Education & Pedagogy

The term "STEM" (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education refers to teaching and learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It typically includes educational activities across all grade levels--from pre-school to post-doctorate--in both formal (e.g., classrooms) and informal (e.g., afterschool programs) settings. Federal policymakers have an active and enduring interest in STEM education, and the topic is frequently raised in federal science, education, workforce, national security, defense, and immigration policy debates. Given policymakers' ongoing interest in the scope and scale of the federal STEM education effort, this report aims to provide an overview of the current and historical landscape of programs and issues in STEM education. The first section of this report examines federal agencies, programs, and funding for STEM education. The second section examines the performance of the U.S. STEM education system and outstanding issues that may be of interest to Congress. The final section of the report includes a list of major acts dealing with STEM education and provides a history of recent legislative efforts. Appendix A contains links to sources of STEM education data, and Appendix B includes descriptions of the federal STEM education effort from selected historical inventories.

Multicultural education is a construct that has been very useful for many years in harboring sensitivities teachers need in addressing diverse students. Now the discipline needs refreshing. In the global society, the idea of multicultural education, a decidedly Western formation, needs to expand its conceptual boundaries. Salient issues in multicultural education such as individual identities, social justice, and equity are bedrock concerns of multicultural educators. These concepts are considered necessary but not sufficient in shaping an evolving model of multicultural education. The complexity of humans and modern and emerging societies requires a broadened scope of the understanding of contemporary multicultural theory and practice. "Evolving Multicultural Education for Global Classrooms" addresses multicultural education from a comprehensive viewpoint that acknowledges the historical benefit of multicultural education and recognizes a need to inform the discipline with a broader viewpoint. As most knowledge on multicultural education comes from a Western perspective and the scholarship on the topic is weakening, the chapters in this book present new practices and classroom applications that are internationally transferable. Topics covered include teacher education, social justice, educational equity and inclusion, online education, and cultural sensitivities. This book is ideally intended for teachers, educational theorists, sociologists of education, inservice and preservice teachers, administrators, teacher educators, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in a fresh global perspective on multicultural education.

Next week, President George W. Bush will submit his eighth and final budget request to the Congress. How has he fared with respect to education budget proposals thus far? Answer: although President Bush made the No Child Left Behind Act, which deals with elementary and secondary education, the hallmark of his education policy, from a federal education budget standpoint, the Bush administration's most lasting legacy thus far is in higher education. The New America Foundation's Federal Education Budget Project evaluated all the Bush administration's past budget requests and finds that the Bush administration has had relatively little success in enacting its elementary and secondary education budget proposals, but has seen enacted nearly all of its higher education budget proposals, including a major increase in Pell Grant program funding. Key findings are the following: (1) For higher education policy, President Bush successfully used the budget and appropriations process to advance significant reforms; (2) Funding for key federal elementary and secondary education programs increased significantly during President Bush's tenure in office; and (3) However, with the exception of budget proposals directly linked to the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush's efforts to drive elementary and secondary education policy changes through the budget and appropriations process, such as his school voucher and high school reform proposals, have been largely unsuccessful. (Contains 36 endnotes.)

Recruitment and retention of special education teachers is a growing problem in the education field. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from 2014, 50% of special education teachers will leave the education profession during their first five years of teaching. In order to strengthen school teaching teams, knowledgeable and qualified special education teachers must be recruited and retained by school districts (Henderson, 2014). This study explores factors that contribute to special education teachers' decisions to leave their positions, and the development of effective work environments that sustain the retention of special education teachers. The additional demand placed on special education teachers has increased such as caseload numbers, compliance deadlines, data collection, litigious cases, and intensive needs of the students. It is imperative for school districts and higher education institutions to increase the pool of highly qualified special education candidates with the skills and sense of support so they stay in the special education field. Findings from this convergent parallel research study have identified areas of improvement in the building administrator's role and strategies recommended for school districts to implement in order to increase their retention rate of special education teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In response to many requests for information and references on the education of Negroes, a selected bibliography covering a 3-year period, 1928 to 1930, was issued by the Office of Education in 1931. Since that time similar requests have been so numerous that it seemed appropriate to bring the bibliography up to date, which is the purpose of the present volume. Covering a 5-year period, 1931 to 1935, this bibliography, like the first, attempts to present a selected list of titles which may be of assistance to students, research workers, and others interested in the subject. The purpose is to give a brief description that will suggest the worth of the resources and value for further and more extended study. This bibliography represents a cooperative enterprise between the Office of Education and workers in the educational field, including college and high-school teachers and administrators, and graduate students. A list of general source materials is included. [Best copy available has been provided.]

