Education & Pedagogy

This article documents the "Journal of Jewish Education's" acquisition by the Network for Research in Jewish Education, in 2004, and evaluates the contribution of the re-launched Journal to the field of Jewish education. I explore how the Journal contributed over the past decade in three discrete yet often overlapping areas, thereby realizing its editors' vision. First, the "Journal of Jewish Education" became the venue for conversations between researchers, practitioners and funders about the direction of Jewish education research and policy; second, it became an outlet for the sharing of research and other Jewish education scholarship; and third, it became a venue where scholars introduced research and theoretical constructs from the field of general education and sought to demonstrate their relevance to Jewish education. Finally, I suggest some reasons why the editors had less success in realizing a fourth goal for the "Journal"; that is, making it a forum for new ideas and the charting of new directions in research and practice.

Several international declarations, signed over the last few decades, are helping to promote Education for All, by eliminating inequalities in both society and education systems. This article, a descriptive review of policy documents and reform initiatives, reports on ways the Government of Bangladesh has responded to these international declarations. The review focuses on issues that promote the inclusion of diverse learners in mainstream primary and secondary schools. The most recent policy in Bangladesh, the National Education Policy 2010, also attempted to address inclusive education. Two major reform initiatives endorsed inclusion: the Second Primary Education Development Program and the Teaching Quality Improvement project. To some extent, these projects brought the philosophy and implementation strategies of inclusion into the country's existing education system. Other initiatives are promoting collaborations between state and private agencies. Lessons from these policies and initiatives should help other developing countries achieve the goals of Education for All through inclusive education.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and burnout among special education school teachers in Turkey. One hundred and eighteen teachers completed the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Teachers belonged to the psychological counselling and guidance programme, primary education, special education programme, programme in education of students with mental impairment, programme in education of students with hearing impairment, programme in education of students with visual impairment, music education and art education. Findings showed that there were significant relationships between teacher self-efficacy and burnout. Also, significant differences were found between genders and branches in terms of burnout and teacher self-efficacy. Indices of structural equation modelling indicated that domains of burnout were strongly predicted by self-efficacy. Findings highlight the importance of self-efficacy beliefs in special education staff's level of emotional involvement, sense of accomplishment and engagement.

Research has discussed the benefits of cooperative education experiences for secondary career and technical education students. Yet, in this era of high stakes testing and program accountability, the amount of time that students are permitted to participate in cooperative education has diminished, fearing that time spent out of the classroom would result in lower test scores. Unfortunately, there is little empirical evidence to suggest a relationship between cooperative education and performance on summative assessments. This baseline study of secondary career and technical education students in Pennsylvania indicated that students who participated in capstone cooperative education experiences scored significantly higher on summative assessments, as measured by NOCTI scores, than those students who did not participate. Additionally, this study determined that student GPA, IEP status, length of time on co-op or quality of Training Plan could not significantly account for any established mean differences.

Taking the form of a personal essay, the author describes developments within teacher education in the USA over a 40-year period, since the founding of "JET." Beginning with his work within teacher education as a graduate student and moving across time, he describes major movements in teacher education, discusses several of the most influential ideas within the field and, by drawing on publications of the period, notes the influence of certain political and education figures. In many respects, the tale is one of the politicialisation of education and teacher education, the rise of neoliberalism, and the loss of teacher educator control of programmes and programme content and, in some respects, the undermining of educational quality. Yet, it is also a story of remarkable moments of innovation and of the consistent dedication of educators to the cause of better education.

In recent years, music at Leaving Certificate level has come under increasing focus in media and higher education discourse as an easy option. In particular, scant attention has been paid to the musical knowledge and skills needed in the transition to higher music education within the Irish context. This paper addresses the perceived gap in knowledge through an examination of documents and student and lecturer experiences in higher music education. Findings reveal that students who have access to private music tuition because of their greater cultural, social and economic capital have a distinct advantage in higher education over those who have relied on the state for music education. Moreover, there would appear to be a shift in emphasis from practical to theoretical knowledge in the transition to higher education. More critically, the paper argues for a reappraisal of curriculum and knowledge at both levels in light of the implicit privileging of epistemic access to "powerful" knowledge in private music education.

