Education & Pedagogy

"Education at a Glance" is the authoritative source for information on the state of education around the world. It provides key information on the output of educational institutions; the impact of learning across countries; the financial and human resources invested in education; access, participation and progression in education; and the learning environment and organisation of schools. The 2016 edition introduces a new indicator on the completion rate of tertiary students and another one on school leaders. It provides more trend data and analysis on diverse topics, such as: teachers' salaries; graduation rates; expenditure on education; enrolment rates; young adults who are neither employed nor in education or training; class size; and teaching hours. The publication examines gender imbalance in education and the profile of students who attend, and graduate from, vocational education. The report covers all 35 OECD countries and a number of partner countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Lithuania, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and South Africa). This edition includes more than 125 figures and 145 tables. The Excel™ spreadsheets used to create them are available via the StatLinks provided throughout the publication. More data is available in the "OECD Education Statistics" database. The following are appended: (1) Characteristics of Education Systems; (2) Reference Statistics; (3) Sources, Methods and Technical Notes; (4) Contributors to This Publication; and (5) Education Indicators in Focus.

Gender equity in education is a global priority aiming to promote the right to education for everyone. It is necessary to ensure equal access to girls and boys for completion of their education cycles, as well as empower equity all through the education education process. Lack of equity between boys and girls schools is not a special specific of one country, but a global problem. Annual reports show that a considerable number of children, mainly girls, have interrupted their education in various levels of Albanian education system, due to a number of reasons. Lack of gender equity in the education system is a big obstacle for dynamic development of the society. The education of girls and women in Albania is important, not only as a matter of respecting a basic human right for half of the population, but also as a powerful force for economic development and achieving other social goals such as improved health and civic involvement. This work will focus on gender disparity in Albanian education system, where number of boys and girls is not the same in all education cycles -- primary, elementary, secondary, according to data in the largest region in the country. A coordination of the qualitative and quantitative analysis is provided to indicate the reasons for this disparity and compare data according to random chosen schools. This work shall offer suggestions and recommendations to improve school curricula and determine the role of teachers in this aspect in order to create a favourable environment for both genders as well as making the education system more inclusive for all children includes improving standards, curricula and a focus on teacher training and development in Albania. [For the full proceedings, see ED630893.]

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptual differences between general education teachers and special education teachers on teacher evaluation, and among special education teachers evaluated according to three different teacher evaluation systems (CEL 5D+ Teacher Evaluation Rubric, Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching, and Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model) adapted by the districts in Washington State. The study also examined factors that may improve the special education teacher evaluation. A total of 234 certified teachers, including 37 special education teachers, in Washington State participated in the study. An online survey form of the modified Teacher Evaluation Profile (TEP) questionnaire was utilized to collect the perceptions of certified teachers on the teacher evaluation process. Significant response differences were found to exist between the perceptions of special education and general education teachers, particularly elementary school teachers, on their evaluators. The perceptions of special education teachers evaluated based on three different teacher evaluation systems were included in this study for descriptive purposes only due to about 76 percent of special education teachers participated in the study were evaluated based on Danielson, which implemented an alternative approach to evaluate the performance of special education teachers. Special education teachers perceived that the evaluation standards and the purpose of the evaluation were relatively clear to them, and the evaluation process promoted accountability and teacher growth. Recommendations for future studies are to examine the effect of the professional relations between special education teachers and their evaluators on the quality of the special education teacher evaluation, and the perceptions of special education teachers on teacher evaluation systems with different approaches to evaluate 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.]

The interest in industrial education which has arisen in this country has brought into new prominence the whole system of training for trades by a regular course of apprenticeship. Education by apprenticeship and education by schools have gone on for many generations side by side as two entirely distinct and unrelated forms of education. The newer movements are concerned with bringing these two kinds of education together and making of them a new kind of education which shall train equally for skill and for intelligence. This new movement is attended with obvious difficulties. It is clear that among other things a better knowledge of the apprenticeship system as it is today is urgently needed. With a view to meeting this need, the author has prepared an account of the apprenticeship system. There can be no doubt that the desired combination of schooling and apprenticeship must be approached from many sides and will be accomplished in many ways. The treatment of apprenticeship presented by the author describes certain ways in which this combination may be effected, as shown by recent experience in a few of our leading industries. It will throw light also upon the subject as a whole, and will doubtless be of value even in those undertakings in which the problem is approached by altogether different ways. A list of reference relating to the education of apprentices is provided. Digest of apprentice laws in the United States is presented in an appendix. An index is also included. (Contains 3 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]

