ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Creative and Collaborative Problem Solving in Technology Education: A Case Study in Primary School Teacher Education
Author: Lavonen, Jari
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Teachers,Creativity,Problem Solving,Technology Education,Student Teacher Attitudes,Educational Objectives,Models,Science Projects,Individual Development,Teacher Education,Questionnaires,Cooperation

In this article, the Creative Technology Education Project (CTEP) is presented, and phases of problem-solving processes in which the participating primary school student teachers generate alternatives and evaluate ideas are analyzed. The aims of this project were to introduce technology education goals and contents to these students, as well as to offer tools for learning and teaching technology, and to facilitate personal growth. One purpose of the project was to encourage the students to become familiar with technology and problem-solving processes and to develop especially creative skills and abilities (e.g., ideation and the evaluation of ideas). For these purposes, a model was introduced, named the Overall Mapping of a Problem Situation (OMPS). This model helps students in ideation (the generation of alternative solutions) and evaluation of ideas when working on project teams. This model was practiced with concrete technology education projects. Thus, the project focus was on collaborative problem solving, with special emphasis on ideation and the positive evaluation of ideas. The purpose of the study presented in this article was to discover how students perceive the creative process and to what extent they learn creative skills, especially those that involve generating alternative ideas and the self-evaluation of these alternatives. This case study indicates that creative problem-solving approaches may be efficiently used to improve teacher education. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)
The Effect of Problem-Solving Instruction on Children's Creativity and Self-Efficacy in the Teaching of the Practical Arts Subject
Author: Chung, Namyong
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Creativity,Self Efficacy,Problem Solving,Practical Arts,Instructional Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Predictor Variables,Pretests Posttests,Teaching Methods,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Testing

Practical arts is a subject that not only promotes learners' better understanding of work in their daily lives, but also enables them to find ways to solve work-related problems by fostering basic skills and attitudes necessary for performing the work. The teaching of practical arts as a subject should be focused on developing creativity and self-efficacy by the active employment of scientific thinking through the activity-centered decision-making process. Plus, the teaching of the practical arts subject must be conducted according to the problem-solving model. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects on children's creativity and self-efficacy by applying problem-solving instruction in practical arts education and to show how this is reflected in the literature of problem-solving learning. The following delineations are the specific objectives used to achieve this purpose: (1) identify the effects of problem-solving instruction on the development of children's creativity; and (2) identify the effects of problem-solving instruction on the children's self-efficacy. This study shows the progress of creativity and self-efficacy in the experimental and control groups after the experimental group received problem-solving instruction and the control group received typical instruction (i.e., without the problem-solving emphasis). The findings reflect several significant differences between the typical instruction group and the group with the problem-solving component. Conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of this study are presented. (Contains 1 figure and 12 tables.)
Energy Technology: A Cross-Curricular Approach in Japan
Author: Yamazaki, Sadato
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Action Research,Power Technology,Foreign Countries,Technology Education,Energy Education,Educational Opportunities,Family Involvement,Curriculum Development,Pretests Posttests,Portfolio Assessment,Interviews,Case Studies,Science Course Improvement Projects

This article briefly describes a curriculum study that had two main purposes. The first purpose was to develop and reflect upon a new energy technology curriculum at the lower secondary school level using an action research method. The second purpose was to determine the effect of collaborative activities, with the families of the pupils enrolled in the curriculum, as a means to help develop pupils' cross-curricular competence. The Japanese Society of Technology Education (JSTE, 1999) proposed two frameworks for providing opportunities in technology education as a general education for all, from kindergarten through upper secondary school. Four technology related curricular themes were identified as being closely associated with technology education: (1) working with materials and processing technology; (2) energy conversion technology; (3) information, systems, and control technology; and (4) bio-related technology. The authors propose technological processing as a fifth curricular theme closely associated with technology education. (Contains 2 figures and 6 tables.)
Designing Technology Education at the Junior High School Level: Propositions from the French School Curriculum
Author: Joel, Lebeaume
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Junior High Schools,Foreign Countries,Vocational Education,Technology Education,Instructional Design,Educational Methods,Curriculum Implementation,Educational History,Politics of Education,Educational Policy,Curriculum Development,Change Strategies,Compulsory Education

