Education & Pedagogy

This research delves into the global understanding of smart education from various perspectives, including expert viewpoints, policy dimensions, public datasets, and visions of equity and inclusion. Multiple webinars have revealed that the concept of smart education with a shared vision of quality education in the age of AI is being understood by different countries through diverse cultural, technological, and pedagogical lenses. We collected 48 topical digital education policies from Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe and conducted coding analysis on inspective digital education policies for smart education to find that creating a high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable digital education ecosystem is the main concern in digital education policy vision and plan. Infrastructure development and human capacity building are also integral to digital education policies. Analysis of public datasets identified a global framework for tracking smart education encompassing 10 indicators and 30 sub-indicators was identified which coincide well with the GSE datasets covering 58 observing data points. Additionally, we organized a series of webinars with participants from 13 countries and explored specific cases to find pathways to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.

This paper investigates the nature of the relationship between satisfaction with high school sexual health education and the pursuit of a post-secondary human sexuality course. In an initial study, first-year university students who received high school sexual health education in Ontario completed a questionnaire which assessed their satisfaction with sexual health education and asked whether students were pursuing or intended to pursue a human sexuality course in university. Students who were less satisfied with high school sexual health education and, in particular, those who did not rate sexual health education as contributing to their understanding of themselves as sexual beings, were more likely to pursue a university-level course. A second qualitative study investigated potential reasons underlying this correlation. Eleven first-year students enrolled in a human sexuality course were interviewed about (a) their satisfaction with their high school sexual health education and (b) their reasons for taking the course. The findings suggest that dissatisfaction with sexual health education may be a result of students perceiving they had not learned enough personally relevant information and/or received a biased education in high school. These factors, which seem to determine dissatisfaction, may motivate students to pursue additional education in university.

The need for progressive education is prevalent in one of the most underserved portions of the population: the adult developmentally disabled. Though John Dewey wrote little on the education of the disabled, his philosophy, and that of Mahatma Gandhi's, lend themselves to the further education of this unique segment of society. In this paper, I will be looking at developmentally disabled adults, specifically autistic individuals, living in group homes. It is the goal of developmentally developed group homes to advance the education of its residents so that they may eventually leave the home as competent, independent members of society. However, the education they are usually given is not tailored to their individual needs, reinforced through everyday activities, or provided in a manner respecting the individuals as people and not as objects. I will be discussing Gandhi's concepts of Basic Education as it can relate to the developmentally disabled and Kiyo Kitahara's use of Daily Life Therapy in the education of the autistic. I will examine the current system of learning in one specific group home and how Gandhi's and Kitahara's concepts of education can be used to improve the learning abilities of these individuals -- to allow them to move from institutionalized life to a fuller, more productive role in society.

In order to assess the performance of vocational education in Rochester, New York, it is first necessary to consider the city's major economic and demographic trends. On the one hand, Rochester is a center for highly technical industries that are expected to experience a very slow rate of growth. On the other hand, it is characterized by an increasingly disadvantaged minority group central-city population. It is precisely this central-city population from which most of the city's vocational education participants come. Only one vocational high school exists in the city, and interviews with school administrators indicate that the vocational education program in the regular secondary schools is rather limited and rudimentary in character. The city's adult level vocational education program is assisted by the presence of several colleges and universities. In addition, a number of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs provide adult vocational education opportunities. Analysis of the city's economic climate, demography, and existing vocational education programs reveals the following needs areas: improved counseling and recruitment efforts, increased concentration on postsecondary programs, more emphasis on generalizable skills, and efforts to improve the image of the city's vocational education program. (MN)

The California State Board of Education authorized the study to document the overall costs of special education due process fair hearings to all parties--the parents, local education agencies, and the state. The study also analyzed the factors that enter into the costs of hearings, and some conclusions were drawn and recommendations made for reducing the costs. Data were collected from three main sources: the state Office of Special Education, the local education agencies, and the parents of students involved in fair hearings. Data were analyzed in terms of state government costs, issues in fair hearings, costs to parents, costs to local education agencies, legal counsel and mediation, hidden costs, and availability of records. Among findings were that the most frequently reported issue prompting fair hearings was payment by public education agencies for nonpublic school placement, that state level hearings conducted by hearing officers were on the average six times more costly than panel hearings for the parents responding to the study, that certain cost saving features were reported already in use by local education agencies, and that legal counsel tended to be the single costliest element in fair hearings for local education agencies and parents. Among appendixes are sample letters, a survey packet for local education agencies, and matrixes of mean parent and mean local education agency costs. (SB)

The papers in this publication will help elementary and secondary educators integrate economic concepts and tools into consumer education courses. Responses to the papers are also included. There are eight chapters. Chapter one describes the project that is the subject of this publication and that resulted in the national seminar. The goal of the project was to provide a means through which consumer education and economics education could be integrated into school curricula. Chapter two, "What is Consumer Education?" provides a definition of, describes the purposes and objectives of, and presents a classification of concepts in consumer education. Chapter three "What is Economic Education?" examines the meaning of economic understanding and discusses why economics education is important. If our schools are to acquire greater economic understanding, advances need to be made in teacher training, curriculum revision, teaching aids, and research and evaluation. Chapter four discusses a model for integrating consumer and economic content into the K-12 curriculum. Chapters five and six analyze the content of consumer education texts. In particular, the author looks at how the books treat credit, transportation, housing, and public goods and services. The topic of chapter seven is designs and instruments for evaluating economic and consumer education. The concluding chapter contains a summary of seminar presentations and reactions. (RM)

