Education & Pedagogy

The paper is the José María Cagigal Scholar Lecture presented at the AIESEP World Congress in Edinburgh 2018. In the paper I argue that the only real sustainable aim for physical education is "more" physical education, where different ways of being in the world as some-body are both possible and encouraged. To reach this aim, a focus on the art of teaching is vital as a way of critically scrutinising and designing transformative and genuinely pluralistic physical education practices. In order to do this I discuss education as being educative, a certain view of the child as well as teaching as a continuous act of making judgements about the why(s), what(s) and how(s) of education, normative judgements about desirable change. The take home messages involves: (i) reclaiming a certain view of the child in education, (ii) reclaiming the open-endedness of physical education, and (iii) reclaiming the art of teaching in physical education, which is about being educative and making judgements about what to bring to the educational situation. We then must start with the purpose of education -- the why -- before deciding on the what and how.

The article proposes the need for the decolonising of the inclusive education movement in Southern African educational contexts. It draws on the authors' own research and reflexive engagement over the last five years on inclusive education policy formulation and implementation in selected Southern African contexts, namely, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Malawi. The article interrogates inclusive education policy enactment in the four country contexts through the lens of the theory of practice architectures, focusing mainly on the 'sayings' and 'performings.' The analysis highlights that discourses of inclusive education, which continue to be influenced by traditional special education ideologies from the global North and appropriated by the South have the power to undermine or subvert the inclusive education agenda in contexts shaped by neo-colonialism. The article argues for a critical inclusive education agenda located within social justice theory to enable the decolonising of inclusive education. The reflexive and ethical stance of a social justice framework has the power to identify, untangle and disrupt pervasive special education notions from the North, and challenge education administrators, school leaders at all levels and teachers to engage in ideological critique as they enact inclusive education policy and seek to address exclusion and oppression within the education system.

South Carolina ranks 16th in the USA for highest rates of teenage pregnancy. The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA) does not require medically accurate, unbiased, culturally appropriate materials, and varies greatly in compliance and implementation. This study aimed to better understand parents' perspectives in one county in South Carolina regarding reproductive and sexual health education. A total of 484 parents responded to a qualitative questionnaire, collectively representing 798 students. Researchers conducted a thematic analysis to organise the data. Main themes identified include comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education as a duty; dispelling the myth of abstinence-only education; and the value of comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Parents described teaching reproductive sexual health education in public schools as a 'duty.' Furthermore, parents rejected the idea that abstinence-only education is effective and believed reproductive and sexual health education should be taught without the influence of religion. Parents valued inclusive reproductive and sexual health education, covering a robust set of topics. Findings from the study provide evidence for the need to update current reproductive and sexual health education materials and legislation to meet parental demands and reduce youth sexual and reproductive health disparities.

The number of students with disabilities educated in general education classrooms is increasing due to legislative mandates and the appreciation for the importance and positive impact of inclusion for all students (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). In order to provide meaningful services to students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, school personnel must be familiar with effective special education practices and professional competencies such as data-based decision making, curricular adaptation, and active collaboration with colleagues and families. General educators and administrators often do not have critical knowledge of special education practice and policy; thus, special education teachers serve an important role in ensuring school initiatives are developed to support all students in a school, including those with disabilities. Despite the important role that special education teachers play within schools, many special education teachers find leadership opportunities elusive to them. Because school administrators play an important role in the development of teacher leaders, the authors interviewed school administrators to gain insights into their perceptions regarding special education teacher leadership. Administrators provided their views on effective leadership characteristics, leadership qualities of special education teachers, and challenges in promoting teacher leadership.

Along with the rising concerns of career education in school, the government in South Korea has increased investments for closing the opportunity gap in career education. However, limited studies explored the equity in students' outcomes of career education. Focusing on career development competencies, we examined if school career education could reduce the socio-economic disparities in the career development of high school students. We used the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression applying school-fixed effects with the representative data from the Korean Education and Employment Panel II. Findings showed that parental education level was positively linked to career development competencies of high school students, though household income was not shown as statistically significant. We also found that for students who engaged in career and vocational classes in school, the parental education level was less likely to be related to their career development competencies. Also, students who were more satisfied with school career education showed a weaker relationship between career development competencies and parental education level. Based on these findings, we discussed the role of school-based career education to narrow the gap in students' career development from socio-economic backgrounds.

