Education & Pedagogy

This document contains six papers by individuals representing the various stakeholders in the school-to-work transition process, including vocational education, academic education, higher education, and the business sector. The first paper, "The Leadership Challenge: Accommodating Different Perspectives on School to Work" (Tucker), argues for changing the way youth are prepared for work and advocates equipping all students with high academic skills and the ability to use those skills in productive enterprises. The following papers are presented in response to Tucker's paper: "School-to-Work Programs: True Reforms or Tired Retreads?" (Grubb); "School to Work: The Business Perspective" (Perlman); "School-to-Work Transition in the United States" (Stewart); "School to Work: Some Questions for Marc Tucker" (Sizer); and "The Promises and Concerns of School-to-Work Transition" (Anderson). Also included are profiles of the authors. (MN)

This publication is a collection of articles written by the author, sometimes in conjunction with others, over a 25-year period from 1968 to 1993. It is of historical interest in that it covers a remarkably active period in American education, one in which the educational needs of minority children began to be addressed. The anthology serves as an important reminder that minorities are still far from enjoying equal opportunities in the schools. The continuing focus of these articles demonstrates the extent to which the educationally disadvantaged remain disadvantaged today. The following sections review the author's major themes: (1) Minority Education; (2) Bilingual Education; (3) Undocumented Children; (4) School Dropouts; (5) Retentions in Grade; (6) Early Childhood Education; (7) Science, Math and Technology; (8) Standardized Testing; (9) School Reform; and (10) A New Educational Paradigm. An appendix describes the Intercultural Development Research Association. (SLD)

This document integrates reports, perspectives, and concerns from four major discussion groups that participated in a June 1994 workshop on restructuring engineering education. Discussion groups focused on four topics--students, faculty, curricula, and experiential learning. Four major recommendations emerged from the meeting: (1) engineering education must encourage multiple thrusts for diversity; (2) engineering education needs a new system of faculty rewards and incentives; (3) assessment and evaluation processes must encourage desired expectations for both faculty and students; and (4) the changes needed for engineering education require comprehensive change across the campus, not just in the engineering college. Background information on change and restructuring is presented to support the recommendations. Appendices include: the workshop agenda, an interpretive summary of six keynote addresses, a list of workshop participants, a summary of key issues, and summaries of background documents. (DB)

Several science education researchers are embracing postmodern relativist notions of both evaluation methodology and of the structure of all scientific knowledge. They blame bad educational evaluation and research on several causes, the worst being the following of the fundamental tenets of mainstream science. These researchers feel science educators trying to act like scientists have caused their own demise. However, several facets of this discussion have been ignored. Problems appear in the stated beliefs and views of these science education researchers. These problems are discussed through the current and former theories of educational philosophy. The need for balanced perspectives when discussing problems in science education is also probed. The views of science education should not be tied to two extreme theories rather they should relate to the many philosophies of science and science education. Contains 69 references. (MVL)

This resource list identifies 151 instructional products and guides to help teachers plan Education for Employment programs and facilitate student learning. The resources listed are drawn from publishers and various state and professional curriculum centers. Each listing includes a brief description of the resource, publisher, item order number, and price. A comprehensive list of the sources is included, as well as a national listing of clearinghouses and organizations that serve students with special needs. Resources are listed in the following categories: accessibility and accommodation; administration of programs; assessment; career exploration; dropout prevention; living skills; occupational topics; preemployment preparation; staff development and training; surviving on the job; textbooks; and workplace academics. (KC)

These guidelines are a set of recommendations for developing and selecting environmental education materials with the aim of helping developers of activity guides, lesson plans, and other instructional materials produce high quality products and providing educators with a tool to evaluate the wide array of available education materials. They offer a way to judge the relative merit of different materials, a standard to aim for in developing new materials, and a set of ideas about what a well-rounded environmental education curriculum might be like. The guidelines point out six key characteristics of high quality environmental education materials, including fairness and accuracy, depth, emphasis on skill building, action orientation, instructional soundness, and usability. For each of these characteristics there are listed some guidelines for environmental education materials to follow. Each guideline is accompanied by several indicators listed under the heading "What to Look For". These indicators suggest ways of gauging whether the materials being evaluated or developed follow the guidelines. (JRH)

This paper reports on a study to explore the perspectives of authorities, pre-service and in-service teachers regarding appropriate music course content for non-specialists. Data were obtained from conducting a content analysis of 20 textbooks and course outlines, surveying 250 education students labeled "early years" or "elementary," and interviewing 413 classroom teachers labeled "primary" or "intermediate." Perhaps the most notable outcome of the study was that many of the music topics identified as useful by pre-service and in-service teachers would not likely be addressed in significant ways by music teacher educators. Data suggest that music courses for the classroom teacher should target the correlation of music with other knowledge domains. Contains 11 references and 8 figures. (EH)

This paper reviews the literature and offers an international perspective on current programs and issues in training individuals with mental retardation to parent, nurture, and care for their children. The first section reviews the limited research on the development of children of mothers with mental retardation, some existing parent training programs, and outcomes in parenting education for these parents. The second section specifically addresses parenting and sexuality education for parents with mental retardation. Some guidelines for parents are offered. A section on international perspectives describes a Canadian parenting education program for this population. Parenting education efforts in Australia, Pakistan, Finland, and Korea are briefly reviewed. The procedure used in Hong Kong to assess an individual's ability to understand and consent to the responsibilities of marriage is explained. The paper urges more systematic and standardized research in this area. (Contains 38 references.) (DB)