Drawing from successful community education practices around the United States and focusing on the unique characteristics of Wisconsin's communities, people, and institutions, this booklet offers ideas and resources for the development of community education programs. An introductory section examines the components of community education, such as the coordination and sharing of resources, citizen participation, lifelong learning, and community/school partnerships; offers definitions of key terms; and identifies state and local bodies concerned with the field. The next section offers a national perspective on community education, providing excerpts from statements by national leaders about community education; an overview of its growth; and a list of agencies operating at the national level. Then, information is presented on the development of Wisconsin's community service programs, activities at the state level, and the need for a broad-based community education approach statewide. The final section presents a procedure for the development of community education programs, which involves four steps: (1) the formation of a community education steering committee; (2) the establishment of communications with key community groups; (3) the recruitment of personnel to direct community education efforts; and (4) the establishment of a permanent advisory council. Also included are a list of films and resources, a self-assessment instrument for local school districts, and a discussion of the community education coordinator's role. (HB)

The development of adult education in the Detroit area during the years 1875-1932 was intimately tied to the social, political, and economic events of that time span. Data gleaned from census records, Board of Education minutes, old maps, street guides, labor legislation, educational legislation, church records, advertisements, alien registrations, financial records, and political election results provide insight into the trends of the times that influenced the qrowth of adult education. For example, the tides of immigrants--first German, then Irish, later Polish--that poured into the city in the late 1800s to work in the automobile factories necessitated the formation of "naturalization" and "Americanization" schools. These schools became organized after the turn of the century, from earlier fragmentary beginnings, with the creation of adult evening schools in Detroit. Especially influential in the growth of these evening schools was Frank Cody, general supervisor of adult education for the Detroit Public School System. Another pervasive influence in adult education in Detroit was the Catholic Church, which operated adult education programs, including colleges, and whose history in the city is entwined with the growth of the adult education movement. (Further research into historical records of the city and the Church is suggested to provide a more complete picture of the history of adult education in Detroit.) (KC)

Designed to provide information on the linkages achieved under the Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act (YEDPA), this report focuses on education/Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) linkages, the vocational education/CETA connection, and the role of postsecondary institutions (particularly minority colleges) in achieving such linkages. Elements for CETA/local education agency (LEA) agreements are discussed. Described next is the awarding of academic credit under YEDPA. Possibilities for collaborative efforts with work education councils are outlined. Presented next are guidelines and considerations for CETA prime sponsors regarding career/occupational information for youth. Joint Department of Health Education and Welfare and Department of Labor YEDPA workshops are described. Examined next is the interaction of workplaces and classrooms in the l980s. Involving schools in employment and training programs for youth is discussed. Also summarized are five case studies on the impact of YEDPA on education/CETA relationships at the local level. Youth employment training programs and the urban school and LEA/CETA collaboration for career education are also covered. (The second volume of this report and a related report on work education councils are available separately--see note.) (MN)

This yearbook contains 14 chapters, each by different authors, collected to assist in advancing professionalism within technology education. The 14 chapters are organized in five sections. Section 1: The Need for Professionalism in Technology Education contains "The Need for Professionalism in Technology Education: Challenges for the Future" (Anthony F. Gilberti). Section 2: Defining Professionalism and Leadership contains "Professionalism and Leadership in Technology Education" (David L. Rouch) and "Conceptual Explanations of Leadership" (Roy A. Buckingham). Section 3: Opportunities for Improvement in Professionalism and Leadership" contains: "Strategies for Improving Professionals" (James E. Smallwood); "Professional Associations, Organizations and Other Growth Opportunities" (Edward M. Reeve); "Developing Effective In-Service for Technology Education" (John C. Larkin); "Professionalism, Public Relations, and Politics" (Brigitte G. Valesey); and "Identifying and Solving Professional Problems" (Ronald D. Todd, John R. Karsnitz). Section 4: Professionalism at Various Educational Levels contains: "Teacher Professionalism in Primary and Secondary Education" (Anthony Korwin, Joan Haas); "Teacher Professionalism in Higher Education" (John R. Wright); "The Chairperson's Role as a Professional in Higher Education" (Michael L. Scott); and "The Administrator's Role as a Professional in Higher Education" (M. James Bensen). Section 5: Professionalism for the Future contains: "The Professional's Role in Strategic Planning" (A. J. "Art" Rosser) and "Fostering a Professional Culture in Technology Education" (David H. Devier). Keynote addresses and papers include reference lists, and the book is indexed. (KC)

