This case study investigated the job responsibilities of district-level instructional technology specialists that related to curriculum work and the perceptions the specialists had concerning their job responsibilities and their relationship to curriculum work. Data were collected through document analysis, shadowing, interviews, and a focus group. A framework of curriculum themes and categories was created, which was then used to define instructional technology work. Instructional technology...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Focus Groups, Educational Technology, Specialists, Case Studies, School Districts,...
Academic engagement with higher education research policy in Australia, and with education policy more generally, is in crisis. This time around, it is not just that our theoretical tools are blunt and irrelevant (Ball 1990), so are our politics. It seems our attention has been so consumed by "what is policy" (Ball 1994a) and with challenging its claims to authority, that we have missed or ignored imperatives to engage with its production. Even though some have attempted...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Higher Education, Politics, Cooperation, Educational Research,...
This research examined students' responses to mathematics problem-solving tasks and applied a general multidimensional IRT model at the response category level. In doing so, cognitive processes were identified and modelled through item response modelling to extract more information than would be provided using conventional practices in scoring items. More specifically, the study consisted of two parts. The first part involved the development of a mathematics problem-solving framework that was...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Problem Solving, Mathematics Education, Cognitive Psychology, Item Response Theory,...
Emergent literacy in young children with visual impairments is examined using a conceptual framework proposed by Senechal, LeFevre, Smith-Chant, and Colton (2001). The utility of this framework for young children with visual impairments is illustrated using data from a field study of preschool classes for children with visual impairments. (Contains 1 figure.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Young Children, Emergent Literacy, Visual Impairments, Preschool Children,...
This article reports on a study on the implementation of an evidence-based guideline for the referral for rehabilitation of adults who are visually impaired in the Netherlands. The purpose of the study was to find out if there are potential barriers to the implementation of the Nederlands Oogheelkundig Gezelschap (NOG) (2004) evidence-based guideline on referral. It was conducted during the annual conference of the NOG in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in March 2005, with thirteen...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Motivation, Guidelines, Referral, Visual Impairments, Graduate...
Given the financial constraints facing U.S. schools and the expense of cutting-edge technology, partnerships between schools and corporations that specialize in technology are becoming more vital in the quest to remain competitive in today's educational market. Schools can benefit from these partnerships by receiving the latest hardware and software, and corporations benefit from increased profits. To find out exactly what (besides money) matters when principals engage in technology...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Computer Software, Guidelines, Educational Technology, Corporations, Principals,...
In this essay, the authors explore the structures, processes, and messages that accountability reforms communicate about the goals and means of coming to know history. In other words, how do existing history standards and formal curricula officialize certain orientations toward historical knowledge and traditions through which that knowledge is taught? Specifically, they begin by examining the "National History Standards" and the "History and Social Science Standards of Learning...
Topics: ERIC Archive, National Standards, Social Sciences, Academic Standards, Instructional Materials,...
Concerns about the importance of variation in statistics education and a lack of research in this topic led to a preliminary study which explored pre-service teachers' ideas in this area. The teachers completed a written questionnaire about variation in sampling and distribution contexts. Responses were categorised in relation to a framework that identified levels of statistical thinking. The results suggest that while many of the students appeared to acknowledge variation, they were not able...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Sampling, Statistics, Misconceptions, Questionnaires, Preservice Teachers,...
Despite a fall in the percentage of young people choosing this course between 1993 and 1994 (58.17%) and 2003 and 2004 (55.23%), vocational training remains the main path chosen by young people in Bulgaria. The national programme for developing pre-school, school education and training (2006-15), adopted in 2006 due to major public interest in this issue, aims to reform initial vocational training. This article presents the main pillars of this reform based on European strategic guidelines. The...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Trend Analysis, Foreign Countries, Vocational Education, Guidelines, Employment...
This article represents the culmination of a long-standing goal of the American Art Therapy Association's (AATA) Multicultural Committee to propose multicultural curriculum guidelines for use by art therapy educators. Challenges faced by art therapy educators endeavoring to meet the AATA Educational requirements are discussed with an emphasis on presenting strategies for cultural competence course development. The guidelines are divided into critical content areas: program philosophy, faculty...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Cultural Pluralism, Philosophy, Guidelines, Curriculum Design, Multicultural...
