Terms such as recreation, leisure, functions of spare time, physical hygiene, mental hygiene or forms of spare time are among the issues discussed in the branch of educational science. The majority of educationalists are convinced that the issue of active leisure should form part of the core curriculum and should be an objective of education in…

In this commentary, the author uses New Literacy Studies theories to examine the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). Through analysis and critique of the CCSSI and related reform efforts underway in the United States, the author discusses how policy mandates can and have resulted in paradoxes. Corporate discourses of effectiveness and…

Curricula for Computer Science (CS) degrees are characterized by the strong occupational orientation of the discipline. In the BSc degree structure, with clearly separate CS core studies, the learning skills for these and other required courses may vary a lot, which is shown in students' overall performance. To analyze this situation, we apply…

Dutch comprehensive education eventually failed on a political level, despite support from many politicians, labour unions and branches in the educational practice. In the early 1970s denominational political parties strove for a Middle School to provide equal opportunities of all children by postponing school choice. From 1973 onwards, however,…

ACTA's report "The Cost of Chaos in the Curriculum" reveals that the vast array of course choices given to college students is a cause of exploding costs and poor academic outcomes. And a bloated undergraduate curriculum is particularly detrimental to the success of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The report documents how…

As science teacher educators attempt to prepare teachers to underscore the aims of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) alongside the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (NGAC and CCSSO, 2010), they must pay close attention to the intersection of these two content areas. To address this challenge, the authors (a…

Study abroad has been a part of the curricular and co-curricular programming of higher education since 1875. Yet, despite the long history, a literature search revealed that study abroad is the least examined of the high impact practices (HIPs) related to engagement theory. Further, despite its promise as a retention strategy, study abroad has…

Leadership educators looking to successfully create and implement an interdisciplinary leadership minor can often find themselves overwhelmed and apprehensive. Little exists to help guide our way as we attempt what often is an initial academic beachhead on campus. This paper explores the creation, implementation, and outcomes of a…

In the Finnish National core curricula for religions, the aims of religious socialisation have been replaced with aims of personal identity development. This shift of aims is also prevalent in many other countries, but the practical implications of it are not clear. This paper presents the results of a case study examining different ways of…

This study investigates how and to what extent preservice and inservice early childhood educators are being prepared to develop mathematics skills and processes in young children, age birth to five, in one southeastern state in the United States. Utilizing a multi-phase mixed methods study and a follow-up survey central to the research question,…

This paper discusses a student research project that is part of an advanced cost accounting class. The project emphasizes active learning, integrates cost accounting with macroeconomics and statistics by "learning by doing" using real world data. Students analyze sales data for a publicly listed company by focusing on the company's…

It has been said that while history shapes the hand a state is dealt, public policy determines how the hand is played. State policy for K-12 education--and, by extension, for arts education--is shaped through the actions of various state governmental entities--governors, legislatures, courts, and commissioners and boards of education--in response…

Unlike most disciplinary-based academic programs, interdisciplinary international studies programs vary considerably in terms of their core curricula. They need to fit within the institutional context in which they operate and must insure that there are sufficient faculty and resources available so that required courses are accessible on a regular…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) explicitly call for a wide variety of writing assignments in all subjects, with special emphasis on informational writing and argumentation (National Governors Association). In a footnote to the 6-12 writing standards, the CCSS point out that "these broad types of writing include many subgenres"…

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released in April 2013. As was done for the two public drafts that preceded it, and for the National Research Council (NRC) framework on which it is based, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute asked their expert reviewers to evaluate these standards against their criteria for content, rigor, clarity,…