Indepth interviews with informants revealed four interrelated policy tensions during development of the UK's General National Vocational Qualifications: the tendency to favor academic over vocational education, potential conflict between long-term strategic imperatives and short-term political objectives, employment and education departments'…

Discusses why it is irresponsible to suggest that distance education can provide the same quality of learning and access to leadership as a liberal arts education. Asserts that disenfranchised students, as much as their affluent and advantaged peers, deserve a chance at a residential, liberal education--not an unproven alternative. (EV)

Defines New Vocationalism as the concept of integrating occupational and academic courses in order to enrich both liberal arts and vocational programs. Describes a number of case studies and pilot projects under way at community colleges and discusses the obstacles to implementation and proven strategies to overcome them. (AUTH/NB)

The study aimed to investigate the pedagogy and beliefs of Icelandic pre-school and first-grade teachers during times of immense changes in the policy and trends of early childhood education. The practices of 2 pre-school teachers working with the oldest pre-school children and 2 primary school teachers working with the youngest primary school…

As competition for top athletes intensifies, and as challenges associated with recruitment increase, universities must develop and employ recruiting strategies based upon attributes that student-athletes identify as important to their decision-making process. The study investigates college choice decision attributes of student-athletes, identifies…

Outside of the family, schools are one of the more pervasive socializing contexts, helping children to acquire the appropriate behaviors and values needed to become acceptable and productive members of society. Traditionally, North American schools and teacher training programs have focused almost exclusively on the academic curriculum or what is…

Most current major educational reforms call for extensive, meaningful teacher collaboration. Teachers who have worked together see substantial improvements in student achievement, behavior, and attitude. For teachers, collegiality breaks the isolation of the classroom and brings career rewards and daily satisfactions. Schools benefit for a number…

The Center for Vocational Professional Personnel Development conducted a needs assessment in order to plan and deliver staff development workshops in the 34 vocational schools served in Pennsylvania's central region. Respondents from the 30 participating schools were 30 administrators and 600 teachers (371 vocational and 144 academic teachers and…

This brief suggests that vocational educators may be unclear as to whether they have accomplished integration of vocational and academic education because of the multistage nature of the process. The three stages suggest a continuum of professional growth, as vocational and academic educators first become aware of limitations of the status quo,…

This publication presents information on the primary education systems of the 10 countries that make up the UNESCO subregional network for South and Southeast Europe, which is called Cooperation in Research and Development for Innovation in Education in South and Southeast Europe (CODIESEE). An introductory section discusses: (1) the sociocultural…

This booklet focuses on reform of the professional portion of initial teacher preparation. Following an introduction entitled "Professional Education Under Attack," the booklet is organized into three sections. The first section evaluates the validity of four common criticisms of professional education of teachers, including those made…

An evaluation was conducted of tech prep, a focused, sequential 6-year course of study for high school and technical college students in North Carolina, using 19 criteria that were identified as being necessary to qualify for tech prep funding. Evaluation activities carried out by the North Carolina Departments of Public Instruction and Community…

Using cognitive science as the knowledge base for the discussion, this paper reviews why many school learning situations are ineffective and introduces cognitive apprenticeship models that suggest what effective learning situations might look like. Five wrong assumptions about learning are examined: (1) people transfer learning from one situation…

The Kentucky Department of Education's Postsecondary Design establishes school and program admission requirements with adequate educational opportunities and alternatives for those who do not meet these admission requirements. The design recognizes that all components of the curriculum contribute to the educational program of the institution. Each…

A school in a rural tribal area of Liberia is compared with a newer, less well-equipped school in a village. (NQ)