Education & Pedagogy

This document reviews elementary and secondary education reform movements in California in relation to student preparation for higher education, particularly whether movements now underway are substantive and convincing. The report reviews the national context for educational reform and California's role in that movement. Discussion of reforms in the State notes demographic and social changes, curricular reforms, competency statements, and statewide reform initiatives which have included preschool education, elementary education, and secondary education. Review of these movements includes case studies of two intersegmental programs. Technical and vocational preparation education are also examined. A look at school restructuring considers legislative action and business-education partnerships in Charter schools. Efforts on assessment include evaluation of the California Learning Assessment System and a case study of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Program. A section on teacher preparation, induction, and professional development covers recruiting, retaining, and diversifying the pool of new teachers, two case studies on special programs, bilingual teacher training, and professional development. With each topic the document describes new developments, assesses their effectiveness, and relates the effort to higher education. A conclusion emphasizes that understanding and responding to the curricular and pedagogical reforms is a responsibility for all faculty in all educational institutions. (Contains 24 resources. (JB)

This study evaluated turnover of special education teachers by providing national estimates of the numbers of special education teachers who (1) were retained by their school, (2) were reassigned to a different school within the district, (3) migrated to another district, or (4) left public school teaching. Numbers were drawn from the 1987-88 Schools and Staffing Survey and the 1988-89 Teacher Followup Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics. Parallel analyses were made for turnover of teachers in general education. In general the results indicated that teacher turnover at the school level was significantly higher for special education than for general education teachers (20 percent versus 13 percent), and that teachers in special education were significantly more likely to leave public school teaching than their general education counterparts (7.9 percent versus 5.8 percent). With respect to turnover, teachers of students with learning disabilities were less likely than other special education teachers to leave their schools, but more likely to do so than general education teachers. The advantages of quantifying each component of teacher turnover were discussed, as well as the implications of these and other findings for public policy related to teacher retention and supply in special education. (Author/DB)

This qualitative study examines the perspectives of 14 teachers of students with severe disabilities whose role changed from special education teacher to integration facilitator. All 14 participants expressed strong beliefs that students with severe disabilities would learn more in an integrated environment. The teachers identified themselves as being part of general education, by identifying the school principal rather than the administrator of special education as their primary supervisor and support, by not wanting a special education label attached to their job title, and by identifying general education teachers as more helpful than special education colleagues. This is described as a process of cultural assimilation. Integration facilitators faced uncertainties about roles and responsibilities in their first year of work. This drove the integration facilitators to work with those in general education in a spirit of collaboration, but crossing the cultural boundary from special to general education required huge amounts of time and dedication. The integration facilitators needed to translate the language of special education so that general education teachers could understand them. All 14 experienced a lack of confidence in their new roles and found social support necessary during the initial weeks and months--support which often came from the other general education teachers. (Contains 29 references.) (JDD)

This survey evaluated the attitudes of college juniors and seniors in both regular education (n=20 students) and special education (n=24 students) teacher education programs at Bowling Green State University (Ohio), concerning the inclusion of all students in the regular classroom. Results indicated similar attitudes for both groups. All participants in the special education group strongly agreed or agreed with the statement "familiar with inclusion," while 15 percent of the regular education group were neutral and 5 percent had never heard of inclusion. Three-fourths or more of the respondents in each group agreed that students with disabilities are best educated separately. Over half of both groups disagreed with the statement "the motivation behind inclusion is to save money." Sixty percent or more in each group disagreed with the statement that "'where' is more important than 'what' students are taught." Respondents in special education agreed or strongly agreed that students would benefit from inclusion, yet a majority disagreed with the statement "separating and labeling are not necessary." Respondents in the special education group were more likely than the regular education group to disagree with the statement that "good teachers can teach all students." The contradictory nature of some of the results is noted. Contains 9 references. (JDD)

This paper examines political and government changes affecting higher education in Australia, particularly as they impact upon teacher education, and with specific emphasis upon practices in New South Wales (NSW). Structural features of the governance of education at the federal and state/territory levels are outlined, noting that teacher education is governed by the federal government, but teacher education graduates will ultimately be employed by state authorities. While school management has shifted from centralized authorities to the schools, there has been at the same time a more centralist policy in regard to curriculum and assessment. Actions which have been taken by teacher educators as a consequence of federal and state policies are discussed, such as formation of the New South Wales Teacher Education Conference and the Australian Directors of Teacher Education. Teacher educator participation in politics is supported as necessary given the current climate of educational reform and restructuring and the determinations by government for greater accountability of public institutions. The continuing challenge is to recognize the interdependence of all stakeholders while upholding the rights of faculties of education to remain independent within "autonomous" universities. An appendix contains "Terms of Reference for the NSW Ministerial Advisory Council on Teacher Education and the Quality of Teaching." (Contains 31 references.) (JDD)

