Education & Pedagogy

The Finnish Minister of Education and Science discusses what national authorities in most contexts expect of higher education, with some attention given to the Finnish context. Issues examined include innovation, expansion of educational opportunity, demands for educational quality and relevance, research priorities and quality, responsibility for the training of researchers, globalization, government-institution contractual relationships, and funding priorities. (MSE)

John Dewey's "Democracy and Education" suggests an approach to civic education using techniques commonly adopted in today's undergraduate education, including community service, problem solving, and collaborative learning. Community service is an important way to foster civic engagement in young Americans. If American higher education is to help realize Dewey's vision of democracy, new forms of learning and defining knowledge are needed. (MSE)

Disputes claims that private education is highly selective and unaffordable. Examines extent of private expenditure on education in Bolivia, a very poor country whose public education system is characterized by low teacher salaries, unqualified teachers, few textbooks, and high dropout and repetition rates. Using 1990 and 1992 household survey data, shows Bolivian parents' remarkable willingness to pay for private education for their children. (12 references) (MLH)

Discusses the interaction among school and university contexts, instruction, and individual practice that occurs as telecommunications technology is integrated into teacher education programs. Data from a series of studies of such integration within one university are presented. The paper describes how the studies contributed to the development of a model to guide future research on technology use in teacher education. (SM)

Courses focused on context rather than content must address the issue of the vocational relevance of higher education. A business course on the social and demographic environment, which uses pluralistic learning and teaching strategies, was designed to broaden the meaning of vocationalism. (SK)

Describes the University of Kentucky's Masters with Initial Certification program, which helps preservice secondary teachers integrate theory and practice during 1 field-based, professional year, integrating diverse components of teacher education. The program developed as a response to the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act and a result of a college-wide initiative to redesign its secondary teacher education program. (SM)

Three Head Start teachers who served students with special needs in their inclusive classrooms participated with an early childhood special education teacher conducting peer coaching sessions. Results indicated that all Head Start teachers increased their rate of responsive statements. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Investigates the learner variables that relate to academic achievement in a distance versus a conventional education setting. Participants were 500 undergraduate students from two Palestinian universities. Results revealed: prior high school academic achievement and specialization were correlated significantly with university academic achievement; and university specialization was correlated significantly with university academic achievement, in favor of science specialization. (Contains 17 references.) (AEF)

Two case studies involving graduate education majors illustrate how multicultural/antiracist education and computer-mediated communication can interact successfully and further broaden cultural sensitivity in technology through diverse perceptions and contributions. Facilitating factors included theory-to-practice concepts, Internet dialogue, and student/teacher interactions. (Contains 25 references.) (MLH)

Introduces an issue on information technology in teacher education, describing: the journal's collaborative team of editors; how the journal's papers are processed; and how to increase quality in the maturing field of new technologies in teacher education. Two appendixes present notes for referees and guidelines for contributors to the journal. (SM)

Increasing numbers of home-schooled students who need regular physical activity indicate the need for home-school physical education (PE) programs on college campuses. This paper describes the development of one such program, highlighting: home schooling and clinical settings; procedures for establishing clinical programs; organizing clinical programs; parent roles in clinical programs; and teacher education in clinical programs. (SM)

All 1999 issues of 26 journals in special education technology, special education, and educational technology were reviewed and 788 articles were identified of which 114 were judged as contributing to the knowledge base on special education technology research and practice. Four journals contained 60 percent of the relevant articles. Content analysis resulted in a profile of special education technology for 1999. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

Discusses the indebtedness of German pedagogical thinking to the U. S. progressive education movement. Specifically examines the "New Educational Fellowship," a socialist and pacifist organization founded in 1925 in Heidelberg (Germany) and joined in 1932 by U.S. progressive educators. Profiles several schools that institutionalized this doctrine. (MJP)

This summary of the 1996 Schonell Memorial Lecture addresses four major topics related to the education of students with disabilities in general education classrooms with support, including characteristics of inclusive education, key lessons learned about inclusive education, tools to facilitate inclusion, and the impact of inclusion on students with disabilities as well as their classmates. (Author/CR)

Surveys of European teacher education institutions examined the conceptualization and use of reflective practice in preservice and inservice teacher education. The varied responses showed similarities in teaching methods, lack of generic and explicit curriculum for reflective practice, and tendency toward a more formal approach in inservice versus preservice education. A strong basis for promoting reflective practice throughout Europe was evident. (SM)