Showing papers on "Primary education published in 2012"

Exploring the educational potential of robotics in schools

Abstract: This study reviews recently published scientific literature on the use of robotics in schools, in order to: (a) identify the potential contribution of the incorporation of robotics as educational tool in schools, (b) present a synthesis of the available empirical evidence on the educational effectiveness of robotics as an educational tool in schools, and (c) define future research perspectives concerning educational robotics. After systematically searching online bibliographic databases, ten relevant articles were located and included in the study. For each article, we analyze the purpose of the study, the content to be taught with the aid of robotics, the type of robot used, the research method used, and the sample characteristics (sample size, age range of students and/or level of education) and the results observed. The articles reviewed suggest that educational robotics usually acts as an element that enhances learning, however, this is not always the case, as there are studies that have reported situations in which there was no improvement in learning. The outcomes of the literature review are discussed in terms of their implications for future research, and can provide useful guidance for educators, practitioners and researchers in the area. Highlights? We performed a systematic review of studies with quantitative evidence of the use of robotics in schools. ? Studies indicate positive outcomes for teaching concepts related to the STEM areas. ? Nine important factors to increase the success of robotics as a teaching tool are presented. ? More research is needed about how to use robotics to develop new skills in students.

The Death and Life of the Great American School System : How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education

Abstract: A passionate plea to preserve and renew public education, The Death and Life of the Great American School System is a radical change of heart from one of America's best-known education experts. Diane Ravitch-former assistant secretary of education and a leader in the drive to create a national curriculum-examines her career in education reform and repudiates positions that she once staunchly advocated. Drawing on over forty years of research and experience, Ravitch critiques today's most popular ideas for restructuring schools, including privatization, standardized testing, punitive accountability, and the feckless multiplication of charter schools. She shows conclusively why the business model is not an appropriate way to improve schools. Using examples from major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, and San Diego, Ravitch makes the case that public education today is in peril. Ravitch includes clear prescriptions for improving America's schools: * leave decisions about schools to educators, not politicians or businessmen * devise a truly national curriculum that sets out what children in every grade should be learning * expect charter schools to educate the kids who need help the most, not to compete with public schools * pay teachers a fair wage for their work, not "merit pay" based on deeply flawed and unreliable test scores * encourage family involvement in education from an early age The Death and Life of the Great American School System is more than just an analysis of the state of play of the American education system. It is a must-read for any stakeholder in the future of American schooling.

Explaining Charter School Effectiveness.

Abstract: Lottery estimates suggest Massachusetts’ urban charter schools boost achievement well beyond that of traditional urban public schools students, while nonurban charters reduce achievement from a higher baseline. The fact that urban charters are most effective for poor nonwhites and low-baseline achievers contributes to, but does not fully explain, these differences. We therefore link school-level charter impacts to school inputs and practices. The relative efficacy of urban lottery sample charters is accounted for by these schools’ embrace of the No Excuses approach to urban education. In our Massachusetts sample, Non-No-Excuses urban charters are no more effective than nonurban charters. (JEL H75, I21, I28) A growing body of evidence suggests that urban charter schools have the potential to generate impressive achievement gains, especially for minority students living in high-poverty areas. In a series of studies using admissions lotteries to identify causal effects, we looked at the impact of charter attendance in Boston and at a Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) school in Lynn, Massachusetts (Abdulkadiro ˘ g

Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe. 2012 Edition.

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Neoliberalism and the demise of public education: the corporatization of schools of education

Abstract: Neoliberalism has brought fundamental changes to the way schools of education prepare professional educators; among them is the pressure for schools of education to produce fast-track teacher preparation programs that bypass traditional requirements. Due to the privatization of public education, a new market has emerged to train educators and administrators for charter schools. The No Child Left Behind Act has made the old multipurpose PhD in education obsolete and has led to fast-track EdDs to train school administrators to raise test scores. In this era of corporate schooling, colleges of education are competing with online and for-profit colleges to increase student enrollment. Academic capitalism has entered into the classroom and it has redefined the academic premises upon which the entire higher education system was instituted. This article asks, what are the implications of this new educational arrangement for the purpose of education and the development of a critically informed mass of democratic ...

