Education & Pedagogy

As more and more science teachers in the United States are now expected to implement STEM education in their classrooms, it is important to understand how teachers conceptualise STEM education. This information can then be used to provide teachers with meaningful support as they move towards implementation of STEM education. Understanding that not all representations of STEM are equal, this mixed-methods study used a phenomenographic lens to examine science teachers' perceptions of eight different models of STEM education through photo elicitation interviews. Part of this was done though an activity in which teachers ranked different models of STEM education by arranging them in a continuum. Findings reveal that teachers are most drawn to models of STEM education that show STEM beyond school settings and that include clear intersections between the disciplines represented in the acronym. This study sheds light on the importance of creating a shared conception of STEM education in order to have productive conversations across various stakeholders within the STEM education community.

This paper examines social justice in relation to the Myanmar education system, from the perspective of participation in decision-making; the social background of students; culture; language and local knowledge. It highlights the current state of education in Myanmar, including the national education law, the national education strategic plan and educational practice in different types of school systems. I argue that the education system in Myanmar is centralized and there is little space for stakeholders' participation in decision-making. Furthermore, the government is now promoting privatization in education, which increases inequality among social classes. Since the language and culture of the ruling majority Bamar (Myanmar) dominate the school curriculum, indigenous rights to education are neglected. Excluding local wisdom and indigenous knowledge can be considered as part of the colonization of knowledge, through the government education system. In conclusion, the paper suggests key changes that are needed to support a socially just and humanistic approach to education.

Building from the theories of Dewey and Kolb and Fry, we sought to examine the impact of experiential education in teacher education on teacher beliefs and practices. The teacher education model described in this article sets out to challenge the seduction of the apprenticeship of observation and create an opportunity for in-service teachers to re-imagine their teaching in concrete and transformative ways. Immersed in a weeklong experiential residency in either the mountains or at a local environmental education farm, the teachers in the study were challenged physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally in and through the experience. The experiential work ultimately led to changes in teacher participants' beliefs and practices related to teacher and student roles and potentialities. Although challenges exist for this type of practice in K-12 classrooms and in teacher education, experiential education has a significant potential to change the way teachers think about and act in their practice.

This manual outlines Maryland's community college course evaluation system. Part I provides a historical overview of continuing education in Maryland, including the legal provisions establishing the development of continuing education courses as a function of community college instructional development. Part II presents policies for state participation in continuing education courses. Part III highlights evaluation criteria for continuing education courses, including those submitted for state funding and those for which state funding is not requested. Parts IV, V, VI present instructions for the completion of various forms required for state funding: Continuing Education Courses for State Funding, Data Monitoring Form, and Enrollment Report for (Equated Credit) Continuing Education Courses. Part VII provides instructions for submitting data on courses for which aid is not requested. After part VIII details the annual community college continuing education reporting schedule, part IX describes the continuing education data tape submission process, developed to provide standard computer programs for institutional reporting and data analysis. Parts X, XI, XII, and XIII describe processes for resubmission for funding, appeal, biennial review, and continuing education course inventory. (HB)

A brief overview is provided of the levels of training and areas of concentration that are available through the 29 institutions of higher education in the State of Pennsylvania offering preparation for the kindergarten through high school special education certification program. Consideration is then given to whether the teacher training is adequate. Concern is focused on: (1) the legislative policies regarding funding, state mandates, and certification guidelines; and (2) the content provided the preservice and inservice teachers during their educational training. A number of shortcomings in teacher education are identified, including reliance on noncategorical certification, insufficient training of mainstream teachers and school psychologists, lack of bilingual special education teachers, inadequate secondary education course content for dealing with the particular problems of adolescents, development of personal communication skills in teachers, and the need to identify competencies that promote student learning. Recommendations for changing existing teacher certification standards are given. Twenty references are listed. (VW)

The 1986 annual report of the Western Australian Post Secondary Education Commission identifies objectives and achievements, policy initiatives, education program and related matters, resource planning activities, national and state consultation efforts, and related governmental developments. Education program and related matters include: accreditation, new teaching developments, doctorates, aboriginal education, external studies, dental nursing course review, postgraduate nursing course review, community studies, visual arts education, and a voluntary adult education grants scheme. The following resource planning issues are addressed: capital works, recurrent funding, resource provision, enrollment growth, higher education funding, statistical system developments, and population influences on enrollment growth. The national tertiary education statistics collection system is also considered. Appendices include: a list of the functions and duties of the Commission; information on 1986 major committees of the Commission and a list of committee members; a list of Commission staff at the end of 1986; and a list of Commission receipts and payments for 1986. (SW)

A values-audit was developed and tested with randomly selected Southwest Texas State University faculty, students, professional educators, and the general population in the university's service area. A questionnaire was designed and structured to elicit information concerning perceptions of issues associated with the university's teacher education program. Analysis of results indicated that the university's teacher education program is broadly viewed as constituting a valuable aspect of the total university. It was clear, however, that no formal or informal consensus existed among those persons most directly involved in the teacher education process. While almost all respondents agreed that greater rigor was desirable in all coursework, wide disagreement existed among the three groups (faculty, students, and public) regarding the degree of emphasis to be placed on subject matter content and skill development in instructional processes. The data reflected a general perception that a real difference existed in the quality of education and non-education faculty and likewise between education and non-education students. The survey items and a table of responses are appended. (CB)

This paper, presented at the International Conference on Education for the Gifted, outlines points for consideration in designing a program for the education of gifted children in the Republic of South Africa. The points focus on the importance of mainstreaming, identification of giftedness, the need for close cooperation between home and school, and possibilities offered by new educational technology. To develop an educational system accommodating those points, a proposed system of education management has three levels: ministry of education of the central government, departments of education, and schools. The education of the gifted student can be accommodated within this structure through an enriched curriculum and stimulating educational climate, and through early identification at the preschool level. Teacher training for gifted student educators should involve identification procedures, teaching strategies, curriculum design, and design of individualized learning programs. Other important aspects of gifted education include school guidance, program evaluation, and creation of coordinating educational committees. (JDD)

