Education & Pedagogy

Individuals with special needs require support in acquiring various academic and social skills and mathematical skills are one of the most important skills in which individuals with special needs need to acquire in order to maintain their daily lives. Current approaches in education emphasize the importance of integrating technology into special education classrooms in order to increase achievement and facilitate learning and various technological tools are used in teaching mathematics to individuals with special needs. Therefore, special education teachers need to be competent in using technology in teaching mathematics and aim of this study is to determine the views and recommendations of special education teachers on technology use in teaching mathematics to students with special needs. Qualitative research method was used in the study. A total number of 15 special education teachers working at special education institutions in North Cyprus participated in the study. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was used to collect the data. Data of the study were analyzed using content analysis method through constituting themes based on the answers of special education teachers. According to the results, special education teachers think that they are competent in using technology in teaching mathematics. Results are provided and discussed with reference to relevant literature. Finally, implications for special education practices and recommendations for further research are also presented.

Periodically since 1890 the Office of Education has attempted to catch and keep a sort of survey picture of the developing secondary school curriculum. Each one shows the school's answer to the question of what is good--educationally--for boys and girls. Each one shows, too, through registration figures for electives, what boys and girls think is good for them--educationally. This bulletin now presents the latest study, based on 1934 data, of the secondary school curriculum. Sections cover: (1) Recurring studies of subject trends; (2) Number of subjects; (3) Trends in registrations, 1890 to 1934, including a guide to reading the data, and discussions of academic and nonacademic subjects: (4) Offerings and registrations in 1934, including a discussion of status and the subject areas of languages, mathematics, science, social science, health subjects, drawing and art, music, agriculture, home economics, commercial subjects, and industrial and shop subjects; and (5) An overview, or conclusion. (Contains 4 footnotes and 4 tables.) [Tables in this bulletin were prepared under the direction of Lester B. Herlihy. Best copy available has been provided.]

This report contains statistics from 382 institutions engaged primarily in training teachers. It is supplemented by data from secondary schools showing the number of pupils in teacher-training courses, and from colleges and universities with a department of education, showing the number of college students preparing for the profession of teaching. The total number of teaching positions in the States is 742,172, and the number preparing to teach in the types of schools mentioned is reported as 418,533, of whom 81,718 are men and 336,815 are women. The list of teachers colleges has changed since 1922, with eleven schools being added and three schools removed. The report includes: (1) statistical summaries (Tables 1-21); (2) teachers colleges: sessions, graduates, degrees conferred, instructors, students, property and income, expenditures (Tables 22-26); (3) state normal schools (Tables 27-31); (4) city normal schools (Tables 32-33); and (5) private normal schools (Tables 34-37). (Includes 37 tables.) [Best copy available has been provided.]

This study sought to determine what defines a quality funeral service education program beyond accreditation. The study examined the opinions of funeral service education chairs (N = 45, representing 80% of the population) who are leaders of funeral service education programs accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education. Participants completed a self-report online survey which assessed their perspectives regarding the importance of a collection of educational correlates related to funeral service program quality. Survey responses were statistically analyzed using standard multiple regression. The results indicated that 89% of program quality variance may be predicted by the set of predictors utilized in the study. These results, coupled with the semipartial correlations, facilitated the development of the Funeral Service Education Program Quality Model. This study also resulted in the creation of a survey instrument related to program quality in higher education. The results highlight critical elements of funeral service education program quality and add to the body of empirical research aiding those charged with assessing program quality in higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study used a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of three groups of stakeholders of the Botswana basic education program related to the employment and unemployment of graduates of basic education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants from three groups of stakeholders, graduates of basic education, teachers and employers. All the participants were in agreement that unemployment of graduates of basic education is a serious problem that requires a combined effort from the three basic education stakeholders. They were all of the view that these graduates lacked the necessary grounding in basic skills required by the world of work, which they should have acquired through the basic education program. The three groups of stakeholders were also of the view that the solution for unemployment of graduates of basic education is in the hands of the three stakeholder groups working together and coming up with a common solution. Stakeholder consultation, a labor market oriented curriculum and a combined effort in the development and preparation of basic education students seems to be the preferred solution to the problem of graduates of basic education unemployment as seen by the stakeholders. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A study examined the outcomes attained by 389 indigenous students who completed programs at the 4 largest Aboriginal community-controlled adult education colleges in the 9-member Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers (FIAEP). The survey, which elicited a 57% response rate, established that, although a very large percentage of the students surveyed had the most severely disadvantaged backgrounds, their educational outcomes were higher than the outcomes attained by indigenous peoples in the vocational education and training (VET) sector overall. The students' employment rate rose from less than 20% before completion of their course to 36% afterward, and an additional 13% of students obtained new paid employment or self-employment after completion of their course. Of the students surveyed, approximately one-third continued their study within the sector after completing their course, another 24% undertook further education and training elsewhere, 21% credited their educational experience with helping them sort out their lives, and more than 36% credited their course with increasing their confidence. (The report contains 33 references and 51 tables. Appended are the following: VET courses and programs offered by the FIAEP in 1997, selected Australian vocational education and training statistics, official definitions of employment-related terms, and survey questionnaire.) (MN)