Access, Sorting, and Achievement: The Short-Run Effects of Free Primary Education in Kenya

Abstract: We examine the impact of the Kenyan Free Primary Education pro gram on student participation, sorting, and achievement on the pri mary school exit examination. Exploiting variation in pre-program dropout rates between districts, we find that the program increased the number of students who completed primary school, spurred private school entry, and increased access for students from dis advantaged backgrounds. We argue that the program was welfare enhancing as it promoted educational access without substantially reducing the test scores of students who would have been in school in the absence of the program. (JEL H52,121,128, 015) Education is often viewed as a key driver of economic development. In conjunc tion with donors and non-governmental organizations, developing countries have invested heavily in efforts aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education by 2015. As school fees have been found to be a major deterrent to educational access in a variety of settings (Holla and Kremer 2008), governments in these countries have instituted policies that reduce or eliminate user fees in order to boost school enrollments. In particular, since 1994, 17 sub-Saharan African countries have implemented free primary education programs. Despite their prevalence, very little research has assessed the impacts of such programs on enrollment, educational attainment, and student achievement in Africa. Further, the extent to which these programs can generate general equi librium effects, such as sorting, social stratification, and a private school supply

Intergenerational Educational Effects of Mass Imprisonment in America

Abstract: In some American schools, about a fifth of the fathers have spent time in prison during their child’s primary education. We examine how variation across schools in the aggregation and concentration of the mass imprisonment of fathers is associated with their own children’s intergenerational educational outcomes and “spills over” into the attainments of other students. We assess the association of this interinstitutional and intergenerational “prison through school pathway” with downward and blocked educational achievement. Educational and economic resources and other predisposing variables partially explain school-linked effects of paternal imprisonment on measures of children’s educational outcomes. However, we find that the net negative school-level association of paternal imprisonment with educational outcomes persists even after we introduce school- and individual-level measures of a wide range of mediating processes and extraneous control variables. We discuss paternal imprisonment as a form of “mark...

Variables affecting teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education in Bangladesh

Abstract: Inclusive education is a worldwide reform strategy intended to include students with different abilities in mainstream regular schools. Evidence from previous research shows that success in implementing effective inclusive teaching practices in the school is contingent on teachers' positive attitudes towards inclusive education. This study was conducted in the context of primary education in Bangladesh aiming to examine variables influencing teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Data for the study was collected from 738 teachers working in 293 government primary schools in Bangladesh. The results indicated that perceived school support for inclusive teaching practices and a range of demographic variables including previous success in teaching students with disabilities and contact with a student with a disability were associated with more positive attitudes of the teachers towards the inclusive education. The results are discussed with possible implications for educators, policy-makers and international organisations working on the implementation of inclusive education.

Examining the Extent and Nature of Online Learning in American K-12 Education: The Research Initiatives of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Abstract: article i nfo In 1992, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation began its Anytime, Anyplace Learning Program, the purpose of which was to explore educational alternatives for people who wanted to pursue an education via Internet technology. Part of this grant activity was a research award to the Babson College Survey Research Group to examine online learning in American K-12 education. Three studies were conducted based on national surveys of school district and/or high school administrators. The focus of these studies was twofold: one, to examine the extent and nature of online learning in K-12 school districts; second, to examine the role of online learning in high school reform initiatives. The purpose of this article is to share the findings from these studies and to look critically at what they mean for the future of online learning in American K-12 schools.

Architecture of Schools: The New Learning Environments

Abstract: Origins and the significant twentieth century developments The Educational Curriculum and its implications Making the case for architecture in schools The community in school and school in the community Case Studies

School Feeding Programs and Development: Are We Framing the Question Correctly?

Abstract: School feeding programs are politically popular interventions. They are, nevertheless, difficult to assess in terms of effectiveness since their impact is partially on education and partially on school health. They are, additionally, a means to augment consumption by vulnerable populations. The authors look at recent evidence from in-depth studies and argue that while school feeding programs can influence the education of school children and, to a lesser degree, augment nutrition for families of beneficiaries, they are best viewed as transfer programs that can provide a social safety net and help promote human capital investments.

The Politics of Higher Education for Refugees in a Global Movement for Primary Education

Abstract: In the context of Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), global movements for expanded access to education have focused on primary education. In refugee situations, where one-quarter of refugees do not have access to primary school and two-thirds do not have access to secondary school, donors and agencies resist supporting higher education with arguments that, at great cost, it stands to benefit a small and elite group. At the same time, refugees are clear that progression to higher levels of education is integrally connected with their future livelihoods and future stability for their regions of origin. This paper examines where higher education fits within a broader framework of refugee education and the politics of its provision, with attention to the policies and priorities of UN agencies, NGOs, national governments, and refugees themselves.

