Education / Educational sciences / Pedagogy Books

Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors discuss the teaching methods, expectations and current challenges in kindergarten education. Topics include designing educational material for early childhood mathematics education; additive bilingualism of immigrant children; evolution of graphomotor parameters in kindergartner''s handwriting; multi-sensory handwriting curriculum enhancing kindergarten skills; family environment as a predictor of behavioural competencies in early elementary years; an exploration of meaning in young children''s images and designs; and first aid training in the kindergarten.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors gather and present current research in the study of the predictors, learning strategies and influences of gender on academic performance. Topics discussed include the gender effect on academic results and whether personality is a factor; the consequences of evening preference of adolescents on school achievement; performance standards in higher education; developments in the measure of intelligence; disciplinary consequence effects on the achievement of students with disabilities; teacher and student ethnicity in Texas elementary schools; and a study of gender and ethnic differences and success in the enrolment of advanced placement courses.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles biographical sketches of top professionals in the field of education research, as well as research summaries from a number of different focuses in this important field.

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Book Synopsis"Pullman offers his readers essential insights into how humans reason and make decisions. Both concise and far-reaching, his work teaches us how to challenge intuitive logic and examine the processes for deliberative reasoning. This text will prove foundational for students in their intellectual journey toward the development of real skills in critical thinking. By pointing to simple yet profound examples, Pullman's text is both readable and provocative as it challenges us to consider the very mechanisms by which we understand our own cognitive biases." --Bradley A. Hammer, Department of English and Comparative Literature, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillTrade Review"A Rulebook for Decision Making is a really helpful set of ideas for those who want to learn more about how decisions are made. It is not a set of rules as much as a set of considerations that can be customized and applied by each reader—in fact, there are a few that I have not seen elsewhere. This is a book that is useful both to readers wanting to understand more about their decision making, and to those studying the topic." --Robert S. Duboff, CEO, HawkPartners

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Book Synopsis"Pullman offers his readers essential insights into how humans reason and make decisions. Both concise and far-reaching, his work teaches us how to challenge intuitive logic and examine the processes for deliberative reasoning. This text will prove foundational for students in their intellectual journey toward the development of real skills in critical thinking. By pointing to simple yet profound examples, Pullman's text is both readable and provocative as it challenges us to consider the very mechanisms by which we understand our own cognitive biases." --Bradley A. Hammer, Department of English and Comparative Literature, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillTrade Review"A Rulebook for Decision Making is a really helpful set of ideas for those who want to learn more about how decisions are made. It is not a set of rules as much as a set of considerations that can be customized and applied by each reader—in fact, there are a few that I have not seen elsewhere. This is a book that is useful both to readers wanting to understand more about their decision making, and to those studying the topic." --Robert S. Duboff, CEO, HawkPartners

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Book SynopsisCareer and Technical Education (CTE), often referred to as vocational education, provides occupational and non-occupational preparation at the secondary, post-secondary, and adult education levels. CTE is an element of the nation''s workforce development system. As such, CTE plays a role in reducing unemployment and the associated economic and social ills. This book provides a primer on CTE to support congressional discussion of initiatives designed to rationalise the workforce development system.

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Book SynopsisThe number of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students has more than doubled since the 1980s and has recently grown significantly at North American universities; Chinese ESL students from the People''s Republic of China represent the single largest group of ESL students. These Chinese ESL students have generally received their K-12 education and many of them have received their undergraduate degrees in China. Research has started to show that they experience considerable challenges in their academic studies at North American universities, e.g., their unfamiliarity with North American culture, their inadequate English proficiency, their social and emotional challenges, their financial difficulties, etc. These challenges may have negative effects on their academic studies. However, given their generally high rate of success in academic studies and contributions to North American society, with the assistance of their North American professors these Chinese ESL students do develop effective coping strategies to meet these challenges. The purpose of this book is three-fold: a) to understand Chinese ESL students'' learning approaches, academic anxiety, confidence levels of English skills, and learning challenges and coping strategies; b) to explore the impact of various factors (e.g., cultural differences) on their academic learning; and c) to examine the effects of North American professors'' teaching and assessment practices as well as their social supports on Chinese ESL students'' academic learning at North American universities.

