Education & Pedagogy

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-service physical education (PE) teacher education students understand health education and their role as health educators. The challenges that a cohort of pre-service teachers (n = 20) majoring and minoring in PE face in engaging in a socially contextualised understanding of health are examined. Design: Study participants were in a semester length foundational health education course. Following ethics board approval, participants' reflective journals were accessed for data. The data were coded for themes and then analysed using Windschitl's framing of constructivism in practice. Setting: Undergraduate health education teacher education programme at an Australian university. Results: Findings reveal how PE teacher education students made meaning of socially contextualised and contested areas of health, and developed their own understanding of health education pedagogical practice. Common challenges were evidenced by the students when attempting to explain their expanding understanding of health education pedagogy and practice. Conclusion: The simple understandings and conceptual ambiguities evident in this group of students help to explain why health education taught in secondary schools by PE teachers more often takes the form of 'PE theory' than health education.

This paper reviews evidence on two serious imbalances in the UK education and training system: The heavy bias in public spending on initial education and training (for 18-24-year olds) towards higher education at the expense of further education and vocational education and training. The very weak government support for continuing education and training (for adults aged 25-plus) compared to that provided for initial education and training for new entrants to the workforce. The effects of these imbalances are compounded by a marked reluctance by many employers to invest in work-based training, especially long-duration apprenticeship training. In a concluding policy section, the paper discusses ways in which both major imbalances could be reduced by abolishing tuition fees: first, for all Further Education courses up to Level 5 (for example, Foundation degrees, Higher National Diplomas); and second, for work-related, community learning and general-interest courses which do not necessarily lead to formal qualifications. It also considers options for short-duration continuing education and training for adults of all ages to be encouraged without undermining current efforts to reform and improve apprenticeship training.

This paper is concerned with the developments of inclusive education policies and their impact on teacher education in Austria today. As we argue, most policies concerning inclusive education are still reduced to a focus on disability. Such an approach can be explained, but not legitimised, by the historical development of the education of students with disabilities, which engendered specific tendencies in the evolution of policies of inclusive education and teacher education for inclusion. This policy evolution can be divided into three phases, which we analyse in detail in this paper: (1) the building of the special school system (the 1960s to mid 1980s), (2) establishing 'integrative education' structures and practices (mid 1980s-mid 2000s), and (3) efforts to make the Austrian education system more inclusive (2007 until today). The recent phase included a reform of teacher education for inclusive education, which, on the one hand, supports specific aspects of inclusive education, but, on the other hand, is still influenced by individual model discourses, rooted in the 1960s, such as binary groupings of students (dis/abled).

The guide is intended to provide information to administrators and regional and local case study committees on special education procedures within Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS). The manual addresses a step-by step approach from referral to the implementation of individualized education programs (IEP). The following topics are covered: (1) case study committees (roles and responsibilities); child find (in-school activities); prereferral procedures (screening); processing the referral (role of case managers); assessment (procedural requirements); eligibility (determination); developing the IEP (parental participation, vocational education); reviewing the IEP (graduation, transfer procedures); special education service delivery (least restrictive environment, placement procedures); related services (transportation for diagnositic and evaluation purposes); other program options (preschool programs, hospital and homebound services); procedural safeguards (due process, generalized complaints); disciplinary procedures (emergency suspension); monitoring special education; special education service providers (paraprofessional functions); physical education for handicapped students; serving handicapped students in career and vocational education programs; regional guidelines; and special education census. Appendices include an index of student needs, and a variety of sample forms, including teacher evaluation forms, prereferral report form, and the assessment plan form. (CL)

Addressing the need for greater global awareness, public school educators have begun the infusion of global education concepts, such as interdependence, culture, community, and change into the curriculum. Global issues and problems, unique and universal human values, the world economy, and international organizations are stressed in the content of a typical global education program. This paper summarizes two universities' deliberate movements toward developing international understanding in future teachers. An overview is presented of the efforts at Iowa State University to provide students with an education that engenders understanding and appreciation of global cultural, social, economic, and political differences. Specific aspects of infusion of an international perspective into the undergraduate teacher education program are discussed. In a discussion on the infusion of global awareness into the teacher education program at Wittenberg University (Ohio), descriptions are given of two courses: "International and Comparative Issues in Education" and "Multicultural Education: Toward a Cultural Pluralistic Perspective." It is suggested that teacher educators should encourage the adoption of state requirements for certification that include international/global education and extend the score of international education beyond cultural concepts to include political aspects also. (JD)