These conference papers highlight technology within 21st century teacher education. Part 1, "The Power, Ethical, and Social Issues Related to Technology in Education," includes topics like developing learning communities and ensuring equal access for all students. Part 2, "The Impact of Technology in Changing Our Perceptions of What and How People Learn," includes topics like the growing separation between teachers and learners and technology and the transformation of learning. Part 3, "The Impact of Commercialization on the Education of Teachers and Children," includes topics like schoolhouse commercialism, public and private collaboration in teacher education, and commercializing teacher education on the Internet. Part 4, "Technology and the Roles and Responsibilities of Teacher Educators," includes topics like technology needs of preservice and inservice teachers, connecting technology to content in learning, and the impact of technology on teacher educators' roles and responsibilities. Part 5, "The Redefining of Teaching and Implications for Schools, Colleges, and Departments of Education," includes topics like partnerships, technology, and assessment and understanding 21st century teaching tools. Part 6, "Measuring the Success of Teachers and Teacher Education Programs," includes topics like meaningful evaluation of teachers and teacher education programs and action research as a measure for evaluating technology. (SM)

This paper examines the education of New Zealand's Maori people, noting historical achievement and enrollment gaps between Maori and non-Maori students. This gap is due to family economics, educational resources, cultural and racial barriers at school, negative school attitudes among older Maori students, and the student achievement testing system. The paper discusses the history of Maori education, Maori traditional culture and society, Maori learning styles and teaching techniques, and the Maori cultural revival that began in the latter 20th century. It describes the proliferation of Maori education programs that began within the New Zealand public education system and through separate Maori initiatives since the mid-1970s. It concludes by examining present and future trends, noting that several reviews and policy documents dealing with every aspect of New Zealand's education system (published between 1987-89) profoundly affected the structure of New Zealand education. At the same time, the country became aware of the need to address culture, ethnicity, and race. Definitive evidence is not yet available on the outcomes of Maori education initiatives. Not all New Zealanders support Maori education programs, but despite opposition, biculturalism is advancing at a time when the survival of the Maori language and culture is in doubt. (Contains 30 references.) (SM)

The Native American Higher Education Initiative (NAHEI), funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, has departed from the assimilationist approach typical of past efforts to improve higher education for Native Americans. NAHEI supports Native American educational leaders' efforts to articulate their vision of higher education, strengthen their planning process, and identify major initiatives that facilitate strategic development. The goal is to increase the access and success of greater numbers of Native American students who will provide leadership in their communities, the nation, and the world by strengthening Native American communities and the higher education institutions that serve them. Phase 1 engaged 30 Native-controlled and mainstream higher education institutions in a planning process. Phase 2, now in progress, is funding 56 projects involving over 107 partners. Native-controlled institutions of higher education are becoming fiscally, academically, and administratively stable and strong. Four national Native organizations funded by NAHEI are building their capacities and becoming stronger and more visible advocates for addressing Native higher education needs at the federal, corporate, and foundation levels, as well as throughout the national mainstream of higher education. Partnerships formed with mainstream institutions of higher education are strengthening institutional curricula, augmenting degree programs, sustaining Native languages and culture, enhancing service delivery through new technologies, and building stronger local economies. Five successful fundraising efforts at individual institutions are described. (TD)

Madagascar is a poor, primarily rural country in which three-quarters of the population has subsisted below the poverty line for at least two decades. In view of the important role of education in the government's poverty reduction agenda, this report documents the current status of educational development in Madagascar and the key constraints on the performance of the educational sector. Chapters examine: (1) demography and macroeconomic context; (2) access to and coverage of the education system; (3) education finance (national spending, patterns of public spending per student); (4) disparities and inequities in enrollments, patterns of student flow, and public spending; (5) primary and secondary education (supply and demand, teacher recruitment and allocation, small schools and economies of scale, learning outcomes, decentralization); (6) vocational and technical education and training; (7) higher education; and (8) education and the labor market. Major challenges include high elementary dropout and grade repetition rates; deteriorating levels of labor force skills; mismatch between education and available jobs; great inequities in education spending across income groups, education levels, and provinces; patterns of teacher allocation that disadvantage rural schools and certain provinces; inefficiencies related to poorly managed small schools with overspecialized teachers; and the lack of an accountability system. (Contains 82 references and many data tables.) (SV)

This annual report complies with the requirements of Tennessee's Public Education Governance Reform Act of 1984, which directs the State Board of Education and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to prepare a report on: (1) the extent of duplication in elementary-secondary and postsecondary education in Tennessee; (2) the extent to which high school graduation requirements are compatible with the admission requirements of postsecondary institutions; (3) the extent to which the respective master plans of the State Board of Education and the Higher Education Commission are being fulfilled; and (4) the extent to which state needs in public education are being met. The Commission and the Board of Education have developed master plans to minimize duplication in a program of continuous learning from prekindergarten through higher education. High school requirements in Tennessee are compatible with the admissions requirements of the state's public postsecondary institutions. The study also found that progress is being made toward the master plans of both the State Board of Education and the Higher Education Commission in many areas, although progress has not been significant in some areas, as identified. To meet state needs in public education, Tennessee has adopted a performance funding model. Since the inception of the performance model, there have been consistent improvements in test scores for major fields and general education outcomes, and job placement rates in vocational programs have risen to over 95%. (Contains 27 tables.) (SLD)

