Cocurricular events are capable of providing rich learning opportunities for students. However, as the film and speaker sequence described in this article demonstrates, all too often they fail to reach their potential. In order to teach lessons and enhance skills related to civic responsibility, these events must be designed with a purposeful…

This article considers the desirability and legitimacy of denominational schools from the perspective of socialisation theory. It examines the popular criticism that nowadays the common reason for the existence of denominational schools--the religious socialisation of children--is endorsed by a dwindling number of parents, which renders the…

What is Computing Education Research (CER), why are we doing this type of research, and what should the community achieve? As associate editors to this special edition we provide our perspectives and discuss how they have influenced the evolution of the Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research over the last nine years.…

Objective: Assessing professionalism in medical education poses many challenges. The authors discuss common themes and principles in managing professionalism in medical education. Methods: The authors review the development of standards of professionalism in medical education. They define educational goals for professionalism and also discuss the…

The authors discuss environmental literacy in the United States and present a brief summary of the results of a major national study designed to attain a baseline measure of environmental literacy among middle school students in the United States. The authors include events that led up to the study and describe future directions for environmental…

Simulation designers are continuously facing the challenge of determining how much of the expected value the simulation has delivered to the client. Addressing this challenge is not easy, and it requires simulation designers to stretch their comfort zones. This article presents a ten-step approach for meeting simulation objectives and translating…

The argument now raging in academic circles pits those who espouse teaching 21st century skills against those who believe that schools should be teaching explicit and well-sequenced content. This debate has largely been framed as an either-or proposition. In this author's view, portraying this debate as one between two mutually exclusive sides…

Educators have a responsibility to teach students not only to be knowledgeable and intelligent, but also to use their knowledge and intelligence in ethical ways; that is, to be wise. In this essay, I first describe why we need to teach for ethical behavior. Then, I discuss how we can teach for ethical behavior. Finally, I draw some conclusions.

Sustainability remains a key challenge in public health. The perspective article by Fagen and Flay adds to our understanding of technical factors associated with sustaining health interventions in schools. In this commentary, the Fagen and Flay article (2009) is considered within the broader literature on sustainability. By taking a broad view,…

What role does/should national difference play in our understanding of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) as a concept and a practice? Three historians from Australia, the UK and the USA muse on this important issue. Informed by their engagement with the literature and the field, they argue that national difference is an observable…

In France, an ecole maternelle, which serves primarily children aged three to five, is generally divided into three sections: Petite (3-4 years), Moyenne (4-5), and Grande (5-6). There are typically 24 to 30 children per class, each of which has one Maitresse (female teacher) or Maitre (male teacher) and generally an Aide Maternelle (aide).…

Formal diplomas and certificates have been accepted as proof that students may receive exemption for parts of their educational programme. Nowadays, though, it is socially desirable that informal and non-formal learning experiences are also recognised. Assessment of prior learning (APL) addresses this issue. In APL, the candidate's knowledge,…

Despite widespread changes in occupational opportunities, men and women continue to show divergent preferences for careers. This research invoked a motivational framework to explain sex-differentiated career interest. From a role congruity perspective (Diekman & Eagly, 2008), the internalization of gender roles leads people to endorse…

Every community can benefit from an investment in an education that prepares its citizens to better understand and appreciate the richness of artistic expression. By making art education an integral part of every school curriculum and certified art specialists an integral part of the teaching staff, people can look forward to a future of…

Family literacy programs abound today, and many try to be all things to all participating families. Funding has eroded for programs of long length and shorter length programs need a specific focus to aim for a modicum of success. This article provides an overview of the importance of interactive reading for children's future success in school,…