Theorizing about teacher education and democracy is a challenging task in the year 2009. According to this author, the antidemocratic forces of the social efficiency movement have intensified with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, and recent activities of the Obama Department of Education have ratcheted up social efficiency's premise…

This paper examines an alternative view of teacher education that enables teachers to redefine their image and mission in the changing society of Japan. This vision is inspired by and draws upon the educational and philosophical thoughts of nineteenth-century American writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, and contemporary…

Explores the role of adaptation in cultural diffusion. Explains that adaptation theory recognizes the lack of independence between innovations and their environmental settings. Discusses testing and selection, modification, motivation, and cognition. Suggests that adaptation effects are pervasive in cultural diffusion but require a broader, more…

This paper originated in a Wabash-funded colloquium organized by Richard Ascough and Leif Vaage, on the theme: "Teaching the Bible for Leadership in the United Church of Canada." Professors teaching biblical studies at United Church seminaries and theological schools met over three years to share pedagogy, things that have worked and not…

Examines the history and vocabularies of the Highlander Folk School (Tennessee), an adult education school emphasizing decision-making, critical thinking, and active citizen participation. Encourages social studies teachers to become aware of their vocabularies, using the Highlander example in the discourse about the nature of knowledge and the…

Whether a center director or teacher aide, child care professionals share in the leadership process every day. This guide draws on the author's more than 23 years of experiences to help early childhood teachers at all levels make the most of their roles as leaders in the lives of children, families, and fellow educators. The guide combines…

Purpose: This article explores distributed leadership as it relates to two teacher teams in one public secondary school. Both situational and social aspects of distributed leadership are foci of investigation. Methods: The qualitative study used constant comparative analysis and discourse analysis to explore leadership as a distributed phenomenon.…

A concern for social justice in teacher education raises questions about the ways that schooling has failed to serve many students from diverse backgrounds. Who gets how much schooling is still an important issue. Equally vital is the kind of education that children and youth receive--and who decides. A focus on social and historical context…

Designed for professional educators as well as students of the field, this definitive reference provides comprehensive coverage of educational theory and practice from the primary grades through higher education. The set integrates numerous theoretical frameworks with field-based applications from many years in educational research, and features…

Asserts that aesthetic questions and aesthetic understanding provide the framework for learning in art. Contrasts formalism (the belief that art exists for its own sake) with contextualism (the belief that art is part of a social communication system). Maintains that a balanced art program should incorporate both approaches. (MJP)

This book offers an in-depth understanding of the unique challenges and contributions of urban primary schools. The authors set urban education in the wider social context of structural disadvantage, poverty, oppression and exclusion, and reassert some critical urban educational concerns. Recognizing that practice needs to be informed by theory,…

Applies educational theories of Paulo Freire to social studies curriculum development and instruction. Contends that education either functions as an instrument to integrate young people into the current system or becomes an instrument to achieve freedom and progress. Argues that social studies teachers and students should become partners in…

Focusing on the teaching of alternative dispute resolutions at universities, Claudia L. Hale and Leda M. Cooks argue that mediation should be taught primarily as a communication process that involves the joint efforts of mediator and disputants. Teachers of mediation should begin by distinguishing mediation from other forms of dispute resolution,…

Contends that a range of theories exists in the social science literature about the effects of family processes on the social and academic success of a family's offspring. Identifies major theoretical perspectives that have dominated the literature on families and minority student achievement. (CFR)

The purpose of this book is to examine current conditions for art education (what is) and ask the reader to think about what ought to be. By blending history, theory, and practice, the author attempts to provide a multifaceted model for art teachers to use as a starting point in their efforts to improve art education as we prepare to enter the…