An Exploratory Analysis of Formal School Leaders’ Positioning in Instructional Advice and Information Networks in Elementary Schools

Abstract: This article examines how formal school leaders are positioned in their school’s instructional networks based on an analysis of data from all 30 elementary schools in one mid-sized urban school district. Premised on the assumption that advice and information are key building blocks for knowledge development, we analyzed the instructional advice and information networks for mathematics and language arts, the two core elementary school subjects. Our exploratory account examines the prominence of formal leaders in their school’s instructional networks as well as their membership and distribution across subgroups within these networks. Our analysis suggests that, although the school principal is not a central actor in the instructional advice and information network in a majority of these schools, formally designated school leaders as a group do occupy central positions. Examining formal school leaders’ network and subgroup membership as well as their distribution across subgroups in schools, our account sugg...

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers' Perceived Teaching-Efficacy, Attitudes and Concerns About Inclusive Education in Bangladesh

Abstract: Introduction "What people think, believe, and feel affects how they behave" (Bandura, 1986, p. 25). Inclusion of children from diverse backgrounds (i.e., children with disabilities and children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds) in the mainstream regular education is a global trend in recent days to ensure rights to education for all (UNESCO, 2009). Inclusive Education (IE) is considered as an educational reform that aims to wipe out barriers in the education system by bringing all children into regular education, irrespective of their diversity and backgrounds (UNESCO, 1994). The move towards inclusion is focused on improving school systems for all, more than just including disadvantaged groups in the existing settings (Ainscow, 2005). A strong policy framework is necessary to ensure such school improvement for IE. Like many other countries (i.e. USA, UK, Australia, India, South Africa), Bangladesh has gone through a number of policy reforms to promote IE. Bangladesh made primary education compulsory for all children by legislating the Compulsory Primary Education Act 1990 (Ministry of Primary and Mass Education [MOPME], 1990). Moreover, Bangladesh enacted the Bangladesh Persons with Disabilities Welfare Act (Ministry of Social Welfare [MSW], 2001) in 2001. The act emphasised the need to educate children with disabilities either in mainstream or special schools. More recently, The Education Policy 2010 recognized IE as a viable strategy to ensure education for all citizens (Ministry of Education [MOE], 2010). More recently, The Education Policy 2010 recognized IE as a viable strategy to ensure education for all citizens (Ministry of Education [MOE], 2010). The overall goals and objectives (Objective Number 10) section of the Pre-primary and Primary Education Section of the National Education Policy 2010 further emphasised, "Equal opportunities have to be ensured for all kinds of disabled and underprivileged children" (MOE, 2010, p. 12). In order to ensure that these policy and legislative mandates are translated into improved teaching practices at the classroom level, reform in teacher education programs as well as in teaching-learning practices are necessary (Forlin, 2008; 2010). Studies have shown that teachers, who go through a teacher education program that promotes values of IE, are willing to include students from diverse backgrounds and are more likely to create successful inclusive classrooms (Martinez, 2003; Romi & Leyser, 2006). Despite having a broader understanding of IE, it is reported that some teachers feel uncomfortable in including children with special needs in their programs (Forlin, Loreman, Sharma, & Earle, 2009; Kim, 2011; Shade & Stewart , 2001). Some authors have suggested that the time of pre-service teacher preparation could be the best time to address educators concerns' and make them feel more positive towards IE (Bechham & Rouse, 2011; Shade & Stewart, 2001). Several studies have found that participation in inclusive or special education courses (Lancaster & Bain 2007, 2010; Oh, Rizzo, So, Chung, Park & Lei, 2010; Sari, Celikoz & Se9er, 2008; Woodcock, 2008) or embedding evidence-based practice in the pre-service teacher education program (Bain, Lancaster, Zundans & Parkes, 2009) have a positive impact on pre-service teachers' knowledge and skill development to teach in inclusive classrooms as well as developing high teacher -efficacy and positive attitudes towards inclusive education. Studies (Ben-Yehuda, Leyser & Last, 2010; Forlin, Cedillo and Romero-Contreras, 2010; Romi & Leyser 2006; Sharma, Moore, & Sonawane, 2009) have shown that pre-service teachers who participate in training programs about teaching in inclusive classrooms express their readiness by showing high degree of teaching-efficacy and welcoming attitudes towards students with diverse learning needs. Self-efficacy, perceived teaching-efficacy of pre-service teachers and inclusive education Self-efficacy is defined as a person's belief in his or her own competence to execute required behavior successfully to get expected results (Bandura, 1997). …

