The global–local nexus: desired history curriculum components from the perspective of future teachers in a conflict-ridden society

This study reveals the views of future teachers from Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab communities regarding the desired school history curricula. We applied a quantitative and qualitative survey to a sample of 528 students studying in teachers’ preparation programmes in three higher education institutions: one research university with a large Jewish majority and only Jewish respondents to our survey, one Palestinian-Arab college and one Jewish secular college. In both Jewish and Arab sectors, we found a major gap between teachers’ perceived desired curriculum and the official (nationalistic) one. The results indicated that the university students, who come from higher socio-economic backgrounds, prefer significantly more internationally oriented curricula than Palestinian-Arab students and Jewish students in colleges. In addition, students who are studying in the university were found to attribute more importance than all college students to globally oriented curricular content for their pupils’ future success. Notably the Jewish students choose to include more globally oriented subjects than are currently found in the official curriculum. On other measures, there was less difference between Jewish and Palestinian-Arab students. The qualitative phase of our research revealed that this seeming anomaly is due to the relative lack of sector-specific content in the formal curriculum covering the history of Palestinian-Arab population. This study yields important implications for history curricular design in the context of the global-local nexus, particularly within conflict-ridden societies.     

Teaching Sacred Texts in the Classroom: The Pedagogy of Transmission and the Pedagogy of Interpretive Facilitation

Empirical research in Jewish education has found almost exclusive use of transmission pedagogy among Jewish studies teachers. This study hoped to fill out the empirical landscape by studying Jewish studies teachers who prioritize student-driven interpretation. It followed six Jewish studies teachers in four different Jewish elementary schools who all professed a commitment to student-driven textual interpretation. It found that in such classrooms there was a clear pattern of teaching moves. This article offers a detailed portrait of the previously undocumented Jewish studies pedagogy, interpretive facilitation.     

JEWISH EDUCATION ABROAD

This research identifies four profiles of Jewish day school (JDS) teachers and analyzes their association with teacher retention in JDSs and Jewish education. We employed a comprehensive sample of JDS teachers from the Educators in Jewish Schools Study (EJSS; N?=?552) and the DeLeT Longitudinal Project (N?=?77) which tracks JDS teachers prepared by the DeLeT programs at Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). The study identified two distinct profiles of teachers among EJSS teachers, which we termed (a) very engaged teachers, and (b) disengaged and unsupported teachers. Moving to DeLeT teachers, we identified two different profiles: (a) well supported teachers, and (b) very engaged and unsupported teachers. While these profiles describe a somewhat gloomy story of Jewish day schools, they also offer a glimpse of hope, if further proactive steps are taken.     

BACKGROUND AND TRAINING OF TEACHERS IN JEWISH SCHOOLS: CURRENT STATUS AND LEVERS FOR CHANGE

Abstract

This paper presents a secondary analysis of data from a survey of teachers in the Jewish schools of three communities. Previous findings had shown that only 19% of teachers have professional training in both Jewish content areas and in the field of education, and despite incomplete professional backgrounds, little professional growth was required of teachers. What can be done to enhance and expand professional growth activities for teachers in Jewish schools? Analyses reported in this paper examine three possible “levers” for changing standards for professional growth: state licensing requirements for pre‐schools, state requirements for continuing education among professionally‐trained teachers, and community incentives for training of supplementary school teachers. Results indicate that pre‐school teachers in state‐licensed pre‐schools and supplementary school teachers who were paid for meeting a professional growth standard reported that they were required to attend more in‐service workshops, compared to other teachers who were not subject to these conditions. In addition, standards for the quantity of in‐service were higher among teachers who have stronger Judaic backgrounds and who are committed to a career in Jewish education.     

Intercultural learning in graduate studies at an Israeli college of education: Attitudes toward multiculturalism among Jewish and Arab students

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the factors which affect attitudes towards multiculturalism among Jewish and Arab graduate students who experience intercultural learning in an Israeli-Jewish academic college of education. In Israeli society, it is in higher education institutions where young people from different ethnic groups first encounter the ‘others’. This is due to the structure of the Israeli elementary and secondary education system, which is divided into Jewish and Arab segregated sub-systems. In contrast, the country’s higher education institutions are open to everyone. The research population was composed of first and second year graduate students, all of whom were practicing teachers or involved in other educational work. Participants completed questionnaires and a smaller sample was also interviewed. All of the students are practicing teachers or involved in other educational work. Everyone perceived the college’s socio-cultural climate as an open and multicultural one in both years of study. However, these positive feelings characterized Jewish students to a larger extent than Arab students, while the socio-cultural aspect as well as the quality of the academic experience had a positive impact on multicultural attitudes primarily among Arab students. Thus, a multicultural climate is not enough to effect a positive change in entrenched attitudes toward multiculturalism. Multicultural education policy should also be reinforced through a formal academic curriculum, so as to set an example for ongoing social change which will further encourage graduate students—majority and minority alike—to implement their multicultural positive experiences in their own schools in the future.     

