Describes a study of the educational attitudes of junior and senior middle school students in Guangzhou and Xi'an, China. Reveals desires among students to continue their educations. Reports that among junior middle school graduates, there is a growing willingness to allow vocational orientation to govern educational orientation. (SG)

Describes problems with vocational and technical education in China. Asserts that (1) school density is too high and size is too low; (2) the establishment of specializations is irrational; (3) the ratio of students to relevant employment is low; (4) teaching materials for the specializations are inadequate; and (5) teacher training and employment…

Presents an interview with Gilbert Grosvenor, president and chairman of the board of the National Geographic Society. Examines student and public ignorance about geography. Describes the Society's Geography Education Project, Geographic Alliance Project, and Education Foundation. Includes Grosvenor's call for greater emphasis on geography in…

Describes the development of an introductory undergraduate geography course that applies human and physical geography to an environmental problem. Discusses reasons for the course and its content and structure. Identifies the focus on a single environmental problem, emphasis on both physical and social processes, and course design as the program's…

Describes the development by the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) teaching materials. Explains that the demand for GIS professionals and the need to distinguish between the practical and theoretical aspects of GIS motivated the project. Examines the results of and prospects for…

Describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated student soil science project. Reports that the course was designed to develop student-centered approaches to learning and to develop transferable skills and personal qualities at the same time. Explains that the project included fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data…

Discusses a study of a regression model designed to encourage geography education student interactions with peers and "experts" alike for the purpose of improving assessment training. Reports that the research also sought to identify the existence of racial bias in grading. Concludes that the model promotes professional discussions essential to…

It is proposed, as an extension of earlier research, that there is a correlation between the design of British economics programs in higher education and the syllabi, teaching and evaluation methods, and instructional materials used in them. A clear link between the functions of economics degrees, course structures, and employment entry…

A study investigated the reliability and validity of the Study Process Questionnaire (Biggs) for 352 undergraduates in a Nigerian university. Although it was found that the concepts involved were relevant to this population and scales and subscales had adequate internal consistency, cross-cultural comparison of scores was problematic. (Author/MSE)

A study investigated the effectiveness of career information services in British institutions of higher education. A survey of attitudes and information activities in 24 placement services and more detailed analyses of 4 programs are reported. Some good practices are identified, as are shortcomings resulting from indifference, poor communication,…

A study with 45 British undergraduate and graduate science students investigated the usefulness of a semistructured workshop interview to identify students' concept difficulties in chemistry, their understanding of the use of analog models, and other science education issues. Implications for use of the workshop interview technique are considered.…

A study investigated the attitudes of 99 British first-year college students toward peer and self-assessment and preferred teaching and learning approaches, including student-centered learning, teacher role, and negotiation of assignments. Self-evaluation was found to be more realistic than peer evaluation. Students also preferred guidelines for…

Describes a summer trip taken by 2 teachers, a parent, and 11 boys aged 14 to 16 to the Sayan Mountains of Siberia. The group was from a small private secondary school in the backwoods of Canada. A Siberian mountaineering club from Irkutsk led the group to the summit of Munku Sardik. (KS)

Questions the practice of impelling or coercing secondary students in New Zealand to participate in a residential outdoor education week. Suggests methods for decreasing elements of compulsion and increasing student choice (empowerment) to bring about more positive results from outdoor education experiences. (KS)

Presents leadership models for outdoor education which emphasize flexibility and a balance between achieving the task and exercising affective skills. Leadership styles run on a continuum from high leader control to high group control. Stresses safe practice in outdoor activities. Offers recommendations to improve outdoor leadership. (KS)