ICT policy planning in a context of curriculum reform: Disentanglement of ICT policy domains and artifacts

Abstract: Researchers and policy makers around the world are increasingly acknowledging the importance of developing a school-based ICT policy plan to facilitate the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in education. Despite this interest, not much is known about how schools can develop their local ICT policy capacity and how to establish an ICT policy plan. In order to fill the gap in research on ICT policy planning, a multiple case study analysis with a mixed-method design was carried out with three Flemish primary schools. Primary schools in Flanders are encouraged by the government to develop local ICT policy planning in a context of ICT curriculum reform. Data from multiple sources (e.g. interviews with school leaders and ICT coordinators, focus group interviews with teachers, school policy document analysis, and a teacher questionnaire) were gathered and analyzed. The results indicate that ICT policy planning in schools should be considered as a multifaceted phenomenon grounded in school culture. ICT policy consists of different policy domains: vision development, financial policy, infrastructural policy, continuing professional development policy, and curriculum policy. Each policy domain can be described in terms of policy artifacts (tools, routines, and structures), and differences exist between schools concerning the involvement of teachers in the policy planning process and in the distribution of management tasks. As such, the study illustrates a distributed leadership perspective on ICT school policy planning. The results are of particular importance for school leaders, ICT coordinators and professional development trainers, and illustrates that ICT school policy is as much about developing shared meanings among stakeholders for ICT, and coordinating their relations and interactions in keeping with the school's culture as it is about content related decisions.

Analysing teacher knowledge for technology education in primary schools

Abstract: Teacher knowledge guides a teacher’s behaviour in the classroom. Teacher knowledge for technology education is generally assumed to play an important role in affecting pupils’ learning in technology. There are an abundant number of teacher knowledge models that visualise different domains of teacher knowledge, but clear empirical evidence on how these domains interact is lacking. Insights into the interaction of teacher knowledge domains could be useful for teacher training. In this study, the hypothesised relations between different domains of teacher knowledge for technology education in primary schools were empirically investigated. Subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy were measured with tests and questionnaires. Results from a path analysis showed that subject matter knowledge is an important prerequisite for both pedagogical content knowledge and self-efficacy. Subsequently, teachers’ self-efficacy was found to have a strong influence on teachers’ attitude towards technology. Based on the findings in this study, it is recommended that teacher training should first of all focus on the development of teachers’ subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. This knowledge will positively affect teachers’ confidence in teaching and, in turn, their attitude towards the subject. More confidence in technology teaching and a more positive attitude are expected to increase the frequency of technology education, which consequently increases teaching experience and thereby stimulates the development of teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. This circle of positive reinforcement will eventually contribute to the quality of technology education in primary schools.

Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract: As in most countries worldwide, Sub-Saharan African countries are striving to build their human capital so they can compete for jobs and investments in an increasingly globalized world. In this region, which includes the largest number of countries that have not yet attained universal primary schooling, the ambitions and aspirations of Sub-Saharan African countries and their youth far exceed this basic goal. Over the past 20 years, educational levels have risen sharply across Sub-Saharan Africa. Already hard at work to provide places in primary schools for all children, most countries of the region are also rapidly expanding access to secondary and tertiary levels of education. Alongside this quantitative push is a growing awareness of the need to make sure that students are learning and acquiring the skills needed for life and work. Achieving education of acceptable quality is perhaps an even greater challenge than providing enough school places for all. Thus, Sub-Saharan African countries are simultaneously confronting many difficult challenges in the education sector, and much is at stake. This book gives those concerned with education in Sub-Saharan Africa an analysis of the sector from a cross-country perspective, aimed at drawing lessons that individual country studies alone cannot provide. A comparative perspective is useful not only to show the range of possibilities in key education policy variables but also to learn from the best performers in the region. (Although the report covers 47 Sub- Saharan African countries whenever possible, some parts of the analysis center on the region's low-income countries, in particular, a sample of 33 low-income countries). Although countries ultimately must make their own policy choices and decide what works best in their particular circumstances, Sub-Saharan African countries can benefit from learning about the experiences of other countries that are faced with, or have gone through, similar development paths. Given the large number of countries included in the analysis, the book finds that Sub-Saharan African countries have more choices and more room for maneuver than will appear if attention were focused on only one or a few country experiences. Countries can make better choices when understanding the breadth of policy choices available to them. They are well advised, however, to evaluate the applicability of policy options to their contexts and to pilot and evaluate the results for performance and subsequent improvement.