The literature in this annotated bibliography was selected to identify and interpret the holistic value of physical education within the general school curriculum and to illustrate the necessity of physical education as a major course of study. The first group of studies cited in the bibliography focuses on the historical development of physical education and sports from primitive civilizations, through the influence of Greece and Europe, and developments in early American society. In the second group, the value of physical education is emphasized, with writings on its contributions to general education and on the overall importance of the goals, aims, and objectives of physical education. In the third group of studies, scientific interpretations of physical education are considered from physiological, psychological, and sociological points of view. The physical education curriculum and the future of physical education in the schools and society are discussed in the final group of writings. Viewpoints of the authors are summarized with some conclusions and recommendations. A brief bibliography of additional literature not annotated is included. (JD)

Abstractor's analyses of 15 science education research studies are presented in three sections. The nine analyses in the first section focus on studies dealing with preservice and inservice teacher education. Areas investigated in these studies include: effectiveness of some inservice practices; teachers' perceptions of the importance of some teaching behaviors; questioning skills; teacher clarity; teacher vagueness; preservice training in environmental education; and local elementary school science practices. Four analyses of studies which examined factors affecting instruction are presented in the second section. Areas investigated include: students locus of control; thinking styles of students; self-concept and school achievement; the influence of mathematics ability on performance in physics; and student reading ability and the reading level of science materials. The final section contains a review and analysis of a single study. The study focused on attitudes and their influence on education in an informal setting. Authors responses to two analyses are also included. (JN)

The relationship between education and work are addressed by a vice provost of Northeastern University in testimony to the National Commission on Excellence in Education. Attention is directed to the philosophical and social bases of cooperative education, its impact on learning, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. At Northeastern, the cooperative education model involves a 5-year program at the undergraduate level in which the students devote their first year to full-time study on campus. For the remaining 4 years, student participants alternate between academic study and cooperative work assignments on a quarterly basis. The university also operates graduate-level cooperative education programs in several fields. For cooperative education students, advantages include clarification of career goals, student motivation for study and work, and the development of personal maturity. For employers, cooperative education offers a medium for recruitment and retention of employees. Weaknesses include the difficulty in achieving a meaningful relationship between work and study in the arts and humanities areas. (SW)

Corporate strategies that can be used in continuing nursing education programs are discussed, based on the Regional Action for Continuing Education in Nursing Education project. Attention is focused on strategies employed at Southern State University (SSU). A practical planning method was used to guide the process of corporate strategy formulation in the SSU continuing nursing education program. This method, which is used by executives in medium-sized and small companies, involves six steps: record the current strategy, determine existing problems, discover reasons for the problems, consider alternatives to solve the problems, evaluate the alternatives, and choose a new strategy. Forms that will aid in data collection and financial information on the nursing programs are appended. Sixteen fact sheets on the the regional project are attached. Topics include: gerontological nursing, a consortium approach to statewide assessment of continuing education needs, historical information on regional action for continuing education in nursing, program evaluation, delivery and program models, statewide planning for continuing nursing education, contracting as a means of provider survival, associate degree programs, and the continuing education unit. (SW)

This is the record of two congressional hearings on H.R. 4164, the Vocational-Technical Education Act of 1983, and H.R. 4793, the Vocational Education Consolidation Act of 1984. Witnesses provided recommendations, reactions, ideas for improvements, and suggestions relating to these bills. Testimony includes statements, prepared statements, letters, and supplemental materials from Representatives in Congress and from individuals representing the Governmental Relations Council for Exceptional Children; American Vocational Association; Vermont Coalition of the Handicapped; Great Oaks Joint Vocational District, Cincinnati, Ohio; Michigan state director of vocational education; Kentucky Department of Education; University of Nebraska; American Association of Community and Junior Colleges; American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities; U.S. Department of Education; and Aleutian Region School District, Technical Center, Anchorage, Alaska. The text of H.R. 4793 is provided. (YLB)

Data concerning the funding and productivity of teacher education divisions in major state universities and land-grant colleges in the United States are presented. Section I discusses concepts of funding adequacy and equity in public elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Data are included on differential weighing of academic programs. Section II presents and analyzes data concerning the principal resource and productivity variables in teacher education in 43 state universities and land-grant colleges for 1982-83. Tables show the comparative relationships of different variables among several institutions. In section III, a comparative analysis is presented of resources and productivity between the colleges of education, engineering, and business administration in a major public university, in the belief that this situation is probably representative of most public universities. Within this section, a statement is developed about the nature of teacher education programs and those two other disciplines. Section IV presents a series of conclusions and recommendations, with an emphasis on the policies needed to improve the preparation of the nation's teachers. (JD)

Beginning with a comparison of American and Western European experiences, an introductory paper by David Parkes comments on Don Morgan's account of the social, economic, and moral context in which American education has developed. This comparative paper includes discussions on these issues: the value of relating American to Western European educational experiences, educational common problems and solutions in Europe, and particular educational difficulties in the United Kingdom. The title paper examines the purposes and functions (actual and supposed) of the major sectors of education in the United States. Concerned primarily with the relationship between education and work, the theory of some economists that education in the United States fulfills the interests of the elite is reviewed. It traces the rise of the major institutional forms of education and gives reasons for their emergence. These reasons are presented in the broad context of basic social institutions. Two recommendations are made: wholly new forms of educational institutions need to be invented and direct experience in technical, industrial, agricultural, or social service occupations should be a requirement for admission into postsecondary education. (YLB)