This paper explores the implications of the postmodern deconstruction of the subject for the understanding of pedagogical (inter)action, most notably with respect to the issue of manipulation versus communication. The philosophical basis of the paper is the work of Michel Foucault, which is discussed in detail. Manipulative pedagogy and…

This paper reviews the book "Problem-Based Methodology," by Viviane Robinson. Consisting of 12 chapters divided into 4 parts, the book's general argument is that educational research must be grounded in problem-based methodology (PBM) if it is to contribute to the improvement of teaching and administrative practice. The reviewer first…

This book takes the form of a story, in which a beleaguered executive searches for passion and purpose in work and life. It maintains that the heart of true leadership can only be found in the heart of a leader. Using an ecumenical approach, the book argues that the workplace needs a language of moral discourse that permits discussions of ethical…

This paper focuses on Frontier High School, a new school designed as an alternative to more traditional schools in its district. While the school is still clarifying its structure and philosophy, it is committed to "honoring diversity," defined in such terms as race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, alternative…

This study examined curriculum deliberation and decision-making in higher education through selected interviews with 11 university teachers in 11 different disciplines. All were full-time and tenure-track or already tenured. After completing individual interviews the participants gathered for a culminating discussion. Examination of the data found…

In terms of their unique views of education, and adult education in particular, the question is what East and West can learn from each other. It can be answered by qualifying and clarifying three assumptions: (1) there are certain modernist and postmodernist perspectives that differ from each other and have different impacts upon education; (2)…

In recent years, educational reform movements and reports have appeared often in Taiwan. As a main avenue running parallel to general education, technological and vocational education (TVE) has been affected by a variety of claims made in those movements or reports. Some of the movements call for less competition to enter senior high schools,…

The Department of Administrative and Policy Studies (APS), University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), completed six research reports about its Conceptual Mapping Project. The reports reproduced here originally appeared in the "Occasional Paper Series" of the APS. They are presented in order of the chronological appearance as follows: (1)…

This book examines the role teachers and schools can and should play in educating young people to become good citizens in a democratic society. This book is about becoming and being civil in the everyday world that all live in and how certain virtues and values of ordinary people stand out as important to the maintenance and flourishing of a…

This paper reports on student responses from a survey examining the impact of an experimental, non-competitive evaluation policy on student learning. The policy, implemented at Stanford University for a course examining cultural differences in career and personnel counseling, encouraged students to engage actively in class, learn from each other,…

This book demonstrates the centrality of caring in educational administration. As a conceptual framework that emphasizes personal development and the cultivation of community, an ethic of caring can be used to improve academic performance, combat social problems, and rethink organizational strategies. Chapter 1 draws from scholarship in a number…

This field study report recounts an action research project undertaken by an elementary school teacher to reflect on her practice as a teacher. After a review of the literature on using reflection for personal and professional growth, the ethnographic methodology employed in the study is discussed. The teacher action-researcher took 117 pages of…

This book defends the role of public education against its critics and throws light on such current issues as privatization, voucher systems, the role of public intellectuals, critical literacy, and educational reform. The volume offers a renewed vision of public schools as the locus of public knowledge and political democracy. Chapters include:…

This publication describes the Love and Logic approach to working with students. The approach is designed to teach students to think for themselves; to raise the level of student responsibility; to prepare students to function effectively in a society filled with temptations, decisions, and consequences; and to put the teacher in control. The book…

Inspired by the work of Donald Schon and John Dewey, educators today consider reflective practice a viable alternative to the technical-rational paradigm that has historically dominated educational thought in the United States. This paper argues that wholetheme constructivism can lead to a deeper understanding of reflective practice. Dewey…