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Book SynopsisStudent access to arts education and the quality of such instruction in the nation''s public schools continue to be of concern to policy-makers, educators, and families. This book examines the extent to which students received instruction in the arts; the facilities and resources available for arts education instruction; and the preparation, work environments, and instructional practices of music and arts education activities outside of regular school hours and the presence of school-community partnerships in the arts. In addition, this book provides broader coverage of arts education instructors by including two new surveys for secondary music and visual arts specialists; with a focus on providing a more comprehensive description of the current status of arts education and changes from a decade ago.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of capacity development opportunities and challenges and capacity building in education, health and capital. Topics discussed include capacity building for school improvement; unique challenges in developing capacity in rural and remote Australia; women with disabilities in urban Cambodia and vocational training; capacity building and sex workers in South-east Asia; capacity building in old industrialised regions of Europe and in non-profit organisations using blended learning as a gateway to practitioner education; and capacity development research in public health and the environment in the Caribbean.

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Book SynopsisMany families struggle to balance their job demands with ensuring that their children have access to a high-quality education, and for military families this struggle can be exacerbated by the highly mobile nature of their service. Family concerns about education affect readiness and retention of military personnel, according to the Department of Defense (DOD). The majority of children of military families in the United States attend public schools. A 2008 DOD study recommended offering military families a public charter school option in areas with poorly-performing local schools. This book examines the guidance needed for military base schools on start-up and operational issues; a review of charter schools on military installations; and a study recommending better oversight to improve services for military dependent students with special needs.

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Book SynopsisThe science and education talent and knowledge produced by academic research form crucial building blocks to innovation that improve the quality of life for our Nation''s citizens, create jobs and in some cases even new industries, and are vital to maintaining U.S. global leadership in science and education. The focus of this book is public research universities, which are subject to greater financial and legislative pressure than their private counterparts. Nevertheless, the health of the research university system and the overall higher education system relies on the strength of all of its component parts. This book highlights the importance of these universities to states and the Nation and describes the challenges posed by recent trends in student population growth and university revenue and costs.

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Book SynopsisWe are all born with the propensity to achieve, succeed, and thrive in our endeavours. We have certain skills, talents and abilities that can be nurtured, shaped, formed, and encouraged. The human species has a vast number of these talents, skills and abilities, and it remains a wonder as to how some individuals reach the pinnacle of perfection with their skills and talents, and why others remain simply mediocre. This book examines and explores the development of many realms of talent. We are privy to the domains of art, music, chess, and thinking. We explore and examine mathematical thinking, philosophical thinking as well as scientific thinking. The realms of the novice as well as the expert are explored and examined by some of the foremost thinkers of the current time period. This book brings together leaders in their respective fields from around the world to promote the skills and abilities that permeate their respective fields. Certain specific realms are also explored -- the game of chess -- the game of kings with innumerable moves, and sophisticated strategies is examined. The "magic synthesis" of creative thinking and metaphorical thinking, synthetic thinking and analogical thinking is also reviewed. Certain graduate realms are also reviewed. The training of graduate researchers in the development of hypothesis testing, reviewing literature, and learning methodology and the appropriate statistical methodology is also explored. And some interpersonal realms as well as intra personal domains are explored. Specifically, the training of the individuals that we know as "counsellors" is explored followed, by the domain of written expression. Also explained is the art of being able to communicate eloquently, in a sophisticated manner, energising, enervating and motivating others through the written word. This is the realm of talents, the domain of skills, and the area of abilities. We are all born with these propensities. However, bringing them to fruition is another area of concern, and exploration.

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Book SynopsisHigher education has a vital role to play in the social and economic development of all countries. The sector, however, faces a significant number of critical issues to be addressed, major challenges to be met and overcome, and significant opportunities to be grasped and consolidated. Higher education institutions are now expected to operate, manage, compete, be creative and innovative, and provide intellectual leadership in a world characterised by increasingly rapid, pervasive and fundamental change. The question of how to maximise the performance of the higher education sector in the context of such an environment is the focus of the chapters in this book, which provide perspectives, analyses and examples relating to some of the major issues and challenges confronting higher education, both now and in the future. The information presented is drawn from recent research, as well as critical analyses of existing theory and practice. Authors are drawn from ten different countries: Australia; Brazil; Belgium; China; Israel; The Netherlands; Portugal; Turkey; the United Kingdom; and the USA. The topics addressed include: the role of higher education; government policy agendas; skills for the 21st Century; the role of higher education in addressing poverty; higher education and the labour market; the future of Brazilian higher education; higher education cost-sharing policy; the impact of political culture on higher education reform; accreditation; quality assurance; improving teaching and learning; promoting technology integration; creating inclusive higher education institutions; English for academic purposes; the relationship between learning style preference and academic disciplines; quality work-integrated learning; student learning in research-based doctorates; and developing emotional intelligence in higher education students.

