(1998). Teachers' Views of Moral-Education Topics–Taiwan and the USA. International Review of Education/Internationale Zeitschrift fuer Erziehungswissenschaft/Revue Internationale de l'Education, v44 n1 p65-85. Surveys teachers in Taiwan and the United States to judge among 20 moral issues as appropriate subjects of study in grade six of primary school and in freshman year of college. Finds a great diversity of responses within each group. Identifies some differences between the respondents in the two countries. Contains 51 references. (VWC)…
(2001). The Linguistic Nature of Language and Communication. English Journal, v90 n4 p113-18 Mar. Discusses five recent books about language that address issues that arise in classrooms with an increasing number of diverse dialects and varied home languages. Discusses the complexities of language, misunderstandings in the Ebonics controversy, socioeducational issues, and classroom ideas for teachers. Describes two web sites. (SR)…
(1993). Educating for Peace and Justice: Religious Dimensions, Grades 7-12. 8th Edition. This manual examines peace and justice themes with an interfaith focus. Each unit begins with an overview of the unit, the teaching procedure suggested for the unit and helpful resources noted. The volume contains the following units: (1) "Of Dreams and Vision"; (2) "The Prophets: Bearers of the Vision"; (3) "Faith and Culture Contrasts"; (4) "Making the Connections: Social Analysis, Social Sin, and Social Change"; (5) "Reconciliation: Turning Enemies and Strangers into Friends"; (6) "Interracial Reconciliation"; (7) "Interreligious Reconciliation"; (8) "International Reconciliation"; (9) "Conscientious Decision-Making about War and Peace Issues"; (10) "Solidarity with the Poor"; and (11) "Reconciliation with the Earth." Seven appendices conclude the document. (EH)… [PDF]
(2007). Dealing with Diversity in a Virtual Learning Community across Two Universities. South African Journal of Higher Education, v21 n7 p893-906. The authors report on their experiences as participants in the Community, Self and Identity Project; a collaborative teaching and research project between the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University. The project aimed to provide fourth year social work and psychology students the opportunity to become part of a shared "community of practice", where students could work and learn together, and become co-creators of knowledge. It provided the participating students with the opportunity to engage in critical interactions with one another, across racial and class differences. One of the researchers and facilitator for the project, together with four of the participating students, describe their overall impressions of the project; the challenges faced in talking about differences; the effects of facilitation; and some of the group polarization that emerged. The authors conclude that the contact provided by the CSI project, may not have reduced prejudices,… [Direct]
(1995). The Ethnocultural Preparation of Teachers. This paper presentes the preliminary findings from a doctoral research on the ethnocultural preparation of teachers in western Canada. This three-stage study explored what steps, if any, are taken to prepare teachers so that they might be successful educators of ethnoculturally diverse student populations. Data were collected from 450 teachers working in 3 distinct sociogeographic environments in western Canada, including urban, rural, and isolated areas. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies was used, combining positivistic and anthropological approaches. Stage 1 involved a survey questionnaire of 150 teachers in each of the 3 settings. Stages 2 and 3 are still in progress; they involve structured telephone interviews with a sample of the respondents and longer, open-ended interviews with three respondents. Preliminary findings suggest that little of the reported literature concerning the preparation of effective teachers for ethnoculturally diverse schools is… [PDF]
(1996). Revisiting the Lau Decision: 20 Years After. Proceedings of a National Commemorative Symposium (San Francisco, California, November 3-4, 1994). The "Lau" decision of 1974, which was related to the education of Chinese-speaking students in San Francisco (California), ushered in new programs, teaching approaches, frameworks, legislation, and government agencies designed to redress fundamental inequities in the educational opportunities available to language minority students. This symposium was held to explore progress and lack of progress in equitable education. A historical overview of the "Lau" decision and its impact was provided by Ling-Chi Wang, Edward A. De Avila, and Edward Steinman. A panel discussion emphasizing the current state of language minority education followed. Summaries are presented of the following symposium strands, most of which were discussed over both days of the conference: (1) "Social Impact" (Kenji Ima) and "Special Response to the Social Impact" (Alicia Sosa); (2) "Legal/Legislative Policy" (John Affeldt); (3) "Teacher Education" (Jack…
(1991). Schools, Teacher Preparation, and Afrocentricity: Is There a Possibility for Connection?. Schools fail to meet the schooling needs of many nonwhite students. Afrocentricity, a new curricular movement that looks through African eyes, focuses on improving schooling experiences for African-Americans. Some proponents view it as an answer to African-American student underachievement and say it enhances self-esteem, achievement levels, ethnic pride, academic performance, and positive identity formation. This position presents two new challenges. The first is the need to analyze implications of the dissimilar demographic profiles of the current White teacher trainee force and the increasing minority public school student population. The second is to analyze the congruity between the purposes of schools within the larger society, the role of teacher preparation within the purposes, and the goals of Afrocentric curriculum. Though 20 percent of all school-aged children are from minority groups, only 5 percent of teachers are black. Researchers question the probability of a…