Sixteen papers, developed as part of a 10-year study of substantive and methodological aspects of teacher education in special education at the University of South Florida, address professional issues in special education. The papers are: (1) "To Improve or Reconstruct Special Education: Issues Facing the Field" (James L. Paul and Ann Cranston-Gingras); (2) "The Demographics of Special Education" (Harold Hodgkinson); (3) "Interventions and Children with Special Needs" (James J. Gallagher); (4) "High-Stakes Testing and the Distortion of Care" (Nel Noddings); (5) "From the Old to the New Paradigm of Disability and Families: Research To Enhance Family Quality of Life Outcomes" (Ann P. Turnbull and H. R. Turnbull); (6) "Addressing Home, School, and Community Violence for Children with Disabilities" (Zena H. Rudo); (7) "Informing Professional Issues in Special Education through Disability Studies" (Ann Cranston-Gingras and Crystal Roberts Ladwig); (8) "The Teacher Variable: Who Makes Special Education Special?" (James L. Paul and Patricia A. Parrish); (9) "The Reflective Self: Becoming a Special Educator" (Patricia Fagan and Ella L. Taylor); (10) "Preparing African American Male Teachers for Urban Special Education Environments" (Brenda L. Townsend and Karen M. Harris); (11) "Collaborative Professional Development Partnerships" (Karen L. Colucci and others); (12) "The Use of Educational Technology and Assistive Devices in Special Education" (Barbara L. Loeding); (13) "The Utilization of Distance Learning and Technology for Teaching Children with Disabilities" (Michael W. Churton); (14) "Charter Schools and Their Impact on Special Education" (Myrrha Pammer and others); (15) "Reading the History of Special Education" (Sherman Dorn); and (16) "Ethics and Special Education" (James L. Paul and others). Individual papers contain references. (DB)

Adult education for indigenous peoples in Canada was examined. First, information on government institutions, indigenous organizations, international agencies, and nongovernmental organizations engaged in adult education for Canada's indigenous peoples was compiled. Next, questionnaires and survey techniques were used to research the policy and practice of adult education for Canada's indigenous peoples. Special attention was paid to the following topics: (1) Canada's demographic and cultural characteristics; (2) postsecondary education for Canada's aboriginal peoples in the past and present; and (3) issues and challenges for postsecondary education for Canada's aboriginal peoples (access; completion rates; Indian control of Indian education; and relevance). The study established that, in the past 30 years, postsecondary education for Canada's aboriginal peoples has progressed significantly. The add-on, partnership, and First Nations control approaches to administering aboriginal adult education in Canada have each proved beneficial; however, supporting postsecondary education for Canada's aboriginal peoples has also involved providing targeted support services in mainstream institutions. (The bibliography lists 135 references and 21 Web sites. Information about the following types of aboriginal adult education programs in Canada is appended: (1) full-fledged aboriginal colleges and educational institutions; (2) programs based on the enclave model; (3) aboriginal learning centers; and (4) nonprofit educational institutions.) (MN)

The historical, administrative, and structural status of education in Nepal is examined in this report. The introduction describes the country's geographic, historic, demographic, and economic background. Section II traces the development of education from religious training in the pre-Christian era through the post-1950 period of rapid educational expansion. Section III outlines the administrative organization at national and local levels. Section IV lists types of financial support and sources of revenue for schools. Sections V and VI describe the educational levels. Primary education is offered in six types of schools: (1) the Buddhist schools, designed primarily for training religious leaders; (2) the formal English schools, which are oriented to the study of Great Britain and India; (3) the Sanskrit schools, whose major emphasis is language; (4) the basic schools, which provide self-sufficiency through craftwork; (5) the vernacular schools; (6) and the national schools, which are similar to the basic schools. At the secondary level are multipurpose schools which emphasize general, cultural, and vocational education. Secondary education is also available in the English, basic, and Sanskrit schools. The status and quality of higher education and teacher training are discussed in sections VII and VIII. Specialized and vocational education described in section IX, covers areas of health, agriculture, home economics, forestry, industry, and engineering. Finally, adult education stresses literacy and includes vocational, civic, and fine and cultural arts education. A bibliography, a list of institutions of higher education, a chart of enrollment in educational programs, and a proposed educational pyramid conclude the document. (KC)

Adult education and the economic development of the countries of Asia and the Pacific was discussed at a UNESCO conference held in Bangkok in November-December, 1980. The conference was opened by Raja Roy Singh, who emphasized the crucial significance of adult education in national development. He said that development is no longer construed only in economic terms but is increasingly seen also in the light of political, moral, social, and cultural advancement. Conference delegates discussed the state of adult education in each of the countries represented. During the conference, delegates reached the following conclusions: (1) to play an effective role in the process of development, adult education requires realistic aims, top-level support, clear planning and strategies, integration and extension into all levels of government and life; (2) adult education's importance must be more widely realized or economic development will fail; (3) recently, there has been a trend among the countries of the region to enhance the quality and quantity of adult education; (4) adult education must develop programs to reduce the differences between the haves and the have-nots in society, making available the skills and knowledge that enable people to become active partners in development and to improve their circumstances. Recommendations flowing from the conference included there be more research on how adult education can aid development; that countries make education public policy and give it resources; that education be not solely for literacy; that formal education and adult education be complementary. (KC)

