ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Science of Agricultural Environment
Author: Murdock, Ashleigh Barbee, Ed.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Advanced Courses,Water Quality,Sanitation,Agricultural Education,Vocational Education,Secondary Schools,Accountability,Technical Education,Learning Activities,Mastery Learning,Competence,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,State Legislation,Federal Legislation,Skill Development,Check Lists,School Readiness,College Entrance Examinations,Standards,Educational Technology,Experiential Learning,Ecology,Biology,Soil Science,Conservation (Environment),Forestry,Wildlife,Global Approach

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through increased requirements for mastery and attainment of competency as documented through both formative and summative assessments. The courses in this document reflect the statutory requirements as found in Section 37-3-49, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended (Section 37-3-46). In addition, this curriculum reflects guidelines imposed by federal and state mandates (Laws, 1988, ch. 487, Section 14; Laws, 1991, ch. 423, Section 1; Laws, 1992, ch. 519, Section 4 effective from and after July 1, 1992; Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act IV, 2007; and No Child Left Behind Act of 2001). &quot;Science of Agricultural Environment&quot; is an advanced level course for the Agricultural and Environmental Science and Technology Program. All students must complete Concepts of Agriscience before being allowed to enroll in the advanced courses of the program. The course focuses on the development of skills and knowledge related to the management, conservation, and responsible use of natural resources and on the protection and enhancement of the environment. Instruction is provided on soil, air, and water conservation and use; waste management; forest management; local and global environmental issues; and environmental stewardship. The course carries 1 Carnegie unit of credit that can count as a science elective credit for high school graduation. Students may also earn an additional 1/2 Carnegie unit by completing a successful supervised agricultural experience program. Appended are: (1) Suggested Rubrics, Checklist, and Activities; (2) 21st Century Skills Standards; (3) MS Academic Standards; (4) ACT College Readiness Standards; (5) Pathway Content Standards; and (6) National Educational Technology Standards for Students. A list of suggested references is provided for each unit.
Horticulture
Author: Murdock, Ashleigh Barbee, Ed.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Plants (Botany),Field Trips,Learning Activities,Federal Legislation,Competency Based Education,Educational Technology,Horticulture,Vocational Education,Accountability,Mastery Learning,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,State Standards,Secondary Education,Experiential Learning,Check Lists,Scoring Rubrics,Skill Development,Academic Standards,College Entrance Examinations

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through increased requirements for mastery and attainment of competency as documented through both formative and summative assessments. The courses in this document reflect the statutory requirements as found in Section 37-3-49, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended (Section 37-3-46). In addition, this curriculum reflects guidelines imposed by federal and state mandates (Laws, 1988, ch. 487, Section 14; Laws, 1991, ch. 423, Section 1; Laws, 1992, ch. 519, Section 4 effective from and after July 1, 1992; Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education, 2007; and No Child Left Behind Act of 2001). The secondary pathway in Horticulture prepares individuals for entry-level employment or continuing education in a wide variety of fields in the horticulture industry. Students enrolled in the program participate in a variety of instructional activities including lectures, discussions, laboratory experiences at the school, and work-based learning activities in the field such as field trips and shadowing experiences. Students also receive supplementary instruction and reinforcement of learning through activities in youth organizations. Topics covered in the 2-year program include plant structure and growth; plant propagation; pest management; floristry; greenhouse crops and management; olericulture; plantscaping; landscape design, installation, and management; and turfgrass management. Student competencies and suggested objectives in the curriculum framework have been correlated to the knowledge and skill statements listed in Career Cluster Resources for Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, as published by the National Association of State Dis of Career and Technical Education. Appended are: (1) Suggested Rubrics and Checklists; (2) 21st Century Skills Standards; (3) MS Academic Standards; (4) ACT College Readiness Standards; (5) Pathway Content Standards; and (6) National Educational Technology Standards for Students. A list of suggested references is provided for each unit.
Virtual Reality Simulator Developed Welding Technology Skills
Author: Yunus, Faizal Amin Nur
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Manufacturing Industry,Computer Simulation,Virtual Classrooms,Welding,Developing Nations,Trainees,Statistical Analysis,Training Methods,Computer Assisted Instruction,Surveys,Questionnaires,Interviews,Skill Development,Vocational Education,Job Training

