This study investigated the notions of washback and classroom-based assessment within the context of the "First Certificate of English (FCE)" examination and the students at the British Institute of Florence (BIF). A review of the literature examining classroom-based assessment revealed several limitations in previous research. This…

A new Labour government was elected in May 1997 and wasted no time in signalling its enthusiasm for the education of adults. Secretary of State for Education and Employment David Blunkett gave his first speech in office at the launch of Adult Learners' Week 1997 and announced the creation of a National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and…

The Maine Center for Workforce Research and Information's website reports a 36% loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector from 2000 to 2010 (over 28,500 jobs). Increasingly, employers are requiring a more educated workforce. With only 25% of Maine's population holding a bachelor's degree, Maine lags behind the rest of New England (at 35%),…

An itinerant service delivery model takes early intervention and special education services to environments where young children with disabilities participate in their communities. Reconciliation of the mismatch that often occurs between recommended and actual practice requires support at all levels of the service delivery system, including…

Traditional teacher preparation programs and alternative certification programs are under constant scrutiny and strain to prepare students to be more effective in the public classroom and remain in the profession. The Professional Development School is a contemporary, innovative model that shows promise for retaining novice teachers, particularly…

In March 2009, Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) commissioned "Resources for Results", a private research and evaluation firm, to conduct a baseline study to explore the effects of the recent economic downturn on literacy and essential skills programs across Canada. The "Resources for Results" research team interviewed 35…

"Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' role in the professional development of teachers, exploring challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Call to Action: Landmark Study on Professional Learning Calls to Teacher Leaders (Joellen Killion); (2) Tools: Hone Your Understanding of Effective…

The National Policy on Education (NPE, 1986) of India proposed the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) as a means of evolving a national system of education, recommending a core component derived from the vision of national development enshrined in the constitution. The Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF-2007) draws upon the National Curriculum…

The construction industry is one of the largest providers of jobs in the United States. Between 2009 and 2013, approximately 20% of the 7.7 million Americans employed in construction related jobs (Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2009) would be eligible to retire. The industrial construction industry must attract, train, and retain a significant…

John Hayes, Conservative Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, is unstinting in his enthusiasm for what adult learning, in all its forms, can achieve. Adult learning has many virtues, he enthuses, not all of them economic. Learning for its own sake is "a noble purpose" while education can help build "a cohesive…

Last month, the Government published "The Learning Revolution," its long-awaited White Paper on informal adult learning. This article asks some of the key players and commentators whether they thought the paper lived up to its optimistic title. It presents the views of these commentators about the "Learning Revolution" White…

The primary objective of this paper is to suggest that researchers on workplace learning avoid an isolated learning discourse. The point at issue is that being a learner is just one aspect of people's sometimes complicated lives in the workplace, and that people may sometimes--for good reasons--resist a learning discourse if it is linked…

Professional women face many changes and challenges in their lives. This article contains the personal narratives of four women who have carried on conversations to reflect upon their transformation from graduate students to educators. In the process, they relate adult learning theories to their own life experiences in order to gain a better…

This paper explores an area of adult learning that has received little attention of late, the terrain of public education through museums and civic architecture. The goal of promoting adult learning in public places e.g. through the work of museums has become commonplace in countries seeking to encourage adult learning about peace. This invariably…

This article is focused on the concept of partnership within the learning relationship. It develops the argument that leaders' personal experiences of reciprocal learning relationships will influence their leadership practice, and thus ultimately the school culture. The examination of values and beliefs is central to this process. The co-creation…