Education & Pedagogy

Britain's Secretary of State for Education and Sciences assesses the future for higher education in Britain. The British system of higher education is outlined as background, and common developments in the field in Britain and the United States are noted: (1) the end of the rapid expansion in funds; (2) the atmosphere of doubt as to what the public is getting in higher education; (3) issues of academic standards as traditionally conceived and the need for educational alternatives; and (4) demographic trends that indicate a decrease in audience for higher education. Substantial statistical data and analyses are provided in the cases of the second and fourth developments. It is concluded that the central nature of the teaching function is essential in any attempt to take higher education into new areas. The only way to bring continuing education to disadvantaged and other new groups will be to improve the effectiveness of teaching. It is proposed that this requires: training academics to present their subjects well, an area largely neglected, and recognizing the significance of the teaching function in reaching out to groups to whom manner of presentation is an important consideration. It is felt that in valuing the teaching function more highly than is often done, higher education can be brought to new segments of the population. (MSE)

Activities and programs of the Institute for Research and Development in Occupational Education (IRDOE) are reviewed in this annual report for fiscal year 1980. The report describe twenty-three contract projects, an increase from nine the preceding year. Three projects related to handicapped populations, two projects involved staff development and counselor training to promote better service to handicapped youth, and a third involved both staff and handicapped student training in interpersonal skills development. Eight projects concerned sex equity, sex-role stereotyping, and women in the work force. The remaining nine covered cooperative education, futuring health occupations education, characteristics of incoming community college students, systems development for information needs, and special staff development activity in consumer homemaking. The report notes that the IRDOE's second sex equity film, "A Man's Place," received very good reviews, and their inservice teacher training program, "Responding to the Vocational and Career Needs of Urban Youth," was named a project of national significance by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped. The report also describes the IRDOE's in-house projects, including a demonstration of their pioneering "communicasting" program in action. Appendixes contain letters, conference notices, and meeting agendas. (KC)

The publication presents the final report of the U.S. Office of Education citizen education project, focusing on major issues relating to the concepts of citizenship and citizen education. The objective is to contribute to a clear delineation of goals, strategies, and needs. The document is divided into five chapters. Chapter I explains the need for citizen education; how the concept of democratic citizenship evolved; and the history, evolution, and core elements and tensions of citizen education in the United States. Chapter II discusses patterns of political learning among American children, adolescents, and adults focusing on both cognitive development and social learning. Chapter III emphasizes the influence of the family and the peer group on children and adolescents and describes a variety of school-based programs in citizen education. Chapter IV discusses selected citizen education activities of the media, voluntary/community groups, business and labor unions, and all levels of the government. The concluding chapter reaffirms the need for citizen education, lists 15 developments occuring within the past five years, and recommends that there be national leadership in this area sustained by a genuine commitment to major improvement. It also recommends nine goals for leadership activities, including reestablishing citizen education as a basic goal of schooling, designing professional training experiences, coordinating school and community resources, and broadening the constituency served by citizen education. (CK)

The booklet explores the actual and potential relationship between citizenship education and consumer education. The purpose is to examine key assumptions supporting citizenship and consumer education and to identify basics that cut across these two approaches to social education. It is presented in four chapters. Chapter I defines both citizenship and consumer education and points out that the approaches have a common goal: that of developing peoples' social competence. It also lists assumptions regarding schooling, particularly that education is an effective way of achieving the goal, and assumptions regarding citizen and consumer roles, including that the two roles are separate. Chapter II discusses the relationship of citizen and consumer roles, which fuse when individuals make decisions that have consequences for all citizens, when economic decisions are made collectively in the political process, or when individuals consume government services. It also points out commonalities in the two roles, including that both are subject to the same historical forces, face common problems, occur in similar settings, and that people exhibit comparable behavior in both roles. Chapter III offers guidelines for linking citizenship and consumer education by listing seven citizenship competencies and suggesting several ways these can be used in consumer education. The conclusion is that the two roles are not separate, and that the linkages between citizenship and consumer education can provide one useful starting point for integrating social education. (CK)