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together an exciting group of international academics who are experienced teachers from a diverse range of disciplines with the common link being the development of innovative pedagogy which will enhance the quality of the learning dynamic. Lecturing and teaching are both art forms, at least if it is done well, and these have to be cultivated and honed. Whether you are a student studying education as a teaching student, an experienced teacher in schools, or a lecturer at university, this publication has an eclectic and informative set of chapters which provide not only ideas but real case examples of how different teaching techniques can work with a diverse group of students with an age range from four to one hundred and four. The latest technological advances are discussed as well as making the most of the more traditional techniques. However, the key is to improve the learning and teaching capabilities of the student and lecturer, respectively. No book is complete or can be regarded as the authority on any subject and this one does not profess to be. Continual improvement in our methods is a laudable goal in the academic profession and this book will afford the reader some excellent insights and discussion points which will aim to enhance the practice of teaching and thus the learning experience of our students.

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Book SynopsisParallel to the unprecedented growth of the economy in the past 30 years, China has experienced the fastest development of its education system in its history. Despite the remarkable development and achievement in many areas, China still faces challenges in redefining its education priorities, improving the quality of education systems and education practices, and achieving education equality across its diverse population and vast geography. A group of 38 leading and emerging scholars from mainland China, Hong Kong, the United States, and Canada provided comprehensive reviews or empirical data to address a variety of core issues and key challenges in many important areas of formal and informal education in China from historical, social, cultural and global perspectives. The authors come from various academic backgrounds including economics, education, history, law, mass media, policy study, psychology, public affair administration, social work, and sociology. The topics covered by the 22 chapters in this book include early childhood education, special education, rights of children with disabilities, music education, physical education, higher education, high education equity, non-state higher education, academic capitalism, higher vocational education, rural compulsory education, compulsory education for migrant children, instructional technology, distance learning, media literacy education, teacher professional development, Chinese language education, quality education, family education, moral education, and sex education.

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Book SynopsisThe purpose of this book is to provide a special viewpoint on the development of the Finnish school system and teacher education. Understanding the success of today requires information about the past. The book covers the history, ideological background, and development of Finnish teacher education from the 19th century to today. The historical review uses a northern Finnish teacher training college of Tornio as the example. This book provides interesting information about the ideological foundation of the first teacher training colleges, description of how the ideology was applied in the practice of teacher training, and how students were selected for teacher training. The development of teacher training faced certain hardships too. What happened in Finnish society since the establishment of teacher training colleges in the second half of the 19th century affected Finnish teacher training significantly. The book brings out the special circumstances in Finland at the beginning of the 20th century focusing on the war years of 1939-1945.

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Book SynopsisThere are students who, because of a wide range of impediments (disability, long-term illness, temporary or permanent home care, particular syndromes such as multiple chemical sensitivity'') are confined to their homes or other physical environments (hospitals, provisional homes, etc.,) and consequently find difficulty in regularly attending education and training programs. While national laws on the right to education do protect such situations, the in-presence support offered to students and families is actually not always adequate for real, effective socio-educational inclusion. This is why great hopes are now being placed in the opportunities offered by the new network and mobile technologies (NMTs), given their massive personal and home diffusion. NMTs have already shown themselves to be invaluable in favouring both the individual and collaborative on-line learning of home-bound students, and the distance support of study activities by teachers.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of the new technologies, challenges and impact assessments of learning environments. Topics discussed include MyiLOGS online technology for optimising teachers'' instructional progress management; a three-pronged approach to the design of technology-rich learning environments; using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in support of contextually rich learning environments that promote higher order thinking skills, meaningful learning and authentic environmental scientific inquiry; LEGO Mindstorms NXT; instruction via observational learning techniques; the effect of computer use on Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL); an integrated educational technology evaluation framework; students'' compliance to technology-supported learning environments; student response systems and the impact on their learning environment, attitudes and achievement; visual thinking networking; collaborative approaches in virtual spaces; and the chemistry classroom environment.