The purpose of this study was to identify the suitability of VR welding simulator application towards CBT in developing welding skills upon new trainees at the Centre of Instructor and Advanced Skills Training (CIAST) Shah Alam Selangor and National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) Pagoh Johor. The significance of the study was to create a computer-based skills development approach in welding technology among new trainees in CIAST and IKBN as well as to cultivate the elements of general skills among them. This study is also important in elevating the number of individual knowledge workers (K-workers) working in manufacturing industry in order to achieve a national vision which is to be an industrial nation in the year of 2020. The design of the study was a survey type of research which using questionnaires as the instruments and some 136 trainees from CIAST and IKBN were interviewed. Descriptive analysis was used to identify the frequency and mean. The findings of the study shows that the welding technology skills has developed in the trainees as a result of the application of VR simulator at a high level (min = 3.89) and the respondents agreed that the skills could be embedded through the application of the VR simulator (78.01%). In summary, this VR simulator is suitable in welding skills development training in terms of exposing new trainees with the relevant characteristics of welding skills and at the same time spurring the trainees' interest towards learning more about the skills. (Contains 2 tables.)
From Teaching-to-Know-to-Learning-to-Think for Sustainability: What Should it Take? And How to Do it?
Author: Zoller, Uri
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Strategies,Sustainable Development,Science Education,Thinking Skills,Teaching Methods,Secondary School Science,Systems Approach,Science and Society,Critical Thinking,Environmental Education,Problem Solving,Decision Making,Longitudinal Studies,STEM Education,Multiple Literacies,Scientific Literacy,Technological Literacy,Questionnaires,Pretests Posttests,Evaluation Methods

Given the current striving for &quot;sustainability&quot; and the corresponding paradigms shift in science, technology, R&amp;D, environment perception, economy and politics; e.g., from unlimited growth-to-sustainable development, correction-to-prevention and passive consumption of &quot;goods&quot;, culture and education--to active participation, primarily in the science-technology-environment-society-economy-policy (S-T-E-S-E-P) context, the corresponding paradigms shift, at all levels of education is unavoidable. This requires a paradigm shift in conceptualization, thinking, and research in science education, particularly concerning the science-technology-environment-society (STES) interfaces. Consequently, &quot;STES literacy&quot; requires the development of students' evaluative system thinking and transfer capabilities in this context via the corresponding innovative higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS)-promoting teaching assessment and learning strategies; meaning a shift, within different multicultural contexts, from the currently dominating lower-order cognitive skills (LOCS) algorithmic &quot;teaching-to-know&quot;, to HOCS-promoting &quot;learning-to-think&quot;, typified by students' capabilities of &quot;critical evaluative system thinking&quot; and &quot;decision-making for problem solving and transfer&quot;. This should be consonant with innovative,  interdisciplinary &quot;generic, contextually bound&quot;, research-based teaching strategies and assessment methodologies leading to &quot;HOCS learning&quot;. Our longitudinal research findings and application of this HOCS-promoting science education practice suggest that, although the road to STES literacy for sustainability is rocky, it is educationally doable and, therefore, attainable. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)
Teachers and the Policy Reform Agenda. What is Policy?
Author: Naidu, Sham
Date: 2011-12-01
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Expertise,Ideology,Educational Change,Educational Policy,Public Education,Policy Analysis,Policy Formation,Teacher Participation,Decision Making Skills,Consciousness Raising,Change Strategies,Educational Theories,Teacher Empowerment,Definitions

This article is related to the impacts on teachers of the increasing marginalization of their voices in educational policy making and policy debates. Policy influences the nature of teaching and learning and if teachers are to re-centre teachers' voices and combat the neo-liberal agenda underpinning public education, they must construct their own understandings of policy from personal, political and professional standpoints. However, these processes require a certain level of understanding and skill in manipulating the policy process. They must also realize that teachers' voices have the potential to challenge dominant ideologies of power, participation, and development in the effort to transform oppressive reality (Kumashiro, 2008).  With this view in mind, the purpose of this article is to present some theoretical aspects of theory because teachers must "understand education policy in a theoretically informed way" in order to raise consciousness and expertise in policy matters. Also, a theoretical understanding of policy has the "capacity to inform [teachers] of their own policy directions and to encourage autonomous, critical judgement of government policy" (Ozga, 2000, p. 5).
Insurance Agencies' Organizational Learning in a Turbulent Time: A Community of Practice Perspective
Author: Gau, Wen-Bing
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Communities of Practice,Organizational Culture,Learning,Adjustment (to Environment),Educational Practices,Private Sector,Insurance,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Interviews,Researchers,Social Networks,Knowledge Management