This special report summarizes a larger report titled "Linkages in the Delivery and Financing of Special Education Services in New Jersey" by Henry A. Coleman et al. It describes a project which analyzed the linkage between the structure of state aid for special education and the identification, classification, and placement of students for the delivery of services. Individual sections address: the history of special education in New Jersey, the New Jersey Quality Education Act of 1990, the identification of students eligible for special educational services, classification and placement steps, cost factors, cost of a special education placement versus state reimbursement, other factors affecting special education placement, major deficiencies of the special education state aid system, and data collection limitations. Recommendations urge modifications to the state aid system to promote placement of students in the least restrictive environment and equalization of both service delivery and cost burdens to school districts. Eight tables provide detailed trend data on: enrollment in long-term education programs; special education additional cost factors; use of own-district self contained classes versus resource rooms/centers; state totals for school district special education appropriations; and percentage of students in self-contained special education classes by gender and race/ethnicity for selected urban districts. (DB)

This survey was designed to identify courses in pedagogy required of secondary education majors, credits awarded, student teaching credit and evaluation, and effectiveness of colleges and universities in preparing teachers for public schools. Responses from 310 teacher education programs accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for secondary education indicated the following results: (1) 50 percent or more of reporting institutions require secondary education majors to take courses in generic methods, specific methods, reading in content field, special education, and tests and measurements; (2) the most common pattern of course requirements includes a 3-credit course each in generic methods, subject specific methods, reading in content, and special education, and 12 credits for student teaching; (3) 50 percent of the institutions used regular grades for student teaching; (4) in 50 percent of student teaching cases, the college supervisor made the grading decision; and (5) 50 percent of the institutions reported less than complete coverage on 22 of 37 specific teaching skills or competencies, in the areas of planning, curriculum, teaching strategies, educational technology, exceptional children, student assessment, and ancillary skills. The study concludes that restructuring of pedagogical coursework is needed, and that school districts should contemplate staff development activities in weak areas of teacher preparation. (Contains 21 references.) (JDD)

This document contains testimonies and prepared statements from a congressional hearing on educational issues held in Arizona. Statements and testimonies address education reform, school financing, equalization, site-based management, federal programs, vocational education, and American Indian education, among other issues. Included are opening statements by Representatives Dale Kildee and Ed Pastor. Witnesses providing testimony include: (1) Lee Whitehead, Arizona Education Association; (2) Louise Kleinstiver, superintendent, Somerton School District No. 11, Yuma County; (3) George S. Garcia, superintendent, Tucson Unified School District No. 1, Pima County; (4) Gilbert Innis, Tribal Education Department, Gila River Indian Community; (5) James Cervantes, student, Phoenix; (6) Pat Medina, parent, Phoenix; (7) Derrick Gray, teacher, South Mountain High School, Phoenix; (8) E. T. Hernandez, parent, Phoenix; (9) Anthony Abril, Phoenix; (10) Eugene Bressard, director, Friendly House, Phoenix; (11) Judy Muller, teacher, South Mountain High School, Phoenix; (12) Ronald Mohammed, substitute teacher, Phoenix; (13) Jack Lunsford, Phoenix; (14) Betty Thompson, Phoenix; (15) John Pizzi, Glendale; and (16) Susan Shepherd, parent, Glendale. Prepared statements, a Gila River Indian Community Resolution, and a concept paper on the role of tribal governments in education policy are included. (KS)

Although modern education is expected to solve social problems, it has brought about new problems. While theoretical critiques of education have not always been successful, with the transition to a data-driven society, education as a historical product is actually losing its efficacy. However, this does not mean that acquisition of knowledge and skills is becoming unnecessary. Prompted by the need to change the purpose of public education, we are forced to rethink the nature of education boldly. Competency-based education, as advocated by the OECD, appears to have led to such rethinking; however, it is widely accepted as a revised version of modern education. If this trend continues, the contradiction between education and society will deepen further. To overcome this contradiction, we must change our view of education. With education and learning having an asymmetrical relationship to begin with, the clue to changing our view of education lies in re-examining our view of learning. A more comprehensive way of learning that has accompanied human history is attracting the attention of various disciplines. I present a redefined framework for learning that is inherent to humans, which I call the ecological view of learning, and explore an alternative to modern education, learning from the Japanese thought on 'Manabi (learning).'

The interest in the education of gifted students in Egypt began since 1962, when the first school for the gifted was established. In 2005, a clear decline was observed in the number of students enrolled in the high school science section due to some practical and economic reasons. Consequently, the Egyptian Ministry of Education launched STEM schools for gifted students in math and science in 2011, to support gifted students and provide them with varied opportunities to develop their skills and abilities. Moreover, the Ministry of Higher Education established many specialized centers for gifted students. This study aimed to explore the real situation of gifted education in Egypt, from the learning-resource perspective. The researchers contacted and collated reports from many institutions in Egypt, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, and the Centers for Gifted students. Moreover, some tools were developed to collect data about the real situation of gifted students in Egypt. Our analysis showed a tangible progress in gifted education; examining the exogenous and endogenous learning resources revealed the strengths and weaknesses of gifted education in Egypt. We recommend the need for more efforts to provide this exceptional student category with proper opportunities.

