Education & Pedagogy

Vocational education research seeks to answer one form or another of a fundamental question: How can we best prepare youth and adults for today's workplace? Comprehensive national and international research programs typically attempt to ask and answer larger forms of that question. Recurring themes in the United States reflect change--what skills workers need for the changing workplace and what vocational education should provide them. In Europe and Australia, attention is focused more on the impact of research on policy, decision-making, and return on investment. Most other research focuses on the specifics of occupational areas in vocational education, including a focus on attitudes toward agricultural education and teaching strategies in business education. One recurring theme in research across all occupational areas is the call for further research, particularly research in cooperative education. Although quantitative methods still play a major role in research, other research approaches and methods are still being recommended, particularly action research, reflective practice, critical theory and critical research, and a complementary combination of qualitative and quantitative research on the returns to vocational education. Other approaches include Delphi survey, concept mapping, and context-input-process-product, although case studies are the most common. Questions for future vocational education research include exploring the reason for different research emphases and different themes in various countries. (An annotated bibliography contains 27 resources.) (KC)

Provides a description of action research, shares examples from adult literacy education, and suggests implications for the practice of continuing professional education. (JOW)

The significance of education in physical fitness and sporting on students character is discussed.

Provides some insights into the problem's of post-compulsory education and its meaning for comparative education. (Editor/RK)

The teaching profession needs to take the initiative in establishing a comprehensive, conceptual framework for inservice education. (MM)

The role and function of a college of education should continue to be analyzed. (MM)

A series of recommendations for reforming the social and humanistic foundations of education is presented. (MM)

Considers the task of faculty in preparing teachers to link music with its sister disciplines. (Author/RK)

Summarizes a survey of biochemical engineering education programs completed in the summer of 1977. (BB)

Discusses reasons and need for experimental laboratories in engineering education. (SL)

EUDISED is a European information system for education, contributed to by 14 European countries. (MKM)

Childrens' reactions to integrated nutrition education activities were assessed. (Author/BB)

An instructor recounts the benefits he experienced from teaching a course in imaginative writing to an adult class. (MLF)

The Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP) is described. STEP offers a pre-engineering component, an undergraduate program, and special projects. (BB)