Disability Studies and Inclusive Teacher Preparation: A Socially Just Path for Teacher Education:

Abstract: This article explores the benefits and challenges of operating an inclusive elementary and special education teacher preparation program within a disability studies framework. How does such a progr...

The predicament of primary physical education: a consequence of ‘insufficient’ ITT and ‘ineffective’ CPD?

Abstract: Background: Research on primary physical education (PE) in England and other countries has shown that it is an aspect of the curriculum that has suffered from sparse initial teacher training (ITT)....

Early Primary Literacy Instruction in Kenya

Abstract: We report on a study that used observations, conversations, and formal interviews to explore literacy instruction in 24 lower-primary classrooms in coastal Kenya. Specifically, we report the ways literacy instruction is delivered and how that delivery aligns with practices understood to promote reading acquisition. We find (1) prioritization of developing oral language skills over teaching the relationships between sounds and symbols, (2) enablers to literacy instruction that are the result of teachers’ efforts, and (3) constraints to successful literacy instruction as perceived by the teachers. We identify challenges and opportunities to improve literacy instruction in English and Swahili.

Improving Reading in the Primary Grades

Abstract: Almost fifteen years have passed since the publication of the National Research Council’s seminal report Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, which provided researchbased recommendations on what could be done to better position students in prekindergarten through third grade for success in grade four and above. This article by Nell Duke and Meghan Block first examines whether specific key recommendations from the report have been imple mented in U.S. classrooms. They find that recommendations regarding increased access to kindergarten and greater attention to and improvement of students’ word-reading skills have been widely adopted. Others have not. Vocabulary and comprehension, long neglected in the primary grades, still appear to be neglected. Contrary to the report’s recommendations, attention to building conceptual and content knowledge in science and social studies has actually decreased in the past fifteen years. In other words, the easier-to-master skills are being attended to, but the broader domains of accomplishment that constitute preparation for comprehension and learning in the later grades—vocabulary knowledge, comprehension strategy use, and conceptual and content knowledge—are being neglected. Near stagnation in fourthgrade students’ comprehension achievement is thus unsurprising.

How Pre-service Teachers' Understand and Perform Science Process Skills

Abstract: This study explored pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding and performance on science process skills. A sample comprised 91 elementary pre-service teachers at a university in the Midwest of the USA. Participants were enrolled in two science education courses; introductory science teaching methods course and advanced science methods course. Data were collected through a questionnaire. Results showed that pre-service teachers had limited conceptual understanding of science process skills. On the other hand, they had higher performance on the science process skills. Whilst majority of the participants were unable to provide correct definitions of the science process skills, they performed well on the test that involved novel situations of the process skills. The findings have implications for science teaching, learning and teacher education.

In Pursuit of a New Perspective in the Education of Children of the Refugees: Advocacy for the “Family”