In recognition of the need to strengthen schools' efforts in developing students' awareness of the technological, consumer, occupational, recreational, and cultural aspects of business, this guide was compiled to provide information assisting those who design and implement curricula relating to business. The first division consists of statements by the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education that specify guiding principles for developing a business education program and strategies for coping with expected future changes. Division 2 provides curricular models and course descriptions for four different business-related areas: basic business, office education (secretarial, administrative support, information processing), marketing education, and accounting. A section on business enrichment follows, including such areas as business mathematics, economics, career education, small business management, continuing (adult) business education, the cooperative method in vocational training, and multioccupation programs. Division 3 covers special resources, demands, and concerns affecting business education, such as students with special needs, professional organizations, sex equity, public relations, and program evaluation, followed by existing community college programs, certification requirements, and education agencies in Iowa. (TE)

This bibliography from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) covers the period 1934-1984 and contains NZCER imprints; works by NZCER staff; and articles, papers, and other documents owing their intellectual or material origins to NZCER. It is organized into 22 broad types of readings which are then arranged by year of publication and then by author. The subject readings include: (1) child development; (2) curriculum and teaching methods; (3) documentation; (4) education (foreign countries); (5) education (New Zealand); (6) educational institutes; (7) history of education; (8) information systems and services; (9) Maori education, language, and culture; (10) philosophy of education; (11) planning and development of education; (12) policy and administration of education; (13) politics and economics of education; (14) post secondary; (15) pre-school education; (16) research policy and methodology; (17) sociology of education; (18) special education; (19) statutes and regulations; (20) teachers and teacher training; (21) testing and measurement; and (22) serial publications. The indexes are arranged by author and by keyword (ERIC-based) descriptors. (PN)

This document is parts 1 and 2 of the September 1982 edition of this journal, published monthly by the Center for Health Promotion and Education as a dissemination vehicle for the growing body of information about health education. It includes 184 citations and abstracts of current journal articles, monographs, conference proceedings, reports, and program descriptions. These documents are prepared from information that is provided by the programs themselves or found in directories, newsletters, and similar sources published or created since 1977. The abstracts are arranged in chapters according to their major subject areas, which include the following in this issue: community health education; health education in occupational settings; health education methodology; patient education; professional education and training; research and evaluation; risk reduction; school health education; self care; and sex education. Abstracts are indexed by author, subject, and program title. Information on how to use the journal and how to submit articles for citation also is included. (KC)

Survey instruments requesting information about the teaching of education law were sent to 102 major land grant and state universities with graduate programs in educational administration. All 78 colleges responding in this study offer education law as an elective or a required course. Thirty-three of the respondents returned the questionnaires with syllabi and the names of course titles and texts. The instrument and responses to it form the major portion of this paper. The courses tend to address the following general areas: introduction to education law, legal aspects of American education, education and social policy, administration of public schools and of higher education, constitutional rights and problems in American education (particularly students and teachers), and legal problems related to education personnel. The teaching of education law in colleges of education is on the increase, with courses usually taught by one male full professor without a law degree but of considerable standing locally and nationally. The study concludes that a possibly fruitful area for cooperation exists between the colleges of education and their institutions' law schools in the teaching of education law. (Author/MLF)

This abstract journal contains abstracts of documents dealing with secondary and postsecondary technical education that are available through the Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Clearinghouse system. The abstracts contained in this journal are from the following broad categories: traditional discipline curriculum subjects; vocational and professional curriculum subjects; educational facilities; educational history; educational management; educational philosophy, policy, and development; educational planning and administration; educational psychology; educational research; educational systems and institutes; schools; higher education; adult education; continuing, community, and mass education; education on specific categories of students; library and information services; students; teaching; teaching materials and equipment; and the teaching profession. Following the same format as the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) abstract journal, Resources in Education (RIE), this TAFE abstract journal contains information on the publication data and accessibility of each document as well as descriptors and identifiers taken from the ERIC Thesaurus of Descriptors. A subject index, an author index, and information for ordering the TAFE documents follow the abstracts. (The first issue of this journal is available separately--see note.) (MN)