This study aimed to expand upon previous research related to parental opinion concerning school sexuality education by sampling a culturally diverse, low-income population that has been traditionally under-represented in the literature. A total of 191 parents attending an urban community college completed a written questionnaire about what topics schools should teach their children about sexuality education. Independent variables, including country of origin, religion and religiosity, were explored to determine if support for school sexuality education was similar or different in this population compared to previous national and state survey data. The majority of sex education topics were supported by 80% of the parents. There was a significant negative correlation between attendance at religious services and support for school sex education. The hypothesis that there would be less support for comprehensive sexuality education in the sample population than in national and statewide surveys was not supported.

The document is a compilation of 15 fact sheets developed during 1980 by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children. Fact sheets are single sheets which provide basic information in a question-answer format and include additional resources and references. The fact sheets have the following titles: "Sex Education for Retarded Students"; "On Being a Surrogate Parent"; "Preparing Severely Handicapped Individuals for the World of Work"; "Who Needs a Surrogate Parent?""Relationship of the IEP to Grading and Graduation Requirements"; "The Community's Role in Continuing Education for Disabled Adults"; "Volunteers in Special Education"; "Affective Education for Exceptional Students"; "Fostering Peer Acceptance of Handicapped Students"; "Learning Disabilities"; "Managing Inappropriate Behavior in the Classroom"; "Leisure Education"; "Peer and Cross Age Teaching in Mainstream Classes"; "Postsecondary Options for Learning Disabled Students"; and "Visually Impaired Students in the Mainstream." (DB)

Ten brief articles focus on issues in the administration of special education especially in New York State. Articles have the following titles and authors: "Administrative Skills--Coping with the Future" (J. Gross); "The Impact of Public Law 94-142 and Chapter 853 on Regular and Special Education Administrators" (R. Costello); "The Emerging Role of the State Education Department with Emphasis on the Task of Regional Associates" (R. Guarino); "An Educator's Perspective--Due Processes Hearings" (E. McManus); "Collective Negotiations--Does It Lead to Erosion of Administrative Prerogative or Enhancement of Quality of Instruction" (M. Fletcher); "Factors That Support Appropriate Integration of the Handicapped into Regular Classes" (R. Reger); "In-Service Training--The Road to Improving Instruction of the Handicapped In General Education" (C. Podolsky); "Career Education for the Handicapped--Whose Responsibility is Supervision?" (G. Muenster); "The IEP as a Management Tool in Special Education" (P. Irvine) and "Due Process Procedures" (J. Gross). (DB)

This 22nd edition of the directory has been updated to reflect the numerous changes in each recognized institution's approved program listings. Several new programs have been approved since the last publication date, and institutions have requested that some programs be deleted from their listings. Changes in personnel and institutional data have also been noted. Information is provided as follows: "Alphabetical Listing of Recognized Institutions and Approved Programs"; "Approved Early Childhood Education Certificate Programs"; "Approved Elementary (K-9) Certificate Programs"; "Approved Secondary (6-12) Certificate Program Areas"; "Approved Special (K-12) Certificate Program Areas"; "Approved Special Education Areas for the Special (K-12) Certificate"; "Approved School Service Personnel Certificate Programs"; "Approved Administrative Certificate Programs"; "Approved Transitional Bilingual Certificate Programs"; "Geographic Location of Illinois Institutions Recognized for Teacher Education"; and "Special Programs Offering Alternatives for Individuals with Degrees." (SM)

This booklet discusses the present state of environmental adult education and its major difficulties and shortcomings and develops recommendations for further development of this field. Section 1 discusses linking environmental and social issues and locating environmental problems within the context of one's daily life and action. Section 2 focuses on strengthening collaboration between environmentalists and adult educators. Section 3 addresses environmental education as a central theme for adult education. Section 4 highlights the urgent task of environmental education to overcome misconceptions about a conflict between economic growth and sustainable development. Section 5 considers one main issue that women's projects address: the consumption of fuel for cooking and heating and the use of environmental-friendly resources for the whole community. Section 6 describes the global dimensions of current environmental problems. Section 7 emphasizes the need to promote and build on local knowledge and indigenous traditions in environmental education. (YLB)