The International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) was founded in 1973 to strengthen the work of nongovernmental organizations and adult educators in advancing adult education throughout the world. In 1995, the ICAE engaged in a strategic planning process that resulted in the formation of the Gender Education Office (GEO). The GEO was charged with the responsibility of developing a set of core indicators to measure governments' political will in relation to implementing programs to improve the adult educational opportunities available to women and outcomes achieved by women in adult education programs. Those indicators were used to study the situation of women in Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The separate studies conducted in each country revealed a number of challenges faced by women throughout Africa, including the following: continuing underdevelopment; high rates of illiteracy; lack of access to education and training; increasing inequality because of religious and cultural traditions and a global rise in fundamentalism; and lack of women in leadership to articulate women's interests. Strategies recommended for improving the situation of African women included broadening the scope of adult education to adult learning and linking local, regional, and global strategies to improve women's access to adult education. (Contains 10 tables.) (MN)

Although institutions of higher education have traditionally offered courses to students at times and places convenient for faculty and the institution, new communications technologies allow for the provision of distance courses that are also convenient for students. Distance education is characterized by three factors: communication between educators and students is influenced by geographical distance, communication is two-way and interactive, and technology is used to facilitate learning. Recent trends in higher education, including increasing numbers of non-traditional students and shrinking resources, make distance education an opportunity for educational institutions to improve learning. Although studies have generally shown no significant differences between traditional classroom-based learning and distance education, distance learning brings the opportunity to implement new instructional designs that are more participant-centered and that improve learning. In fact, these changes are currently underway, as more faculty are being given access to technology, and the training to use that technology. Finally, as institutions of higher education respond to the need for new instructional design formats to accommodate non-traditional students, several factors unique to older, employed students should be kept in mind, including the fact that individuals' work shifts can change from week to week, emergencies can occur at jobs at any time, not all people will need to study entire courses, and presentations should be kept short to avoid interrupting the work day. Contains 12 references. (BCY)

This report from a California task force provides recommendations to improve the quality of education for the approximately 11,000 students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in California. It begins by discussing the educational barriers faced by students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, including the significance of regional programs and then highlights six recommendations. These include: (1) California should implement a coordinated, statewide, regional education delivery system for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing; (2) criteria for quality deaf and hard-of hearing programs should be implemented; (3) programs servicing children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing should have standards, assessment, and accountability for student achievement; (4) the California Department of Education, institutions of higher education, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and other agencies should collaborate to recruit and train staff; (5) a system of parent and community education and involvement should be established; and (6) the current funding system should be modified to provide sufficient resources for a quality education for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Appendices include a concurrent resolution passed by the California assembly addressing the development and evaluation of pilot programs for pupils with low incidence disabilities, and findings from a study on the education of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. (CR)

Early in the 20th century, vocational education was a concern of educators in the United States as schools struggled to meet labor force needs during the shift from an agrarian to an industrial economic base. A 1914 Congress-authorized commission studied whether federal aid to vocational education was warranted. Charles Prosser, a student of social efficiency advocate David Snedden and principal author of the commission report, viewed separately administered and narrowly focused vocational training as the best way to assist nonacademic students in securing employment after school completion. The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 specified noncompulsory programs and established a precedent of federal-state financing for vocational education. Snedden accepted social stratification as inevitable and believed most students derived little benefit from traditionally organized academic studies. John Dewey, the most vocal opponent of Snedden's social efficiency framework, believed vocational education should be part of a comprehensive curriculum to help students develop expanded occupational options. The Vocational Education Act of 1963 expanded the scope and influence of job training in schools. The contrasting views of Snedden and Dewey revealed dialectically opposed positions on desired program format and on individual existential capacity and the moral responsibility of education in a democratic society. A morally appropriate model for vocational education would be the comprehensive democratic approach advocated by Dewey rather than separately administered, narrowly conceived skills-based programs. (Contains 20 references.) (YLB)

These four issues include the following articles: "Cheke Holo Orthography: Local Tradition Clashes with a Linguist's Concerns" (Freddy Boswell); "Avoiding Tone Marks: A Remnant of English Education?" (Mike Cahill); "Nontraditional Education among the Iranun, a Malaysian Ethnic Minority" (Karla Smith); "Learning Well: The Socioliteracy of Some Incipient Literate Women in a Ghanaian Community" (Merieta Johnson); "Training National Partners for Leadership: Priorities for Training as Capacity Building" (Susan Malone); "Cumulative Index 1966-2001"; "Factors Affecting Community Literacy Programs: Assessment and Response" (Barbara Trudell); "Mother-Tongue Education in Schools in Tharaka Language Group of Kenya" (Leila Schroeder); "The Recent History of Education in Cambodia" (Ari Vitikainen); "Orthography Challenges in Bantu Languages" (William Gardner); "Training Nationals in Literature Production: An Experience in Northwestern Benin" (JeDene Reeder and Elizabeth L. White); "Transitional Literature among the Cotabato Manobo, Philippines" (Nida Guil-an Apang); and "Pedagogical Dictionaries: Ho-hum or Gung-ho?" (Louise Maranz). The issues also include reviews of books on such topics as training for transformation, misreading reading, reading instruction that works, evaluating literacy for development efforts, foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism, teaching adult second language learners, and using newspapers in classrooms. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education.) (SM)