As a new reform in Australian education, middle schooling has been gaining momentum. The rationale behind middle schooling is to bridge the traditional primary-high school gap and provide a more developmentally appropriate educational experience for young adolescents. Middle schooling in the USA has gone through a "boom-to-bust" cycle and is currently undergoing a "reinvention" as research on practice and reporting of research on practice has, in the most part, been ad hoc...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Experience, Educational Change, Middle Schools, Foreign Countries,...
This article describes the efforts of a combinatorial approach of Schools Around the World (SAW) and Understanding by Design (UbD) to create a foundation for lesson study efforts based on the Japanese model. UbD provides a framework for study units rich in essential content, assessment practices and well-crafted activities. SAW and lesson study provide strategy to determine if both student work and teacher assignment meet intended goals and standards. The author discusses staff selection and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Change, Science Process Skills, Lesson Plans, Science Education, Models,...
Diminishing "standards" and "alignment" to overused buzzwords or superficial checklists masks the dire need for truly systematic and operational standards-based alignment in science education. In this article, the authors report the findings of an ongoing collaborative effort between cognitive researchers and urban science teachers to align everyday teaching with standards, tests, and research-based pedagogy. They begin with an analysis of how the width vs. depth dilemma in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Science Instruction, Curriculum Development, Science Teachers, Science Achievement,...
A major goal of education is to provide all students with the opportunity to reach their potential. Although few are able to argue with this goal, twice-exceptional students, including some of the most gifted students, are often on the brink of excellence due to the unique blend of assets and deficits they exhibit. Teachers are challenged each day to find ways to empower those bright students who may be unable to write a complete sentence, even though they are able to participate actively in a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Guidelines, Teaching Methods, Visual Aids, Special Needs Students, Gifted Disabled,...
The health education internship may be a life changing experience that provides students with opportunities to move from the academic world to the professional world. To help students better understand the transition between these two worlds this article will describe the Stages of Internship developed by Sweitzer and King (1994, 1995, 1999) and how this organizational framework for stage management was adapted for use in an undergraduate health education internship program at West Chester...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Health Education, Internship Programs, Guidelines, Educational Experience, Student...
Many of us may not perceive a link between the traditional tale of "The Three Little Pigs" and Stein's "Goosebumps" series, but Ivan, a 6-year-old in my classroom, did. I had used the story of "The Three Little Pigs," along with other traditional tales, to point out the introduction, complication, and resolution structure of simple narrative. Ivan's mother spoke to me after the series of lessons and reported that her son had come out with a surprising comment....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Gifted, Identification, Reading Instruction, Reading, Classification, Reading...
This article discusses meta-analysis in the context of research in gifted education. It provides the rationale for encouraging meta-analytic reviews, rather than narrative reviews, to synthesize the research in a given area. The article summarizes the results of reported meta-analyses retrieved from electronic databases and provides guidelines for conducting a meta-analysis and suggested resources for additional information.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Meta Analysis, Educational Research, Databases, Guidelines,...
Factor analysis allows researchers to conduct exploratory analyses of latent variables, reduce data in large datasets, and test specific models. The purpose of this paper is to review common uses of factor analysis, provide general guidelines for best practices, illustrate these guidelines with examples using previously published self-concept data, and discuss common pitfalls and ways to avoid them. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure and 3 endnotes.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Gifted, Factor Structure, Factor Analysis, Guidelines, Self Concept, Plucker,...
While vocational subjects have always been part of the school curriculum, formal vocational education and training (VET) in the last two years of secondary education has been a policy focus for the last decade. In the Australian context, "VET in schools" is defined as courses that lead to industry recognised qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework while at the same time contributing to the standard Year 12 certificate. The number of students doing such courses has...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Labor Market, Vocational Education, School Holding Power, Qualifications, Guidelines,...
There is no one definition for a leader or for leadership, but most people can identify a leader and can provide qualities of a good leader or good leadership. The founders of Eta Gamma Gamma--William Bock, Warren Schaller, and Robert Synovitz--all displayed a critical characteristic of leadership by having and acting on a vision. Leadership has been defined by many in a variety of ways. Most would agree that good leadership requires passion, vision, integrity, communication and organization...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Integrity, Leadership Qualities, Leadership Effectiveness, Leadership Training,...
