Critical thinking (CT) is widely viewed as an essential skill for college students. Nevertheless, the use of CT skills in the classroom often varies across disciplines. This article summarizes perceptions of CT, including various definitions and constructs as well as barriers to its implementation in higher education. Faculty members from various…

Differentiated instruction (DI) is an inclusive method of instruction by which teachers provide multiple possibilities for learning based on students' backgrounds, readiness, interests, and profiles. Acknowledging student diversity in Canadian classrooms, this study explores STEM teacher candidates' (TCs') preparation to implement DI in a STEM…

The subject of computer science (CS) and computer science education (CSE) has relatively recently arisen as a subject for inclusion within the compulsory school curriculum. Up to this present time, a major focus of technologies in the school curriculum has in many countries been on applications of existing technologies into subject practice (both…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe kindergarten teachers' experiences with integrating play-based learning into standards-based academic curriculum in a school district in South Carolina. Play-based learning experiences were defined as instances which allow children to engage in active, social learning experiences in…

The Student-Centered Arts-Learning Environments project (SCALE Project) focused on professional development for teachers that enabled them to integrate arts into other curricular areas through a model of cross-discipline collaboration. Teachers prepared to lead elementary school students through the planning and implementation of an arts-based…

This is the executive summary for the report, "Evaluation of the Student-Centered Arts-Learning Environments (SCALE) Project: 2013 Report." The Student-Centered Arts-Learning Environments project (SCALE Project) focused on professional development for teachers that enabled them to integrate arts into other curricular areas through a…

This report explores the extent to which states (and several large cities) are positioned to provide high quality preschool education on a large scale. States and cities that are already doing so or that could do so with modest improvements offer opportunities for advocacy to advance access to high quality early education as well as for rigorous…

As English tends to be regarded as a component of basic education, most European countries, Spain amongst them, are issuing legislation to establish the content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach in educational settings. The article presents instances of the implementation of CLIL in the area of teacher training which stem from a…

This article provides an overview of one Canadian provincially initiated curriculum reform effort in which several generic learning outcomes were established. It also presents a flexible, practical, and integrated framework for the development, implementation, and evaluation of program-level learning outcomes in undergraduate curricula contexts.…

The Options Program, a vocational program using applied academic courses at the Greene County Career Center in Ohio, was evaluated in 1989-90. Objectives measured were program enrollment, job placement of graduates, and postsecondary education of graduates. Data were gathered by comparing the enrollment, placement statistics, and percentage…

Designed as a model to demonstrate one way in which English language arts common curriculum goals can be extended throughout grades K-12, this document is the integated work of English language arts educators and curriculum specialists. Following an introduction that outlines the steps necessary to adapt the model to fit local needs, the first…

This handbook describes the processes and techniques used to develop, implement, and evaluate four integrated vocational and academic learning programs in Wisconsin that included students from special populations. The handbook contains seven chapters. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the project, including the request for proposal process and…

This book examines the capacity of the career academy--one of the initiatives spawned by the school-to-work movement--to address academic reform in terms of increased education and workplace skills. Qualitative data collected as part of a 7-year local evaluation of career academies and a data set that contains transcript data on a population of…

Research, while limited, finds that service learning positively affects participants as to social development, academic achievement, civic awareness, and career exploration. High-quality programs maximize student outcomes. The difference between service learning and community service is linkage to standards and specific curriculum content. Key…

A study examined tech prep (TP) implementation in the United States. Questionnaires were mailed to a geographically representative sample of 473 of the 855 local TP coordinators identified. Completed questionnaires were returned by 84% of the coordinators surveyed. The study established that as many as 50% of the nation's high schools are…