This article is based on the Keynote Address to the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Dublin, Ireland, 7-10 September 2005. It argues that we are facing the simultaneous renegotiation of the major post-war social contract (concerning the welfare state) in Europe and the renegotiation of a smaller-scale modern social pact: the…

My purpose for writing this commentary is to reflect on how one teacher attempted to utilize the philosophies and practices of Paolo Freire, Augusto Boal, and Myles Horton in a graduate level, educational foundations classroom. I take as my premise the view that pedagogical practice is political and that the processes of studying and changing…

Practices exist in Nunavut schools that were reported by "Qallunaat" (non-Inuit) teachers in Berger's (2001) study to "work," but that seem to be against historical Inuit culture. In this paper we discuss dangers in using such practices in schools that already erode Inuit culture, and also reasons to consider their use, then…

Highlighting the importance of teaching practice grounded in a consciously held, critically examined philosophical framework, this book examines the contribution of John Dewey's philosophy to the early childhood teacher's theoretical base for practical direction and decision making. A detailed account of how Dewey's educational philosophy may be…

Five approaches currently used in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy instruction are described. A group of strategies developed by Paulo Freire are participatory or learner-centered, and revolve around the discussion of issues drawn from learners' real-life experiences. The Whole Language Approach, more than a specific method or…

The research described in this paper was conducted over a 4-year period at Orangecrest Elementary School, a new school in a Southern California urban district, which adopted Integrated Thematic Instruction (ITI) at its inception. ITI, developed by Susan Kovalik, is a tightly structured program based on the idea of year-long themes which are broken…

This paper describes intercultural education in Italian elementary through secondary schools, examines intercultural education in teacher education programs, and raises disciplinary questions about the multicultural approaches now favored in Europe. A discussion of multicultural society and intercultural education touches on increases in foreign…

This paper discusses the origin and philosophy of the whole language movement, focusing on the learning theory, language attitudes, language acquisition, and reading processes employed by the approach. The roles of teachers, learners, parents, and student evaluation in the whole language approach are then examined. The paper then addresses how…

One of a series of studies on the development of technical and vocational education in the member states of UNESCO, this report profiles the educational system in India. The seven parts of the document provide information about the following: geography and education, structure of the educational system, national educational policy, management and…

This report discusses the obligation of colleges and universities to assume societal leadership embracing the challenges confronting American pluralism in order to deepen public awareness of America's history of diversity. An introductory chapter focuses on campus leadership in this field. Chapter 1 depicts higher education as a meeting ground for…

This paper examines the preschool programs of the Reggio Emilia region of Northern Italy, describing the role of Loris Malaguzzi in the founding of the municipal preschools in the region after the Second World War and discussing the theoretical and philosophical basis of the child-centered, developmentally appropriate, art-centered Reggio Emilia…

The 13 papers contained in this document represent a selection of presentations from a national forum on teacher education which addressed empowerment and professionalization of teachers. The papers are: (1) "Imagining Preservice Teachers" (Alison Brennan, M. Serra Goethals, Rose Howard); (2) "Corsini 4R Schools Empower…

The Alaska Governor's Council reviewed audited reports submitted by local school districts and other reports supplied by the state Department of Education and held discussions with vocational education administrators across the state to determine what happened to vocational education during the 1980s and to make recommendations for the future. The…

This course of study was developed for intermediate and junior high students in the Defiance (Ohio) public schools who are talented and gifted in the visual arts, providing for an in-depth and sequential development of skills and concepts. The program's philosophy stresses that, while the products of the arts are important, a need exists to…

Despite evidence of ineffectiveness, the American educational system remains tied to the child-centered, Piagetian approach to educating children. Based on the romantic notions of Rousseau, this approach maintains that children should not be viewed as receptacles of information that is dispensed by teachers but as active discoverers in a learning…