Education & Pedagogy

Although China's fast-changing economy and Communist Party decrees are promoting vocational education, debate is raging over what kind of vocational education is most appropriate for rural areas like Luoyang, whose occupational structure is becoming increasingly industrial. Since larger electronic enterprises favor generally educated students, vocational education and general education have complementary roles. (MLH)

This article urges redefinition of the relationship between general and special education at the classroom level and in teacher education programs. A major concern is the dependence upon the expertise of special educators which currently characterizes the general education community. This dependence is described as a constraint upon teacher education reform. (IAH)

A study of fourteen countries in UNESCO's five regions looked at teacher training for mainstream education, teacher education and curricula for special education, and teacher attitudes toward mainstreaming. Results are presented and conclusions about similarities and differences are drawn. (MSE)

Selects a philosopher to represent each of the major contemporary philosophies of American education and discusses how outdoor education should or could play a role in that philosopher's theories on education. Philosophers selected are John Dewey, John Goodlad, Robert Hutchins, A. S. Neill, and Theodore Brameld. (JHZ)

Discusses the utilitarian goals of education and examines how cultural literacy can contribute to a discourse on art education. Makes observations about utilitarian versus intrinsic education. Maintains that the concept of cultural literacy can help art educators make decisions regarding the common core of art education. (KM)

Examines the use of distance education for inservice teacher education worldwide. Although the United Kingdom (UK) has many colleges and no vast distances, distance education makes a significant contribution to teacher education in a period of rapid educational change. The UK Open University offers high-quality, multimedia inservice courses. (SM)

Describes Project NETWORC, a three-year Nevada program that uses an audio teleconferencing system to provide early childhood special education courses from the University of Nevada-Reno to preservice students and professionals in rural areas. Discusses educational objectives, telecourse content and technical components, student population, and preliminary evaluations. (SV)

Responds to Goodlad's article, noting the similarity of problems in teacher education and educational research, both of which occur in schools of education. Examines issues that must be addressed if change is to occur, noting the "inhospitable surround" of schools of education and juxtaposing the history of educational research with the history of teacher education. (SM)

The status of the environmental education component of preservice teacher education programs is unknown nationally. This study surveyed 715 institutions of teacher education using a mail questionnaire. Results indicate that most schools have few requirements related to environmental education, and environmental education is not institutionalized in the majority of schools. (Author/SAH)

Presents perspectives and issues associated with developments in teacher education in Australia, considering factors that affect teacher education nationally and discussing specific state-based influences on preservice and inservice teacher education. The paper suggests that teacher educators can initiate debate in the education community about the goals and purpose of teacher education. (SM)

In this collection of abstracts on current topics in health education the following subjects are addressed: 1) community health education; 2) health education in occupational settings; 3) health education methodology; 4) professional education; 5) regulation, legislation, and administration; 6) research and evaluation; 7) risk reduction; 8) school health education; 9) self care; and 10) sex education. (JD)

"The Routledge Companion to Education" presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide available to the key theories, themes and topics in education. Forty specially commissioned chapters, covering all aspects of education, introduce you to the ideas, research and issues that have shaped this most diverse, dynamic and fluid field. Part one provides an introduction to the key theories, thinkers and disciplines within education. Part two covers ideas and issues about how, what and why learning takes place. Part three includes analysis on particular approaches to education and explores the issues that attract much contemporary interest. Written by an international team of expert contributors, the chapters all include a descriptive introduction, an analysis of the key ideas and debates, an overview of the latest research, key questions for research and carefully selected further reading. "The Routledge Companion to Education" is a succinct, detailed, authoritative overview of the topics which are at the forefront of educational research and discourse today. This classic collection is a bookshelf essential for every student and scholar serious about the study of education. Part I, Educational Foundations, contains the following: (1) Liberal Education (Mulcahy); (2) Communitarianism (Arthur); (3) Civic Republicanism (Peterson); (4) Postmodernism (Peters and Besley); (5) Feminism (McLeod); (6) History of Education (Raftery); (7) Sociology of Education (Leighton); (8) Philosophy of Education (Oancea); (9) Educational Psychology (Farnan); and (10) Economics of Education (Vignoles). Part II, Teaching and Learning, contains the following: (11) Learning (Jordan and Carlile); (12) Teaching (Kyriacou); (13) Curriculum and Curriculum Studies (Connelly and Xu); (14) Language (Wilkinson and Silliman); (15) Motivation and Behaviour (Ellis and Tod); (16) Creativity (Shaheen); and (17 ) Assessment (Ecclestone). Part III, Organisation and Issues in Education, contains the following: (18) Early Childhood Education and Care (Powell); Education and Schooling 5-11 Years (Bryan); (20) Education and Schooling 11-16 Years (Peterson and Leighton); (21) Post-Compulsory, Higher Education and Training (Bowl); (22) Lifelong Learning (Jarvis); (23) Alternative Education (Warwick); (24) Citizenship Education (Davies); (25) Social Class (Davison); (26) Comparative Education (Schweisfurth); (27) Development Education (Bourn); (28) Cultural-Linguistic Diversity and Inclusion (Wilkinson, Silliman and Danzak); (29) Education and Neuroscience (Tommerdahl); (30) Gender (Sundaram); (31) Globalization (Peim); (32) Well-being and Education (Ecclestone); (33) Leadership and School Effectiveness (Rhodes and Bischoff); (34) Multicultural Education (Kiwan); (35) Education Policy (West); (36) Religion and Education (Sears and Christou); (37) Social Justice and Inequalities in Education (Smith); (38) Sustainable Development (Huckle); (39) Technologies and Learning (Hammond); and (40) Values Education (Lovat).

The blurring of the boundary between Australian vocational education and training and higher education is leading to a reconsideration of the current structure of Australian tertiary education. This paper starts with the main overlap of the Australian tertiary education sectors, diplomas and advanced diplomas. The ambiguous treatment of these programs and Australia's unusually deep organisational separation of vocational education and training and higher education has made it difficult for governments to have an integrated tertiary education policy, and it has restricted vocational education and training's role. By comparing arrangements for the highest sub baccalaureate qualifications in Aotearoa New Zealand, North America and the UK, known generically as short-cycle higher education, the paper develops some new options for Australia. The paper concludes by arguing that Australia should follow North American and UK examples and decouple the institutional and programmatic designations of the sectors to allow vocational education and training institutes to offer unambiguously higher education programs.