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Book SynopsisThe term "STEM education" refers to teaching and learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It typically includes educational activities across all grade levels -- from pre-school to post-doctorate -- in both formal (eg: classrooms) and informal (eg: afterschool programs) settings. Federal policymakers have an active and enduring interest in STEM education and the topic is frequently raised in federal science, education, workforce, national security, and immigration policy debates. For example, more than 225 bills containing the term "science education" were introduced between the 102th and 112th congresses. The United States is widely believed to perform poorly in STEM education. However, the data paint a complicated picture. By some measures, U.S. students appear to be doing quite well. For example, overall graduate enrolments in science and engineering (S&E) grew 35% over the last decade. Further, S&E enrolments for Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and African American students (all of whom are generally under-represented in S&E) grew by 65%, 55%, and 50%, respectively. On the other hand, concerns remain about persistent academic achievement gaps between various demographic groups, STEM teacher quality, the rankings of U.S. students on international STEM assessments, foreign student enrolments and increased education attainment in other countries, and the ability of the U.S. STEM education system to meet domestic demand for STEM labour. This book is intended to serve as a primer for outlining existing STEM education policy issues and programs. It includes assessments of the federal STEM education effort and the condition of STEM education in the United States, as well as an analysis of several of the policy issues central to the contemporary federal conversation about STEM education.

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Book SynopsisThe FPeLearning System for Education is a student-based creative technology-enhanced educational strategy that addresses all the aforementioned requisites and also encourages forums for critique, aids in the creation of potential digital repositories of knowledge, and may inspire portfolios of presentations designed by the students themselves. "The FPeLearning System for Education: Systematic Research on Creative Technology Integration into Classroom Practice" provides a conceptual overview and developmental "how-to" architecture on this dynamic approach to integrating educational technology into classroom practices. By harnessing the creativity of students, the FPeLearning Systems'' design makes use of student-based practices considered beneficial to performance outcomes while promoting skill-sets deemed necessary to potential careers and continuing education. Empowering students with his or her own learning as well as developing necessary skill-sets technologically may represent the paradigm shift that education seeks to fully integrate technology at a student-centric level. The FPeLearning System for education binds education to a "Technological Constructivist" (making mean from technology) method that may provide the proverbial missing link for education when technology is the lens for development.

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Book SynopsisSchools have a mission of great importance to our nation; they are responsible for keeping our children safe while educating them and helping prepare them to be responsible and productive citizens. The December 14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, that claimed the lives of 20 children and 6 adults, has heightened congressional interest in school security. Policymakers have begun debating whether school security can be further enhanced, and if so, how best to accomplish that goal. A wide variety of proposals have been offered at the federal level, such as funding for expanded mental health services for students, funding for training on mental health awareness for school staff, funding to assist schools in improving school climate, funding for more school counselors, and funding for more school resource officers (SROs) or other armed security personnel. Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President and CEO of the National Rifle Association, has proposed putting an armed police officer in every school in the country as a way to prevent mass shootings. President Obama has proposed creating incentives for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to be used to hire more SROs in the current year. In addition, he has requested $150 million in funding for a new Comprehensive School Safety Program. This new grant program would provide school districts and law enforcement agencies with funding to hire new SROs and school psychologists, among other things. This book focuses on one of these proposals, the renewed focus on providing federal funding for more SROs as a means to preventing school shootings. It examines the distribution of and current number of SROs, the potential sustainability of any increase in the number of SROs, and the effect that SROs may have on students and the academic setting. It also examines what available research studies suggest about the extent to which SROs may reduce school violence. These are issues Congress may consider while contemplating an expansion of SRO programs.

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Book SynopsisDiscourse can be understood as the sum of linguistic usages and metalinguistic manners about a social practice. It examines language-in-use with the help of the tools that would enable us to get a deeper understanding of what is said or unsaid. Analysis of discourse would help us understand social, cultural, psychological and academic dynamics that are interwoven in the utterances of interlocutors as they use language. This book covers a range of theoretical and applied studies on the examination of discourse in various second and foreign languages learning and teaching contexts. Basically, it includes studies that specifically focus on different aspects of discourse in the teaching of all four skills; reading, writing, listening and speaking. Three theoretical chapters on conducting discourse analysis research, the use of corpus linguistics and historical review of discourse analysis perspectives enrich the scope and content of the book. Researchers from different teaching and learning settings, including Turkey, China, and the USA, contributed to this volume. The target audience of the book are undergraduate and graduate students in different foreign and second language departments, and teachers, researchers and academicians of foreign and second languages. "Discourse Perspectives on Second and/or Foreign Language Teaching and Learning" will facilitate the understanding of discourse by portraying empirical and theoretical studies on discourse. It covers quite different perspectives (eg: sociocultural theory of mind perspective, critical discourse analysis and psychological and/or mainstream perspectives) of various topics in discourse (eg: classroom interaction, written discourse, corpus linguistics, oral interviews, discourse of blogs, technology and discourse, etc). The first three chapters provide a review of discourse and how it is conceptualised to various target groups of people (e.g., graduate students, teachers, researchers and academicians) assuming no prior knowledge. The other chapters focus on different aspects of discourse both in and outside the classroom. This book provides teachers, learners and researchers of second and/or foreign languages with the tools to analyse and/or examine language inside and outside their classrooms.