In a turbulent time, communities of practice (CoPs) have become an important mechanism to develop organizational learning. Because of the rapid changes of global market and population structure, organizations in the private sector keep examining their leaning processes to adjust themselves to different challenges. However, few studies try to illuminate the relations between CoPs and the rapid change of the workplace. In order to understand how CoPs in a turbulent time facilitate organizational learning, the research is supported by qualitative research processes associated with the development of CoPs theories. Using multiple case study approach, 4 insurance agencies in Taiwan have been visited, while 16 interviewees including managers, senior specialists and junior specialists were recruited. In order to probe interviewees' insights, the researchers used the semi-structured interview and observation techniques to collect data. The findings suggest that CoPs within the context of organization will develop particular interactions based on 3 factors, including mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire, to foster the organizational learning to enable the company to adjust itself to the changes derived from external environment. The researchers also try to explain why the 3 factors can work as a whole and why the individual and team learning within the organization are influenced by the factors. (Contains 1 table.)
Practicing Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Physical Education
Author: Young, Shawna
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Education,Culturally Relevant Education,Cultural Differences,Educational Experience,Educational Practices,Educational Principles,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Teaching Methods,Student Diversity,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Performance Factors

As a result of continuous global immigration to the United States, several microcultures coexist within the country. Today's classroom should provide an interface where individuals from different cultural backgrounds have the potential for sharing a rich place of learning--a place where the teacher embraces and celebrates individual differences, fosters the development of positive self-concepts, provides meaningful and relevant learning experiences, and insists on high expectations for everyone. Facilitating this kind of learning environment is the result of practicing culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP). A culturally responsive teacher acts on knowledge about cultural differences, and implements, as habit, pedagogical skills that foster a meaningful and relevant education for all of her/his learners. The call for cultural responsiveness extends to all dimensions of the school experience, including physical education. Physical education presents unique needs and opportunities to practice cultural responsiveness. Presented here are principles of culturally responsive teaching, applied through the lens of physical education.
Analyzing the Cost-Effectiveness of Instruction Expenditures towards High School Completion among Oahu's Public School Districts
Author: Ng, Larson S. W. M.
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Expenditures,High Schools,High School Graduates,Regression (Statistics),School Districts,Secondary School Teachers,Cost Effectiveness,Public Schools,Correlation,Interaction,Educational Finance,Economics,Graduation,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Salaries,Class Size,Graduation Rate

The following study attempted to ascertain the instructional cost-effectiveness of public high school teachers towards high school completion through a financially based econometric analysis. Essentially, public high school instruction expenditures and completer data were collected from 2000 to 2007 and bivariate interaction analyzed through a correlation and linear regression procedure. Based on the collective results, with the exception of the Leeward District that reported a statistically significant positive relationship, a statistically insignificant positive relationship was noted for the Central District; and a statistically insignificant negative relationship noted for both the Honolulu and the Windward District. Consequently, based on the findings of this study, public high school teachers in the Leeward District had a more economically positive influence towards high school completers in contrast to the other school districts on Hawaii's Island of Oahu from 2000 to 2007. (Contains 5 tables.)
The Reading First Program and Statewide-Mandated Assessments: A Three-Year Comparative Study
Author: Ratcliff, Monica Wong
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Strategies,Rural Schools,Language Arts,Educational Assessment,Criterion Referenced Tests,Program Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Reading Achievement,Achievement Rating,Achievement Gains,Reading Programs,Comparative Testing,English Curriculum,Emergent Literacy

