Education & Pedagogy

This document presents a summary of the purpose, activities, and findings of the National Commission for Excellence in Teacher Education, focusing on the Commission's Final report "A Call for Change in Teacher Education." The report was organized around five themes: (1) supply and demand for quality teachers; (2) programs for teacher education; (3) accountability for teacher education; (4) resources for teacher education; and (5) conditions necessary to support the highest quality of teaching. Commission recommendations in the following areas are briefly summarized: (1) admission to and graduation from teacher education programs; (2) responsibilities of states in teacher recruitment; (3) attracting capable minority teachers; (4) basic content of teacher education programs; (5) teacher certification; (6) experimental teacher education programs; (7) state responsibility in certification and program approval; (8) establishment of state standards for teacher education; (9) locale of teacher education programs; (10) resources for teacher education; (11) government role in educational research; (12) establishment of a National Academy for Teacher Education; (13) teachers' salaries; (14) teachers' working conditions; (15) professional development for teachers; and (16) administrator education. (JD)

An assessment of the career education needs of exceptional and special needs students was completed by 57 directors of special education and 1,826 teachers in North Carolina, representing 57 of the 140 local education agencies in the state. The survey measured actual and needed career education emphasis within social adjustment training (SAT) and application of career education knowledge (ACEK). Demographic information covered years of teaching, level of teaching, type of setting, sex of teacher, and previous experience for obtaining information about career education. Generally, respondents reported differences and needed content in career education. There were significant differences for SAT and ACEK across actual and needed dimensions for the respondent's position. Teachers, for example, rated their school higher on actual career education emphasis on SAT and ACEK and felt that more instruction was needed than did administrators. Seventy percent could not specify whether their school had an appointed coordinator of special education. Findngs suggested the need to focus on ACEK in the schools as well as in teacher education programs. (CL)

A series of experimental modules for teachers has been developed under the direction of the International Environmental Education Programme (IEEP) of UNESCO. This particular module focuses on the pre-service training of elementary school teachers and supervisors in environmental education. Section 1, Content for Environmental Education, traces the historical and philosophical development of environmental education and provides a knowledge base about the environment and its problems. This includes information on ecosystem dynamics, and the biophysical and sociocultural components of environments. Problems (both natural and human made) arising from interactions in the environment are addressed along with steps which might be taken in dealing with such problems. Section 2, Methodology for Environmental Education, offers strategies for including environmental education in the curriculum and describes some pedagogical approaches. In addition, it discusses evaluation and management of environmental education in the elementary classroom. A bibliography is included. (TW)

A report on refugee education is based on discussions and papers presented at an international workshop convened in England in March-April 1985 and attended by representatives of refugees, governments of countries of major refugee influx, and donor agencies. The first chapter examines the priority for refugee education, including the international quality of the responsibility for refugees, refugees' view, and the realities of providing education for refugee groups. The second chapter draws up a list of educational needs and discusses how they can be met, looking separately at primary education and primary teacher training, secondary education, higher education, vocational education, nonformal education, and trainer training. Chapter three proposes a typology of refugee situations for policymaking and looks at issues in planning curriculum for groups in different circumstances. The final chapter examines persistent obstacles to effective refugee education programs and potential strategies for improving international assistance. Abstracts of 16 case studies of refugee education for various ethnic groups in varying situations are appended. (MSE)

The study examined whether graduates and student teachers of a special education teacher education program were teaching in regular classrooms in a manner different than graduates and student teachers from the regular early childhood elementary education program. Questionnaires were completed by 120 graduates and 23 student teachers and the sample sorted into three teacher-training combinations. Field observations using the Teacher Performance Assessment Instrument were completed with competencies clustered around the general objective of graduating teachers who are competent, humane, and professionally involved. Data analysis revealed that more teachers with special education training used appropriate instructional methods and exhibited learner-centered communication behavior than those trained in regular education. Graduate special educators working in special education classes viewed their professional activities as closely related to their teaching, while regular education teachers viewed professional activities as working with the broader community. Results suggest that inclusion of specific special education preparation for general educators at the preservice level benefits the instruction of individual learners in the classroom. (CL)

Since the recent global paradigm shift in the governance of higher education toward business and marketing, internationally competitive education is increasingly considered as an asset for governments. Consequently, governments started to invest in education branding and marketing their educational systems. In Finland, national interest in education branding rose especially since the country's success in the programme for international student assessment studies created a positive reputation of its basic education. In this article, the authors investigate how this reputation is transformed into a general Finnish education brand, based upon Finland's official Country Brand Report (2010). The governmental discourse on Finnish education reveals a fusion of education and national branding, which is why the authors suggest to discuss the Finnish education brand as Finnish education®. The article provides an analysis of the elements constituting the brand and opens up a critical discussion on the ethics of branding education through cultural and national characteristics.

This paper presents findings from a content analysis of 650 empirical chemistry education research papers published in two top-tiered chemistry education journals "Chemistry Education Research and Practice" and "Journal of Chemical Education," and four top-tiered science education journals "International Journal of Science Education," "Journal of Research in Science Teaching," "Research in Science Teaching and Science Education" from 2004-2013. We found that empirical chemistry education research (CER) papers accounted for 7.7 percent of the publications in the four science education journals. The most highly published area of research was in conceptions and conceptual change and most studies adopted mixed methods. The majority of the studies were conducted in higher education contexts and in the United States. Researchers who publish prolifically in the field included Vicente Talanquer, Derek Cheung, Michael Sanger, Keith Taber, Melanie Cooper and Marcy Towns. Current research trends and gaps are illuminated and possible future work in CER is discussed in the paper.

