The 13 chapters in this volume, contributed by specialists from 11 countries, deal with how best to prepare teachers to meet the needs of both minority- and majority-culture pupils who are growing up in plural societies. The chapter titles are: (1) Cultural Diversity and Teacher Education (Maurice Craft); (2) Pluralism and Australian Teacher…

Reviews factors concerning fitness screening in teacher education programs and examines screening requirements in selected institutions in the United States, Canada, and in three Scandinavian countries--Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The purpose is to provide cross-cultural perspectives on the issue. (SM)

This paper examines trends in special education teacher education in Sweden from 1921 to 1981. Changes such as the institution of a one-year special education teacher training course are discussed, with emphasis on changes in the relationship of special education to the whole school system. Trends and goals since 1981 are also briefly noted.…

This paper examines the steps taken in Sweden and Hungary to improve schools. A description is given of the social-political-economic context of each of these countries, noting their similarities and differences. Particular focus is upon the role played by educational research and development efforts in the two countries, and most particularly on…

Discusses aspects of educational integration, using teacher education as an example. Deals mainly with experience of adult students, equipped with work experience, in their encounters with schools of higher learning. Demonstrates complexities embedded in such encounters and in the curriculum problem; discusses with reference to frames of the…

To determine conceptions of mentoring, Swedish researchers videotaped mentoring sessions between student teachers and their cooperating teachers and conducted interviews with both groups. Data analysis indicated that the two groups had different conceptions about the function of mentoring and its content and form. (SM)

Suggests practical activities which can be introduced into the training of Swedish nursery school and compulsory school teachers for the purpose of improving the organization of technology classes. Explains how simple inexpensive materials can be used in imaginative ways to intrigue and involve children, especially girls, in technical activities.…

A teacher of student teachers at Lulea University of Technology in Sweden uses fantasy and story telling to integrate mathematical thinking and problem solving into adventure-education programs for elementary students in nearby forests. Maps, magic places, rituals, mysterious signs, audiovisual aids, actors, and darkness restore a sense of magic…

This paper describes how 13 Swedish preschool student teachers and one preservice leisure educator discussed their thoughts regarding their professional work, their life histories, and their ongoing studies in special education. What unified them was their professional education, which was based on their own participation. This project examined…

The Early Childhood Teacher Education Program at Vaxjo University in Sweden and Early Childhood Studies Program at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, have established a three-part, collaborative, research-based international project to improve early childhood teacher education. One aspect of the program is a two-tiered student exchange.…

The introduction, "Education and Local Development," provides a theme of rural education and development, with emphasis on widening the limits of programs and facilities to serve all age groups. International perspectives on rural education are infused into the 20 selected papers through the participation of several authorities from…

This volume provides an overview of some of the outstanding features of the work of the Norwegian sociologist and comparative educationist, Jon Lauglo. After an introduction, "'It Ain't Necessarily So!': Theories and Observations in Jon Lauglo's World of Education and Training" (Se-Yung Lim and Klaus Schaack), essays and studies are…