The history of educational programming for the handicapped has unfortunately been one of quiet discrimination. This pattern has come from the evolution of an isolation-based society. Society is moving increasingly toward the human and equity-based treatment of disabled people. Reflecting some court decisions, the Education of the Handicapped Act (PL 94-142) requires school districts to redistribute their resources to provide appropriate public education to handicapped children. Although the federal government may help by putting in sufficient new dollar resources, it is primarily the problem of local and state governments. To participate in the federal program, PL 94-142 requires states to provide equal and individual education programs for handicapped students. This legislation will impact on other programming, such as vocational education for handicapped junior and senior high school students. The impact of the resistance to encouraging the participation of handicapped children in vocational education is that handicapped young people comprised only 1.74 percent of the total vocational education population as of 1975. Research in vocational education should focus on the characteristics of people who may be successfully integrated into evaluating program outcomes, job design, and modifying existing programs. Program models for handicapped vocational education students should be validated and then disseminated. (The authors' answers to questions from the audience of research and development staff are attached.) (EM)

This study discusses the contention that since vocational education costs more per pupil on the average than academic or general education, it should yield greater benefits to its students. Focus is on examining pitfalls inherent in this approach/contention and synthesizing recent research materials which reflect the benefits of vocational education. After briefly describing the methodology (which included examining relevant materials ranging from the 1970s to the present, reviewing planning staff evaluation files at the Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education (DHEW), and gathering information through contacting persons in organizations familiar with vocational research), major content focuses on research reports in the following areas: the problem of conflicting objectives and expectancies for vocational education, overlooked miscellaneous benefits of vocational education, national studies focusing on vocational followup, postschooling status of vocational graduates, economic value of vocational education, and satisfaction values. Some of the conclusions noted as a result of the study follow: (1) Vocational graduates are doing as well as, and often better than, graduates of other curriculums, (2) perhaps the most overlooked accomplishment of vocational education stems from its assistance to important segments of society that might not be adequately served by academic or general education, and (3) vocational education is held to higher effectiveness standards than academic and general education. (SH)

This summary of three research reports presents general findings and recommendations on the subject of physical education programs in the province of Alberta, Canada--specifically on (1) the nature of the compulsory program of physical education and its acceptance by students and parents; (2) the imposed costs to students for their participation in the physical education program; and (3) the nature and incidence of injuries incurred by participants during the physical education class period, as well as during free play and in the intramural and extramural athletic programs operations. Part One of the summary report investigates: (1) the required nature of physical education; (2) the need for daily physical education; (3) the length of the physical education class; (4) class objectives; (5) evaluation of student physical education achievement; (6) extent of choice of activities; (7) student attitudes toward physical education; (8) teacher qualifications; and (9) facilities. Part Two presents major findings regarding: (1) school practices and policies in imposing additional student costs for physical education programs; (2) inhibiting effects of these costs on student participation; (3) regional, grade level, and program content factors upon varying cost levels; and (4) program finance and expenditure. Part Three presents a summary of analyses of physical education injuries by grade groups (K-6, 7-12), and discusses strategies for reducing injury incidence through preventive measures or educational procedures. (MB)

Major contents of this report are the seminar presentations made at a national seminar in which educators focused on innovations in personnel development for industry education. Of the ten major papers three established the context of cooperation between business, industry, labor, and education in providing vocational education. Three papers focus on planning instruction and evaluating instructional systems including use of case studies as an instructional device and integration of affirmative action efforts and issues into the personnel development program. Two papers on industry-education-labor cooperation describe a successful industry-education-labor council and analyze the communication process in education-labor cooperative program development. Other titles are "A Program for Improving the Quality of Working Life" and "Future Think: Training and Development...Where Do We Go From Here?" A series of shorter presentations are summaries of various research and development efforts in personnel development; individual focus is on metric education, national occupational competency testing, cooperative adult education, a competency-based postsecondary teacher education program, a program to prepare entrepreneurs, involvement of business and industry in curriculum design, and performance-based curricula for professional development. The final section contains reports of special interest groups on strategies and techniques for providing better industry-education cooperation in specific vocational education areas: trade and industrial, home economics, business and office, agricultural, distributive, health occupations, and administration and supervision of personnel development programs. (JT)