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Book SynopsisActive and collaborative learning provide a powerful mechanism to enhance depth of learning, increase material retention, and get students involved with the material instead of passively listening to a lecture. Active learning is a learning style with students involved in the learning process as active partners: meaning they are "doing", "observing" and "communicating" instead of just "listening" as in the traditional (lecture-driven) learning style. In active learning, students are much more actively engaged in their own learning while educators take a more guiding role. Collaborative learning is a learning style in which a group of learners (two or more) study together in a collaborative environment. Collaborative learning is based on the model that knowledge can be created within a population where members actively interact by sharing experiences and take on asymmetric roles. Active and collaborative learning approaches are thought to promote the processing of skills/knowledge at a much deeper level than passive and individual learning. This book covers a wide range of interesting topics related to active and collaborative learning. The first chapter covers the background and a comprehensive survey of active and collaborative learning. Chapters two, three, four, and five cover the use of active and collaborative learning in programming, web analysis, and social settings, respectively. Chapters six, seven, and eight cover the applications of active and collaborative learning in mobile and cloud computing related topics. The rest of the book (chapters nine, ten, and eleven) covers a wide range of the modern applications of active and collaborative learning in several medical and health related areas.

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Book SynopsisInnovation and Creativity in ELT Methodology comprises a collection of pedagogical articles, giving language teachers a fascinating insight into the way different teaching approaches, methods, procedures and techniques can be explored in the language classroom. Written by established and emerging scholars, this edited volume covers current key issues in teaching, including four macro language skills like listening, speaking, reading and writing; three micro language skills such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, as well as English through content areas and technology -- CALL. This is a valuable resource book for language teachers, language materials developers, pre-service language teachers, and language teacher educators who would like to explore and creatively craft their own teaching practices to help language learners become competent users of the target language.

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Book SynopsisDuring the 1980''s, grade retention increased as school districts instituted policies that linked standardised test scores to student promotion and placement decisions. However, research has found grade retention does not improve student learning. Enforcement of promotional standards at every grade level is expected to ensure the competency of high school graduates and lower student dropout rates. Despite such belief, studies show "flunking" students are traumatic and increases student dropout. Researchers found a relationship between grade retention and high school dropout rates. Dropouts are five times more likely to have repeated a grade than high school graduates. In three studies involving 20,000 to 80,000 students, retained students were 20 to 30 percent more likely to dropout of school. Moreover, African American males with below average achievement had a 45% chance of dropping out of school; while retained African American males with identical achievement scores have a 75% chance of dropping out of school. While retention may serve as a "stick" for students to perform better; usually retained students frustratingly repeat the previous year''s instruction, and ultimately disengage from school. To address student grade retention, more funding is needed to support schools implement alternative programs to address students'' academic needs and decrease the pernicious practice of student retention. Despite such research, student grade retention continues as a common practice within our nation''s schools. However, student grade retention from the perspectives of parents have been hushed; and practical recommendations and programs to decrease student grade retention while increasing student achievement are still needed. In this book, the voices of parents and their children experiences are presented. Hearing their voices provides unique insight on action steps we (all educational stakeholders) can take to better educate all students. Additionally, innovative practical programs that work and could be replicated in schools are discussed. This book is a must read for administrators, educators, parents and related practitioners who seek "out of the box" ideas to better educate our students, particularly those in urban schools.

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Book SynopsisWhen does a child learn to read? Many people might say, "in kindergarten or first grade". But researchers have told us something very important. Learning to read and write can start at home, long before children go to school. Children can start down the road to becoming readers from the day they are born. Very early, children begin to learn about spoken language when they hear their family members talking, laughing, and singing, and when they respond to all of the sounds that fill their world. They begin to understand written language when they hear adults read stories to them and see adults reading newspapers, magazines, and books for themselves. These early experiences with spoken and written language set the stage for children to become successful readers and writers. This book examines what scientific research says about how children learn to read and write; things you can do with your children from birth through third grade to help them become readers; what to look for in quality day care centres and preschools to help your children become readers; and ideas for books to read and organisations to contact if you would like more help or information. Remember, keep it simple and have fun. Make these activities part of the warm, loving relationship you are already creating with your child.

