1.Mapping the future, mapping education: an analysis of the 2011 State of the Union Address
Author: Collin, Ross
Source: Journal of Education Policy, 2012, 27(2):155-172
Abstract: This article presents a discourse analysis of President Barack Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address.
Fredric Jameson's concepts of cognitive mapping, cultural revolution, and the unconscious are employed to
examine the president's vision of educational and economic transformation. Ultimately, it is argued this vision
evokes a world in which individual citizens direct their deepest aspirations into channels of capitalist development.
Prominent among these channels are reconfigured structures of education.
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2. Daisaku Ikeda's Curriculum of Soka Education: Creating Value Through Dialogue, Global Citizenship,
and “Human Education” in the Mentor–Disciple Relationship
Author: GOULAH, JASON & ITO, TAKAO
Source: Curriculum Inquiry, 2012, 42(1): 56-79
Abstract: This essay review focuses on Daisaku Ikeda (b. 1928) and his curriculum of Soka, or value-creating,
education present in two works: Choose Life: A Dialogue Toynbee & Ikeda, 1976) and
Thoughts on Education
for Global Citizenship (Ikeda, 1996b). In reviewing these works, the authors trace the biographical roots of Ikeda's
educational philosophy to his encounter with Josei Toda (1900–1958) and to the overwhelming concerns
he has grappled with since childhood
about the forces that ravaged his youth and family life; the authors also examine Ikeda's concept of value-creating
education relative to value-creating pedagogy theorized byTsunesaburo Makiguchi (1981–1988) and
suggest that Ikeda's curriculum of Soka
education is comprised of three key principles that also serve as its processes and goals—dialogue, global citizenship,
and "human education" in the mentor–disciple relationship. The authors conclude with the implications of Ikeda's
curriculum of Soka education and of the two reviewed works.
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3. Where Should Student Teachers Learn to Teach?: Effects of Field Placement School Characteristics
on Teacher Retention and Effectiveness
Author: Ronfeldt, Matthew
Source: Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 2012 34(1): 3-26
Abstract: This study is motivated by an ongoing debate about the kinds of schools that make for the best field
placements during pre-service preparation. On the one hand, easier-to-staff schools may
support teacher learning
because they are typically better-functioning institutions that offer desirable teaching
conditions. On the other
hand, such field placements may leave new teachers unprepared to work in difficult-to-staff schools and with
underserved student populations that need high quality teachers the most. Using administrative and survey data
on almost 3,000 New York City teachers, their students, and their schools, this study finds that learning to teach
in easier-to-staff field placement schools has positive effects on teacher retention and student achievement gains,
even for teachers who end up working in the hardest-to-staff schools. The proportion of
poor, minority, and
low-achieving students in field placements is unrelated to later teacher effectiveness and retention suggesting
something beyond student populations explain these results.
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4. The Academic Success of East Asian American Youth: The Role of Shadow Education
Author: Byun, Soo-yong & Park, Hyunjoon
Source: Sociology of Education January, 2012, 85(1): 40-60
Abstract: Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study, this study assessed the relevance of shadow education
to the high academic performance of East Asian American students by examining how East Asian American students
differed from other racial/ethnic students in the prevalence, purpose, and effects of using the two forms—commercial
test preparation service and private one-to-one tutoring—of SAT coaching, defined as the
American style of shadow
education. East Asian American students were most likely to take a commercial SAT test preparation course for
the enrichment purpose and benefited most from taking this particular form of SAT coaching. However, this was
not the case for private SAT one-to-one tutoring. While black students were most likely to
utilize private tutoring
for the remedial purpose, the impact of private tutoring was trivial for all racial/ethnic groups, including East
Asian American students. The authors discuss broader implications of the findings on racial/ethnic inequalities
in educational achievement beyond the relevance of shadow education for the academic success of East Asian
American students.
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5. Teaching, Rather Than Teachers, As a Path Toward Improving Classroom Instruction
Author: Hiebert, James & Morris, Anne K.
Source: Journal of Teacher Education, 2012, 63(2): 92-102
Abstract: For several historical and cultural reasons, the United States has long pursued a strategy of improving
teaching by improving teachers. The rarely questioned logic underlying this choice says that by improving the
right characteristics of teachers, they will teach more effectively. The authors expose the assumptions on which
this logic is built, propose an alternative approach to improving teaching that engages teachers (and researchers)
directly in the work of improving teaching, present some indirect evidence to support this approach, and examine
the cultural traditions and beliefs that have kept the conventional approach in place for so long.
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6. Curriculum Leadership in a Conservative Era
Author: Ylimaki, Rose M.
Source: Educational Administration Quarterly, 2012, 48(2): 304-346
Abstract: Purpose: The purpose is to examine how recent conservative cultural political shifts have affected the
meanings of curriculum leadership in schools. The author examines four principals in the wake of the No Child
Left Behind Act and other related policies and trends. Design: This is a critical ethnographic study of principals'
curriculum leadership in four northeastern U.S. elementary schools. All four principals were highly aware of the
politics surrounding curriculum decision making, pedagogy, and assessments. The researcher conducted monthly
observations and interviews with the four principals, teachers, parents, and students from the fall of 2003 to the
spring of 2006. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with the superintendent and community members who
were involved in curriculum issues. Findings: Drawing on a theoretical framework at the intersection of
educational leadership, curriculum theory, and cultural politics, the data revealed two categories of curriculum
leadership in a conservative era—namely, new professional curriculum leadership and critical curriculum
leadership. These curriculum leadership categories emerged over time and were constructed in relation to "other"
curriculum leaders and broader cultural political shifts. Implications and Significance: There is growing interest
in curriculum leadership among educational administration and curriculum scholars as well as practitioners.