In France, technology is a compulsory school discipline at the junior high school level (ages 11-15). Technology studies were initiated at the beginning of the 1960s when school attendance until the age of 16 became mandatory and when it was decided to delay vocational training because of the irreversible drive towards technical modernity, a tremendous cultural and social upheaval, and a dire shortage of technicians in France. Within the French context, research on the history of this discipline (with a focus on manual work) provides insight into the fundamental issues of its place in the compulsory general school curriculum. Such research has provided the basis for suggesting a number of tools for identifying relevant proposals from recent technology education programs (1996-1998). This historical inquiry examines two main periods of school organization in France. The first concerns the period 1880 to 1960, during which primary schooling was opened up to the entire population. The second is the period 1960 to 2000, when the school became an educational system and when the junior high school progressively filled the role of middle school. During both periods, the technical world was represented first by means of manual work and then with technological instruction. This historical approach serves to develop a didactic frame of reference specifically regarding prescribed course content and curriculum organization. The two aspects are indeed similar due to the context of compulsory teaching within the general education system. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)
International Collaboration in Secondary Level Education
Author: Loveland, Tom
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High Schools,Global Education,Distance Education,Foreign Countries,Technology Education,High School Students,Technology Integration,Global Approach,Curriculum Development,Secondary School Curriculum,Internet,International Cooperation,Information Technology,Program Evaluation,Educational Planning

Global education is the means to teach the world's citizens about the globalization trends. High school students are preparing themselves for college and future careers. Students in discrete subject courses are not given the bigger picture about the internationalization of the world. Students miss the connections of how all of these areas are interlinked. An opportunity exists in the schools to solve this dilemma. Secondary-level technology education classes offer a curriculum that encompasses the study of technology with links to all academic classes. A technology education lab filled with Internet accessible computers and equipment is the best location to use distance learning tools and research to create a curriculum that teaches students about international culture, values, and understanding. This program is accomplished by creating a collaborative program for the students to unite with partners in other countries. The goals of this collaborative effort are to teach students in both countries to be more respectful of each other's cultures, to create long-term friendships between the teenagers, families, schools, communities, and countries, and to see the relevance of studying global issues and perspectives. This article describes the Japan-Florida Teens Meet Project (JFTMP), an international collaboration between Yumegakuen High School or Dream High School in Tsu City, Mie-ken, Japan, and Ridgewood High School in New Port Richey, Florida. The article also discusses the benefits of collaboration and the stages in planning an international collaboration.
Secondary School, University, and Business/Industry Cooperation Yields Benefits to Technological Education Students
Author: Hill, Ann Marie
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Theories,Industry,Community Cooperation,Educational Practices,Educational Change,Foreign Countries,Technology Education,School Community Relationship,School Business Relationship,Secondary Schools,Secondary Education,Colleges,Higher Education,Teacher Education

Research about school and community cooperation to deliver technological education programs at both secondary school and teacher education levels in Ontario, Canada, has documented that such collaborative classroom practice is not only possible in technological education, but is highly desirable because many modern theories of learning are seen in this educational practice (Hill &amp; Smith, 1998). Collaboration between schools and community partners augments both secondary and university student learning and allows business and industry to give something back to the community from which they benefit. (Contains 1 footnote and 2 notes.)
Distance Education for Technology Teachers
Author: Williams, P. John
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Distance Education,Foreign Countries,Educational Opportunities,Delivery Systems,Teacher Education Programs,Program Descriptions,Course Descriptions,Cost Effectiveness,Barriers,Performance Factors,Technology Education,Educational Principles

A typical definition of distance education is the delivery of instruction in a format that separates the teacher and learner, often both in time and space. It tends to be an umbrella term that may encompass more specific forms of education such as distributed learning, independent study, correspondence education, satellite education, etc. This article describes a distance education approach that has been developed and implemented in Mauritius, Seychelles, and Botswana to help overcome limited teacher training opportunities and so help meet the demand for well-qualified technology teachers. It outlines the principles of course design, the mixed mode of delivery, and some of the issues of course delivery derived from program evaluations. (Contains 1 table.)
Databases Improve Technical Studies
Author: Graube, Gabriele
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Databases,Technical Education,Technology Education,Higher Education,Elementary Education,Secondary Education,Teacher Education,Universities,Foreign Countries,Internet,Partnerships in Education