This three-year comparative study investigated the impact of the Reading First (RF) Program on student performance as measured by statewide-mandated English Language Arts (ELA) assessment programs. A matching procedure was used where 3 RF schools and 3 non-RF schools from two rural school districts in north Louisiana were matched. The ELA test scores of 882 third grade students and 909 fourth grade students in the Louisiana statewide ELA assessment programs between 2006 and 2008 were analyzed. The findings indicated that the RF students performed better than the non-RF students for these three years. The study provided evidence that the federal initiative of disseminating research-based reading instructional strategies into high-poverty, low-performing schools was successful. Appended are (1) &quot;integrated&quot; Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (iLEAP) English Language Arts-Grade 3 Achievement Level Scaled Score Range; and (2) Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) Criterion-Referenced Test English Language Arts-Grade 4 Achievement Level Scaled Score Range. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)
Teachers and the Policy Reform Agenda: Becoming Policy Aware, Policy Wise and Policy Active.
Author: Naidu, Sham
Date: 2011-12-01
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Policy Formation,Policy Analysis,Educational Change,Educational Policy,Familiarity,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Participation,Teacher Empowerment,Participative Decision Making,Decision Making Skills,Change Strategies

Stemming from my article entitled, "Teachers and the Policy Reform Agenda: The Changing Emphasis in Educational Policy Analysis," this article describes the changing landscape of educational policy analysis. Here, I illustrate that traditionally teachers have been, to a certain degree, involved in policy processes. However, the degree to which this happens currently, especially in the construction of major educational policies, is questionable. In my opinion, teachers have been marginalised from the main policy arena. Thus, in order for them to reclaim their voices in policy, I offer some suggestions that will enable teachers to become Policy Aware, Policy Wise and Policy Active in policy processes both at the macro level and the micro level.
Teachers and the Policy Reform Agenda: The Changing Emphasis in Educational Policy Analysis.
Author: Naidu, Sham
Date: 2011-12-01
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Ideology,Policy Analysis,Educational Change,Educational Policy,Public Education,Policy Formation,Politics of Education,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Influence,Teacher Participation,Decision Making,Decision Making Skills,Participative Decision Making,Change Strategies,Trend Analysis

Stemming from my article entitled, "Teachers and the Policy Reform Agenda: What is Policy?," this article refers to the changing landscape of educational policy analysis. Policy influences the nature of teaching and learning and if teachers are to re-centre teachers' voices and combat the neo-liberal agenda underpinning public education, they must construct their own understandings of policy from personal, political and professional standpoints. However, these processes require a certain level of understanding and skill in manipulating the policy process. They must also realize that teachers' voices have the potential to challenge dominant ideologies of power, participation, and development in the effort to transform oppressive reality (Kumashiro, 2008). With this view in mind, the purpose of this article is to illustrate the manner in which policy theorists have shifted their emphasis from macro level analyses to micro level analyses. These shifts shed more light on the manner in which present educational policies, for example, performance management, are being analysed. This serves as an inquiry base for teachers to engage in micro level analyses of policies. After all, teachers "can make or break policy" (Parsons, 1995, p. 263).
Measuring Teacher Quality: Continuing the Search for Policy-Relevant Predictors of Student Achievement
Author: Knoeppel, Robert C.
Date: 2005-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,National Standards,Academic Achievement,Teacher Certification,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Teaching Methods,Predictive Measurement,Educational Policy,Predictor Variables,Multiple Regression Analysis,Evaluation Methods,Policy Analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential viability of the variable certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) as a policy-relevant predictor of student achievement. Because research has identified the teacher as the most important school-related predictor of student achievement, more research is needed with regard to teacher quality. Policy-relevant, measurable variables may help define teacher quality but fall short of addressing the complexity of teaching and learning. High quality teaching practice means effective application of subject content and pedagogical knowledge and skills consistent with student needs and research-based practices that advance student achievement within a specific classroom and school context. Using a sequential multiple regression, the study analyzed a random sample of 339 Kentucky schools and included school-level measures of teacher quality, student achievement, measures of student demographics, and assessed property valuation. Study results indicated four measures of teacher quality, to include National Board certification, were significant predictors of student achievement as measured by the CATS index. These results suggest that the variable percentage of teachers holding national board certification may be useful as an indicator of teacher quality. The identification of policy-relevant characteristics of teacher quality is critical for educational leaders in an era of accountability. Because teacher quality must be defined by practice, NBPTS certification offers possibilities as a variable to assess not only what teachers know but also what they do in the classroom to promote student learning. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)