While admission to a community college is simple--"apply and you're in!"--the institution itself is quite complex. Community colleges serve several purposes: transfer, vocational, recreational, and remedial. Community colleges see students through many lenses. Can we bring clarity and focus to the picture of the community college student? What should counselors know in order to help their community college-bound students make the successful transition from high school? This article...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Community Colleges, College Admission, College Transfer Students, Remedial...
Research in science education has evolved rapidly over the past ten to twelve years due to the growth of two components of most published research. Though it might be argued that they are not really new, these two components are today necessarily explicit whereas they were more implicit in the past. As research has become increasingly qualitative and constructivist, the idea that describing precisely the theoretical base from which one's work grows has taken on much greater significance, thus...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Constructivism (Learning), Educational Research, Science Education, Rural Education,...
While the role and importance of affirmative action continues to be debated, researchers have found that individuals evaluate affirmative action policies differently. However, few studies have examined how prospective graduate students view affirmative action policies in graduate school admission. This study attempts to uncover prospective graduate students' perceptions and feelings toward both affirmative action and individuals thought to benefit from affirmative action policies. Participants...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Graduate Students, Student Attitudes, Affirmative Action, Programming, Staff...
With the still relatively recent advent widespread technological innovation in the global marketplace, leading to the "information age," massive automation, and corporate capital flight to Third World labor markets, future leaders are still needed, but increasingly, future workers are not. As result, students previously educated to be future workers are now educated, or rather miseducated or even diseducated, to be future prisoners. In 1977, Foucault posited the society as one...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Multicultural Education, Sanctions, Social Control, Educational Practices, Leadership...
This article examines the relationship between teacher effectiveness and students' achievement as measured by test scores. A strong belief among policymakers and public as well as private funding agencies is that test scores are directly related to the quality of teaching effectiveness. This relationship implies that there could be a direct causality among teacher preparation, teacher quality, and student achievement. The terms "teaching effectiveness" and "teacher effect"...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Effectiveness, Academic Achievement, Private Financial Support, Scores,...
Since the Oakland Unified School District passed its resolution on Ebonics in 1998, Ebonics has been a lightning rod for controversy of all sorts. The utilitarian intent of the original resolution was lost as the debate of Ebonics became intensely political and, to a great extent, marred by existing patterns of racial hierarchy and stigmatization. Lost in this debate is the fact that numerous scholars have entered their support of Ebonics as a rule-governed linguistic system. Despite the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Black Dialects, Educational Policy, Politics of Education, Higher Education, Teaching...
Historically, elementary science teacher inservice has not been an effective means of improving science teaching for most elementary teachers. "Guidelines for Effective Elementary Science Teacher Inservice Education" were developed by Klein (2001) to address this need. This paper illustrates, through a review of program evaluation documentation, how the guidelines were implemented in an elementary science teacher inservice education program. (Contains 4 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary School Science, Inservice Teacher Education, Program Evaluation,...
In this article, the authors present a philosophical exploration of the import of a democratic ethic in making decisions concerning curricula. Specifically, the authors offer a guide for ethical decision making that is concerned with promoting fairness and acting on social justice principles. The ethical responsibilities of educators are explored, focusing on an examination of how various contexts play a role in informing educators about curricula. (Contains 8 notes.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Ethics, Social Justice, Participative Decision Making, Educational Philosophy,...
In this article, the author discusses the cultures of exceptional adolescent and teenage students within three dimensions: resistance to inclusive classroom, post-structural qualitative research on language as a discourse system or formation, and how the method or strategy of having students and teachers trans-identify. When students articulate expressions of and resistance to the dominant power relations of both school and society, they may begin to see or read those power relations as not...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Strategies, Qualitative Research, Group Activities, Power Structure,...
Textbooks are often a core element of curricula and delivery of classroom instruction and have long been a source of controversy. The textbook adoption process has become less about content and more about political/cultural pressure. Special-interest groups from the right and left exert enormous influence on textbook content through bias and "sensitivity" guidelines and "review" processes. Textbooks are now often judged not by their style, content, or effectiveness, but by...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Textbook Content, Health Education, Textbooks, Guidelines, Censorship, Publishing...