The Challenge of Professional Development in Jewish Studies: Why the Conventional Wisdom May Not Be Enough

ABSTRACT

This article examines the ways that Jewish studies teachers think about their teaching. It analyzes data from a three month teacher study group in which teachers read educational research articles as a framework for reflecting on their own teaching. The data suggest that Jewish studies teachers take one of two approaches in talking about their teaching: Half the teachers focused on the process of teaching, the specific modalities and teaching moves they employed, while the other half focused on the goals of teaching, the specific outcomes they wanted to see in their students. We also found that those teachers who were more focused on outcomes (rather than process) saw personal identity as an essential ingredient in effective Jewish education. This article raises questions about the efficacy of transferring professional development models from general education to Jewish education, without special attention to the specific cultural context of Jewish studies.     

A MODERN JEWISH EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL—IN QUEST OF A SYNTHESIS

The question of teacher recruitment for Jewish schools has been on the Jewish community agenda for decades. I have been a practicing Jewish educator for 33 years and in educational administration for 25 years, and I cannot remember a time when there was an abundance of licensed, qualified teachers for Jewish schools. There were always men and women who were available to teach. Most were partially qualified people with some teaching experience. But the fully qualified teacher, especially the one who was effective and successful in the classroom, was a rarity.     

Continuity of Higher Hebrew Study and Jewish Home Environment

Observers of American Jewish education are wont to cite the persistent failure of Jewish ed ucators to incorporate the unfolding events of Jewish life and the world at large within the instructional program of the Jewish school. During the Holocaust period, for example, Jewish schools in America blithely ignored the evolving drama in Europe as they contin ued to focus in narrow, irrelevant fashion on their traditional curriculum of Jewish text study.     

Between Ritual and Spiritual: Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices Regarding Prayer Education in TALI Day Schools in Israel

The aim of this qualitative study is to describe teachers’ perceptions and roles in prayer education in TALI day schools in Israel, using in-depth oral Interviews, written questionnaires and written materials of the schools’ network. Two educational ideologies were identified: Belonging to the Jewish collective and Personal-spiritual ideology. While participants perceive the aim of Jewish education as enhancing students’ belonging to the Jewish collective, prayer education introduces a personal-spiritual aspect that was not typically a part of teachers’ discourse on Jewish education.     

The Pedagogy of Jewish Community: Reflections on the Work of Jonathan Woocher

A leader in Jewish education policy for over 30 years, Jonathan Woocher influenced countless practitioners and policy makers. This article examines Woocher’s body of written work by investigating three of his pieces published over a span of 20 years. The article exposes four themes: Jewish education is a project of building infrastructure, Jewish education is a project of America, Jewish education needs to emphasize not program but person, and Jewish education needs to be restimulated by Jewish wisdom. The themes woven together amount to a pedagogy of community, a way to understand the purpose, structure, and tools of Jewish education.     

THE RELIGIOUS VALUE OF BIBLE STUDY.

Teacher‐training programs for Jewish educators in the United States have de‐emphasized the Hebrew language as an essential element in their curricula. Research in the field of sociolinguistics points to the relationship of language, culture, and identity. It is the purpose of this paper to point out the intimate relationship between Hebrew language and Jewish culture and identity. The de‐emphasis of Hebrew‐language learning leads teachers to present a culture and religion which does not properly reflect the texts, culture, and practice that form the base of Jewish tradition. The need to transmit an authentic tradition effectively requires an awareness and understanding of the centrality of Hebrew in the training of Jewish teachers.     

Adult Jewish Learning: What Do We Know? What Do We Need to Know?

This article describes the emergence of the field of adult Jewish learning and the need for research in this burgeoning aspect of contemporary Jewish life. The authors describe the context in which the upsurge of adult Jewish learning has occurred, drawing attention to the absence of systematic data collection about programs, funding structures, or long-term impacts. They review existing research about adult Jewish learners, learning experiences, and teachers, and identify three categories (and numerous questions) for future research: (1) the purposes of adult Jewish learning; (2) adult Jewish learning settings, subject matter, and methods of instruction; and (3) underrepresented groups in adult Jewish learning programs.     

幼教工作者对特殊幼儿融合教育问题的态度和意见的调查研究

为了解普通幼儿园工作者对特殊幼儿融合教育问题的态度和意见,本文对174名教师和保育员进行问卷调查,主要发现:(1)幼教工作者对特殊幼儿有一定的了解,但不够深入;(2)幼教工作者以及普通幼儿家长在保障师资、设备以及教育方式的情况下,更乐意接受特殊幼儿进入普通幼儿园;(3)幼教工作者认为学前阶段实施特殊教育最需解决的问题依次为师资问题、设备问题、家长观念、教师观念、经费问题以及专设督导机构问题。     

Toward a More Effective Mentoring Model: An Innovative Program of Collaboration

Mentoring is a powerful and often effective tool in supporting the work of new and experienced teachers. It can also be a means of attracting and retaining talented teachers in schools which face challenges in staffing and turnover. In this article we describe and analyze the first 2 years of a mentoring program designed to support teacher retention and growth. The program, planned between a Jewish education agency and university faculty, was implemented in several Orthodox Jewish day schools. Mentoring was provided by university faculty and the relationship between the mentor and teacher was non-evaluative and fully collaborative. Data collected from mentors, teachers, and principals are analyzed and presented, and implications for Jewish day schools are discussed.     

FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR CENTRAL AGENCIES OF JEWISH EDUCATION

There is an ancient Chinese saying: “May you live in interesting times.” While some would classify this as a blessing, others would perceive it as a curse. The topic for this morning's discussion arises from a comparable state of ambiguity in regard to Jewish education, for these are certainly the most interesting times for us. Some voices are heard decrying the sorry state of Jewish education in North America and projecting a weakening of Jewish life because of the failures of Jewish education. Others are pointing to the extraordinary potential of Jewish education in the service of Jewish continuity, if we are willing to think about Jewish education in new ways. For those of us who tend the vineyards of Jewish education and maintain the institutions which have served Jewish education, we see great opportunity and serious challenges to existing assumptions in these interesting times. It is in this context that I share some observations about the implications for the future of central agencies of Jewish education.     

义务教育阶段数学新课程实施现状调查——从甘肃省教师视角的研究

对义务教育阶段数学新课程的实施进行调查,发现:教师基本适应了新教材,对新课程提倡的理念把握更加准确.但仍存在一些问题:教师对数学新课程的理解不够深入细致;数学新教材存在脱离农村学生生活的倾向且习题内容偏少;教学设施缺乏、数学师资力量不够影响新课程实施;"唯分数论"的评价方式有回升反弹的趋势.针对这些问题,建议:(1)加大新课程培训力度,关注教研活动的开展;(2)教材编写与选用应注意农村与城市的差异,适当增加教材中习题的数量;(3)改善教学设施,充实农村师资力量;(4)研制具体可行的评价方案.     

One country,two cultures – a multi-perspective view on Israeli chemistry teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning

This paper presents a study focusing on differences in Israeli Jewish and Arab chemistry teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching and learning of chemistry in the upper secondary schools. Israel is a country experiencing the problems of diverse cultural orientation of its inhabitants but applying the same educational system to its diverse cultural sectors. Education includes the same curriculum in chemistry for both the Israeli Jewish and Arab cultural sectors as well as final examinations (matriculation) set centrally by the Ministry of Education. Thus, this study can serve as a striking case for other countries facing similar cultural diversity. The study is based on two different instruments that are both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The qualitative data stem from chemistry teachers’ drawings of themselves as teachers in a typical classroom situation accompanied by four open questions. The data analysis follows three qualitative scales: beliefs about classroom organization, beliefs about teaching objectives and epistemological beliefs. A quantitative study gives insights into teachers’ beliefs about what characterizes good education. The main goal of the present paper is to determine whether both groups of chemistry teachers with different sociocultural background in Israel hold different views about education in general and chemistry education in particular. The findings provide evidence that in Israeli chemistry classrooms, the beliefs of Arabic teachers differ from those of the Jewish teachers, although both groups live in the same country and operate the same educational system.     

How Day School Teachers Perceive Their Working Conditions: A National Study

Induction and mentoring are widely considered in the United States and in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries as a basic universal and critical intervention for a successful launch of new teachers. Based on an expanded set of survey data, this article focuses on how Jewish day schools offer professional support and learning opportunities from the head of school, the administration, colleagues, parents, and the school community and how useful teachers perceive these resources to be. This study reveals that less than half of all teachers in the schools surveyed report participating in formal induction programs and believe their schools take the learning needs of new teachers seriously. Schools would do well to attend to this aspect of teacher support and consider the systems and structures that do (or do not) exist to help orient, support, and develop new teachers.     

NATHAN AND DAVID IN II SAMUEL 12:1–13: AN ALTERNATIVE TEXT WITH COMMENTARY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING

I am honored to give the opening address on the conference theme which deals with 100 years of Jewish education in North America. The topic of this session, “From Sunday School to Day School,” suggests that Jewish education has moved from a one-day-a-week enterprise to a full-time system of education. While there has been significant movement in this direction during the last half of the past 100-year period, this trend has to be placed in proper historical, religious, cultural and social perspective.     

Toward a Critical Study of Jewish Education

This article proposes a reconfiguration of the academic study of Jewish education that would (1) emphasize the “critical” analysis of an expanded range of issues (2) draw upon a broad range of disciplines and fields of study; and (3) formulate a new research agenda. The article argues that the focus on a “critical” approach to Jewish education studies is not a retreat from practice, but an important step in the enrichment of the academic study of Jewish education, as well as in the enhancement of the practical training of teachers, leaders, and communal professionals.