The purpose of this study was to describe the self-efficacy and professional identity of preservice agricultural education teachers and other secondary education preservice teachers. Data were collected from respondents (n=85) from 13 institutions and included both agricultural education preservice teachers (n=68) and other secondary education preservice teachers (n=17). The instrument used in this study was a modified questionnaire that combined two previously established scales, Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy's (2001) Teacher's Sense of Efficacy Scale and Woo's (2013) Professional Identity Scale in Counseling. Descriptive statistics revealed that agricultural education preservice teachers possessed a slightly higher level of self-efficacy than other secondary education preservice teachers. Conversely, secondary education preservice teachers possessed a slightly higher level of professional identity than agricultural education preservice teachers. A Spearman's rho Correlation was used to reveal a negligible relationship between self-efficacy and professional identity among agricultural education preservice teachers. However, there was a small relationship between self-efficacy and professional identity among secondary education preservice teachers. Further research should be conducted to establish the development of self-efficacy and professional identity throughout the teacher career cycle through longitudinal studies.

If adult education programs are to be successful, they must be relevant to the needs of their intended target audience and must have the potential to affect the status quo of Latin American women. In addition, these programs can be significantly enhanced by the effective operation of a distance education system. Apathy, lack of knowledge, and empathy, linked to the idea that the professional elites know what is best for the rest of the population, have been responsible for adult education programs that have produced frustration and, in some cases, resistance by the Latin American adult. Only to the extent that the activities offered by the adult education programs are important and relevant to the individual will the person continue to actively participate in them and encourage others to do likewise. Currently in Latin America, there are very often great differences in those adult education programs offered to women and those offered to men. So that women can become active participants in society, adult education programs which promote the social and economic participation of women should be implemented. Distance education--education via radio, television, etc.--is worth considering in Latin America because it is flexible and it has potential for reaching large sectors of the population. (RM)

Based on searches by the National Commission on Excellence in Education for notable programs, practices, and goals in American postsecondary education, efforts at 120 postsecondary institutions are described. The descriptions are grouped, with each group preceded by a short introductory essay. The following topics are covered by the essays: the transition from secondary to postsecondary education and school/college cooperation; the freshman year; retention and academic work; competing models of general/liberal education; the reconciliation of liberal arts and career education; scientific and technological literacy for the nonscience major; language--expanding personal space; postsecondary honors programs; academic time--calendars of institutions and individuals; joint ventures of colleges and employers/worker education; and assessment. Under the topic of transition from secondary to postsecondary education, the following subtopics are covered: the reallocation of academic time and content, the raising of expectations through outreach and recruitment, and the exchange and development of academic personnel. Appended are: (1) a list of types of programs/approaches of interest to the National Commission; and (2) guidelines for schools in preparing the program profile. (SW)

This handbook is designed to assist local boards of education, postsecondary educational institutions, and local advisory councils (LACs) in establishing LACs on vocational-technical education. (LACs are a mandatory prerequisite for receiving Federal funds in support of local vocational-technical education programs, services, and facilities.) Information contained in Title II--Vocational Education of the Education Amendments of 1976--which relates to establishment and responsibilities of LACs on vocational-technical education, is provided first. Other contents include a list of LAC functions, recommended by-laws, possible council activities, and a chart showing the general relationship between the groups involved and the lines of communication for implementation of the law by LACs. A copy is provided of the cooperative agreement existing between the State Advisory Council on Vocational-Technical Education and the Division of Vocational-Technical Education, Maryland State Department of Education, regarding joint and special technical assistance to LACs not explicitly delineated in the Federal legislation. Guidelines for the use of state vocational education funds are followed by an extract from the Annotated Code addressing the establishment of LACs in Maryland. The handbook concludes with a description of the Maryland organization for implementation of the Job Training Partnership Act and a suggested LAC calendar of activities. (YLB)

This book has two goals: to convey to policymakers at the Federal and state levels a clearer understanding of vocational education and what can reasonably be expected of it and to develop an approach to Federal vocational education policy that is more performance, and less process, oriented. Chapter 1 provides a general overview of vocational education today--what is offered, who is served, what is accomplished, and what it costs. Chapter 2 examines the evolution of Federal vocational education policy from its beginnings in 1917 to the most recent reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act in 1984. Chapter 3 develops the argument for adopting a new approach to Federal vocational education policy and describes the elements of "permissive planning." Chapter 4 outlines a performance-based approach to evaluating vocational education programs and discusses how the desired outcomes of vocational education should be defined and measured. Chapter 5 addresses the problem of improving the accuracy and consistency of vocational education data. Chapter 6 presents findings from site visits to local secondary and postsecondary institutions offering vocational education programs to elicit local perspectives on performance-based evaluation. Chapter 7 adds a concluding note on possible future directions for Federal policy in vocational education. (YLB)