Service-learning (SL) integrates academic learning with relevant community service in an educational setting. Many fields of study, including kinesiology, have incorporated SL into their course curriculums. Research indicates that SL has many benefits to students, including exposure to a different learning approach, opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in a practical setting, career exploration, and a deeper understanding of the curriculum. The purpose of this article is to provide...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Service Learning, Adapted Physical Education, Undergraduate Study, Guidelines,...
This article explores the realities of grading and report cards within the context of standards-based physical education (SBPE). Specific objectives are to (1) identify standards for conducting quality assessments, (2) examine grading issues and concerns, (3) present guidelines for grading in SBPE programs, and (4) exemplify grading and reporting schemes that emphasize clear reference points (content standards and learning targets). Teachers need to assess accurately and use assessment to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Report Cards, Physical Education, Student Evaluation, Program Effectiveness, Grading,...
Multiple sources of influence impact the decisions about what and how teacher educators are expected to operate, including the innovations that are adopted. Some of those sources of influence (such as teacher certification boards) can demand that certain curricula be adopted, specific instructional procedures be utilized, and delineate the conditions under which candidates will be selected for entry into teacher education programs. Other sources of influence include how other professionals are...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Education Programs, Teacher Education Curriculum, Educational Innovation,...
This article presents a framework that identifies areas of expertise necessary for mainstream teachers to be prepared to teach in classrooms with native and non-native English speakers. Currently, explicit attention to the linguistic and cultural needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) is lacking in most teacher preparation programs. A recent AACTE survey of 417 institutes of higher education found that fewer than one in six required any preparation for mainstream elementary or secondary...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Effectiveness, Linguistics, Second Language Learning, Literacy, English...
This article presents initial findings from a study that examined how African American mothers from a low-income neighborhood conceptualized their roles in their children's mathematics learning. Based on interviews and observations focusing on ten mothers' involvement in their children's education, we offer a framework that expands typical characterizations of parent involvement. This framework privileges practices that are both traditionally visible and invisible to the school and highlights...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Urban Schools, Mathematics Education, Mothers, Income, Parent Participation, Parent...
Since recent studies have not found substantial evidence to support the use of static stretching during the warm-up period, there has been a growing interest in dynamic warm-up procedures that can enhance physical fitness, improve performance, and better prepare students for the main part of physical education. In this article, the potential benefits of dynamic warm-up protocols are discussed, and guidelines for implementing dynamic warm-up exercises into physical education classes are...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Physical Education, Physical Fitness, Guidelines, Injuries, Prevention, Exercise,...
This article recommends raising the bar in elementary physical education by using Laban's movement framework to develop curriculum content in the areas of games, gymnastics, and dance (with physical fitness concepts blended in) in order to help students achieve the NASPE content standards. The movement framework can permeate and unify an elementary physical education curriculum and instruction plan through aspects such as the program's purposes, learning experiences and their organization,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Curriculum Development, Physical Education, Physical Fitness, Elementary Education,...
The growing interest in youth development, prevention, and assessment has challenged professional practices relative to the design, implementation, and evaluation of youth development programs. This article sheds light on the need for continuous training and staff development in the areas of program development and documentation, using the observations and deductions from a field occurrence experienced by the author with a group of youth development practitioners. It also discusses a strategy...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Youth Programs, Program Development, Theory Practice Relationship, Case Studies,...
Purpose: Guidelines developed to minimise the risk of harm associated with alcohol consumption in Australia focus on promoting population health by changing cultural attitudes. This research study was conducted to uncover attitudes toward maternal drinking and awareness of alcohol-related birth defects within the semi-rural Northern Rivers area of New South Wales (NSW) Australia, December 2003 to April 2004. A pilot survey was conducted using a sample of convenience to gain initial insights...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Alcohol Education, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Drinking, Pregnancy, Foreign Countries,...
