Professional development (PD) has generally been associated with the learning opportunities teachers avail externally. However, the latest trends propagate grounding PD activities in the work place with the assumption that such shift will not only enable teachers to be engaged in ongoing learning but also help them to find contextual solutions for…

Background: Social and emotional learning (SEL) positively impacts children's school achievement and adult productivity. Successful implementation of SEL relies on teachers' pedagogical beliefs and practices. Aims: We examined whether the "Teachers' SEL Belief Scale" designed in the United States is adoptable in low-income countries such…

This study examined a five-year project initiated by the Women's Global Connection (WGC) to train pre-primary teachers in schools serving HIV/AIDS orphans in Zambia. The researchers evaluated the contextual factors of the training initiative to clarify why some teachers possess high self-efficacy, while others do not. The article analyses the…

Teachers in developing nations must be trained to prepare their students for their future with studies relevant to the realities of their community. (JD)

Describes operation of cooperative programs between University of Michigan and University of Baroda, India, from 1962 to 1971. (RT)

A study was conducted of part-time instructors--called "animators"--who teach literacy in villages in Tamil Nadu, India. Three literacy programs were studied: a state-run program, a voluntary program, and a university-run program, all in rural areas. Structured interviews were conducted over several weeks with 52 animators to see how…

Case studies of the training of adult educators are presented including programs in Thailand, Nepal, New Zealand, Brazil, Zambia, Philippines, Canada, and Europe. (CT)

Since the start of the second Five Year Plan (1969-74) in Tanzania, the national focus has been on developing and extending adult education (largely literacy) in general, and rural programs in particular. Systematic program evaluation is needed so that scarce human and financial resources can be used effectively without needless duplication of…

Reviewing the activities of the Literacy Corps in Iran, the article examines the national service organization which has done much to combat illiteracy in rural areas and lower the national rate of illiteracy. (MW)

This study is concerned with the organization of education in rural areas and the advantages of a strategy based on multigrade classes, i.e. classes having a single teacher but pupils of several grade levels studying different curricula. This strategy made a substantial contribution to the achievement of universal primary education at reasonable…

Persons with disabilities, especially children and the young continue to be the most disadvantaged groups in all societies (Hegarty & Alur, 2002). They manifest a number of limitations and are subjected to social discrimination, impoverished educational experiences and above all, very limited work opportunities. In developing countries, where…

Integrated basic education is directed toward all segments of the population, fits in with the activities of the local community, and emanates from the people themselves. The objectives and implementation of integrated basic education in rural areas are discussed. (RM)

Situations often thought of as geographically or historically peripheral to the education system may provide the stimulus for educational innovation. How the well-known educators Freinet, Don Milani, and Freire developed their methods in peripheral situations is discussed. Implications to be found in peripheral education for teacher training are…

Technology is helping to reduce the education gap between developed countries and those that are still developing. The following article gives one example of an innovative teacher training project where a western university, in Rome, Italy, is selflessly showing their African counterparts, in rural Rwanda, how to become fully autonomous in…

The document provides educators with data and information regarding the utilization of alternative educational processes in Latin American rural communities. Many communities exist at social and economic poverty levels and are isolated from urban centers. Documents compiled for use at alternative education conferences, held in Paipa, Colombia in…