Education & Pedagogy

This report summarizes findings of a study to identify key factors of inclusive education practices, as identified by school districts implementing such practices. The study involved contacting chief state education officers for state-level information and identification of local school districts conducting inclusive education programs and then contacting local school district superintendents. Key findings from the data included: (1) the number of school districts reporting inclusive education programs increased significantly between 1994 and 1995 (from 267 districts in 47 states to 891 districts in 50 states); (2) outcomes for students (both general and special education students) in inclusive education programs are positive; (3) teachers participating in inclusive education programs report positive professional outcomes for themselves; (4) the range of disabilities in inclusive education programs is increasing; and (5) school restructuring efforts are having an impact on inclusive education programs, and vice-versa. Separate sections of the report present the study's findings on the following topics: initiation and process of inclusive education programs in local school districts; the role of inclusive education in restructuring; the extent of inclusive education; staffing and school organization; staff attitudes; instructional strategies and classroom supports; parental response; student outcomes and program evaluation; and fiscal issues. The report also presents recommendations such as renewal by Congress of basic student rights enumerated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, full infusion of inclusive education in all aspects of educational reform, and reform of federal and state funding practices to support inclusive education. (DB)

This research analyzed the yield of degree graduates from teacher preparation programs for the national teaching force in public schools. Estimates were obtained for the percentage of such graduates who: (1) entered public school teaching soon after graduation; (2) delayed entering public school teaching for one or more years after graduation; and (3) already held public school teaching positions at the time of degree completion and then continued as public school teachers. The yield of degree graduates from teacher preparation programs was examined separately for special education and for general education. The findings pertain to 1990 graduates from teacher preparation programs as a source of supply for public schools during the 1990-91 year. The findings were derived from two national database compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the Schools and Staffing Survey. In 1990, there were approximately 15,400 degree graduates in special education and 130,900 in general education. The overall yield of recent graduates entering the teaching force was 81 percent in special education and 57 percent in general education. It was concluded that the production of degree graduates from teacher education programs in special education has been insufficient to meet the demand, and that the overall production of general education teachers has not been excessive. (Contains 16 references.) (JLS)

A conference was held to discuss educational issues related to mathematics and science education. This document reports the proceedings of the conference by summarizing the comments of several of the conference speakers. The speakers and topics discussed included: (1) Senator Mark Hatfield and Congressman Thomas Sawyer on the perspective of Congress' support for educational change in mathematics and science; (2) Deputy Secretary of Education David Kearns on the six National Education Goals and the American 2000 strategy: (3) Charles Dickens (Executive Secretary of the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering and Technology) and Milton Goldberg (Director of the Office of Research of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the Department of Education) on increased cooperation among providers of mathematics and science education; (4) Samuel Betances and Shirley Malcom on equal mathematics and science education for all students; (5) Cathy Seeley and Joseph Rosenstein on quality teaching and inservice teacher education; (6) several speakers on educational standards at national and state levels that are being proposed for curriculum, teaching, and assessment by groups such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Research Council, the Mathematical Sciences Education Board, and State Boards of Education in California, Arkansas, and Connecticut; and (7) participants' views on leadership roles, mathematics and science supervisors, the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, and the creation of regional consortia for the Clearinghouse. The report concluded with views from members of the Department of Education concerning the issues discussed. (MDH)

The role of the nation state is now changing, and with it the place of education. This book explores the role of education in the "post-national" era, and asks the following questions: How far can national states control their education systems in a world of global markets and supranational political organization? How distinctive will national education systems remain against pressures for international convergence? How far can states promote "national cultures" through education and what forms should these take in pluralistic societies? Does the national education system have a future at all? Chapter 1 reviews the literature on postmodernism and assesses the claims of postmodern education theorists as regards the current and future trends in education. Chapter 2 compares the role of education in nation-building in European and East Asian "developmental" states. Chapters 3 and 4 examine the historical and contemporary role of the state in technical education and training in Britain, Germany, and France. Chapter 5, from an original article written with Richard Aldrich, looks at the relations between education and national consciousness in one multinational state: the United Kingdom. The sixth chapter draws on the author's recent research with Hilary Steedman on qualification rates in Britain, France, Germany, Singapore, and the United States, and analyzes the causes of differential outcomes in centralized and decentralized education systems. Chapter 7 is an extended essay on globalization theory and its implications for the future of national education systems. Three figures are included. (Contains 314 references.) (LMI)