Persons responsible for ethical education policy formation in the United States must consider two factors: (1) variations in ethical awareness of a pluralistic society; and (2) the current status of ethical education in the public schools. Recent Gallup Polls indicate public demand for ethical education in the schools, although there is no consensus among parents and teachers as to the specific nature of ethical behavior and/or moral behavior. The document identifies key issues and problems of public policy for ethical education, including content and procedure of ethical education in the schools, school/community and student/school relationships, and student attitudes towards ethical education programs. The paper refers to existing recommendations by educational authorities for addressing these issues and problems and reviews state educational agency programs in moral reasoning, personal development, law-related education, community awareness, school community relations, and economic-political education. Instructional assessment by state departments of education, objectives, and criteria for success of ethical education programs are considered. A major demonstration of the success of ethical education would be public demonstration of democratic values through ethical action and manner of practice. The conclusion is that public policy makers should take advantage of public desire for ethical education and make the schools a catalyst for renewal of public cooperative actions of an ethical nature. (Author/DB)

The document examines underlying issues related to moral philosophy and points out recent trends in moral education. The main purpose of the document is to provide background information for classroom educators in Australia as they develop moral education programs. The booklet is presented in eight chapters. Chapter I introduces the controversy over public school involvement in moral education and provides an overview of moral education since World War II. Chapter II reviews recent trends in moral philosophy, focusing on works by Iris Murdoch and G. J. Warnock. Chapter III examines interdisciplinary aspects of moral education. Chapter IV discusses Lawrence Kohlberg's research on developmental stages of moral judgment. Chapter V combines ideas of Emil Durkheim, Robert Dreeben, and William Kay to provide a sociological perspective on theories of moral education. Chapter VI reviews R. S. Peter's philosophical studies of the relationship between moral education and the ideal of rational man. Chapter VII discusses curriculum planning in moral education and summarizes an Australian moral education curriculum. The final chapter offers conclusions: facts and values must be related in moral inquiry; education should promote moral values associated with honesty, integrity, humility, objectivity, and impartiality; and moral education programs must take into account a complex variety of non-school influences such as parents, peers, and the media. (DB)

This article examines communication problems in teacher education programs and cites programs or approaches and research efforts in teacher education. Needs of prospective teachers and the quality of student teaching are examined. Instructional procedures and components that may improve learning in teacher education programs include micro-teaching, interaction analysis, computer assisted instruction, individualization of instruction, and increased use of a wide range of media. Some evolving processes and movements are competency-based teacher education, simulation, protocol materials, minicourses, and self-renewal patterns. The systems approach has also been applied to language teaching. A variety of new and expanded laboratory and practicum experiences include early major experiences, continuous individually tailored experiences, teacher education centers, professional courses taught on location in school and community, internships, and residences. The interrelations among the triad of the student teacher, cooperating teacher, and college supervisor and their communications effectiveness as seen by each has been studied by researchers. Student teacher education centers have been operated to increase the effectiveness of the student teaching experience. Communication problems between schools and colleges are discussed. Inservice teacher education programs, evaluation and feedback about teacher education programs, and the dissemination and use of research findings in the field are discussed. (SW)

