Education & Pedagogy

The second session of the January conference on Contemporary Elementary and Middle School Physical Education was devoted to over 35 workshops and demonstrations of games and sports that could be used by teachers with their classes. Emphasis was placed on the development of individual skills, physical fitness through sports, and noncompetitive games. Position papers were also given on movement education, mainstreaming, young people and drugs, self defense as a means to achieve self assurance, outdoor education program ideas, public school legislation, and student motivation. Various programs among classes, schools, and school districts are described. Activities demonstrated included dance, gymnastics, drama, track and field, golf, orienteering, basketball, weight training, and fencing. (JD)

The document contains the data files created by a Rand Corporation study on the cost of special education based on information from a 1977-78 national survey of 50 local education agencies in 14 states. The project objective is to improve decisionmaking on special education programing and finance by providing information on the services provided and the costs of alternative types of educational placements for children of different ages and with various types of handicap. The study includes data needed to calculate both (1) the relative cost of special education in relation to general education and (2) the absolute cost of special education measured in terms of the actual resources devoted to a handicapped child. Included are: documentation of teacher interview data, documentation of the related services data file, and documentation of the district data file. Appended are codesheets for each of these categories. Analyses of the data will be provided in subsequent Rand reports. (DB)

Intended to help community organizations interested in sponsoring and developing a vocational program, this reference guide identifies and discusses some major administrative, financial, and program concerns that constitute the embedding context of successful vocational education programs. Focus of the guide is on core elements that must be in place before a program is certified by the Vocational Education Section of the Kansas State Department of Education. Discussed in the main body of the guide are the host organization's mission and purpose, the advisory council, interorganzational arrangements, student management policies, and the budget process. Appended are extracts from principal public laws and regulations applying to vocational education programs; a list of Kansas junior colleges, area vocational technical schools, and proprietary schools; and an alphabetical listing of occupations with identified clusters. (MN)

Although state governments have a less direct effect on new teachers than do the actions of school administrators and fellow teachers, state standards and the level of financial commitment determine, to a certain extent, the quality of life for teachers. State departments of education can assist first year teachers by: (1) working with teacher education institutions to strengthen the theoretical basis for teacher education and by researching and establishing validated standards and practices; (2) cooperating with educational institutions to establish experimental programs that assist new teachers to make the transition from the college laboratory to the public school classroom; and (3) creating conditions conducive to teacher job satisfaction. States usually predicate approval of teacher education programs on responsiveness to established standards. However, good quality cannot be mandated or legislated, but is a result of commitment and hard work. (FG)

Approximately 200 items are listed in this bibliography of materials pertaining to adult literacy in Nigeria, Rhodesia, South Africa, the Sudan, and Tanzania. The listed materials are categorized according to country and deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) adult education and adaptation to change in Nigeria; (2) adult literacy teacher evaluation; (3) language problems of developing nations; (4) nonformal education for rural development; (5) functional literacy programs; (6) agricultural literacy; (7) communication, literacy, and development; (8) literacy and development in the Rhodesian trust lands; (9) literacy in traditional societies; (10) the work oriented adult literacy project in the Sudan; (11) cost problems of literacy campaigns; (12) training of personnel for functional literacy programs; (13) language and media supports for nonformal adult basic education; (14) family life education; and (15) Tanzania's mass health education campaign. (FL)

Presented here are reviews of the reports from the National Institute of Education (NIE) on the Compensatory Education Study (an evaluation of compensatory education programs in the United States). Ernest House's article addresses the evaluation study directly. It covers the study's assessment of funding allocations, program administration, educational services, and student development. Mr. House concludes that the study was fair, democratic, and served the interests of all relevant groups, especially the poor and disadvantaged. He asserts that the study was also valid according to his articulated standards in the review. The second article, authored by Torsten Husen, analyzes the evaluation study from a wider, international perspective which draws on Mr. Husen's experience with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Basic issues regarding the objectives, strategies, and targeting of compensatory education are discussed. This review concludes with recommendations for improving future evaluations. (APM)

For the last two decades, health educators have been laboring at coalescing the philosophical premise and goals of school health education. The focal point of this conflict emerges when proponents claim that health education curricula enhance decision making skills and concurrently require health educators to teach toward specific health-promoting or health-enhancing lifestyles and behaviors. The first step in melding a philosophical premise and process for school health education is to determine whether or not school health education should promote the students' personal evaluation of their health and the health values of others. However, directing students' learning toward a particular health theory risks inaccuracy and indoctrination. A Helpful health education process assists students in identifying aspects of health that are potentially harmful or beneficial, thus providing students with an opportunity for personal examination and review of a variety of health data and theories. (Author/FG)