The state of higher education in Nevada is addressed in 14 papers presented in the "Nevada Public Affairs Review." In addition to considering past, present, and future trends in higher education, comparisons are made to higher education in other states, and the university and community college segments are examined. Contents are as follows: "Nevada Higher Education and the Carnegie Report" (John P. Marschall and Robert L. Johnson); "The State of the University: UNR in 1980" (Joseph N. Crowley); "Strategies for the Eighties: Undergraduate Education for Tomorrow's Leaders" (Richard O. Davies); "Graduate Education in Nevada" (R. D. Burkhart); "The Crisis in Values: Report of a UNR Conference" (James W. Hulse); "A History of the Community College Movement in Nevada" (John A. Caserta); "The Future of Community College Education in Nevada" (Judith S. Eaton); "The Comprehensive Community College" (James Eardley); "WICHE and Professional Education in Nevada" (Don W. Driggs); "Computers in Higher Education: The Next Decade in Nevada" (Allen H. Brady); "Educational Telecommunications in Continuing Education" (Rovert E. Dickens); "The History of Budget Formula Development for Nevada Universities" (James T. Richardson and K. Donald Jessup); "Support for Higher Education in Nevada" (Owen Albert Knorr and Kari Coburn); "A Decade of Decline in Faculty Salaries" (Alfred W. Stoess); and "Higher Education Policy: A Bibliography" (Thomas Stauffer). (SW)

The proceedings of a 1979 Missouri symposium on doctoral programs in special education includes the texts of major addresses and position papers as well as summaries of conclusions of small working groups. The keynote speech by R. Erdman was entitled "Higher Education in the 1980's: Implications for Doctoral Programming." The speech deals with futuristic considerations for the generic field of higher education and implications on doctoral programs in special education. The working groups produced chapters concerned with the following areas (sample recommendations in parentheses): considerations for doctoral programing (the need for formalized recruiting procedures and providing practicum experiences); continuing education for doctoral faculty (establishment of criteria for faculty advisors of doctoral candidates and development of a model for continuing education); student rights (recognition of the right of doctoral students to take an active role in planning their doctoral programs); and future support for doctoral programs in special education (encouragement of national needs assessment surveys and national guidelines or accreditation standards). The seven position papers have the following titles and authors: "Considerations for the Evaluation of Doctoral Programs" (E. Meyen); "Expected Generic Competencies of Future Graduates of Special Education Doctoral Programs" (M. Lilly); "Anticipated New Job Roles in Special Education--Implications for Doctoral Programs" (J. Melcher); "Continuing Education Needs of Doctoral Advisors in Special Education" (V. Hardin); "Research Training and Experience in Special Education Doctoral Programs" (H. Prehm); "Doctoral Practica--What, Why, How" (J. Paul); and "One SEA Professional's View on Preparing Leaders to Work in Special Education Settings--Implications for Doctoral Programs" (N. Wusterbarth). (DB)

A synthesis and summary of the recommendations of the following five reports are presented: (1) "Integrity in the College Curriculum: A Report to the Academic Community, The Findings and Recommendations of the Project on Redefining the Meaning and Purpose of Baccalaureate Degrees," by the Association of American Colleges, February 1985; (2) "Involvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of American Higher Education," by the Study Group on the Conditions of Excellence in American Higher Education, National Institute of Education, U.S. Department of Education, October 1984; (3) "Improving Teacher Education: An Agenda for Higher Education and the Schools, a Report to the Southern Regional Education Board by its Commission for Educational Quality," 1985; (4) "Access to Quality Undergraduate Education, a Report to the Southern Regional Education Board by its Commission for Educational Quality," 1985; and (5) "To Reclaim a Legacy," a report written by William J. Bennett, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and based on the findings of the Study Group on the State of Learning in the Humanities in Higher Education, 1984. The recommendations are synthesized and summarized in the following chapters: "Recommendations about Resource Allocation and Funding Mechanisms"; "Recommendations about the Faculty Reward System and Incentives"; "Recommendations about Priorities for Improving Undergraduate Education" (providing access and remediation, increasing student involvement, and improving teacher education); "Recommendations about Curriculum and Faculty";"Recommendations about Accountability" (regarding institutional effectiveness, regulatory and quality controls, and student assessment and program evaluation); "Summary of the Recommendations in Tabular Format"; and "Working Party on Effective State Action to Improve Undergraduate Education." (KM)

