This article makes the following claims: (1) the goal for universities should be to contribute "significantly" to developing and sustaining democratic schools, communities, and societies; (2) by working to realize that goal, democratic-minded academics can powerfully help American higher education in particular, and American schooling in general,…

This paper, based on a publication entitled "Facing up to the Learning Organisation Challenge," published in April 2003, provides an overview of the main questions emerging from recent European research projects related to the topic of the learning organisation. The rationale for focusing on this topic is the belief that the European…

The "learning turn" that has occurred in discussions of education and training is here subject to critique. The change of discourse signifies more than mere change of linguistic style, with claims being made to a new paradigm by proponents of what may be termed "learnerism". The claims made by the advocates of learnerism for…

Universities find it difficult to judge the teaching of academics and are reluctant to reward them on the basis of the scholarship of teaching. Continuing tension between teaching and research, in which research-based criteria usually take precedence, compounds this reluctance. Boyer's four-tiered scholarship model assisted the understanding of…

The article explores whether the idea of a nexus between research and teaching is still influential, what meanings are attached to it and within what concepts of higher education. It draws on research into the perceptions of two groups of actors, academics and students, and some recent scholarly analyses of the issues. It argues that the idea of…

The purpose of this study was to examine how a teacher understood her students and then thought and made decisions about content, curriculum and pedagogy. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and Deweyan philosophies of experience and education provided the theoretical frameworks. Data were collected through observations (N = 38) and interviews (N…

This paper, originally given as an address to an African audience of students and academics, examines the functions of education in Africa and argues that the western-oriented approach at tertiary level is injurious to the intellectual development of students. It sets out an analysis of the processes at work in the University of Ghana which…

The active participation of women in the field of American history dates back to the earliest writings on the subject. The rich and long history of women writing, teaching and researching in the field of American History, however, is obscured by narrow disciplinary definitions of what actually counts as history and who is qualified to represent…

It is essential, in analyzing the significance of Spain's Organic Law of Education (2006), as well as its associated measures, to be conscious of the lines of broad, hegemonic ideology that pervade Spanish society and the European Union. The market reforms to which the education system is currently subject leads it to incorporate in an…

Traditional non-computerized learning environments are typically founded on an understanding of learning as acquiring silence for an effective "individual learning process". Recently, it has also been reported that the high expectations for the impact of computer-based technology on educational practice have not been realized. This paper…

This article analyzes CEE's and NCTE's current positions related to political action and highlights the increasing need for public intellectual and political activism as an integral part of organizational policy. Using Lakoff's (2005) concept of cognitive/linguistic framing in political discourse along with Kuchapski's (2002) characterizations of…

Euro-American values dominate the field of psychology, and their cultural assumptions are often accepted as universal. However, there are significant differences between Western and non-Western thinking and thus what educators take to be psychological norms are often rejected by many of the students and families they are supposed to serve. Despite…

According to this report, many Canadians lack basic skills of literacy and numeracy. As many as 6.9 million Canadian adults, or 1 of every 6 working Canadians, may require some literacy training. This paper outlines the extent of illiteracy and innumeracy in Canada and presents an overview of actions being taken alone or in partnerships by…

This paper describes a 2-year investigation of pre-service teachers in mathematics. Of particular interest is the degree to which the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" (1988), the NCTM "Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics" (1991), and…

Though many would like to see a de-emphasis on grades in American higher education, three major reasons prevent this: student motivation, student perception, and the nature of American society. Students need extrinsic motivation and grades are the most effective of all student motivational tools. In addition, as evaluation is always oriented…