This collection of papers recognizes ways in which the context of educational policy and its implications for practice have, in combination with other influences, defined early childhood special education and influenced its development. An introduction by Philip L. Safford is presented. Subsequent papers have the following titles and authors: "Social, Historical, and Theoretical Foundations of Early Childhood Special Education and Early Intervention" (Nicholas Anastasiow and Christine Nucci); "Family and Professional Collaboration: Issues in Early Childhood Special Education" (Judy I. Stahlman); "Social Competence with Peers: Outcome and Process in Early Childhood Special Education" (Michael J. Guralnick); "The Role of Play in Early Childhood Special Education" (Toni Linder);"Instructional Models in Early Childhood Special Education: Origins, Issues, and Trends" (Philip L. Safford and others); "Reconceptualizing the Individual Education Program: A Constructivist Approach to Educational Practice for Young Children with Disabilities" (Gerald Mahoney and Amy Powell Wheatley); "Transitions to and from Preschool in Early Childhood Special Education" (Susan A. Fowler and Michaelene M. Ostrosky); "Young Children with Special Health-Care Needs" (Nancy L. Peterson and others); "Promoting the Development of Young Children Through Use of Technology" (Philippa H. Campbell and others); "Issues and Emerging Practice in Preparing Educators To Be Early Interventionists" (Jeanette A. McCollum and Susan P. Maude); and "Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education: A Look to the Future" (Bernard Spodek and Olivia N. Saracho). (Papers contain references.) (JDD)

This yearbook of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science (AETS) is designed to give a perspective on rural science education. It is presented in a sequence which leads from the definition and philosophy of rural science education, to the status of rural science education, research implications, the integration of science within the science disciplines, integration with mathematics and technology, Science-Technology-Society (STS), distance learning, political implications, Native Americans, and other cultures in rural science education. Chapters include: (1) "What is Rural Education?" (Horn, Jerry); (2) "Status of Science Education in Rural Schools" (Baird, Bill); (3) "Teaching and Learning Science in the Rural Setting" (Matthew, Kathleen); (4) "Rationale for an Integrated Approach to Teaching Science in the Rural School" (Prather, J. Preston); (5) "Blending Science, Mathematics, and Technology in the Rural Classroom" (Ostler, Elliot; and Grandgenett, Neal); (6) "STS in Rural Education" (Wright, Emmett); (7) "Rural Science Education: Water and Waste Issues" (Blunck, Susan; Crandall, Bill; Dunkel, Janet; Jeffryes, Curt; Varrella, Gary; and Yager, Robert); (8) "Distance Learning for Rural Schools: Distance Learning Defined" (Finson, Kevin; and Dickson, Michael); (9) "Political Ramifications for Rural Science Education in the Twenty-first Century" (Nachtigal, Paul); (10) "Science Education for Rural Native Americans" (Otto, Paul; Evans, Wayne; and Champagne, Liana); and (11) "Serving the Needs of Minority Students in Rural Settings" (Wilson, H. C.; and James, Robert). (JRH)

This book explains what environmental education is and how it can best be implemented at the school and classroom level. The handbook is useful for school administrators and curriculum coordinators to find advice on establishing a whole-school policy and for classroom teachers to find practical ideas for planning and assessing environmental education in the whole curriculum context. The book is divided into four parts: (1) provides an overview of the development of the cross-curricular theme of environmental education and focuses on the implementation of the subject in the formal education service today; (2) is concerned with approaches to the planning, organization and implementation of environmental education in the school classroom; (3) provides some guidelines for the implementation of environmental education in schools at all levels, considering particularly the issues of coordination, management, and school policy; and (4) lists over 200 organizations in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand which can provide information, class materials, and further help. Appendices provide information on: (1) Agenda 21, Earth Summit; (2) environmental education in Scotland; (3) environmental education in the Welsh school 5-16 curriculum; (4) preparing an environmental education policy: the use of matrices; (5) environmental audit as a stimulus to the construction and implementation of a school policy for environmental education; (6) National Curriculum for New Zealand; (7) teacher training exercise; (8) a school review of environmental education; (9) environmental education in the United States; and (10) environmental education information system in Kent (England). Contains 52 references. (LZ)

Informed and effective administrators must familiarize themselves with the federal education statutes that govern their activities and the federal aid they receive. These two volumes were designed to make that task easier. The volumes contain federal laws that govern programs administered by the United States Education Department, fully updated through November 1994. The laws appear in the form they take in the U.S. Code, the federal government's collection of all current statutes, and are categorized in five subject areas. Volume 1 contains legislation pertaining to general education and elementary secondary education; volume 2 contains legislation pertaining to special education, vocational and adult education, and higher education. The volumes are organized by the titles and numbers of the 22 most distinct pieces of education legislation, including such new statutes as Goals 2000: Educate America Act, P.L. 103-227, and School-to-Work Opportunities Act, P.L. 103-239. Many of the laws, however, contain within them smaller laws relating to specific aspects of the overarching legislation. For example, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, P.L. 89-10, includes the National Teacher Training Project Act of 1994, P.L. 103-382, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994, P.L. 103-382, and several other laws. Each law contains all of its amendments, already incorporated into the text. Volume 1 also explains the legislative process--how Congress formulates laws and assigns public law numbers to them. An index is included. (LMI)