Background: Physical education has a long association with teaching outdoor and/or adventure education (OAE). As physical education teacher educators, with a special interest in teaching OAE, we wanted to examine perceptions of models based practices in physical education/teacher education. Purpose: This manuscript; explores and critiques a range of national and international perspectives on models based practices in OAE; challenges what stands for teaching OAE in PETE; and offers suggestions for future practice and research. Method: Papers were selected through a systematic review methodology. Data analysis: Using a process of inductive analysis and constant comparison we identified two main themes: Ways of doing this in PE and Ways of doing this in PETE. Discussion/Conclusion: Future recommendations include the pedagogical relevance and importance of understanding the socio-cultural context, the challenge of adventure education being a controlled orchestration and the need to pedagogically change the key of this orchestration, and employing innovative methodological approaches to further explore these issues.

This study investigated the extent to which public school K-12 staff in the United States teaching physical education were certified in physical education and had an academic major in physical education during the 2015-2016 school year. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of public school teachers in the United States. Descriptive statistics were used in the description of physical education teachers' certification and academic major. These characteristics were investigated with regard to school grade level, census region, urbanicity, and newly hired. Results showed that over 30% of public high school physical education teachers did not have an undergraduate or graduate degree in physical education. Nearly 20% of physical education teachers were not certified in physical education. Furthermore, less than 70% of physical education teachers had both characteristics of a qualified teacher. Results from this study show the need for an increase in the percentage of high-quality physical education teachers who have both teaching certification and an academic major in physical education, which would positively impact public health in the United States.

National education policies often emerge from the global arena. These global policy norms hold the promise that reforms will produce similar education and development outcomes in different contexts. However, research on "how" and "why" global education reforms are practised 'on the ground' and with "what effects" is still scant. In this paper, we investigate how two global education agendas, namely Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Competency-Based Education (CBE), are enacted and re-contextualised in Uganda and Mexico. By drawing on data obtained from extensive field research in both countries, we explore how these global policies were translated into practice within their situated, professional, material and external contexts. Our research shows that in both cases the enactment of global policies differed widely from universal agendas. We, therefore, argue that global education norms in education can also reproduce existing inequalities or even lead to new forms of inequalities at the local level.

The purpose of this study was to describe in-service health education teachers' experiences teaching sexuality education to students in secondary schools in Japan. The study was informed by the theory of teacher development. The methodology used in this study was qualitative and descriptive and adopted a case study design. Participants were five (four male and one female) in-service health education teachers with experience in sexuality education. Constant comparative method was used to analyse and interpret the data. Thematic analysis resulted in three themes: (a) the need to teach comprehensive sexuality education, (b) the pedagogical shift from face to face to online education, and (c) the importance of professional development in sexuality education. Experiences depicted by each theme indicate that Japanese health education teachers should be trained to support students from diverse academic, social, and cultural backgrounds in their sexuality education classes, enhancing both teaching and learning.

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and extent that undergraduate special education programs teach special education law. Extant data from the state department of education websites and a sample of university department webpages (n = 67) were analyzed to identify educational requirements. In addition, a sample of faculty representatives (n = 26) were surveyed to triangulate extant data and provide their perceptions on special education law topics in their undergraduate programs. Results suggest universities are superseding legislative requirements, yet there is substantial variability in the decision-making that universities take to teach special education law. Faculty reported high priority for special education law topics but noted a moderate ability for preservice teachers to connect the importance of special education law to their success as educators. The authors discuss their findings and present implications for the field regarding special education law and the preparation of teachers.

Global competition is currently reshaping higher education worldwide. Hungarian and Chinese higher education institutions are increasingly channeling resources to higher education development to promote the internationalization of higher education. There have been few studies specified differences between Hungarian and Chinese higher education internationalization. Over the past few years, both Hungarian and Chinese governments have started to prioritize raising international student mobility to enhance countries' competitiveness at the global level. This article outlines the definition of higher education internationalization to provide a comprehensive understanding of this term. This article also briefly describes the background of higher education in Hungary and China and compares determinants of higher education internationalization between the two countries, particularly focusing on the context of international student mobility. This article summarizes and compares higher education internationalization indicators between Hungary and China. This article contributes to a better understanding of the development of higher education internationalization in Hungary and China.

This monograph is a follow-up to a comprehensive study of education for employment that examined how successfully individuals were being prepared for employment by vocational education, career education, and adult education. Three goals surfaced from the study: enhancing quality, increasing effectiveness, and assuring access to vocational education for youth and adults. Of these goals, the issue of access is less often the focus of attention. The purpose of this monograph is to generate a clearer understanding of the issue of access as it relates to vocational education. The authors of the four sections present the following viewpoints on access to vocational education: "Knowledge, Programs, and Equity" (John Washburn); "A Community College Perspective" (Larry Johansen); "A Guidance Counselor's Perspective" (Kathy Dingler); and "A Local Administrator's Perspective" (Joel Schneider). Each section includes a summary and references. The third section also includes an appendix listing 15 research statements regarding the involvement of guidance. (NLA)

In the decade of the 1980s, education reform was dramatic and substantial in the South; virtually every state took steps to improve public education. Most raised the standards for student and teacher performance and increased teacher salaries; some instituted new remedial education programs and early childhood programs for disadvantaged children. All increased state funds for education, either from revenue growth under existing tax structures, or from new taxes. This booklet summarizes the proceedings of a conference on southern education which focused on the continuing dynamics of education reform. Topics of the conference included: (1) governors as educational leaders; (2) effects of educational reform; (3) challenges to education reform; (4) testing; (5) teacher quality and supply; (6) education as viewed by the U.S. Department of Education; (7) the problems and possibilities of research in education; (8) the continuing equity issues; and (9) the philanthropic response to education reform. A list of conference participants is included. (ALL)