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Book SynopsisThe federal Pell Grant program is the single largest source of federal grant aid supporting post-secondary education students. The program provided over $33.5 billion to approximately 9.7 million undergraduate students in FY2011. For FY2012, the total maximum Pell Grant was funded at $5,550. The program is funded primarily through annual discretionary appropriations, although in recent years mandatory appropriations have played a smaller yet increasing role in the program. The statutory authority for the Pell Grant program was most recently reauthorised by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. Pell Grants are need-based aid that is intended to be the foundation for all federal student aid awarded to undergraduates. There is no absolute income threshold that determines who is eligible or ineligible for Pell Grants. Nevertheless, Pell Grant recipients are primarily low-income. In FY2010, an estimated 74% of all Pell Grant recipients had a total family income at or below $30,000. This book reviews how the program works and provides an analysis of recent program costs and funding, recipients (numbers and characteristics), and the role the program plays in the distribution of federal student aid. In addition, this book highlights some of the current legislative issues pertaining to the program.

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Book SynopsisIn 2012, the federal government provided over $850 million to 185 Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools that serve about 41,000 Indian students living on or near reservations. BIE is a part of the Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior, and BIE''s director is responsible for managing education functions at all BIE schools. BIE''s mission is to provide quality education opportunities to Indian students. This book studies the extent to which BIE is achieving its mission. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined (1) how student performance at BIE schools compares to that of public school students; (2) what challenges, if any, BIE schools face assessing student performance; and (3) what management challenges, if any, affect BIE and its mission.

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Book SynopsisA curriculum is not known to improve academic achievements. This book offers case studies of three Connecticut districts of high, medium and low socio-economic status, three districts from a national sample that won the prestigious Booker prize mainly representing low SES districts, and 10 districts that have implemented a Balanced Curriculum with a sample of various SES districts from high to low. All of them have used their curriculum as the vehicle toward improved achievements. The districts studied have four common themes, represented by the acronym "ASIA", for Alignment, Structure and Stability, Implementation and Infrastructure, and Assessment. All districts aligned their curriculum to state standards and assessments. They had a structure for the curriculum and had stability at the superintendent''s position. The districts applied a lot of effort and attained results from implementing the curriculum and developing the infrastructure to support implementation, and they finally incorporated frequent district-wide assessments into their design. The book documents the subsets of these four areas that were present in most districts that might help other districts to replicate the findings. Research in the four areas is also documented. This book demonstrates through the case studies that it is possible to use curriculum as a framework for raising test scores. This is not normally thought of as a path to improved achievements. The fact that districts from a wide range of socio-economic statuses have used their curriculum to improve achievements demonstrates that a wider application of this direction could yield positive results for other districts.

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Book SynopsisEducation is a critical determinant for the continued success of industrialised countries and for the potential of developing countries to be realised and achieved. There are many determinants that are instrumental to the progression of societies and access to education is essential to this success. This book provides a global perspective on selected areas of educational policies that address myriad aspects of how we, as a population, can achieve what is a basic human right in the twenty-first century. Educational policy is a dynamic field that many countries place as a top priority for action since an educated population is one that can be healthy and productive. This book highlights selected areas of research, action and recommendations for policy development that are applicable at all levels of education in many corners of the world.

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Book SynopsisThis book is written by educators who have practical teaching experience, a scholarly appreciation of technology and a capability for concise research exposition. The result is a volume that provides a highly readable synopsis of current educational innovations. The twenty-two chapters are arranged in six sections: technology, online teaching and learning, special education, higher education, learning and instruction and organisation culture. This book is ideal for the practising teachers or education fellows wishing to grasp the essence of modern research on teaching.

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Book SynopsisPublic education is one of the main forces that make a healthy and democratic society. It strives to educate and to provide the younger generation knowledge and skills that allow children to become contributing citizens in their society. Public education is considered highly significant in consolidating the society and establishing its cultural and economic strength. For those reasons, governments choose to invest a significant portion of the state''s national resources in public schooling. Taking into account the costs and political significance attributed to public education, it is not surprising that governments establish some formal mechanism responsible for the monitoring of schools, intended to ensure that schools operate professionally and in accordance with national goals and policies. However, when considering voices arguing for schools'' autonomy and, at the same time, policy makers'' inclination to control schools, a dilemma arises: how can control and trust be pursued simultaneously? This dilemma is obviously applicable in all public education systems and it is therefore not surprising that they all have some formal monitoring mechanism with individuals holding positions often termed "superintendent". Nevertheless, substantial dissimilarities among different educational contexts may be found in role expectations and degrees of regulation superintendents are expected to enforce. For completed book description, please visit our link below.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an insightful and critical examination of Zimbabwe''s education system. The authors take a broad perspective and explore the most important aspects of the education system. The book starts by looking at the history of Zimbabwe''s education system focusing on its development from an exclusionary past where a few privileged individuals could access education, and proceeds to explore the country''s universal education, which followed the attainment of political independence from Great Britain in 1980. The authors then go on to examine the socio-economic and political factors that have contributed to the collapse of a once-vibrant education system that has been credited with producing, arguably, some of Africa''s finest professionals. As an antidote to this, the authors discuss service delivery models that have emerged as "best and effective" practices in education and how these could transform the country''s education system so that it can meet the educational, societal, professional, and economic demands of the 21st Century a timely focus for a country trying to reinvent itself as it emerges from a decade-long severe socio-economic and political crises. The authors did an excellent job of discussing how to maximise positive educational outcomes for every Zimbabwean child via early childhood education, special education, inclusive education, counsellor education and educational research. To their credit, the authors focus on fundamental educational issues pertaining to teacher preparation, emphasising structural, functional and sociological needs in response to the demands of a 21st Century economy. The book is an excellent resource for scholars, researchers, teacher preparation programs, professional development programs for in-service teachers, development studies programs, history scholars, and policy-makers, among others.

