Historical developments in higher education are considered in six articles. Topics include: evangelism at Harvard University in the early 1740s; the New Haven scholars of the 1860s and 1870s and the adaptation of scholarly approaches usually associated with the modern university to secure the religious ends associated with the old-time college;…

Although mutual collaboration has been favored by educational reformers of earlier periods, there has never been such a unanimous swing in different countries towards parent involvement as in the 1970's. Which objectives for home-school collaboration gain priority and how collaboration is organized depend to a large extent on national traditions,…

An 11-chapter anthology on the historical, epistemological, methodological, philosophical, and educational issues surrounding the topic of interdisciplinarity is presented. A general perspective on the continuing debate about interdisciplinarity is presented in the first four chapters, followed by six chapters on specific problems and prospects.…

Presents a structural framework for the sociological analysis of special education. Describes special education as one of the ways in which schools perform their reproductive task by differentiating children and allocating them to different educational treatments. Employs the framework to analyze the different histories of special education in…

Reviews historical context and recent research on vocational education in 15 Commonwealth Caribbean countries and the United States. Identifies supportive American vocational legislation. Derives synthesis based on juxtaposition of vocational education in both regions and draws inferences regarding the larger question of vocationalization. (NEC)

Heeney critiques two works on, respectively, American and Canadian independent schools: "The Elite Schools" by Leonard Baird and "A Question of Privilege" by Carolyn Gossage. He discusses the social context of their historical model, the English public school, and draws comparisons to the schools described in these two works.…

This article reviews the history of educational programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Canada and the United States. It notes the educational options now offered, ranging from separate schools to full integration in public school programs. The greater recognition of American Sign Language and the activism of the deaf community are also…

Presents a history of critical approaches to literacy from a neo-Marxist perspective; discusses the social, cultural and ideological work "literacy" has performed in the service of the "dominant discourse"; and highlights literacy's hegemonic function in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States. Argues that literacy…

Similarities between the educational philosophies of the United States in the first 70 years of the republic and those of many African states in the 1950s and 1960s are suggested. Parallels include rejection of European education and the notion of a national university. A progressive Pan-African educational system is recommended. (AF)

A model of quality assessment for higher education that incorporates both accountability (representing extrinsic values) and peer-review/collegiality (reflecting intrinsic values) is outlined. It is presented in both a historical context and the context of experiences with quality assessment in North America and Western Europe. (Author/MSE)

The United States has historically attempted to regulate and reform native education through federal legislation, while Canada has generally avoided a proactive federal approach to educating its indigenous populations. Neither approach has been very successful; native peoples in both countries have some of the lowest rates of educational…

It is argued that Australian elementary mathematics curricula have been influenced by earlier British and United States educational movements and theories and are out of touch with current research emphasizing a constructivist approach. A new model of young children's numerical development is offered, and recommendations for improving mathematical…

Education in the United States is a decentralized system composed of highly variable practices, programs, and school contexts. The primary technology of education, teaching, is highly complex and is typically designed and implemented by teachers who have traditionally enjoyed a great deal of autonomy and independence from regular inspection. The…

This article describes the nature and current status of special education teacher preparation in Belgium, Russian, and United States. Findings from in-depth qualitative interviews, observations and analysis of documents were used to examine the difference perspectives on the preparation of special educators within higher education settings.…

This article discusses the future of America's education system. In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report A Nation at Risk raised questions about whether America's education system was endangering America's competitive future. This prompted a wave of reforms in education, including a stronger focus on the effective use…