Proceedings of Brock University's Graduate Conference, which enabled Master of Education graduates to share their research findings, are presented. Twenty-seven papers are included on the following topics: reading, physical education and coaching, homelife affecting schooling, stress, board/administrator decision making, behavior disordered children, gifted children, computers in research, environmental education, invitational education, thinking skills, needs in science teaching, program evaluation, the hidden curriculum, discipline, inservice teacher education, and new directions in graduate education. Among the topics are the following: the alleged claims of superiority of the language experience approach to reading over the text method; promoting a positive self-concept in student through the physical education program; the relationship between life stresses and stresses in the teaching profession; performance review of school supervisory officers; students' use of a problem-solving method; evaluating sexism in the hidden curriculum; teacher training in curriculum process skills; and recent events in the Master of Education program and future possibilities. (SW)

The space availability in public school vocational education facilities in Wyoming was determined and evaluated. Results were based on teacher response. The service areas involved were vocational agriculture, business and office education, health occupations education, home economics education, marketing and distributive education, and trade and industrial/industrial arts education. Evaluation was based on facility size recommendations communicated in policies and standards manuals for each vocational education service area. Over 75 percent of the vocational agricultural and business and office education teachers reported an adequate number of classroom student stations. A substantial number of teachers in other service areas indicated an inadequate number. Less than one-half of the respondents in vocational agriculture, home economics education, health occupations education, and marketing and distributive education indicated having an adequate teacher office/work area. Over 50 percent of the business and office education and trade and industrial/industrial arts education teachers stated they had adequate storage space. All other service areas indicated a need for more storage space. Accommodations for handicapped students were found to be inadequate. Approximately one-half of all teachers in all service areas indicated a need for facility remodeling. (The survey is appended.) (YLB)

This document includes abstracts of research and development projects dealing with agricultural education that were completed in the United States between September 1, 1987, and August 31, 1988. A total of 185 research abstracts are included (71 master's papers or theses, 44 doctoral dissertations, and 70 staff studies. Thirty institutions from 27 states contributed. The following are among the topics covered in the individual research projects: adult education; agricultural education programs (characteristics, context, future directions, funding, staffing); agricultural practices and the industry; agriculture teachers; curriculum and instruction in grades K-12 (competency assessment, curriculum development, implementation, instructional materials and technologies, science in agricultural education, and sequencing and scheduling); decision making; extension education; international education; postsecondary/university programs; psychological type profiles; rural schools; secondary agriculture students; and vocational education. Citations of research and development activities in progress, ERIC accession numbers for previous national summaries, and author and subject indexes are also included. (MN)

Within recent educational history, the needs of academic students have been attended to before the needs of vocational and technical students. Academic teachers must undergo a change in attitude toward the vocational-technical (votech) students and the careers they pursue. It is suggested in this paper that information concerning vocational education should be incorporated into the preservice teacher education courses in foundations of education. Preservice exposure to votech education would encompass three parts: (1) an orientation, including specific reference to the application of each of the educational foundation areas to a votech education; (2) a tour of a votech school; and (3) a wrap-up debriefing following the votech school visit. In addition to educating preservice teachers about votech education, there is a need to educate inservice teachers. Most important would be the education of secondary teachers who are called upon to teach English to votech students. A description is given to a 3-week period inservice program that has been successful in enlightening teachers on the career choices open to votech students. Three brief attachments relate oral communication skills to vocational education. (JD)

The document contains testimony presented in a 1987 Senate committee hearing on two education bills. The first bill, entitled the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Children and Youth Education Act, is designed to establish a discretionary grant program within the Department of Education to provide funds to local education agencies for programs for gifted and talented students. The second bill, the Office of Comprehensive School Health Education Act of 1987, seeks to establish an office of comprehensive school health education within the Department of Education and would authorize discretionary grants to state and local education agencies to provide comprehensive health education to students. Testimony and prepared statements from gifted and talented program coordinators and from organizations such as the American Heart Association, the National Education Association, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the National School Health Education Coalition are included. (JW)