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Book SynopsisThis series provides an overview on education in America today, with a focus on the current issues, analyses, policies and programs being implemented and challenged. This volume discusses issues and recommendations for the best practice in testing integrity symposium; implementing teacher and principal evaluation systems; the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act; community colleges; education programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognised occupation; and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

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Book SynopsisDeveloping positive school climates and improving school discipline policies and practices are critical steps to raising academic achievement and supporting student success. However, there is no single formula for doing so. Rather, the growing body of research and best practices in the field should inform locally developed approaches to improving school climate and discipline policies and practices. Positive school climates enhance safety in the school and community by increasing communication among students, families, and faculty, and reducing violence and bullying. This book provides a guide of principles for improving school climate and discipline, as well as resources that can be used, and laws and regulations that apply to this topic.

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Book SynopsisIn addition to the role of educating future citizens, schools today respond to other social needs, especially to help promote health. The school, in fact, is a unique place to intercept the ways of thinking of children, adolescents and young adults. Very often, however, the school attaches great social responsibility without adequate support to achieve it. From this comes the need to provide educational resources to the roles and responsibilities in order to address the issues that the company asks them to deal with and that the issues of health and education are anointed synergistically. The present work aims to create a link between the promotion of health and school, describing in the first part, the international reference standards, the various theoretical approaches that exist today, and the evolution of the various models of intervention: from the bio-medical to the bio-psycho-social to interactive-dialogical. The second part, after having carried out a historical analysis of some of the themes in the last decade which have resulted in a particularly difficult management of the school (smoking, bullying, delinquency, intercultural) presents some methodological guidelines designed to intervene at the operational level, for the benefit of school leaders, teachers, health workers, parents, psychologists and educators.

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Book SynopsisThe federal government has a longstanding role in conducting education research and collecting education data, and the Department of Education''s Institute of Education Services (IES) has a broad mission to provide this information to a wide variety of stakeholders. IES is Education''s primary research and evaluation arm. This book examines the extent to which IES has demonstrated its ability to support high-quality research and fulfil its mission, the extent to which selected Education research and technical assistance groups disseminate relevant products to the education field, and how IES co-ordinates its activities with other relevant federal research agencies and within Education.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the vibrant progress of research in the social development of thinking and learning. The notion of "the thinking space" has been proposed by Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont (2004) to designate the social and situated nature of thinking. This edited book gathers leading scholars in social and cultural approaches to learning and thinking who share such initial assumption, and have explored its implications in the fields of elementary and higher education, in science and literature, with a wide diversity of population, and also out of the classroom, in the psychologists'' office or in adult''s mutual teaching. This book offers a unique overview of a largely European tradition of scholarship retracing its roots in the post-piagetian and vygotskian heritage, it explores the many facets of this tradition and opens new horizons for future research. Doing so, it highlights the heuristic power of an approach that considers learning and thinking as an active, shared and situated endeavor.