The paper traces the establishment and outcomes of a special education program development unit as part of the West Virginia Department of Education. It is explained that the office used a process/product planning approach with information on mission, role/function, allocation of function and resources, and multiple matrix analysis planning. Based on a successful approach to general education program development, the special education program development process was guided by two underlying beliefs: learner-based decision making and research-based decision making. In order to assure a high quality research data base, a modified Delphi technique was used. A delivery system was designed which uses curriculum-based assessments to select general education and additional learning outcomes for individualized education programs (IEPs) and which determines the least restrictive environment and graduation requirements for handicapped students. Prototypes were developed for retrieving appropriate objectives and mastery information for IEPs and for determining the most appropriate learning outcomes for students eligible for special education. Guidelines were set for reviewing and selecting special education materials. Appendixes include information on the process for interfacing existing special education objective documents with state approved learning outcomes and selecting learning outcomes for the IEP. (CL)

In view of the changes that technology is ushering into the field of education, it is necessary to make some substantial changes in the education of teachers. By broadening the base of teacher education, future educators will have a better understanding of: (1) the social, economic, and political changes set in motion by new technology; (2) the impact of these changes on human institutions and in human lives; (3) the broader concept of education as one of the important human services; and (4) the teaching and learning process as it occurs throughout the human lifespan in diverse settings. Future educators will need to develop diagnostic, counseling, and communication skills as well as have facility in using new information processing and communications technology. They will also have to develop a respect for human dignity, a global perspective on human problems, and a strong commitment to lifelong learning. Seven general categories that should be part of a future-oriented teacher education program include: (1) human development; (2) human services education systems; (3) teaching and learning processes; (4) curriculum resources; (5) social change processes and technologies; (6) futures planning in education and human services; and (7) social and behavioral sciences methodologies and computer applications. (JMK)

Given the responsibility that was placed on school systems to develop and maintain Canadian culture through arts education, the faculty of education at the University of Regina (Saskatchewan), developed a program to prepare teachers to fill the variety of arts education roles. In the four-year undergraduate program, five arts disciplines are included: visual, music, dance, drama, and literary arts. All students in the program are required to enroll in a common first year in education. In years two, three, and four, the required education classes in each of the five arts disciplines follow a parallel structure. For example, in year two the focus is on curriculum development, in year three the students are introduced to teaching strategies and theories of instruction, and in year four the classes are addressed to critical feedback from the internship experience. Another unique component of the program is the requirement that all students from each of the disciplines enroll in the arts education seminar and three sequential aesthetic education classes. Students are also required to attend cultural events throughout the city. It is hoped that this newly established arts education program will produce graduates who will generate educational programs to alter traditional practices in arts education and therefore better meet the needs of the community.(HOD)

Proceedings of the 1983 annual meeting of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) are presented. Contents include a roundtable discussion, nine papers, a progress report by the SREB's Task Force on Higher Education and the Schools, a presentation on a SREB report on higher education and high technology economic development, a summary of the overall meeting, a meeting agenda, a roster of participants, meeting minutes, the president's report, and minutes of the SREB executive committee meeting. Recommendations are offered concerning: raising high school academic standards and graduation requirements, raising college admissions standards, improving teacher selection, teacher education and certification; mathematics and science education; and vocational education. The text of a roundtable discussion on programs to improve quality and provide new incentives for teachers is provided, along with a summary of the project "Meeting the Need for Quality: Action in the South." Additional contents address the following topics: the Tennessee Master Teacher Program, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Plan, the Houston Independent School District Plan, the role of universities, the state role, institutional and state responses to challenges of high technology, and skills for the work place. (SW)

A three-part study was undertaken to determine the status of preservice elementary science education in New England. The first part ("Crisis in Elementary Science Education: New England") reports on a survey of New England teacher education institutions to determine the amount and types of science content and elementary science methods courses, program emphasis in science content, science processes and methods, science teaching techniques, effectiveness of science preparation, and general preparation as an elementary science teacher. The second part ("Elementary Science Education Library Resources in Graduate and Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs of New England") compared the library resources at 62 teacher education institutions. The third part ("Professional Preparation, Elementary Science Methods Course Content, and Professional Responsibilities of Preservice Educators") reports on New England elementary science methods faculty, including their professional preparation, content of their elementary science methods course, related work load responsibilities, and demographic information about the individual. Recommendations for resolving problems facing preservice elementary science education in New England are offered based on such findings as 15 percent of institutions not requiring elementary education majors to take a science content course and inadequate library resources for preservice elementary science education. An 18-item bibliography is included. (JN)