In Lower Saxony, technology studies as part of preparing technical education teachers for primary and partly for secondary education can be studied only at two universities--the Technical University of Brunswick and the University of Oldenburg. Technology education is not available at the Gymnasium (a type of secondary school leading to the university) in Lower Saxony. Universities in Lower Saxony and other German states have agreed about the basic contents of technology education that should be taught in the public schools. However, the themes are emphasized differently, because the universities view the subject and conduct their research differently from one another. The target is to connect the technical resources of the participant universities to reveal the variety of contents of the subject and to allow access to sources of knowledge irrespective of time and place. Specifically, the creation of accessible databases for technology education via the Internet will help educators teach technology as thoroughly as possible and offer the opportunity to reach larger numbers of students at colleges and universities. A further step will be to connect the databases of individual partner universities to a database network. The technology education database is meant to represent an important scientific and didactic source for the subject &quot;technology&quot;. This article describes the advantages of the technology education database and the contents of the database.
Strategies for Reforming Workforce Preparation Programs in Europe
Author: Stenstrom, Marja-Leena
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: General Education,Foreign Countries,Vocational Education,Educational Strategies,Labor Force Development,Program Descriptions,Training Methods,Training Objectives,Partnerships in Education,Educational Change,Reflection,Alignment (Education),Unified Studies Curriculum

The Post-16 Strategies project coordinated by Dr. Johanna Lasonen from 1996 to 1998 was chiefly concerned with four post-16 education strategies: (1) &quot;vocational enhancement&quot;; (2) &quot;mutual enrichment&quot;; (3) &quot;linkages;&quot; and (4) &quot;unification.&quot; These four strategies to promote parity of esteem between vocational and academic/general education were also seen as tools for analyzing the differences and similarities between the reform approaches adopted in the eight European countries (Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden) associated with the first project. The first three strategies aim to maintain a separate identity for vocational and general education. By contrast, the fourth strategy seeks to combine them into a uniform upper secondary education system. SPES-NET (Sharpening Post-16 Education Strategies by Horizontal and Vertical Networking) known as the Leonardo da Vinci project, continued the work of the Post-16 Strategies project. The authors also launched the SPES-NET project that was funded by the European Commission, the Finnish Ministry of Education, and the project partners, and that ran from 1997 to 2000. This article describes the SPES-NET project and presents reflections on Post-16 education strategies. (Contains 2 tables.)
Relation of Technology, Science, Self-Concept, Interest, and Gender
Author: Wender, Ingeborg
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Planning,Sex Stereotypes,Females,Self Efficacy,Interests,Computers,Computer Science,Foreign Countries,Sciences,Self Concept,Engineering,Technology,Mentors,Intervention,Educational Technology

In this article, the author discusses the relation of technology, science, self-concept, interest, and gender. For nearly 20 years the topic of &quot;women and technology&quot; has played an important role in discussions about gender equality in Germany. The very first project for promoting females started in 1978 under the title &quot;Women in Male Occupations.&quot; It was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education and Science and was aimed at vocational-technical levels. Soon a variety of projects followed, financially supported by the Federal and District Commission for Educational Planning and Promotion of Research and by the individual governments of the various districts. The initial incentive to develop such projects was the fact that women were highly under-represented in educational fields of technology and in those related to technology. Increasing the number of women in technology and science was a political goal. Consequently, many actions were initiated to increase women's participation in schools, universities, and/or extracurricular fields. Currently, special attention is being paid to specific subjects such as computer science and computer technology. The reason for this is the current lack of experts in these fields. Self-concept gained scientific attention for explaining the exclusion of women from technological fields, particularly young women's lack of confidence in their own efficacy to handle technical situations adequately. People with high self-efficacy expectations consider a wider spectrum of possibilities to develop themselves in relation to specific subjects and vocations and hold higher aspirations. Self-concept influences the development of interests, and interests shape self-concept. Both determine the decision to pursue a subject or a vocation. It should be stressed, though, that knowledge, self-concept (and in particular belief in self-efficacy), interests, and choices/decisions of vocation are closely related and mutually dependent. In order for girls to avoid activating gender-related knowledge, a gender separate learning situation should be available. This would contribute to building up their perceived self-efficacy and promote development of a young woman's quantitative and technical talents. The author concludes that when women are given the opportunity to engage in technical tasks and to succeed--and by doing so not to correspond to traditional gender stereotypes--they are contributing to the decline of the male stereotype traditionally connected with the perception of technology.
Malaysia Transitions toward a Knowledge-Based Economy
Author: Mustapha, Ramlee
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Employees,Employer Attitudes,Labor Turnover,Academic Education,Foreign Countries,Developing Nations,Workplace Literacy,Job Skills,Employer Employee Relationship,Productivity,Cost Effectiveness,Job Training,Information Technology,Technological Advancement,Innovation,Master Plans,Knowledge Management,Economic Factors

