Examines the short-lived imposition by the Singaporean government of religious knowledge as a compulsory subject for upper secondary students. The original required course contained six options: Bible knowledge, Islamic religious knowledge, Buddhist studies, Confucian ethics, Hindu studies, and Sikh studies. The course became optional in 1989.…

In this study, I examine the perspectives of preservice teachers enrolled in a multicultural education course at a large predominately White Midwestern university. Past research on the development of multicultural attitudes and knowledge of White preservice teachers is inconclusive. In an effort to examine the multicultural perspectives of…

In December 2005, the General Teaching Council for Wales, acting on behalf of the General Teaching Councils' (GTCs') Five Nations Group, commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to conduct research into the contents of the standards and routes to teaching qualifications in the UK nation states and the Republic of…

Among the recommendations of the "Nation at Risk" report (1983) was that a core curriculum of four units of English, three each of science, social studies, and mathematics, and a half unit of computer science be required. Between 1982 and 1992 the percentage of high school graduates earning the recommended units in core courses increased…

This study was conducted to find out how well mathematics majors at the University of Northern Iowa were prepared in the foundations of effective teaching practices and how well they performed during the student teaching experience. Data were gathered from mathematics student teachers (N=22) who were observed, interviewed, and asked to keep daily…

Mandated multicultural education in Iowa grew out of a strong commitment to education, a large influx of Southeast Asians, and a concern for the homogeneous nature of educational materials. The mandate stated that the Iowa Board of Education was responsible for the design, implementation, and evaluation of a multicultural/nonsexist education…

The Winthrop College Critical Issues Symposium for freshmen is discussed, with attention to the format of the seminar, the theoretical bases, seminar goals, strategies employed, administrative and political factors, faculty development opportunities, and assessment. The symposium is designed to help freshmen become active learners, questioners,…

A study assessed the effectiveness of the delivery and content of the Human Relations course and the technical updating activities for postsecondary, full-time preparatory program instructors in Iowa. Faculty members from 15 community and technical colleges were asked to identify how necessary they feel each competency is to the teaching process,…

Data from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and achievement tests and from the High School and Beyond Survey were examined to explore: (1) differences among states in the amount of coursework taken by high school students; (2) differences across states in SAT achievement test scores; (3) the relationship between course taking and achievement; and…

A comprehensive composition course for the college level should include the strengthening of cognitive skills, language skills, social organization, and language patterns. The subjects which students are asked to read and write about should be multi-cultural in nature so that students learn more about other cultures while they analyze their own…

According to a recent survey, school superintendents in Illinois generally favor the kinds of educational reforms being urged by national commissions on educational excellence. Over 100 superintendents from randomly selected elementary, secondary, and combined school districts in Illinois responded to the 104-item questionnaire. The survey sought…

Selected college programs designed to increase students' science literacy are described, and perspectives on science education are addressed in an article by E. James Rutherford, "Sputnik, Halley's Comet, and Science Education." The article suggests that leadership and consensus are needed at the national level to improve science…

This paper presents information on the development and adoption of a proposal for changes in teacher certification requirements in New Jersey. The proposal "permits the exclusion of college level professional preparation" for certification of elementary and secondary school teachers. Sections of this report discuss: (1) factors leading…

This document contains appendices and supplementary materials to Ken Carlson's paper on a Jew Jersey teacher certification proposal. The following appendices are presented: (A) "An Alternative Route to Teacher Selection and Professional Quality Assurance: An Analysis of Initial Certification" (Saul Cooperman); (B) a letter to the members…

Reviews curriculum reform being implemented at the Library School of Stuttgart for students planning to work in public libraries. Components of the new curriculum include core courses in library science, electives in special areas of librarianship, seminars in chosen subject disciplines, and field work in libraries and government agencies. (LRW)