In an earlier edition of this journal, Paul Swan (1997) published an article called "Writing for journals: An avenue for professional development". His article encourages teachers to share their experiences and ideas by becoming writers of APMC journal articles, and in doing so, engage in professional development. The set of guidelines Swan provided for developing an article for submission has inspired this new article. In this article, the author also urges primary school teachers in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary School Teachers, Guidelines, Journal Articles, Foreign Countries,...
A survey of university business professors focused on their use of individual assignments in courses and their views on cheating and its impact on student learning. Based on responses from 456 professors (37% response rate) from Ontario, Canada, it was concluded that most faculty believe that individual assignments are effective learning tools and that cheating on these assignments is a serious offence. They believe that cheating occurs widely, but continue to use these assessments, with some...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Surveys, Cheating, Foreign Countries, Internet, College Faculty, Business...
Over the summer months, students can lose up to 60% of the math and reading skills that they learned during the year. From special ways to say goodbye to fun activities to share with parents, this paper provides over 50 ideas to keep the learning going.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Achievement, Reading Skills, Parent Education, Activities, Learning...
This study was designed to investigate the validity of the professional competencies developed by the Association of Worksite Health Promotion (AWHP) Professional Standards Task Force. The Task Force identified a competency framework that included business skills, program coordination skills, and human resource skills with corresponding sub-skills. The AWHP Task Force also recommended education degrees/certifications and desirable wellness/health promotion on-the-job-experience for program...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Health Education, Health Promotion, Health Personnel, Wellness, Sports Medicine,...
The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) table, with descriptors for the reference levels, is by far the most comprehensively annotated table in Europe. Criticism of the table tends to misinterpret it, by looking at the EQF from only one perspective or, at most, two. In this article, we set out to show that the EQF can be understood only if it is considered from at least three perspectives, namely a hierarchy of education systems, a hierarchy of occupational tasks and functions, and a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Guidelines, International Cooperation, Skill Development,...
In the debate on the draft European Qualifications Framework and the possible development of a German Qualifications Framework (GQF) great interest is being shown in Germany in a qualifications framework that promises transparency and permeability and is based on competences. There has also been opposition on the basis of the fundamental principles of the German system, which has had an impact on some public statements about the EQF. The aim is to create a GQF that can be linked to the EQF, and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Quality Control, Credits, Foreign Countries, Vocational Education, Guidelines,...
This paper outlines the genesis, limitations, and future directions for the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) in the province of Ontario. Recent assessment reforms are analyzed and examined in relation to broader Canadian and international literature. Research describing the impact of Ontario's large-scale assessment programs on students, teachers, and the school system is also reported. The discussion outlines measures for strengthening large-scale assessment within the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Quality, Evaluation Methods, Educational Change, Foreign Countries,...
Practical guidelines are offered for the use of synchronous online conferencing software by session administrators and moderators. The configuration of the software prior to conferencing sessions is discussed, and the planning and implementation of useful collaborative activities such as "synchronised browsing." The combination of these practices into useful "patterns" for specific online conferencing purposes is discussed.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Learning Activities, Computer Software, Guidelines, Teleconferencing, Computer...
Functional behavior assessment and function-based support have increasingly been used in school settings in the past decade. This increased use has come under scrutiny from some experts who have argued in the past that function-based support has not yet been proven to be effective in typical school settings with students without severe disabilities. But recent research has demonstrated its effectiveness in general education settings, and current research is providing insight into procedures...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Behavior Disorders, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Guidelines, Counseling...
Recently, there has been a renewed interested in the treatment of psychosis and it is now appears possible to modify specific symptoms of psychosis such as paranoia and delusions using methods derived from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. One specific technique that has received less attention is the use of behavioral experiments. In this paper, we will focus on the treatment of delusions and paranoia using behavioral experiments. To put behavioral experiments in the context of treatment, we will...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Psychosis, Guidelines, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Cognitive Restructuring,...
Systematic Treatment Selection (STS) is a form of technical eclectism that develops and plans treatments using empirically founded principles of psychotherapy. It is a model that provides systematic guidelines for the utilization of different psychotherapeutic strategies based on patient qualities and problem characteristics. Historically, it stems from accumulating evidence that no single theory is effective in treating all patients and common characteristics shared among different theoretical...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Patients, Guidelines, Evaluation Methods, Psychotherapy, Models, Classification,...