Although instructional or curriculum leadership has been studied extensively in educational administration,
these studies do not explicitly consider curriculum theory or the role of politics. In curriculum studies, leadership
has received little attention. Findings from this study suggest the need for a new field of curriculum leadership
at the intersection of educational administration and curriculum studies.
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7. Podcasts are not for everyone
Author: Kazlauskas, Alanah & Robinson, Kathy
Source: British Journal of Educational Technology, 2012, 43(2):321-330
Abstract: Twenty-first century students are expected to utilise emerging technologies
such as lecture podcasts
as learning tools. This research explored the uptake of podcasts by undergraduate students enrolled in two very
different cognitively challenging subjects in the second year of the nursing programme and in the first year of a
business programme. Regardless of the semester, the different content being studied and the statistically significant
demographic differences between the nursing and business cohorts, striking behavioural similarities emerged.
Students from both cohorts in each semester under investigation spent
similar amounts of
time studying regardless of gender, age, Internet access and time spent on paid work. The patterns of podcast
usage by responding nursing and business students were not significantly different. Non-listeners in both cohorts
did not differ significantly from podcast users (listeners) either demographically or with regard to personal access
to computers, the Internet and MP3/4 players. Non-listeners utilised lecture notes, text resources and the learning
management system in a similar way to listeners. The only significant difference was the longer hours spent in
paid work by non-listeners.These findings reinforce the emerging concept that podcasts are not embraced by everyone. Despite the
flexibility and mobile learning opportunities afforded by podcasts, significant numbers of students prefer to learn
in face-to-face environments and by reading and/or listening in set study environments.
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8. 'Content' versus 'style': acquiescence in student evaluation of teaching?
Author: Spooren, Pieter; Mortelmans, Dimitri & Thijssen, Peter
Source: British Educational Research Journal, 2012, 38(1):3-21
Abstract: Structural equation modelling is used to measure the existence of a response style (in particular,
acquiescence) behind three balanced Likert scales measuring different concepts in a questionnaire for student
evaluation of teaching in higher education. Exploration with one sample (n = 1125) and confirmation in a second
sample (n = 710) from a different population (different students, different courses) shows the existence of a
common factor behind these scales. However, the weak correlation with the variable 'sum of agreements'
does not support the idea of acquiescence in student evaluation of teaching. Instead, the common factor could be
interpreted as a halo factor influencing different scales in the questionnaire. The implications of this exploratory
study for future research on acquiescence in student evaluations of teaching are discussed.
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9. Education for global citizenship in a divided society? Young people's views and experiences
Author: Niens, Ulrike & Reilly, Jacqueline
Source: Comparative Education, 2012, 48(1) Special Issue: YOUTH CITIZENSHIP AND THE POLITICS OF BELONGING: 103-118
Abstract: Global citizenship education has been suggested as a means of overcoming the limitations of national
citizenship in an increasingly globalised world. In divided societies, global citizenship education is especially
relevant and problematic as it offers the opportunity to explore identities and conflict in a wider context. This
paper therefore explores young people's understandings of global citizenship in Northern Ireland, a divided society
emerging from conflict. Results from focus groups with primary and post-primary pupils reflect
some theoretical conceptualisations of global citizenship, including an awareness of global issues, understandings
of environmental interdependence and global responsibility, though other elements appear to be less well
understood. We argue that global citizenship education will fail to overcome engrained cultural divisions locally
and may perpetuate cultural stereotypes globally, unless local and global controversial issues are acknowledged
and issues of identity and interdependence critically examined at both levels.
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10. A Course on Effective Teacher-Child Interactions Effects on Teacher
Beliefs, Knowledge, and Observed Practice
Author: Hamre and, Bridget K.; Pianta, Robert C.; Burchinal, Margaret; Field, Samuel; LoCasale-Crouchand, Jennifer; Downer, Jason T.; Howes, Carollee; LaParoand, Karen; Scott-Little, Catherine
Source: American Educational Research Journal, 2012, 49(1):88-123
Abstract: Among 440 early childhood teachers, half were randomly assigned to take a 14-week course on effective
teacher-child interactions. This course used the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) as the basis to
organize, describe, and demonstrate effective teacher-child interactions. Compared to
teachers in a control
condition, those exposed to the course reported more intentional teaching beliefs and demonstrated greater
knowledge of and skills in detecting effective interactions. Furthermore, teachers who took the course were observed
to demonstrate more effective emotional and instructional interactions. The course was equally effective across
teachers with less than an associate's degree as well as those with advanced degrees. Results have implications for
efforts to improve the quality of early childhood programs through the higher education system.