal-comparative research design was used. Arts and science high school students (N = 162) participated. Results showed that creative thinking in visual arts students in Grade 10 with high scores differed significantly from that in music and science students; however, this difference was not found among students in Grade 11. A main reason for this result in Grade 10 students might be the non-routine problem-solving process in visual arts education, in which artwork production is an important component in creative thinking development. Considering this result, it was concluded that the effect of different education disciplines--"called education department effect"--on creative thinking can be significant.

Our intergenerational authorial team takes up a central--and unresolved--issue within teacher education for inclusion, namely, the role of curriculum in reconceptualizing pre-service programs. We specifically review literature and policy on how special education teacher educators have approached conceptions of curriculum, using this past as prologue to argue that the teacher education curriculum requires a community of educators constructing a balance between a shared equity agenda to support the preparation of all teachers for inclusion, and the simultaneous need to prepare experts who can effectively share and utilize expertise that addresses the specific learning needs of marginalized learners, including those with disabilities. Unless curriculum is addressed comprehensively, deep transformation will be difficult to achieve, and role clarity for prospective special education teachers is likely to remain unclear. Our aim is for readers to consider the complicating power of curriculum theory as essential framework for renegotiating the teacher education curriculum for inclusion.

The growing demand for distance education at both the K-12 school and university level, has prompted a number of teacher education programs to integrate distance-based technology into their preparation programs. This study examines data from 102 teacher education programs to analyze the current status of distance education in teacher preparation across the United States. Findings show limited use of distance education, with Web 1.0 technologies more commonly used than Web 2.0. Use of distance education was primarily within the contexts of course settings and more frequently in hybrid formats than in online formats. The role of the individual faculty member in the decision-making process was also found to be prominent. Further noted was that many institutions did not have a plan for the integration or the assessment of distance education in their programs.

To ensure a robust and comprehensive educational experience, every K-12 learner must have access to high quality Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) education. To make this happen, their teachers must be effectively prepared to provide excellent art education experiences. Although arts education is required in many states (including California) as part of licensure requirements, little is known about the actual implementation of these policies. To better understand this preparation gap, a three-part statewide study analyzed the status of arts education in California teacher preparation programs. Findings from survey, interview, and document analysis indicate that arts education experiences increase candidate confidence and deepen their understanding of the benefits associated with using the arts to meet the needs of diverse learners. However, inconsistent program requirements among institutions of higher education contribute to a lack of cohesion in art preparation throughout the state.

One of the main challenges facing special and general education teachers and parents in Egypt stems from the current educational move toward inclusion. The current study investigated the attitudes of special and general education teachers and parents toward the inclusion of Egyptian students with intellectual disabilities in general education schools. A survey was carried out in two educational settings: special and general education schools. The attitudes of Egyptian special (n = 52) and general education teachers (n = 52) and parents of children with intellectual disabilities (n = 109) were surveyed. Thirty two special and general education teachers, the principal of special school and five parents who had children with intellectual disabilities were interviewed. Data analysis revealed that teachers and parents possessed negative attitudes toward inclusion. There are many factors that may contribute to this view, including a lack of teacher training.

This article discusses whether and how Art education is gendered, and whether and how the art world is gendered. The history of Art education is briefly described from a gender perspective, as well as some current reports on Art education in Sweden. The article draws on material from a postgraduate study about Art education and gender. Art lessons were observed and pupils were interviewed about their views on art. Based on the interview data, it is suggested that one reason that Art education is femininely gendered is that the subject is strongly associated with expressing feelings. Concerning the gendering of the art world, more women than men are professional artists today. However, due to the fact that there is a male art historical canon, that is taught in schools, the art world appears to be masculine, making 'artist' one possible position for boys within art education. That the art world seems masculine while Art education is gendered feminine is an interesting paradox worthy of further investigation.

This study examined the teaching competencies perceived by special needs education teachers to be essential for inclusive education. Entrenched in inclusive pedagogy, this descriptive study draws on a sample of 24 special needs education primary school teachers purposively drawn from Midlands educational province of Zimbabwe. Throughout the analysis of data, a constant comparative approach of the organization of data with continual adjustment was used. The study found that participants perceived screening and assessment, differentiation of instruction, classroom and behavior management, and collaboration to be key competencies required of teachers for inclusive education. Pre-service and in-service training of teachers in these key competencies could facilitate successful and effective implementation of inclusive education through equipping them to respond to child diversity. This study could serve as a baseline for future research on key competencies of teachers for inclusive education.

The model of any type of education is very important for learning and every type of learning requires a different approach. This research explores the Socratic method, the Case Method, the Problem-Based Method, Clinical Legal Education and Lecture Approach for legal education. It also discusses the merits and demerits of each educational model in the legal education context. It was observed that all teaching methods were complementary to each another and that legal education requires a mix of all as per the subject matter and resource-availability of education institutions. This research also identified the legal education model in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia predominately adopted the lecture approach due to historical dependence on French-educated Egyptian professors. The lecture approach is very traditional and has more demerits as compared to merits with rote learning. Therefore, we suggest the Kingdom use a mixed approach for legal education for maximum advantage.

Integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in physical education (PE) has received increased attention. PE teachers' past behaviors and behavioral intentions of integrating STEM education in their teaching were investigated in this cross-sectional survey via the lens of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Primary and secondary school PE teachers (n = 165) completed a survey that measured their behaviors and intentions surrounding STEM. The results indicated that only 19.4% of the PE teachers sometimes or often integrated STEM education in their teaching. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control positively predicted PE teachers' behavioral intentions, which was consistent with the TPB. These findings support the utility of TPB in understanding PE teachers' intentions to integrate STEM education in PE classrooms. The findings also provide the first evidence-based data for policymakers to promote STEM education in PE.

Higher education faces attack, erosion, underfunding and loss of capacity in contexts of armed conflict and state fragility. Losses in university capacities through casualties, injuries and internal displacement or forced migration are difficult to compensate for due to the degree of investment required to restore or lay new foundations for quality teaching and research, while attacks on universities may also discourage learners from attending tertiary education. Drawing upon a research and capacity development project in Somaliland, we propose a global strategy for higher education partnerships in teaching, research and development with practical outcomes in the area of education, conflict and peacebuilding. This strategy would address research and pedagogical training needs for higher education teachers; develop educational partnerships between higher education institutions in conflict-affected regions to facilitate collaborative teaching exchange; and enhance collaboration between higher education institutions, civil society and I/NGOs to promote peacebuilding in conflict-affected societies.

Physical education teacher education is at a "tipping point" in history, where the survivability of the profession in many institutions of higher education may be in question. This monograph reflects an initial attempt to understand recruitment and retention in physical education teacher education programs from the perspective of program coordinators. The purpose of this culminating chapter is to connect key points identified throughout the monograph and critically assess how the results add to the knowledge base in physical education teacher education. The chapter authors present a historical perspective on reduced enrollments and identified strategies for the promotion of student recruitment and retention. It will become evident that if a favorable future for physical education is to become reality, then a vision must be developed and enacted through the concentrated efforts of multiple stakeholders who have the time and commitment necessary to enact positive change at local, state, and national levels.