Aim: The aim of this article is to analyse Dewey's writing on vocational aspects of education in his book "Democracy and Education," An introduction to the philosophy of education to identify and to relate the main philosophical ideas to Maslow's theory of motivation and to establish the key similarities between the two theories to support contemporary Vocational Education and Training. Concept: The paper used content analysis to identify key themes from Dewey's vocational aspect of education and synthesised them with Maslow's theory of motivation. Based on both theories the article describes how motivation is critical in people's pursuit of vocational career goals. Result: The study identified source of livelihood, sustainable livelihood, social recognition, social contributions, academic, and career progression from Dewey's vocational aspect of education as key ideas that are like Maslow's physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs that influence people's choice in vocational career goals. Conclusion: We argue that if contemporary vocational education and training can be attractive to the young generation, the ideas expressed in Dewey's vocational aspect of education and Maslow's hierarchy of motivation should be considered by vocational education and training stakeholders when making vocational education career choice or goals.

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain Japanese health and physical education teachers' experiences teaching sexuality education at the high school level. This qualitative study used the interview method, with an in-depth, semi-structured approach. The research sites were Japanese high schools located in the Kanto region of Japan. Participants included eight health and physical education teachers who taught sexuality education at the time of this study. A constant comparative analysis method was used to interpret the data, with three themes emerging from the data: (a) "teaching how to avoid unwanted and unexpected pregnancy," (b) "be careful about sexual comments and terms that could turn to harassment," and (c) "use instructional resources that help students' transformative learning." Findings suggest that health and physical education teachers must be highly ethical professionals, whose attitudes and actions are focused on what is best for their students while teaching sexuality education. To advance the quality of sexuality education instruction, teachers, administrators, and researchers need clear and focused goals related to the status, quality, and relevance of sexuality education programs and curricula.

This paper traces the location of the principles of India's Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, in the country's most recent National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the documents leading up to the policy. It draws on the capability development approach and critical theory that facilitate understanding education as a fundamental right, moving beyond the narrow understanding of education as a mere instrument for the global economy. It also draws on global education policy literature and critical policy analysis lens to examine the assumed policy rationality. Based on a qualitative document analysis the paper argues that the policy does not demonstrate a commitment to the ideas of public-funded elementary education, child-centered democratic learning environment, and bridging the gap between equity and quality. The recommendations signal a further dilution of the RTE mandates. The policy statements and linguistic choices show an allegiance to neoliberal discourses reflecting the influence of global education policy transfer without systematic consideration of the realities of Indian school education. This approach indicates a missing link between the policy aims and social justice, that does not bode well on the educational rights of the marginalised children.

We study the role of the State in education through the most significant government periods in Argentina in the last 50 years. We use a sociocultural approach, contemplating the historical development of educational policies in the country, exploring conceptual frameworks applicable in the investigation of the State, privatization and decentralization in education. We analyze how certain models of government establish the cultural reproduction of inequality in education, contextualizing the role of the State as a possible promoter of hegemonic educational projects of hybrid models of globalization. We discuss the multifaceted role of the State in education and society, as well as in the educational institutions themselves and their actors, considering education as a fundamental right, which must be guaranteed by the State. Through the analysis of political, economic and social contexts we expose negative impacts on education during the exercise of neoliberal practices, which resort to privatization and state decentralization. In contrast, the use of socio-educational policies has contributed greatly to the improvement of the country's public education system. The results of this case study are then presented as a general notion regarding the global issue of inequality in education, in order to help rethink the future of education.

Environmental education is an important task conducted in schools at all levels, from preschool to university. This study uses a systematic review of the existing literature to analyze the status quo of pre-service preschool teachers' environmental competencies and the strategies for approaching environmental education in preschool teacher training. There were 14 studies selected by inclusion criteria and rigorously analyzed. These literatures provide an overview of the studies performed to date and allows for a more comprehensive understanding of some formal aspects of the research problem. Most of the reviewed studies measured pre-service preschool teachers' environmental education competencies (N = 8), while a few studies (N = 6) focused on the approaches of pre-service training programs in environmental education, identifying three strategies: (1) addition of environmental education courses in the program, (2) a separate course in environmental education methods, and (3) integration of environmental education methods into courses in existing programs. The search results show that environmental education in preschool teacher training is a recently emerged topic with a scarcity of studies. The findings emphasize the need for a detailed evaluation of current preschool teacher training programs to establish program development strategies regarding environmental education. In addition, this review calls for future research that focuses on experimenting with and applying environmental education strategies in preschool teacher training programs.