Presents a quiz to help high school principals determine their educational philosophy and the degree of compatability between philosophy and practice. Presents research findings showing that conventional approaches to instructional factors, such as furniture, scheduling, student mobility, instructional methods, and homework, may not be the most…

Methods that can be used by adult educators in the development of a personal philosophy of adult education are outlined, and ways to apply this philosophy to practice are explored, based on a review of the literature and interviews with education and training practitioners. (MSE)

Every college teacher has a professional obligation to formulate and articulate a rationale for his or her instructional world. Faculty members' personal theories about teaching and learning are often implicit and likely to be inaccurate. When implicit theories become explicit, they can blend with formal theories to improve the practice of…

Discusses changes in educational research methods over recent decades. Explores changing views of teaching and learning and what the changes mean for assessment and the content and delivery of the curriculum. Concludes that, to be effective, educational research must be relevant to education and perceived as such by educators. (SG)

Presents a study of Atlanta, Georgia, teacher's perceptions of the purposes of education and how those perceptions relate to the reform literature of the 1980s. Concludes that teachers generally agree with reformers and differ over educational purpose, as does the reform literature. Reports some effort among teachers to synthesize disparate views.…

Discusses a study of teacher conceptions of the meaning of history. Concludes that history teachers tend fall into five broad categories: (1) storyteller; (2) scientific historian; (3) relativist/reformer; (4) cosmic philosopher; and (5) eclectic. Suggests that teaching should be grounded in an explicit educational philosophy that is developed in…

The prevailing notion of integration of college teaching and research is more myth than reality. To make the relationship more productive, educators must change the terms, redefine research, and reorient thinking about teaching, understanding that teaching and research are distinct and not automatically linked. Institutions must implement policies…

Today's Catholic educational leaders are engaged in a building program, not unlike that of the Catholic religious leaders in the early- to mid-20th century who initiated and oversaw the building of scores of schools, hospitals, and other Catholic institutions. The goal for today's Catholic educational leaders is to design and build Catholic…

Three widely accepted assumptions about literacy education are discussed: (1) literacy is a social practice; (2) there exists a plurality of literacies; and (3) literacy educators must address issues of power. Implications for defining second-language composition ideology, research, and pedagogy are examined. (54 references) (Author/MSE)

Reviews several recent academic autobiographies in an effort to correct conservative criticism of academia as elitist, ideologically rigid, and didactic. Works by Richard Rodriguez, Mike Rose, Alice Kaplan, and Julius Getman reveal a broad range of experiences and viewpoints. Discusses the rewards and drawbacks of academic teaching. (MJP)

Several points regarding the distinction between second-language theory and practice in professional and public discourse are discussed, including theorists are rarely full-time teachers; theory tends to be imported from other disciplines; discourse tends to be authoritarian and prescriptive; and it underestimates institutional, political, and…

Divided into five parts, this anthology analyzes various aspects of the theory and practice of aesthetics and aesthetic education. Each part contains an introduction and articles by various authors. Part 1, "Aesthetics as a Field of Study," outlines aesthetic questions, case problems, types of aesthetic theory, and recent aesthetics in…

Describes the history and structure of physics education in secondary schools in China. Discusses the selection of course content. Cites the historical failure of the cultural revolution for the present bias of theoretical over practical physics. Discusses the China-U.S. physics examination and application project. (CW)

Research-based reform continues to strike a balance between the academic theories and classroom realities. This handbook provides a set of guidelines for the preparation of skilled instructors at all levels and career stages of teaching; establishes a curriculum for teacher education; and offers a forum for discussion in the field among teachers,…

This paper takes the position that many early childhood personnel embrace inclusion at the conceptual level but ignore or discount its implications at the applied or child level. Discussion of policies and practices of inclusion as they may affect individual children and families serves as the basis for recommendations for fostering successful…