Abstract: This paper describes a qualitative inquiry into the experiences of Burmese refugee families with elementary schools in the U.S. and proposes a new perspective for serving the educational needs of refugee children. Data included in-depth interviews with 25 Burmese families in a midsize Midwestern city. Findings from the preliminary analysis demonstrated that due to their own limited school experiences, the parents did not know how they could advocate for their children's schooling and use academic opportunities. While the parents appreciated and encouraged their children's school learning, they lacked the resources to support their children in negotiating academic contexts. Moreover, the schools policies lacked innovation and resources to involve refugee parents. Finally, Burmese children's diverse out of school learning contexts and unique needs went unnoticed in school contexts. These findings suggest that educators, community agencies and policy makers take a new perspective, advocacy for the whole family, so that the parents might provide a stronger leadership in children's schooling. This could be accomplished in various ways: Advocacy for true bilingualism of refugee children, advocacy for family presence in school, support for community based academic learning and cultural responsiveness to the family goals for child growth.Key WordsEducation of Immigrants, Children of Refugees, Cultural Diversity, Early Childhood Education, Parent Involvement.The education of refugee children or children of refugees is a challenging process for researchers and practitioners. While the majority of immigrants make choices regarding their new lives and experience a planned move for further education, a new job, or family union (Zhou, 1997), refugees are defined as "any person who is outside any country of such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having no nationality, is outside any country in which such person last habitually resided, and who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of, that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." (Office of Refugee Resettlement [ORR], 2012). Refugee experiences might be extremely varied. Refugees arriving in the host countries might be affected by regional political issues such as the trauma related to violence they observed during the war. Other times, refugees experience socio-economic issues such as the recent Ethiopian and Somali refugees impacted by famine (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2012). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has a bigger umbrella defining the people stricken by those extreme circumstances as "refugees, asylum- seekers, returned refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) protected/assisted by UNHCR, returned IDPs, stateless persons, and others of concern to UNHCR" (UNHCR, 2012). Some of these refugees resettle in a different region in the same country, or in a different country. The United States, one of the few countries to respond to this global crisis, has been admitting resettled refugees in increasing numbers. In 2011, 56,419 refugees from 65 countries were resettled in the U.S., with the majority coming from Burma, Bhutan, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and Russia (ORR, 2012).The unique background experiences of each refugee community are important to consider understanding their specific needs beyond common immigrant characteristics. When their teaching experiences are limited to larger and more prominent immigrant communities, educators and researchers may not easily recognize these issues in the refugee children's educational lives (McBrien, 2005). In order to notice how the lives of refugees and their schooling experiences interact, U.S. educators need to understand how refugees' past geographic, social and educational experiences Affect their current context. …

Evaluation of Computer Games Developed by Primary School Children to Gauge Understanding of Programming Concepts

Abstract: Under the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) in Scotland, newer approaches such as games-based learning and games-based construction are being adopted to motivate and engage students. Construction of computer games is seen by some to be a highly motivational and practical approach at engaging children at Primary Education (PE) level in computer programming concepts. Gamesbased learning (GBL) and games-based construction both suffer from a dearth of empirical evidence supporting their validity as teaching and learning approaches. To address this issue, this paper will present the findings of observational research at PE level using Scratch as a tool to develop computer games using rudimentary programming concepts. A list of criteria will be compiled for reviewing the implementation of each participant to gauge the level of programming proficiency demonstrated. The study will review 29 games from Primary 4 to Primary 7 level and will present the overall results and results for each individual year. This study will contribute to the empirical evidence in games-based construction by providing the results of observational research across different levels of PE and will provide pedagogical guidelines for assessing programming ability using a games-based construction approach.

National Trends in Elementary Instruction: Exploring the Role of Social Studies Curricula

Abstract: Using data from the National Center for Educational Statistics research spanning fifteen years, researchers examined the impact of national educational policy implementation on the role of social studies in elementary schools. Specifically, with the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2007 and the continuation of federal-mandated testing of English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in grades three through five, researchers sought to understand how policy decisions to extend testing to science affected teacher decisions in regard to instructional time allocations for core subject areas of ELA, mathematics, science, and social studies in elementary schools. Results of this quantitative study offer large-scale evidence of the declining role of social studies in an era in which testing is clearly linked to subject-area importance. Findings provide an overview of the national scope of testing and the ramifications for social studies in elementary schools. Researchers conclude that curriculum st...

Great Expectations and Hard Times - The (Non-Trivial) Impact of Education on Domestic Terrorism

Abstract: This contribution investigates the role of education in domestic terrorism for 133 countries between 1984 and 2007. The findings point at a nontrivial effect of education on terrorism. Lower education (primary education) tends to promote terrorism in a cluster of countries where the socioeconomic, political and demographic conditions are unfavorable, while higher education (university education) reduces terrorism in a cluster of countries where conditions are more favorable. This suggests that country-specific circumstances mediate the effect of education on the (opportunity) costs and benefits of terrorism. For instance, the prevalence of poor structural conditions in combination with advances in education may explain past and present waves of terrorism and political instability in the Middle East. The results of this study imply that promoting education needs to be accompanied by sound structural change so that it can positively interact with (individual and social) development, thereby reducing terrorism.