The lack of confidence the people of Nepal feel about their political process is due, in part, to the majority's unfamiliarity with, and lack of participation in, their democratic institutions. Since 1994, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has been partaking in a broader national effort to increase Nepalis contributions to their governing bodies. In July 2000, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), NDI began civic and voter education programs in Nepal. These programs aim to inform the Nepalis about how their government and electoral system work as well as encourage them to get involved in their political process. NDI conducted a variety of civic education related activities, including: (1) building the capacity of a local civics group; (2) meeting with an advisory board of organizations and individuals working to improve civic education in Nepal; (3) drafting civic education materials; (4) conducting a benchmark survey; (5) coordinating among donors, government agencies, and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) addressing civic education related activities; (6) completing the civic education textbook and teacher's guide; and (7) conducting training of trainer's workshops. The NDI also conducted voter education related activities that included: (1) meeting with the Coordination Committee of organizations working to increase the level of voter education programming; (2) writing and producing radio shows; (3) producing and distributing a resource manual and voter education booklets; (4) introducing election officials to the training sessions for officials and the forum materials that will be used in election-related training; and (5) holding district and constituency level voter education forums. (BT)

Research efforts have shown that girls' education is a key component in improving economic and social well-being. Investment in girls' education has been related to increased productivity and labor force participation, decreased fertility and infant mortality, and increased child health. Social, institutional, and political factors that contribute to low participation of girls in school may be exacerbated in times of severe economic downturn, civil strife, or epidemic disease, and interventions to overcome constraints may prove less effective. This report summarizes the results of an examination of types of crises on the participation of girls in primary schooling. The report is based on a compilation of statistics available in international databases. These statistics examine aspects of girls' education in 89 developing countries receiving United States Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance through descriptions of trends over an almost 30-year period of time. The report's summary of the general trends in girls' education follows a brief description of the methodological approach. The subsequent section discusses the principal findings regarding girls' education in these countries during periods of crisis resulting from severe economic downturn, epidemic disease, and internal conflict. The final section of the report draws implications from the findings. (Includes a list of acronyms, four notes, and 30 tables. Contains a 33-page bibliography. Appendix A includes education indicators by country. Appendix B depicts crises patterns by access, girls and women's education (GWE), region, and country.) (BT)

This paper continues a long-standing process, expressed in current practices of reauthorizing federal legislation every 5 years, of examining the rationale for federal involvement in occupational (vocational) education. Past discussions of this issue have come to a broad set of conclusions that the federal government should fund what states cannot fund on their own, including efforts to improve the quality of occupational education, to enhance equity, and to conduct the kind of research and demonstration projects that are more efficiently carried out at the federal level. Section I of the paper outlines the historical role of the federal government in occupational education and details two important changes in the continuing arguments--the Education Consensus around the need for a better-prepared labor force and the Institutional Transformation of high school and postsecondary occupational education since the early part of the 20th Century. Section II outlines why certain changes implied by the Education Consensus are unlikely to be undertaken by states and why there remains a justification for a federal role in implementing this consensus. Section III presents an explicit argument for the need and role constraints for federal policy in occupational education, especially given limited funding and the current government attitude not to intrude on the prerogatives of the states. (Contains 21 references.) (KC)

This handbook presents information and resource materials on various aspects of Native American education. Chapters 1-2 trace the history of Native education in the 18th-20th centuries, including the loss of Indian lands and movement west, Christian conversion and acculturation as the main motivations for providing Native American education, missionary schools, the federal system of Indian boarding schools, the Meriam Report, movement toward greater self-determination and tribally controlled education in the second half of the 20th century, and development of tribal colleges and Native Studies programs. Chapter 3 presents a chronology. Chapter 4 reviews the influence on Native education of early treaties and various laws and federal legislation. Chapter 5 discusses issues in Native education: cultural assumptions and ideologies, cultural differences in learning styles, textbook content, giftedness and gifted programs, academic failure and dropout rates, and cultural preservation. Chapter 6 outlines strategies related to language skills, reading and writing, English as a second language, native language instruction, math, and science. Chapter 7 lists American Indian organizations, government agencies, private funding sources, professional organizations, tribal colleges, and tribes of the United States. Chapter 8 presents a bibliography of print and nonprint resources: articles and reports, books, books for youth, journals, subject-related resources, Internet resources, and videotapes. A lengthy appendix contains the text of six laws related to Indian education. (Contains references in some chapters and an index.) (SV)