We know little about the amount of career preparation offered to students in political science departments. This lack of information is particularly troubling given the state of the current job market and the growth of applied degree programs on university campuses. To address this issue, this article presents the results of a December 2010 survey…

As readers of "Assessment Update" know, the call for assessment is sweeping over the globe, so much so that faculty and administrators are finding it difficult to ignore it--though many may wish they could. Unfortunately, awareness does not lead to an increase in assessment implementation because fear of assessment is still widespread. The push…

In this article, readers offer their perspectives on whether pre-service physical educators should be required to demonstrate a proficient level of performance in a wide variety of physical activities. They also suggest activities that are essential for all physical educators.

Elementary school students at a suburban K-12 charter school are facing a difficult transition into the secondary program. In an effort to ease this transition and retain students, the principal requires the secondary teachers to implement a study skills program into the daily curriculum. Initially, the teachers do not voice any objections to the…

This qualitative study was designed to investigate teachers' perceptions of the impact of inclusion of children with special needs on their classes. Twenty participants were randomly selected from the 25 teachers who had volunteered for the study. These teacher participants completed a survey which was composed of 62 items dealing with attitudes…

Schools are now re-designing their curricula to include knowledge and understanding of globalisation. For many schools this is a an extension of the curriculum innovation work focussed on providing more personalised learning pathways for their students. This publication is aimed to support school leaders and teachers in their journey to…

Tom Reardon, a mathematics teacher at Austintown Fitch High School in Ohio, is among the rising number of teachers who use interactive whiteboards in their classes. He uses the device to record his class lectures and offer sample tests that he posts on his personal website for students to download. Reardon found that the results of his students'…

Community and culture significantly influence value orientation, perceived needs, and motivation as well as provide the ground for creating shared understanding. All disciplines have their own cultures, and all cultures evolve through cross-cultural exchanges. The computing community has created and documented a sound body of knowledge of…

Teaching in the affective domain, or "domain of emotional response," challenges teachers to focus objectives on their students' attitudes and feelings (Woolfolk 2003). Affective domain teaching occurs simultaneously with teaching in the cognitive domain, never in lieu of it. In this essay, the acronym CRIER (complaining, responding, initiating,…

The author cites reasons for having academic teachers on advisory committees: strengthens the link between academic and vocational courses and links the hands-on aspect of vocational education to academic skills. The author suggests ways to help select academic teachers for vocational advisory committees and to involve these teachers in vocational…

Presents some of the ideas and actions the sociology department at the University of Lowell (Massachusetts) has adopted in an effort to make sociology attractive to students. Discusses the dissemination of information about the positive aspects of the discipline, the quality of teaching and guidance, and the development of a substantive…

Outlines components of fear in outdoor adventure activities. Reports ratings by 311 Outward Bound students of 23 common fears in the outdoors. Discusses techniques of fear reduction therapy: systematic desensitization, flooding, modeling of coping methods by instructors, and rehearsal of adaptive behaviors. Contains 16 references. (SV)

Discusses the division within the social studies profession between the social studies theorists and the practitioners. Points out the complexity of citizenship as the foundation for social studies. Suggests that theorists need to engage in dialogue within their profession and with the practitioners. (SLM)

Research literature, perceptions of best practices, and the wisdom of practitioners and leaders in the field were examined in order to focus on career development issues affecting secondary schools, including: (1) clarification of career development terms; (2) delivery of career development programs; (3) resources that support program development…

This paper reports on a follow-up survey of alumni (N=104) who had pursued degrees through the Education Department at Castleton State College (VT). The questionnaire was concerned with alumni perceptions regarding the attainment of outcome-based competencies. The quantitative data reported respondents' knowledge about subject matter and the…