The emergence of a knowledge-based economy (k-economy) has spawned a &quot;new&quot; notion of workplace literacy, changing the relationship between employers and employees. The traditional covenant where employees expect a stable or lifelong employment will no longer apply. The retention of employees will most probably be based on their skills and knowledge that can create advantages for the company over its competitors. Employers invest in the skills of their employees to improve productivity and the profitability of the company. Training costs can be substantially higher than that of general or academic education but are justified when the value of the company's earnings and productivity exceed the cost of the training. Numerous empirical studies regarding entry-level employee competencies from the perspective of employers have been conducted in both industrialized and developing nations. The results of the studies found that employers prefer certain types of entry-level competencies of the prospective employees. This article provides an overview of workplace literacy from the perspective of the employers and also reviews pertinent literature regarding Malaysia's transition toward a k-economy. (Contains 2 tables.)
Russia Develops Educational Standards for Higher Vocational Training in the Technology and Entrepreneurship Specialty
Author: Karatchev, A. A.
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Trends,Foreign Countries,Entrepreneurship,Vocational Education,Academic Standards,National Standards,Performance Factors,Barriers,Teacher Education Curriculum,Teacher Education Programs,Technology Education,Curriculum Development

This article offers insight into what Russian educators are facing on a daily basis as they try and find and pursue the best course of action as they attempt to create a curriculum that will address the major needs of Russian society now and in the immediate future. It presents issues related to training teachers of technology and entrepreneurship in Russia's higher educational establishments, that is, those who will actually represent in 1st to 11th forms of Russia's general schools technological units, assigned to the technology educational field. The authors hope that a new educational standard on the technology and entrepreneurship specialty shall make it possible to enhance training of specialists in Russia's pedagogical universities.
The Law and Technologists: Implications for the Technology Curriculum
Author: Forret, Joan
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Judges,Opinions,Social Structure,Court Litigation,Foreign Countries,Technological Literacy,Misconceptions,Technology Education,Science and Society,Expectation,Expertise

A general theme of technology education posits that participation in technology studies will result in outcomes and benefits for the wider society. Such an expectation is reflected in the New Zealand Technology Curriculum document where the aim of technology education includes enabling students &quot;to achieve technological literacy through the development of: understanding and awareness of the relationship between technology and society.&quot; Although technology studies has developed as a distinct curriculum area in many countries, it is important to recognize that technology is not recognized as such by many of those in decision-making roles within various societies. Research into the views of legal decision makers concerning science and scientific evidence has revealed a very wide spectrum of understanding and expectations of expert witnesses. Judges not only interpret expert technical opinion evidence differently from those within the expert community, they also interpret that evidence differently from each other. Regardless of the type of legal system or social structure within a community, legal decision making will involve inquiry and an increasing reliance on expert opinion. Thus, it is crucial that in any program of technology education, lay perceptions and misconceptions are anticipated and accommodated so that technologists are taught how to effectively communicate their work and the importance of that communication as an aspect of the integration of technology into society. This article presents a research with the New Zealand environment court in which eight judges and 13 of the 17 commissioners were interviewed to canvass their views regarding the role of science and scientific witnesses. Interview results and implications for technology education are presented. (Contains 2 footnotes.)