(1987). Making the Best of Two Worlds: An Anthropological Approach to the Development of Bilingual Education Materials in Southwestern Alaska. For the Yupik Eskimos of southwestern Alaska, a primary goal of bilingual-bicultural education is to forge a society that represents the "best of two worlds." While this is an expressed ideal, educational programs have focused on first and second language learning and have not dealt with the relationship between Yupik and non-Yupik cultures or with the concept of culture change. This thesis describes a secondary-level bilingual-bicultural program designed by an anthropologist to address such issues. Background information is provided on Yupik culture and language and on the history of bilingual education in the region. The results of a survey of parent, teacher, student, and administrator opinions of bilingual education are summarized. The collaboration of the ethnographer with Native teachers in the development of instructional materials and methods is discussed. The paper discusses in detail the program projects that guide students to examine personal values in light of… [PDF]
(1986). Native Music in College Curricula?. Wicazo Sa Review, v2 n2 p56-65 Fall. Culminating a 10-year effort to include the study of Native Americans and their music as it reflects cultural realities, life, thought, religion, and history as a choice in requirements for graduation, the elective course, "Native Music of North America," is now recognized at Washington State University as meeting both "Humanities" and "Intercultural" needs for undergraduate students. This recognition attests to the worth of sharing knowledge of people of different traditions, especially of people with proven resilience and positive survival resources and the benefits derived from the values, ethics, and world-view espoused in Native American music. Non-Indian teachers can foster the growth of Native American music by grooming Indian successors; locating talented Indians who may major or minor in music; developing funding sources for educating young Indian musicians; interacting closely with reservation, community, and campus Indian groups; and…
(1982). What Do We Know About What We Do: Equity and Curriculum Research. The enactment of educational equity legislation, such as the Women's Equity Act of 1974 and the Education for all Children Act of 1974 (Public Law 94-142), has resulted in increased funding for education program development, but little hard data has been collected to prove program effectiveness. A review of research literature indicates that not enough research is being done on issues surrounding equity for minorities, curriculum questions in physical education, and sex role stereotyping in physical education. Many programs have a short term inservice workshop format that produces a narrow data base and does not allow for the examination of significant differences or long term change. Three widely used federally funded programs can be cited that have collected data to support their claims in effective pupil behavior change. The first is Every Child a Winner, an individualized movement education program for rural schools that began in 1970 as Project Hope. The second program,…
(1977). Federal Policies for Equal Educational Opportunity: Conflict and Confusion. Policy Research Project Report Number 23. This study examined conflicting Federal directives and gaps in Federal education policy from the perspective of the local school district, with the objective of determining problem areas in Federal policies and practices and developing a set of recommendations for change. Five areas of policy, finance and administrative procedures were examined: (1) Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); (2) bilingual and bicultural programs, particularly Title VII of ESEA; (3) the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA); (4) the policies of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR); and (5) directives of Federal court orders affecting the cities studied. The study was based primarily on two types of sources: (1) interviews with local officials and representatives and with HEW officials in regional and Washington offices; and (2) analyses of laws, regulations, documents and published materials that deal with Federal policies and procedures involving Title I, bilingual programs, ESAA, OCR, and…
(1988). Textbooks in the Third World: Policy, Content, and Context. Garland Reference Library of Social Science, Volume 450. This volume of essays focuses on textbooks in developing nations of the world. Issues of concern are textbook supply in the schools, national policies and their relation to textbook supply and content, the role of national and international agencies in textbook publication and control, and the influence of textbooks on classroom practice. The central problems addressed are textbook availability and classrooms use, as well as textbook content. The book is divided into two parts with eleven chapters. Part 1, \The Policy Context,\ contains the essays: (1) \Textbooks and the Third World: An Overview\ (Philip G. Altbach; Gail P. Kelly); (2) \Textbooks in Developing Countries: Economic and Pedagogical Choices\ (Joseph P. Farrell; Stephen P. Heyneman); (3) \Textbooks in Third World Higher Education\ (Philip G. Altbach; S. Gopinathan); (4) \The Politics of Textbook Selection and Control: The Case of Interwar Indochina and West Africa\ (Gail P. Kelly); and (5) \The Origins of India's…
(1978). Report from South Dakota: Adoption and Development of Teacher Certification Requirement. Journal of American Indian Education, v18 n1 p17-22 Oct. Traces the development of the South Dakota State Board of Education requirement that all new teachers must have three semester hours of American Indian studies. Includes an overview of the course guidelines covering American Indian history and culture (especially Sioux), materials evaluation, professional concerns, and most importantly, bicultural education. (SB)…
(1988). Reflecting Cultural Diversity in the Music Classroom. Music Educators Journal, v75 n4 p50-54 Dec. Discusses the need to reach beyond traditional music, especially in urban areas, where the cultural plurality of the United States is reflected in the classrooms. Urges music teachers to guide students toward sensitivity to many types of musical expression. (LS)…
(1993). Methods: An Integrated Interdisciplinary Approach. Kamehameha Journal of Education, v4 p39-88 Fall. Several articles explain the integrated interdisciplinary approach used in Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities) program, which prepares educators to teach students of culturally diverse backgrounds. After an overview of PETOM, the articles look at the mathematics, science, art, and social studies modules. (SM)…