Using the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) data, this study explored the relationship between professional development (PD) and teacher efficacy. In particular, the analysis focused on how 4 aspects of PD (format, content, duration, and quality) are statistically related to the overall as well as the 3 subscales of teacher…

Applied academics is the watchword in several West Virginia secondary schools. Instead of sitting in classrooms, junior high students are measuring floor tiles, estimating stadium seating capacity, or launching models to study acceleration; high school students are creating a complicated model-railroad layout and a computer-controlled system to…

Discusses the varying definitions of a practical secondary school curriculum and those assumptions about practicality that have led to errors in educational planning. Describes the curricular crisis in many developing countries in terms of confusion surrounding the purposes of vocationalization. Notes that educational planners should not duplicate…

Describes the community participation facet of the eleventh-grade social studies curriculum for British Columbia. Proposes a four-stage model to identify, study, and propose recommendations about a community issue or problem. Suggests that social action based on empirical research improves social studies instruction. (CFR)

This practicum addresses the finding that college-bound high school experiential/internship students who pursued stringent secondary education programs often did not have the opportunity to participate in technology literacy elective courses, and therefore did not possess the minimal technology skills necessary for success in post-secondary…

The Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) experience-based career education (EBCE) program was developed as an alternative program focusing on career exploration with the ultimate goal of career decusion making. Using two main curriculum documents ("Student Program Guide" and "Student Career Guide"), the program staff worked with each…

Reports on a study of the classroom environment and student attitudes in 38 secondary Chinese classrooms. Finds that, despite considerable cultural and political differences, the classroom environment in social studies is remarkably similar to that in the United States. Concludes that diverse activities and active student involvement are related…

This guide is designed to help educators develop a comprehensive and integrated family and consumer sciences educational program for all grades. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the family and consumer sciences program in Connecticut. Chapter 2 describes the various program elements local districts should consider when reviewing, modifying, or…

Asserts that a rapidly growing high-tech job market requires better educated students. Argues for a more integrated and holistic approach in general and vocational education. Describes the Integrated Studies Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a model of this approach. (MJP)

Offers some examples of integrating character education into curriculum and instruction through service learning and provides a rationale for incorporating service learning throughout the grades. Briefly summarizes educational research supporting service learning and identifies five critical elements of service learning projects. Provides a list…

New Zealand school education through the middle years appears to be in crisis. Sutton (2000) reports that students in the age range from 13-15 years (Years 9 and 10 of schooling) experience the crisis most poignantly. Their teachers increasingly say children in this age range are difficult to motivate, that they present them with their greatest…

This is one of a set of five handbooks compiled by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory which describes the processes for planning and operating a total Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) program. Processes and material are those developed by the original EBCE model--Community Experiences in Career Education or (CE)2. The area of…

These 38 essays in 4 units are directed toward the future of technology education. Unit I: Evolving into the 21st Century has one essay, entitled "The Past Defines the Paths to be Taken" (Jerry Streichler). Essays 2-18, in Unit II: Exemplary Practices for the 21st Century, are "Developing a Curriculum Process" (Bryan Albrecht);…

Foremost among efforts over the last decade to improve the work-related skills required of all young people to meet the demands of American's workplaces was the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills Commission (SCANS). Integral to SCANS were its three-part foundation (basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities) and these…

Recent educational approaches that have career and technical education (CTE) components have integrated work-based learning (WBL) with traditional academics. Among positive effects of the association between WBL and secondary students' educational outcomes are: (1) increased attendance, (2) decreased dropout rates, (3) increased number of academic…