The CERES (Career Education Responsive to Every Student) Model Project for grades K-12 was evaluated by an outside party as well as internally by project staff (see CE 017 740). The external summative evaluation was limited to assessing project effectiveness based on pre- and posttests for the following objectives: (1) career education knowledge and awareness, career choice, and obtaining information about careers in grades 7 and 8; (2) job application skills in grade 9; (3) knowledge of auto mechanics, basic vocabulary, and career education information in auto-English classes; (4) improvement in attitude toward, and increase in knowledge of, career education among teaching interns; and (5) developing a pilot testing program to evaluate career education in elementary schools. It was concluded that CERES staff members function well as a team and receive much support from administrators, teachers, and the community; that career education seems strongest at the elementary level and at the skill-preparation level in the secondary schools; that the special education component needs more leadership, and articulation should be improved among all components; that the project has not only increased the students' career awareness but has also favorably influenced preservice teaching interns; and that a stronger conceptual framework, as well as more effective instructional materials, needs to be developed. (ELG)

An August, 1981, conference in Madison, Wisconsin, brought together the state's vocational educators to explore the work-education relationship and where vocational education is going in the next decade. In the first of the four addresses, Dean Bowles, Deputy State Superintendent of Public Instruction, described upcoming challenges for secondary vocational education. These challenges include the decline of high school-age youth in the coming decade, the demand for greater technical expertise, employer needs for more highly technically trained workers, the necessity to provide salable skills to greater percentages of high school youths, and the need for adult vocational education. Following, Harland Samson, Associate Dean, School of Education, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, outlined issues affecting education and work. He reviewed the current status of vocational education, commented on the possible emergence of the more humane industrial-democracy theory of education against the now-prevailing social efficiency theory, and predicted changes that will take place in vocational education through the year 2000. In the third presentation, Garth Hanson, Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Carbondale, gives how-to tips and examples that teachers and administrators can use to get publicity for their vocational education programs. Finally, Amanda Smith, Management and Educational Consultant in Sex Equity for North Carolina, presented ideas for building trust between women and men for a more productive work force. (KC)

If it is to play a key role in the reindustrialization of the United States, vocational education must be improved. Although vocational education has grown substantially in size in recent years, its quality is spotty, characterized by excellent programs in some communities and poor programs in others. In order to contribute to reindustrialization, vocational education must serve better its three major groups for the work of the future: training young people for work, retraining present employees, and retraining those who are reentering the labor force. Only the first of these components has received serious efforts. There are four keys to quality in vocational education: content, trainees, facilities, and staff. The quality of vocational education is affected most by what is done on the local level. Local programs should pay more attention to updating skills, keeping their teachers up to date, replacing obsolete training equipment, and servicing various populations, such as the handicapped, older workers, and rural residents. At the same time, the improvement of vocational education could be facilitated on the federal level by increased emphasis on vocational education research and development, especially focusing on improvement in teaching methods and programs, rather than maintenance of the status quo. Only if these changes are made will vocational education contribute to the reindustrialization of America without lost time, money, and human resources. (KC)

This bulletin contains English translations of two original research papers dealing with education in Japan. Summaries in English of research activities of the Japanese National Institute for Educational Research (NIER) are also included. The first research paper is a "Survey of Opinions Concerning the Reform of Compulsory Education." After World War II, the compulsory education system of Japan was reformed and converted into a six-year elementary school, three-year junior high school system. The survey points out that Japanese education needs to improve course content and teaching methods and to develop individualized instruction. The researchers also think that a gradeless system would be desirable. The second paper deals with "Aesthetic Education in Japan." A state of the art review on Japanese aesthetic education is presented and creativity development in fine arts education is examined. The major goal of Japanese fine arts education is to help children develop a rich imagination and flexible ideas. The research activities of NIER, which are summarized briefly in the last part of the bulletin, include the following: "IEA Second Math Study;" Basic Study on Promoting Development in Children Failing in Schoolwork;""Research and Development for Environmental Education Curriculum;""Evaluation of Problem-centered CAI Learning Programs for Upper Secondary Physics;" and "Language Expression and Concept Formation in Science Education." (Author/RM)