A study attempted to derive the meaning of critical thinking in adult education through exploration of graduate faculty members' perceptions and perceived practices of critical thinking in adult education. Grounded theory methodology was used to explain the meaning of critical thinking to adult educators. The primary data sources were unstructured interviews with 12 adult educators who currently teach or have previously taught adult education courses in institutions in the United States that offer graduate degrees in adult education. Other data sources included relevant documents and field notes. Data were analyzed and coded using the constant comparative method. The analysis of data uncovered four themes based on participants' perceptions: the goals of adult education; conceptualizations of critical thinking; impacts on teaching; and importance of critical thinking in adult education. Four conclusions were drawn: (1) there are conflicting and contested goals of adult education; (2) there is little agreement about the conceptualization of critical thinking by graduate faculty in adult education; (3) graduate faculty in adult education may or may not be fostering critical thinking skills in their students; and (4) what matters in adult education may not be critical thinking but critical reflection. Further research on the needs for critical thinking in adult education and the possibility of moving from individual development to social development as the goal of adult education is suggested. (Contains 248 references.) (Author/KC)

This document contains 11 papers examining the methodology and findings of a study of the virtual delivery of education throughout the world. "Introduction" (Glen M. Farrell) explains the study methodology, which entailed the identification of 10 global regions and commissioning of an individual in each region to write a paper describing the state of practice of virtual education in the region and the potential impact of virtual education initiatives on current practices in distance and open education. The authors and titles of the remaining 10 papers are as follows: "The Development of Virtual Institutions in Canada" (Glen M. Farrell); "Distance and Virtual Learning in the United States" (Peter J. Dirr); "Distance and Virtual Learning in the Caribbean" (Peter J. Dirr); "Open and Distance Education Programmes in Latin America" (Victor Guerra Ortiz); "European Trends in the Virtual Delivery of Education" (Robin Mason); "Virtual Institutions on the African Continent" (Vis Naidoo, Casper Schutte); "Virtual Institutions in the Indian Subcontinent (Including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka)" (Sugata Mitra); "Virtual Institutions in East and Southeast Asia" (Michael Robertshaw); "Virtual Education Institutions in Australia: Between the Idea and the Reality" (Suellen Tapsall, Yoni Ryan); and "Trends in the Virtual Delivery of Education in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands" (Lalita Rajasingham). (MN)

This brochure identifies key figures on vocational education and training (VET) and VET-related topics in Europe using harmonized data from Eurostat. Throughout, figures of candidate countries are compared to those of European Union (EU) member states. Background information on the education and training systems is as follows: increasing numbers of young people study beyond upper secondary education and the educational level of the population as a whole is rising; the rise in education level attained is general; unemployment rates tend to be lower for people with higher qualifications; and the number of students enrolled in tertiary education has more than doubled in the past 25 years. In general, a larger proportion of students enroll in the vocational stream than in general upper secondary education, more males than females are in the vocational stream, the majority of participants in VET programs attend education/training establishments, and most participants are between the ages of 15 and 19. As for continuing vocational education and training (CVT), enterprises from EU countries provided more CVT than candidate countries, percentages of enterprises offering CVT increase as the size of enterprises increase, approximately 40% or less of employees take part in training in enterprises, and European enterprises invest between 0.5% and 3.6% of labor costs in CVT courses. (Contains 15 figures, methodological notes, and 5 references.) (MO)

Reform of education, training, and human resource development is an integral part of the transition to a democratic society and market economy. Estonia has made progress in all these areas since reform began in 1990. The challenge for the Ministry of Education has been to promote and support changes that meet the needs of the new economy and society as well as the interests of all young people and adults, in the face of a shortage of financial and human resources. This book first gives a brief overview of regional issues and a history of education in Estonia and describes the development of education in the country since the political changes. The book then presents an analysis of the entire education system and identifies key directions for the reinforcement of the reforms in light of the challenges encountered by officials, communities, enterprises, educators, parents, and students under very dynamic conditions. It concludes with a set of key recommendations of goals of education, learning effectiveness, outcomes and the curriculum, management and governance for flexibility, responsiveness and change, and resources and financing. Chapters in the book are: (1) "Context"; (2) "Estonian Education System"; (3) "Pre-School and Primary and Secondary General Education"; (4) "Vocational Education and Training"; (5) "Higher Education"; and (6) "From Forward Thinking to Action." Each chapter includes data tables and notes. Contains a 22-item selected bibliography. (BT)

A census of the field of public school agricultural education was conducted to characterize the supply and demand for teachers of agricultural education in 1996-1998 nationally, regionally, and by state. Data were collected through surveys mailed to the head teacher educators in each agricultural education department with a program for specific preparation of teachers of agriculture at institutions of higher education in the United States and to the individuals in charge of agricultural education at each state department of education. The following were among the main findings: (1) the profession has remained stable and is growing slowly in terms of numbers of teaching positions; (2) although teacher education programs are qualifying adequate numbers of potential new teachers, a de facto shortage of agricultural education teachers still exists; (3) improvements are needed in systems for advising potential new teachers about available teaching positions; (4) despite progress in the area of diversity, efforts are still needed to increase the representation of women and ethnic minorities in the profession; and (5) major efforts are needed to expand the capability of teacher education programs to prepare teachers of agriculture. (Sixteen tables/figures are included. The bibliography lists 16 references. A news release and fact sheet are appended.) (MN)