This document contains three papers on aviation education. "Academic Integrity in Higher Education: Is Collegiate Aviation Education at Risk?" (Jeffrey A. Johnson) discusses academic integrity and legal issues in higher education and argues that academic integrity needs to be an integral part of collegiate aviation education if students expect to compete effectively in the highly competitive field of aviation. "Aviation/Aerospace Forecast 2005: Industry and Employment Outlook" (Virginia Lee Lussier) examines the current economic status of the aviation/aerospace industry, its projected growth to the year 2005, and the prospects for various aviation-related careers (airline pilot, aircraft maintenance technician/engineer, computer scientist, engineer, and meteorologist) during the next decade. "Technology in the Aviation Meteorology Classroom: A Pilot Study" (Michael R. Witiw, Phillip Horton) reports on a comparative study that documented the effectiveness of the educational technology used in the Federal Aviation Administration's Airway Science Program. (MN)

By focusing on issues, global education provides students with a better understanding of the country and the world in which they live. The issues approach stresses that global education is a two-way approach to understanding: it is both a way of teaching and a way of learning. This book provides resources for the teacher who has decided to teach development by the issues method. Activities presented range in grade level appropriateness from grade 4-12. An introduction discusses effective global education and development education. Fifty-seven activities focus on differences that exist in wealth and power between nations; assumptions about development; ways in which other cultures are "interpreted;" trading relationships between North and South; poverty and population; refugees and migrants; aid; food; water; literacy; environment; and women. An appendix provides 15 international games. Contains 28 references. (LZ)

The current trend toward collaboration is having an impact on the fields of adult basic education and adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and literacy education. This digest looks at collaboration for adult ESL programs and for family bilingual and ESL literacy programs. It discusses the distinctions among cooperation, coordination, and collaboration; presents a framework for collaboration; reports on uses of technology for collaboration; and explores ethical considerations, evaluation concerns, and policy issues. Each of these areas is examined in turn, and it is concluded that: collaborative efforts can offer better services than individual agencies can offer separately; the democratic nature of collaboration should benefit all participants--while providing the best services to clients. An inset briefly notes two successful collaborations in New Mexico, one urban and one rural. (Contains 10 references.) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on ESL Literacy Education) (LR)

A current focal point of Oregon's school restructuring effort is on closing the gap between academic and vocational disciplines to increase opportunities for all students. This Bulletin examines a spectrum of practices aimed at facilitating integration of academic and vocational education while exploring issues, problems, and solutions common to all approaches. The introduction summarizes the key arguments for integration and gives an overview of its premises. Chapter 1 introduces various models of integration and some of the components of a revised curriculum. Chapter 2 examines partnerships and collaborative efforts--key components of the shift to applied learning--among various members of the education system. The third chapter examines barriers to integration and synthesizes successful administrative approaches. The conclusion highlights ongoing issues that must be confronted as the process of integration moves forward. Data from telephone interviews conducted with 10 Oregon education specialists and administrators illustrate chapter themes. (LMI)

This paper analyzes the 105 replies received from UNESCO Member States to the International Bureau of Education (IBE) questionnaire. All the data appearing in the paper, including the statistics, were drawn exclusively from the replies of the member countries. The one- or two-paragraph responses in the paper to the 71-item questionnaire are arranged by topic: (1) definitions of terms such as "illiterate" and "functional illiterate"; (2) current trends in enrollment for primary education and adult education; (3) national plans concerning basic education; (4) partners in the literacy process (including educational establishments, involvement of the army, participation of public and private organizations, and financing of literacy activities); (5) program content and literacy methods; and (6) international cooperation and the role of UNESCO. (RS)

Alternative teacher certification programs allow school districts, accredited independent schools, boards of cooperative services, and institutions of higher education to develop and implement school-based preparation for teachers. This handbook is designed to assist individual organizations and groups to develop alternate teacher certification programs that comply with the alternative teacher licensing program established by the Colorado General Assembly and the State Board of Education. Topics covered include: the definition of an alternative teacher education program; the roles of the designated agency, the advisory council, the support team, and the mentor teacher; teacher instruction, supervision, and evaluation in the program; fees; program monitoring; minority fellowships; and designated agency reporting. Effective practices used by other states are described in each section. Appendices include an alternative teacher program Statement of Eligibility form, employment and license recommendation forms, and an application sequence for alternative teacher licensing. (ND)

The National Science Foundation (NSF), in collaboration with 24 states and one territory, is engaged in a multi-year effort to improve the quality of mathematics, science, and technology education for all students in a systemic way. The goal of the Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) is to develop broad strategies for coordinating or aligning state-level initiatives and policies in curriculum, assessment, teacher education, professional development, and other key components of educational change. In order to assist other states seeking to implement system-wide reform, this report provides a brief glimpse of some of the SSI strategies that are positively changing teaching and learning in mathematics, science, and technology education. The strategies included are in the following areas: addressing the needs of policy makers, enriching cooperation and collaboration among educators, and sustaining the scale-up of reform. (JRH)