Both technology and education are strongly emphasized in Taiwan. Recent educational measures have focused on establishing a more comprehensive compulsory educational system and have included efforts to develop a more pluralistic and refined program of technical and vocational education. Taiwan's national curriculum for 1996-1998 included craft work for elementary school students and various amounts of living technology (LT) for students in junior and senior high school. According to the revised curriculum slated for implementation in 2001, natural science and living technology, social studies, and arts and humanities will be integrated into LT. In the foreseeable future, LT will coexist with natural science (NS) in the learning area of NS&LT. Technology education programs are not currently institutionalized in Taiwan's teachers' colleges; however, some colleges have faculty members majoring in industrial or technology education. The following efforts to promote technology education in Taiwan are also under way: (1) technology education research projects funded by the National Science Council; (2) development of unit plans with technology learning activities; (3) technology education periodicals sponsored by educational authorities; (4) a technology performance contest for junior high students; (5) teachers' professional development workshops at various levels; and (6) activities sponsored by the Industrial Technology Education Association. (MN)

This policy statement focuses on the policies and practices of graduate education and how they are being affected by the accelerated development of distance education at the postbaccalaureate level. Following an introduction and a review of two earlier policy statements (1977 and 1989), the discussion examines the current context of the rapidly developing area of distance graduate education, including the emphasis on accountability for educational investments, admissions policies that increase student diversity, and the revolutionary changes in information technology. Other sections of the report focus on the defining elements of nonresidential, off-campus, and distance education; provide an historical perspective on American distance education; examine the mission, market, resources, competition, and the new learning paradigm for distance graduate education; examine the nature of graduate education and the role of graduate administration; and discuss distance graduate education policies and practices, including quality assurance and equivalency, generic institutional policies and practices, faculty issues, organizational issues, program design and delivery, collaborative groups, testing and evaluation, faculty-student interaction, mentoring, student-student interaction, instructional resources, and student support services. A final section discusses distance education outcomes, including student and faculty evaluation, student achievement, and student career outcomes. (Contains 23 print and 6 electronic references.) (RAB)

Teachers and administrators often note that preservice programs do not prepare future teachers adequately to teach reading. Several Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states have addressed this problem. In 1997, the Georgia Professional Standards Review Commission began examining reading certification requirements and found that most teacher education programs did not require enough reading. The Commission is exploring ways to ensure that preservice teachers receive adequate content in reading. The University System of Georgia is making program improvements in reading and mathematics. Maryland's Department of Education convened a task force in 1998 to work on changes in reading content requirements for Maryland teachers. The new regulations apply to all students enrolling in Maryland teacher education programs. The North Carolina Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction revised the Standard Course of Study for English Language Arts to provide detailed guidance on how to teach phonemic awareness and phonics. All teacher education programs must regularly demonstrate that they cover all required competencies. In Texas, a special committee of the State Board for Teacher Certification is developing revised certification requirements in reading. The Texas Education Agency has funded a Center for Reading and Language Arts at the University of Austin. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is reviewing teacher education programs offered by public universities. Other SREB states are also working on improvements in reading instruction. (SM)

To examine the role of arctic science in U.S. primary and secondary education, 58 teachers, researchers, and curriculum specialists met in a workshop in April 1997 in New Orleans. The workshop sought to provide a forum for development of K-12 educational materials investigating the Arctic and to bring current research activities into K-12 classrooms in arctic communities. Although the primary focus was on arctic science education, antarctic perspectives were also presented to create a broader, polar theme. Participants formed working groups for three major tasks: planning for media-based arctic science education, including live video expeditions complemented by Internet and classroom activities; developing curriculum resources that emphasize linkages among researchers, educators, and communities; and creating specific partnership projects on the arctic environment and Alaska Native culture and indigenous knowledge. The other major workshop theme--science education efforts within Alaska--explored the idea of an education system that respects and uses the philosophical and pedagogical bases of Native cultural traditions. Presentations offered diverse perspectives on improving educational methods in arctic schools, bridging differing world views, and incorporating traditional knowledge into science curricula. Workshop recommendations are summarized, and projects initiated since the workshop are briefly described. Appendices include presentation abstracts, the workshop agenda, and contact information for participants. (Contains photographs.) (SV)

Did you ever wonder how rising inequality and polarisation will shape education? Or how advances in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other technologies could transform teaching and learning? Trends Shaping Education is a triennial report exploring the social, technological, economic, environmental and political forces transforming education systems worldwide. The trends are robust, but the questions raised in this report are suggestive. They are designed to inspire reflection and inform strategic thinking on how global trends might transform education and how education can shape a better future. The 2025 edition explores a rich array of topics related to the key themes of global conflict and cooperation, work and progress, voices and storytelling, and bodies and minds. It builds on foresight exercises from previous editions, while introducing a range of new futures thinking tools to inspire reflection and action. This report is designed to give policy makers, researchers, educational leaders, administrators and teachers a robust, non-specialist source of international comparative trends shaping education, whether in early childhood education and care, schools, universities or in programmes for older adults. It will also be of interest to students, parents and anyone curious about how education can address today's challenges and prepare for the future.