Although the number of homeschool students in the United States has increased to approximately 2 million K-12 students as of spring 2010, there has been limited research on homeschool families and physical education. In particular, investigations of parent perceptions of homeschool physical education programs are lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine the parent perceptions of a college physical education program for homeschool children. Participants included 11 female parents of a child or children enrolled in the homeschool physical education program for 6 weeks. Data were collected through focus group interviews with the 11 parents placed in one of three groups based on the age of their participant(s). In addition, observational field notes were taken before, during, and after each homeschool physical education session. Data were inductively analyzed for themes through constant comparison of raw data. Methodological and investigator triangulation and member checking were utilized and supported trustworthiness. Five main themes emerged from the data from the parent perceptions of physical education and benefits of participating in physical education. For physical education, homeschool parents described a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Further, the theme of negative physical education experiences describes poor physical activity experiences that have influenced parent perceptions of physical education. Homeschool parents recognized multiple benefits of physical education in relation to their children and to the family. At the student participation level, the theme of affective learning describes the social-emotional development experienced by the homeschool children through the physical education program. The theme of student exposure describes other participant benefits of a physical education program. Finally, the theme of impact on family describes the benefits associated with physical education taking place outside of the college physical education program.

This document, consisting of 7 chapters, 35 figures, and 380 tables, provides statistical data on most aspects of United States education, both public and private, from kindergarten through graduate school. The chapters cover the following topics; (1) all levels of education; (2) elementary and secondary education; (3) postsecondary, college, university, vocational, and adult education; (4) federal programs for education and related activities; (5) outcomes of education; (6) international comparisons of education; and (7) learning resources and technology. A wide range of information is presented on subjects including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollment, graduates, educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, employment and income of graduates, libraries, and international education. Supplemental information on population trends, attitudes on education, educational characteristics of the labor force, government finances, and economic trends is provided. Included among data not appearing in previous editions are the following: salary comparisons of public and private school teachers and principals; mean tuition charges of private schools; student participation rates in federal, state, and local programs; residence and migration of first-time college students; student performance on history and geography tests; trend profiles of persons earning doctor's degrees in humanities and life sciences; characteristics of college faculty; faculty salaries; staff employed in higher education institutions; and computer use by students and adults. A short introduction highlights major findings, and each chapter contains a brief overview of significant trends. A guide to sources, definitions, and an index are included. (MLF)

In this speech, the chairman of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-First Century describes education as a pathway into the 21st Century. He suggests that if education is to become central in contributing to human progress, policymakers must learn from the experiences of the past 20 years, take the variety of situations into consideration, and attempt to work out some valid principles for discussion and action. Leaders must take advantage of UNESCO's capital of studies and research, and of the experiences of various countries. The Commission examined a number of themes of continuing importance: equality of opportunity, the scientific dimension of education, and lifelong education. The speaker describes three main crises facing the world at the turn of the century: (1) the economic crises; (2) the crisis of the ideology of progress; and (3) a form of moral crisis. Points illustrating the failures of development policies and their links with education include literacy and school attendance. The failures of these policies were due also to aggravating factors such as the population in developing countries, and the crisis in funding. Six lines of inquiry are set forth: (2) education and culture, or how to progress towards self control and an understanding of the world; (2) education and citizenship or how can education lead to free and responsible participation in the life of society; (3) education and social cohesion; (4) education, work, and employment; (5) education and development, or how education can contribute to progress and to its balanced spread throughout the economic and social fabric; and (6) education, research, and science. (DK)

Vocational-technical teacher education has followed a different preparation path since the Smith-Hughes Act established a separate system for vocational training. This path has been increasingly challenged by end-of-the-century changes in the workplace and new knowledge about teaching and learning. This paper reviews reform initiatives in teacher education generally and in vocational teacher education, identifying a shift from Charles Prosser's essentialist philosophy toward John Dewey's progressivism and contemporary theories of constructivism as the philosophical bases for vocational teacher education. The paper explores the following aspects of excellence in teacher preparation through a review of research: What must teachers know about teaching, learning, and subject matter? What is the subject matter of vocational education? What must teachers know about students? Where does the knowledge come from in vocational education, and how does it differ from general education? Is teaching (and teacher education) based on intuition and experience or a researchable knowledge base? What is effective teaching? How does knowledge translate into practice, and what do highly effective teacher educators need to know and be able to do to develop highly effective teachers? Principles for vocational-technical teacher education (or work-based teacher education) are elaborated, and a synthesis of reform themes from the literature emphasizes an important theme: the need for a new vision for work-based teacher education. The paper describes the following components of a model for the design of work-based teacher education: philosophical foundations, principles, standards of knowledge and practice, curriculum framework, and assessment. The design implications presented call for a bachelor's degree requirement, collaboration, a broader conceptualization of the field, professional development commissions, and a culture of lifelong learning. (SK)