This resource guide is intended to facilitate cooperation and exchange of knowledge among civic educators around the world. Divided into four parts, part 1 is a civic education paper, "Principles of Democracy for the Education of Citizens" (John J. Patrick), that discusses facets of the idea of democracy and their relationships to civic education. Part 2 is "An Annotated Bibliography on Civic Education from the ERIC Database" with items selected from 1990 until July 1996 that reflect various projects in the United States and other parts of the world; diverse pedagogical practices; and different levels of education from the primary levels to secondary levels to post-secondary levels. Part 3 includes 15 ERIC Digests on topics in civic education that have been published from 1988-1996. Part 4 is "An International Directory of Civic Education Leaders and Programs" that includes names, addresses, and telephone numbers of prominent persons, projects, and organizations involved in civic education from many countries and various regions around the world. The Appendix contains: (1) the CIVITAS brochure; (2) a sample ERIC document resume; (3) a sample ERIC journal article resume; (4) a call for ERIC documents on civic education; (5) an announcement for the ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education book, "Building Civic Education for Democracy in Poland" (Richard C. Remy; Jacek Strzemieczny); and (6) "Civic Education on the Internet: An Introduction to CIVNET." (JEH)

This book presents the views of 88 experts on adult education from 32 developed and developed countries, compiled through a mailed survey. (Respondents represent about 45 percent of the 195 experts who were mailed surveys; about 16 percent of the respondents were female.) The survey participants' answers to the following six questions are included in the book: (1) How do you understand adult education today? (2) What are your views on the relationship between adult education and education of children and youth? (3) Have the philosophy and practice of contemporary adult education changed so significantly that its basic concepts need redefining? (4) What place does adult education have or should have in the society? (5) To what extent is adult education a matter of an individual's personal interest? To what extent is it a responsibility of enterprises and organizations, communities, or the state? and (6) Which idea or goal do you find most worthwhile pursuing in adult education? Each of the questions included subquestions to guide respondents' writing. The book also contains the following: an introduction, "Potential Future: Implications for Adult Education" (Allen Tough); "Outstanding Experts on Adult Education: A Synthetic Presentation of the Main Stands Proceeding from the Investigation" (Zoran Jelenc, Ana Krajnc, Metka Svetina); four plenary papers--"Reconceptualizing Adult Education for Development: A Western European Perspective" (Peter Jarvis), "Adult Education from the Viewpoint of Developed Industrial Countries of the Far East" (Makoto Yamaguchi), "Adult Education in Latin America" (Francisco Vio Grossi), and "Rethinking Adult Education in the Former Socialist Countries of Europe" (Jozef Polturzycki); and a list of contributors and their affiliations. (KC)

The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs heard testimony on the proposed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as it relates to American Indian education. ESEA incorporates virtually all major programs constituting federal aid to education; of particular concern to American Indians and Alaska Natives is the title called the Indian Education Act, as well as titles providing for the education of economically disadvantaged children, bilingual education, and impact aid. Statements were received from U.S. Senators, administrators of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the U.S. Department of Education, and representatives of regional and national Indian education associations. Topics and issues discussed included mechanisms for developing tribal and BIA standards consistent with Goals 2000 standards, BIA budget preparation procedures, teacher salaries in BIA schools, parent participation in goal setting, the formula for allocating impact aid to public school districts serving Indian children, state-tribal relationships, Native language preservation and cultural maintenance, the definition of "Indian," appointment and status of the Director of the Office of Indian Education in the U.S. Department of Education, need for additional funding to BIA schools due to increasing student enrollments, eligibility of BIA schools for Chapter I funds, inability of tribal school boards to fire long-term BIA "status quo" employees at local schools, and needs for school construction and maintenance. An appendix contains additional materials on these topics as well as program descriptions, funding formulas, and information on the need for Indian Technical Assistance Centers. (SV)