This booklet describes Great Britain's Education Act of 1996, Part 4, which is related to the education of pupils with learning difficulties. Issues discussed are the main aspects of Part 4, the duty of local education agencies to include children with special needs in the mainstream, what parents should expect from their child's schools, what parents should expect from their local education agencies, and the Code of Practice regulations relating to children with disabilities. Five stages of help recommended by the Code that schools and LEAs should provide for children with special education needs are described and include identification, coordinating and development of an individual education plan, the inclusion of outside specialists to advise, consideration of a need for statutory assessment and a multi-disciplinary assessment, and the consideration of a need for a Special Education Needs (SEN) statement and review of provision of services. The special education process is explained and parent rights and responsibilities are highlighted. The booklet closes with a list of resource organizations, government departments, and publications. (CR)

Advisory groups have been an important segment of career and technology education throughout most of its history. Educators assume that advisory groups can assist in providing quality and relevant career technology education programs. This handbook provides information on structuring and conducting advisory groups for career and technology education in South Carolina, in particular Career and Technology Education Advisory Councils and their subsidiary Program Advisory Committees and School-to-Work Advisory Committees. For these councils and committees, this guide provides the following: (1) organization structure; (2) membership; (3) advisory council role; (4) regulatory duties (if applicable); (5) the Career and Technology Education Advisory Council Serving as the School Improvement Council; (6) local duties; (7) responsibilities of the chairperson; (8) responsibilities of the school administrator; (9) responsibilities of members; (10) terms of service; and (11) member selection. Five appendixes contain the following: suggested annual program of work for advisory councils; sample letter of invitation; sample meeting agenda; sample minutes of meeting; and the advisory committee's work plan. (KC)

Chapters in this volume include the following: "Innovations in TESOL Teacher Education: A Quiet Revolution" (Karen E. Johnson); "Building Bridges among University, School, and Community" (Donald F. Hones); "Sustainable Strategies for Professional Development in Education Reform" (Nancy Clair, Carolyn Temple Adger); "Developing Professionals: Interwoven Visions and Partnerships" (Dorit Kaufman); "TESOL Education in the Context of Diversity" (Lynne T. Diaz-Rico); "Promoting Sense-Making in Second Language Teacher Education" (Paula R. Golombek); "Becoming Contributing Professionals: Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers in an EFL Environment" (Tim Murphey); "Integrating Computer-Mediated Communication Tools into the Practicum" (Lia D. Kamhi-Stein); "Learning To See Diverse Students through Reflective Teaching Portfolios" (Yu Ren Dong); "Investigating Dialogue in Language Teacher Education: The Teacher Educator as Learner" (Bill Johnston); "Lessons from a Jet-In-Jet-Out Expert: Cooperation, Adaptability, and Relevance in Vietnam" (Marilyn Lewis); and "Enhancing English Language Teaching in the United Arab Emirates (Hedi Guefrachi, Salah Troudi). (Each paper contains references.) (KFT)

Peace Education is now considered by many as a viable curriculum that could be integrated into many school programs. This paper identifies and clarifies the role that peace education can play in the creation of a humane, nonviolent learning environment; highlights recent research on brain-based learning that holds significance for the inclusion of peace education in the curriculum, especially with integration of the arts and humanities; and demonstrates and invites participation in workshop activities that enhance the quest for a peaceful school and classroom. The paper maintains that peace education can enfold integrated, brain-based, multisensory learning, and a problem-solving approach. Integration of the arts and humanities in peace education can be a form of art therapy for children living in violent communities. The paper further maintains that peace education ensures enhanced citizenship skills for a new century. Appended to the paper are lists of: resources for brain-based learning; books and curriculum guides for peace education/conflict resolution/violence prevention/human rights/global education; and online resources. (KB)