The product of a three-year adult education teacher training project conducted for Florida's adult educators, this guide is designed to assist planners, facilitators, evaluators, and administrators of staff development programs for adult education teachers to design and conduct effective personal and professional learning experiences. It provides alternatives for teacher training workshops and seminars, and also includes alternatives and recommendations for the staff developer. The first section outlines considerations for planning and conducting learning activities. The middle section includes 25 learning activities appropriate for adult education teacher learning. Topics of the learning activities include self-assessment and problem-solving techniques, community development, curriculum design, instructional skills, and interpersonal relationships. The final section relates to assessing staff needs and perceptions. References and an "Adult Educator Self Assessment Inventory" are included. (KC)

Higher education systems continually transform as institutions respond to technological change, economic demands, and global connection. Universities, governments, and international organizations can adapt governance models, funding strategies, and institutional practices to remain relevant and effective. Encouraging innovative approaches to teaching, research, and collaboration may improve current curricula. Reconsidering the policies that shape higher education systems may address global challenges and prepare students for a complex and interconnected world. "Rethinking Policy, Innovation, and Global Structures in Higher Education" explores how higher education policies, institutional practices, and global partnerships respond to technological, economic, and social changes. It examines innovative approaches and governance structures that improve the effectiveness, accessibility, and global relevance of higher education systems. This book covers topics such as internationalization, pedagogy, and digital technology, and is a useful resource for educators, policymakers, academicians, researchers, and scientists.

In an era of technological advancement, AI is reshaping the foundations of industries and how business education must be evolved. Traditional curriculum, rooted in historical models of management and decision making, are increasingly out of date with the demands of a digital economy. Institutions can redefine their teaching approaches in leadership and innovation by integrating AI fluency and human-centered skills. As AI transforms the roles of business professionals, this reimagining is not just necessary, it is urgent. "Reimagining Business Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" explores the fundamental limitations of traditional educational models and how AI can be harnessed to enhance business education. This book examines both quantitative and qualitative dimensions of learning. Covering topics such as business education, AI, and digital learning, this book is an excellent resource for educational researchers, technology developers, administrators, students, and higher education leaders.

In the summer of 2011, the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science presented a letter to the Cabinet, containing the policy objectives for the education of talented, gifted, and highly gifted students. In action plans for primary, secondary, and higher education, in addition to the development of teacher skills, specific measures were announced, which should lead to better education and opportunities for developing the potential of these students. This article gives an overview of the current state of affairs in the Netherlands regarding the Dutch educational system and the education of talented, highly gifted, and outstanding students including which talents are valued and what beliefs people have about gifted individuals. The Minister's objectives for future directions in this regard, as described in the action plans, are also discussed. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)

Green jobs are currently a much-discussed topic in political, economic, and educational forums. Millions of Americans would be very glad to have one. But what are they exactly? Or more pointedly, what should they be and how can the field of adult education support their development? From the perspective of a community educator who has worked in the field of environmental education and environmental justice for more than 15 years, green jobs should be more than environmentally friendly employment, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They should serve to advance the development of sustainable societies. To do this, there are three elements that, woven together, can create green jobs that will serve society in significant ways. These elements are workforce development; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; and community education for sustainability. Examples of existing programs that address these elements will be discussed below.

Finland's successful PISA "literacy results reflect" the foundation of the Finnish education system, which could be characterised by the words equality, equity and individual support. However, international interest in this PISA success has not focused on curricular aspects, and yet the core curriculum specifies teaching and learning practices in Finland. This article presents a study on the development of the Finnish "National Core Curricula for Basic Education" ("NCC"), published in 1985, 1994 and 2004. Based on inductive document analysis, the article discusses the changing conceptualisations of the curriculum designers and contributes to an understanding of the roles that the literacy core curriculum has in defining the purposes of literacy education, as well as the cross-curricular intentions of literacy education from the 1980s to the present day. (Contains 1 note.)

This study investigated the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as a basis for a bi-university computer mediated communication (CMC) collaborative project. Participants in the research included 78 students from two special education programs enrolled in teacher education courses. The focus of the investigation was on exploring the outcomes of the UDL-based design that used CMC tools. Results indicated that the UDL framework was important to the overall design, students' participation times varied, and CMC tool use emerged in two separately important ways. Findings also showed improved instructor ratings for project courses as compared to other courses. Information related to the instructional design and implications for further research are discussed. (Contains 6 tables.)

The purpose of this article is to use self-study methodology to analyze critically the impact of 30 years of non-formal education on my development as a teacher educator. I begin within a particular conception of self-study research and make a case for situating martial arts as non-formal education. The data for this article are presented as a series of "episodes", in which I write a short paragraph about each phase in my development as a martial artist and comment on my approach to learning and teaching, where appropriate, during each episode. At the end of the article, I draw several links to self-study literature and to my own understanding of teacher education. In so doing, I demonstrate the value of examining the impact of non-formal education experiences as a teacher educator.