Action competence has been a key concept in educational circles in Denmark since the 1980s. This paper explores the relationship between the action competence approach and recent discourses of education for sustainable development (ESD), competence and quality criteria. First we argue that action competence is an educational ideal, referring to…

In the past fifteen years the volume of humanities education has not diminished. Nevertheless, there are indications that all is not well in humanities education. What is the root of the problem? Looking at the general situation, it is reasonable to say that "university education is shunting humanities discourse aside." This is a complex…

This article reviews the concepts and methods of Bayesian statistical analysis, which can offer innovative and powerful solutions to some challenging analytical problems that characterize developmental research. In this article, we demonstrate the utility of Bayesian analysis, explain its unique adeptness in some circumstances, address some…

For a long time in Russia, education was conducted in isolation from any fundamental theological conceptions of the universe. However, religion not only harmoniously synthesized in itself the culture of the world and universal human values, it also served to mitigate the harsh influence of many social doctrines on the spiritual and moral…

Character is defined broadly by leading authorities, including concepts such as practicing apt behavior and teaching right from wrong. Virtue and moral undertones tend to pervade most experts' use of character, although in secular settings, the notion of ethics is more prominent. Overall, developing in students a desire for the good is how most…

David Purpel, Professor Emeritus in the School of Education of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, delivered the keynote address at a conference hosted by the Kuyers Institute in October 2007. Entitled "Reimagining Educational Excellence," the conference explored how the call of Micah 6:8 can reframe our visions of educational…

School board members, administrators, and parents like to think of children as hard working and honest in their academic endeavors. According to recent surveys, that's a misperception. Rutgers Management Education Center reports 75% of the 4,500 high school students surveyed engaged in serious cheating and 88% judged cheating to be "common" among…

These are challenging times for education. The public holds schools and teachers more accountable for student learning, as demonstrated by everyone's expectations for stronger student performances on standardized tests and higher graduation rates. Unfortunately, the increased emphasis on reading, mathematics, and science to prepare students for a…

End-of-life care is continuously becoming an issue of paramount importance given an increase in medical advances, the aging of the population, and the movement toward contributing toward a quality of life among terminally ill patients. However, there is a dearth in literature related to this topic specifically in terms of preparing counselors to…

Speaking to the issue of spiritual development from her extensive experience as a youth work practitioner, the author notes several ideas she finds particularly compelling, among them that spiritual development interacts with, yet is distinct from, moral and religious development; that spiritual development is a core construct of identity…

In this paper, we used the "Moral Judgment Test" (MJT), an instrument that was developed by German psychologist, Georg Lind in 1976, along with some additional items, administered after the standard MJT. The participants were 724 Chinese adolescents whose ages ranged from 14 to 27 years of age. The results show that there was considerable…

Ethical issues about conducting sexuality education often arise. This paper describes one system of ethics and how the sexuality educator can use that system to determine whether an action is moral or immoral and, therefore, the appropriate action to take for that sexuality educator to be consistent with his or her values. Ethical principles are…

Across the United States, school districts are working to turnaround their lowest performing schools in order to meet the requirements of Adequate Yearly Progress mandated by the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001. These failing schools are facing district, state, and federal sanctions of closure, takeover, or restructuring. A new…

There is a wise proverb that insists it takes a whole village to raise a child to adulthood. In light of the expanding convolution of contemporary values, it is especially important to attentively nurture the inherent desire in each developing human person to seek good and avoid evil, especially during the critical years of adolescent formation.…

This article explores the need for alternative rhetorics that address systemic marginalization in American society and in the practice of rhetoric and composition. Specifically, three concepts from queer theory--"intersectionality," "copresence," and "disidentification"--are used as a basis for defining an alternative rhetoric. Then, in the bulk…