Preparing teachers for roles in 21st century learning environments has been a challenge for higher education institutions in the United States. In particular, researchers have documented that college preparatory programs should examine current standards as well as pertinent trends in the external environment as a means to tailor coursework. The…

Objective: This project collected data on cancer risk factors among urban Native American youth in the northeast to inform development of a prevention initiative. Design: Face to face interviews were conducted. Setting: Interviews were conducted in homes, at a social service agency, and in a private space at a Native American cultural event in…

A teacher education program offers opportunities to learn (OTL) consistent with its vision of what teachers need to know and be able to do. The "Teacher Education and Development Study: Learning to Teach Mathematics" of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement provides, for the first time, the…

Instrumental performance that approximates real-world models is one way in which a general music curriculum can encourage high levels of engagement and potential for lifelong musical activity. Although guitars, keyboards, and various folk instruments are useful for this purpose, orchestral instruments can also provide significant solo and ensemble…

This paper considers the case of Intercultural Understanding (IU) as a component part of foreign language learning and teaching in the upper stage of primary schools (roughly ages 7-11 years) in the UK. It is set within a specific context of curriculum innovation, namely recent policy changes which have introduced IU as a key part of primary…

Traditional student feedback mechanisms have been criticised for being teacher-centred in design and, in particular, for their absence of transparent follow-up actions. In contrast, this study describes the process and the evaluation of a participatory research and action (PRA) approach used in an undergraduate physiotherapy degree. This approach…

In 2010, schools in Scotland implemented a new curriculum, a Curriculum for Excellence, and for physical education (PE), this represented a move from the "Expressive Arts" to "Health and Wellbeing" (HWB). To understand this new position, we explored the thoughts of those who were directly involved in the construction of the…

Science undergraduate courses typically cater to a mixed-learner cohort, with a diversity of motivations and skills. This diversity introduces pressure for designers of the practical laboratory curriculum. Students who are struggling with the course need a series of tasks that begin simply, and transition to more conceptually difficult material.…

This article argues that a framework of educational leadership must be so designed as to specifically speak to the transitioning demographics in schools in the United States. Particularly salient is a framework that addresses the issue of race within a broader context of social justice. The article outlines five ingredients of such a framework,…

We present a new approach for the organization of schools, which we call the flexible scheduling paradigm (FSP). FSP improves student learning by dynamically redeploying teachers and other pedagogical resources to provide students with customized learning conditions over shorter time periods called "mini-terms" instead of semesters or years. By…

This paper describes a video case discussion project based on the IMA's Statement of Ethical Professional Practice that was administered in a cost accounting class to assess the extent to which students were able to identify and discuss ethical issues raised by the facts of a case scenario. The case was developed by the IMA to advance the…

Whether you are an experienced curriculum designer or new to Understanding by Design[R] (UbD), you will benefit from the latest design tools and the updated UbD unit Template 2.0. UbD authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe share their insights and the practical tips that have helped thousands of educators design curriculum based on the UbD…

Teachers over the world over are seeking creative ways to respond to the problems and possibilities generated by globalization. Many of them work with children and youth from increasingly varied backgrounds, with diverse needs and capabilities. Others work with homogeneous populations and yet are aware that their students will encounter many…

A hundred years ago, if people had asked a group of competent and talented educators whether any child--regardless of race, class, or gender--could one day learn to read Shakespeare, write scientific papers, or do algebraic math, all but the most visionary would have answered, "No." Only a small segment of the population was deemed capable of…

Incorporation of mathematics into biology curricula is critical to underscore for undergraduate students the relevance of mathematics to most fields of biology and the usefulness of developing quantitative process skills demanded in modern biology. At our institution, we have made significant changes to better integrate mathematics into the…