This collection of four articles reflects the suspicions of adult education researchers that politicians are exploiting the positive values attached in Finland to adult education, that is, increasing adult education, while imposing tight restrictions in the form of market mechanisms. "Values and Responsiveness in Adult Higher Education" (Matti Parjanen) presents an exposition of the terms "exchange value" and "use value" as a means of explaining the relation between education and working life. It demonstrates the crucial nature of responsiveness in the development of an active society. The article shows that great cultural differences persist in Europe in the conditions for implementation of educational policy. "Values in Adult Education: Unity and Plurality" (Geoffrey Squires) analyzes the values of adult education and emphasizes the close dependence of these values on the socioeconomic climate and suggests two characteristics of the education of adults: "existential centrality" and "institutional marginality.""Towards a Single European Education Policy?" (Matti Parjanen, Reijo Raivola) addressing the European Community's (EC) plans for higher and adult education, takes the view that no normative educational plan and policy exists, and anticipates no great changes in Finland if it enters the EC. "Unity and Diversity in European Secondary Education" (Matti Volanen) predicts that principles of open structures and options and of open knowledge and skills will be important in the EC. It argues that educational needs expressed by labor markets are an insufficient indicator for educational planning. (YLB)

Education cannot be separated from culture. It is possible to provide learning and be tolerant of other cultures. Multicultural education offers diverse cultures, ethnicity, and religion. The study aims to explore students' views of multicultural education in learning at an Indonesian Islamic higher education. It employs a descriptive study by applying a quantitative approach. By considering the ethnic and study program, respondents in this study were determined through the purposive sampling technique by involving 25 students from the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training UINSI Samarinda, each representing five different study programs in the faculty. They enrolled as Ma'had Al-Jami'ah students obligated to study English in their initial semester. They were chosen from various study programs because they came from different ethnic backgrounds. This study collects data with a questionnaire instrument distributed online through a Google Forms. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate and present the quantitative data collected from the questionnaire. The findings in this study provide an overview of the different perspectives of students at Islamic higher education on multicultural education in their learning. This study groups students' views of multicultural education in learning at Islamic higher education into three categories: (1) Highly Supportive on Multicultural Education; (2) Moderately Supportive on Multicultural Education; and (3) Lowly Supportive on Multicultural Education. Most of them have understood the values of multicultural education and are very supportive of its implementation in every lecture and campus policy but there are still students who do not understand the values of this multicultural education. Continuous studies are necessary to support the application of this multicultural education from time to time according to the needs of each institution.

Inclusive education is an agenda that emanated from the Global North, and had as its imperative the eradication of discriminatory policies and practices that prevent some children from accessing a quality education. In recent years, it has increasingly been argued by scholars in the Global South that the supremacy of Eurocentric knowledge, theory, values, and practices informing inclusive education needs to be disrupted. In South Africa, decolonisation is emerging as a constructive frame for critiquing inclusive education policy and practices, and for informing the agenda of transformation in educational institutions. By undertaking a systematic review of research on the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa, this article explores the question of how the debate can be shifted from traditional theoretical discussions on special education versus inclusive education to a focus on the practicality of inclusive education policy implementation within specific cultural historical contexts in South Africa. Possibilities for reimagining inclusive education policy and practice in schooling contexts are explored through a decolonising, equity-oriented, social justice lens. The key message is that transformative inclusive education is an education reform agenda that requires all educational institutions and social actors to embrace socially just, inclusive values and ideologies; new thinking and belief systems that reflect a commitment to educational access, participation, and quality education for all learners; democratic patterns of decision-making and leadership; and a school culture and ethos reflective of the African philosophy of ubuntu.

It is widely acknowledged that the relationship between education, security, and stability is bidirectional. In times of war, access to quality education becomes compromised, and conversely, the absence of proper education constrains individuals to a life under constant threat, disrupting education provision. War, viewed as a "lifetime and life-wide status," evolves into a self-fulfilling prophecy, both at an individual and collective level, making it challenging to break free from, particularly within the broader context of education provision. Although, scant information exists about how education is maintained during wars, hindering the right to education in such contexts. This study therefore addresses this gap by synthesizing the literature to identify and present 14 educational scenarios and teaching strategies on how education was maintained from different war contexts over time. The findings reveal that education during wars can be digital-based (i.e., facilitated by technology) and non-digital based (without technology). Additionally, various teaching strategies are applied during wars, including inspirational, hands-on and practical, fun-based, among others. Finally, teaching during wars is not limited to teachers only, but it could also involve parents, neighbors, etc. The findings of the literature can help to ensure the right to education in crises like wars and reveal the importance of open education in such crises. They can also contribute to enriching the ongoing theoretical and practical debate on how to maintain education in crises like wars. This can help to better be prepared for future education in crises, which is the focus of several international organizations.