In the current age of academic rigor, standards and accountability, the fostering of caring relationships in the classroom may not always be a priority. Expressing care for another person is a skill that can be taught and nurtured through a supportive educational environment. Sociodrama encourages each of its participants to develop…

A decade ago, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology had a few simple goals. It wanted to sharpen its educational mission, broaden students' skills, improve graduates' job-placement rates, and give the institution better ammunition for proving its worth to accreditors. It turned to the "electronic portfolio," becoming one of a small but growing…

As part of the continuing series of the Reviewing Policy section, this article examines some of the recent literature on the creation-evolution controversy. These controversies are placed within a larger analysis of the growth of authoritarian populist movements in the United States. The article then focuses attention on debates both over a number…

As the nation's schools continue to increase in diversity, teachers are faced with numerous challenges regarding how to meet the needs and strengths of diverse student populations. In addition, small, rural schools tend not only to lack in resources, but may not be adequately prepared to understand student backgrounds, unable to support diverse…

The children's taunt "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers" gives new credence to the information search process at the elementary school level. Children keep what they find, claim it as their own, and accept information without discernment or critique. This study examines the effectiveness of teaching information literacy skills through…

The 2007 Legislature enacted the Achieve Scholarship program, which provides a $1,200 scholarship to high school graduates who took rigorous courses in high school and met certain income and other eligibility criteria. In deliberations about this new program, concerns were expressed that certain rigorous courses like Advanced Placement,…

Early childhood special education teachers provide instruction to young children with special needs in order to address developmental delays that have been identified through standardized tests. Educational goals and objectives are individualized and progress is measured through legally mandated standards of practice, thus positioning the teacher…

The purpose of this study was to understand how Thai scientists from four disciplines viewed nature of science (NOS). The sixteen participating scientists were chosen from the areas of chemistry, physics, biology/life sciences, and geology/earth sciences and were separated into novice and expert groups. The scientists' understandings about NOS…

In April 2009 a workshop was held to explore how engineering curricula could be enhanced to better prepare future engineers. The workshop, summarized in this volume, included individuals from industry, academia, government agencies, and professional societies. During the workshop participants addressed the rationale for the scope and sequence of…

A wide variety of universities are engaged in service-learning activities that create opportunities for K-12 students to interact with university students. Engaging students in their communities and working toward social justice in a variety of settings provides positive outcomes for communities, university students and the K-12 students involved.…

In this study, a group of teacher educators converse about their teaching practice in light of a new provincial K-12 program of social studies. The most noteworthy feature of this new program is its explicit call for teachers to include Aboriginal and Francophone perspectives as they teach to the program's two central themes of…

Purpose: As a way of focusing curriculum development and learning outcomes universities have introduced graduate attributes, which their students should develop during their degree course. Some of these attributes are discipline-specific, others are generic to all professions. The development of these attributes can be promoted by the careful use…

This article explores the extent to which aspiring entrants to the performing arts industry have to develop both the forms of "vocational practice" employers require and "social capital" to enable them to operate effectively in external labour markets (i.e. contract-based and networked-generated work). It focuses on the work of…

The motivation of mid-career students can be expected to be more considered and intense than students whose studies continue from undergraduate programmes. How students perceive their personal circumstances and their career when they first make the decision to enrol and what happens as a result of their studies can reveal how mid-career management…

This article outlines and discusses the fundamental parts of the current "Portuguese Assessment System" for both basic mandatory education (Grades 1-9) and secondary education (Grades 10-12). It provides a brief description of some of the most relevant current curriculum development trends such as: (1) the emphasis on vocational…