Education & Pedagogy

Overviews the current status of special education programs in Mexico in general and in Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua) and surrounding rural areas. Two special education administrators employed in the Ciudad Juarez school system discuss problems associated with teacher training and lack of administrative support, and the importance of parental and community involvement in rural schools. (LP)

Survey of 121 regular education teachers in rural British Columbia about inclusion of special education students in their classrooms revealed the need to provide additional resources to assist teachers, particularly the addition of trained assistants, parents, and community volunteers. Suggests that teacher education focus on how teachers can use individual educational plans to meet student needs. (LP)

Reflects on the heady past and dubious future of outdoor education in Ontario. Calls for reconceptualizing the field of outdoor education, taking down the terminological fence created by the word "outdoor," focusing on the holistic aspects of outdoor education, and uniting with like-minded souls in education as a whole, to survive into the future. (TD)

Argues against using American-style multicultural education in South African higher education and suggests that transitory nation-states would first need to adopt Africentric reformism in order to recapture their value system before incorporating multiculturalism into the curriculum. The relevance of the multicultural model to South Africa and why its implementation should be deferred is discussed. (GR)

Describes a course, Chemistry for Elementary Education Majors, collaboratively planned and taught by chemistry and teacher education faculty. Discusses the instructional bases of the course, the audience, themes and activities in the course, course expenses, student learning, and challenges for the future. Lists the course schedule with lab and lecture topics and learning extensions. (JRH)

Argues against teaching approaches that put moral pressure on students. Students should not be expected to make environmental behavioral changes beyond their power. Children often do not have the free will to respond to moral promptings. Suggests cross-curricular alliances of economics, environmental education, and citizenship education that place higher economic value on clean air and safe streets for children. (PVD)

Results of a review of 101 recommended practices in gifted education drawn from 100 popular books are summarized. Practices are categorized into those clearly and uniquely appropriate for gifted students, those requiring some additional support, defensible practices shared with general educators, and general education practices that have not been validated for use with gifted students. (Author/PB)

A study examined practices of 101 universities with regard to the inclusion of family-issues courses in their special-educator preparation programs. Most early childhood programs required one or more separate courses in family issues; however, most mild/moderate disability programs integrated this content within the general special-education curriculum. (Author/CR)

Provides teacher trainers with a variety of instructional materials, resources, and articles that can be employed to diversify the special-education training curriculum to address the needs of migrant students and families. Online information, videocassettes, and field trips and field work addressing the migrant experience are also discussed. (Author/CR)

Compared Greek and Scottish preschool staff responses to questionnaire regarding sexuality and sex education. Found that staff agreed on importance of sexual development, some long-term aims of sex education, and the moral dimension of sex education. Staff differed in extent to which they thought families and preschools should provide sex education, the age to begin, and staff requirements. (Author/KB)

Moving to best practice in teacher education and schooling requires more enlightened leadership and greater future resolve and resources. Ten dichotomies in teacher education are examined: quality versus quantity, majority versus minority, preservice versus inservice, campus versus school site, time versus money, specialization versus generalization, theory versus practice, professional versus public, information versus myth, and long-range versus short-range. (SM)

Introduces a theme issue by examining 10 dichotomies that describe concerns marking contemporary teacher education in the U.S.: quality versus quantity, majority versus minority, preservice versus inservice, campus versus school site, time versus money, specialization versus generalization, theory versus practice, professional versus public, information versus myth, and long-range versus short-range. (SM)

In response to a recent shift toward informal measures of teaching/assessment in reading education, this study investigated types of assessments and instructional strategies being taught in teacher education programs in five midwestern states. Surveys of reading education professors at state universities indicated that direct, informed assessment measures are being taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels. (SM)

Used focus groups and questionnaires to determine what influenced successful elementary teachers' development and what they considered important for current teacher education programs. Teachers attributed much of their success to personal characteristics developed throughout their lives. They considered the practicum component of their preservice education very important, and they valued the role their preservice program played in developing procedural knowledge. (SM)

A survey identified 15 programs worldwide dedicated to teaching individuals how to direct, research, or improve the education of health professionals. Eleven programs offered master's-level degrees and five offered doctorates. Most had flexible study-time arrangements. Graduates of such courses have already assumed leadership positions in health-professions education and research around the world. (Author/MSE)