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Book SynopsisEnsuring optimal health for school children is a fundamental concern shared by families, teachers and the wider community. Medical practitioners, allied health professionals, educators and policymakers regularly collaborate in the first stage of attaining this goalin the early detection of childhood diseases and disorders through school health screenings. The value of this inter-professional practice is well recognized on a global scale, with school health screenings having a long history in all industrialized countries. Each year, millions of school children are screened for a wide variety of potential disorders, and many children are treated for disorders that might otherwise have gone undetected. This book is an important new book that examines elementary school screening programs from a number of perspectives. The history of school screenings and the ethical principles surrounding them are outlined, in addition to the methods by which screening program performance can be gauged. The common health disorders associated with young school children are comprehensively reviewed. Detailed chapters, written by international experts, are dedicated to specific school screening programs currently in place in developed nations, with each chapter signposting future directions for the field. For example, the chapters on school hearing screenings, dental health screenings and speech pathologist screening assessments provide in-depth descriptions of the individual screening programs, screening tests, result interpretation, personnel and equipment requirements and directions for system improvements. Topical issues that are currently of concern for all school health professionalsoptimal communication of screening test results to families and the need for integrated, non-discipline specific, data systemsare discussed in the final section of this book. For those working in the area of elementary school health screening, this book provides comprehensive information on school-based screening programs in a single up-to-date volume. This book will enable education and health professionals to better understand the whole school screening process and the role of other professionals in this highly worthwhile process.

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Book SynopsisAn effective planning in Physical Education entails taking into account a set of psychological, sport training-related, and pedagogical principles developed in a particular educational setting. This is a complex task that teachers usually do without the necessary time to develop it carefully. Several problems associated with this process are explained in this book. The objectives of planning in physical education, independently of the context where it will be applied, have to be aligned to the respective national standards in each country. This book explores the world of physical education in schools. It includes discussions on several topics which include a historical overview of the relation between health and physical education; new institutional designs to achieve better results for children; the role of professionally guided physical education in primary school; effects of traditional games played in physical education classes with elementary school students; school-based physical activity interventions to prevent or reduce obesity; and the psychosocial dynamics of physical education for students with disabilities.

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Book SynopsisThe book highlights the inadequate attention given to pedagogical frameworks and educational development perspectives in discussions about online learning. It reviews the apparent "technology over drive" in higher education agendas that are influenced by corporate greed rather than by pedagogical need. The author encourages a balanced focus on the use of technology in learning. Technologies, when carefully selected to add value to learning and to provide learners with alternative media to engage in learning, are expected to enhance learning. If embedded technologies do not enhance the learning experience, we have to question their inclusion in learning design. From this perspective, online learning embraces pedagogy as a framework and key focus; and supports the inclusion of technology as an additional component to enhance learning.

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Book SynopsisProducing sufficient numbers of graduates who are prepared for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations has become a national priority in the United States. To attain this goal, some policymakers have targeted reducing STEM attrition in college, arguing that retaining more students in STEM fields in college is a low-cost, fast way to produce the STEM professionals that the nation needs. The purpose of this book is to gain a better understanding of this attrition by determining rates of attrition from STEM and non-STEM fields; identifying characteristics of students who leave STEM fields; comparing the STEM course-taking and performance of STEM leavers and persisters; and examining the strength of various factors'' associations with STEM attrition. This book is also intended to serve as a primer for outlining existing STEM education policy issues and programs. It includes assessments of the federal STEM education effort and the condition of STEM education in the United States, as well as an analysis of several of the policy issues central to the contemporary federal conversation about STEM education.

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Book SynopsisCollectively, the works in this book speak strongly and eloquently to the intersections of two oft-used but often misunderstood constructs: education and empowerment. The perspectives presented here construe education broadly and variously to encompass the educative potentiality of individuals, families, communities, and institutions; paralleling that approach, the authors'' engagement with empowerment highlights and illustrates the multivalence of that construct as it is represented in varied extant literatures and academic disciplines. The editors recognize and honor such richness and nuance, and have done a masterful job of bringing together a diverse set of scholarly voices with a shared set of commitments to unpack and reflect on what is for many of us the central purpose of any kind of educational endeavor. There is much work to be done if we are to harness the potential of education for empowerment; this book elucidates the nature and scope of that work, and moves forward a dialogue about the roles that we all must play.

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Book SynopsisReading difficulties present serious and potentially lifelong challenges. Children who do not read well are more likely to be retained a grade in school, drop out of high school, become teen parents, or enter the juvenile justice system. Thus, preventing reading difficulties early in children''s school careers has potential long-term benefits to the individual as well as society. This book describes what has been learned regarding the improvement of reading outcomes for children with or at risk for reading disabilities through research funded by the National Center for Education Research and National Center for Special Education Research. The synthesis describes contributions to the knowledge base produced by IES-funded research across four focal areas: assessment, basic cognitive and linguistic processes, intervention, and professional development. This book also offers specific recommendations to help educators identify students in need of intervention and implement evidence-based interventions to promote their reading achievement. It also describes how to carry out each recommendation, including how to address potential roadblocks in implementing them.

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