Joseph S. Renzulli believes the purpose of gifted education is to increase the reservoir of creative and productive young people who will make innovative contributions to the arts, sciences, and all other areas of human knowledge and productivity and that these contributions will be guided toward making the world a better place for all people. He…

This article offers a model to assist music teachers in reflecting on their teaching practice in relation to their aims and values. Initially developed as a workshop aid for use on a music education MA program, the model is intended to provoke critical engagement with two prominent tensions in music education: that between mastery and enjoyment,…

For those times when political science is again confronted with questions about its usefulness, we suggest that the classroom is a central arena for our discipline to reassert its relevance to the society in which we live. In particular, given the existence of our open and accessible political system, we argue that the introductory course taught…

Since the World Conference on Higher Education organized by UNESCO in 1998, higher educational institutions around the world have been called upon to produce educators (teachers) who are able to motivate their learners to: (1) develop an awareness about, and a valid understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS); and (2) relate such knowledge to the…

Explores the connection between teacher education paradigms and the promotion of active citizenship. Examines support for political education models in the Australian report, "Education for Active Citizenship." Inquires as to what directions for future action can be developed by matching teacher education paradigms with political…

This study investigated elements of pedagogical knowledge when students' higher order thinking was an explicit and focused instructional goal. The findings suggest a model that consists of 6 elements. It seems that, for all these elements, the source of differences between teachers' various pedagogies may be tracked to the basic distinction…

This paper starts from the premise that to be effective, e-education has to be intrinsically motivating. However, in contrast to much of the literature in the field, which focuses almost exclusively on the needs of students, the paper discusses three groups of stake holders whose concerns and motivation have to be considered: students,…

This evaluation report presents data on the special education program in the Des Moines (Iowa) public schools. The school district's mission statement is followed by a context evaluation, which finds that more than 8,000 Des Moines students receive special education services on either a daily or short-term basis throughout the year. Also noted is…

A model for a more student-centered research university is proposed, a central feature of which is the student-centered course, designed to be less faculty-focused and to have more impact on student learning. Ten key actions needed to create this institutional form are outlined. Common faculty objections to the model are also discussed. (MSE)

Instructional leadership studies are plentiful but have many shortcomings, including lack of definition of key variables, problems of causality, overrepresentation of exemplary schools, and lack of validity and reliability in research design and implementation. Definitions of "leadership" and "instruction" are needed. There is…

The paper affirms the necessity to incorporate new technology and new assessment techniques into any restructuring of the way the Florida state system of public schools now functions at the local school level. If the intent of public education is to prepare students to become thinking, contributing members of the 21st century, teachers not only…

The diagnostic-prescriptive approach to teaching clinically focuses directly on the student. The diagnosis and identification of the strengths and weaknesses of each student, both cognitive and emotional structure, establishes the teaching prescription of instruction. The changed behavior of each student in thinking, feeling, and activity is the…