Outdoor education in rural primary schools in New Zealand: a narrative inquiry

ABSTRACT

This research examines teaching outdoor education in two rural primary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. The aim was to give ‘voice’ to how outdoor education is taught, programmed and understood. Underpinning the research was the question: what factors enable/constrain teachers’ ability to implement outdoor education? The findings suggest: confusion about outdoor education terminology and the educative purpose of school ‘camps’; schools ‘do what they have always done’, particularly when decisions about outdoor education contexts are dominated by senior management; financial restrictions; and teachers feeling ill-prepared in terms of safety management because of their limited pre-service and post-service teacher education. This research highlights that what to teach, how to teach and where to teach outdoor education needs more consideration and attention for teachers to be better informed about safe outdoor practices and quality pedagogy in, for and about the outdoors.     

农村中小学现代远程教育工程的管理机制

本研究以安徽省农村中小学现代远程教育工程实施的具体情况为例,提出工程实施的管理机制模型,并从激励机制、服务机制等四个方面对模型进行了分析,旨在解决工程实施中的绩效管理问题,促进工程的可持续发展。     

澳新远程教育考察见闻

2001年末,由中央电教馆和北京电教馆、贵州电教馆有关同志组成的远程网络教育考察团对澳大利亚、新西兰进行了为期15天的参观考察。现在把所见所闻记录下来,给大家提供参考。一、整体印象（一）澳大利亚国土面积760万平方公里,但人口只有1960万,不到我国人口的1/60。新西兰的国土面积是268,103平方公里,人口360万,其国土面积相当于日本、英国,但人口只有北京的1/4多一些。优越的地理环境、辽阔的国土,为其提供了得天独厚的生存与发展条件。这两个国家法律完备,社会稳定,经济发展,福利较高,但市场     

An evaluation of characteristics of environmental education practice in New Zealand schools

This paper reports on a national evaluation project that investigated characteristics of environmental education (EE) practice in New Zealand schools in 2002–2003. The research included a review of New Zealand and international environmental education literature, a survey of nearly 200 New Zealand schools and case studies of environmental education practice in eight schools. In this paper we describe and discuss key features of environmental education practice in New Zealand schools at the time of the research. We consider the rewards and challenges for teachers, students, schools and the wider school community arising from the schools’ implementation of this non‐compulsory curriculum subject. We conclude by considering what the findings told us about current EE practice and how these findings might inform a greater emphasis towards environmental education/education for sustainability in New Zealand schools at a time of national curriculum policy change.     

New Zealand management students’ perceptions of communication technologies in correspondence education

Nearly 1,000 management students enrolled in New Zealand's Technical Correspondence Institute during 1980‐1982 were mailed a questionnaire and followup letters from March ‐‐ July, 1983. Response rate was 76.9% (N=724). Did dropouts (3.43%) differ from persisters in their preferences for supplementary or alternative educational technologies? Dropouts were more receptive to telephone and audio taped communications and seminars. Audio tape and seminar variables were among surviving predictors of dropout after extensive multiple linear regression analyses. Distance education institutions should consider using multiple communication channels in order to cater to diverse student learning styles.     

农村小学实施现代远程教育工程模式二的问题与对策

现代远程教育工程的实施对农村小学产生了深远影响,但在具体实施过程中也暴露出一些问题,包括专职人员缺乏,兼职教师任务重,数据格式不对,转换时间成本高,设备利用不足,资源相对浪费以及应试风气不减,设备围着考试转.为提高工程效益,必须深入开展校级培训,提高教师现代教育技术水平,建立信息反馈机制,形成多层次技术支持中心,建立学校开放制度,依托政府,服务农村,重视观念变革,建立学习型学校.     

甘肃省农村中小学现代远程教育发展现状分析

本文从甘肃省农村中小学现代远程教育建设和发展的现状入手,分析了甘肃省农村中小学现代远程教育实施中存在的主要问题,提出了加快甘肃省农村中小学现代远程教育可持续发展的主要措施。     

The philosophies,contents and pedagogies of environmental education programs in 10 Israeli elementary schools

In this study, our aim was to understand how environmental education has been implemented in Israeli elementary schools. We selected ten schools that had implemented Education for Sustainability programs and analyzed their mission statements and curriculum documents. We observed each school’s activities and interviewed teachers. Our analysis shows ambiguity with respect to the rationales and the theoretical foundations of the programs. It also shows much didactic teaching of content, a strong focus on behavioral outcomes, especially with respect to reducing resource consumption and to increasing the levels of recycling, as well as some degree of working with the community. The unclear status of environmental education in Israel, in terms of its structure within the education system, prevents it from having sufficient resources for teacher education and curriculum development. It is suggested that this lack of clarity is the main cause of the ambiguity and for the use of the traditional pedagogies we found in our analysis.     

川西藏区中小学开展远程教育的制约因素与对策研究

本文通过实地考察、文献资料和逻辑分析等研究方法,从社会经济、教育观念、师资与学生学习适应方式差异对川西藏区中小学开展远程教育进行分析,并据此提出相应的对策建议.     

现代远程教育在终生学习中的作用

传统教育正面临着根本性的变革，终生学习的观念已被人们普遍认同。在终生学习中，人是学习活动的主体，学习贯穿人生命的始终。终生学习是对传统教育的突破。远程教育是以学习者为主体、以教育技术为手段的教育形态，远程教育是每个人终生学习的最佳选择。     

Well-being in schools: Chinese and New Zealand approaches

Educational Research for Policy and Practice - Educational authorities across countries are concerned to promote the well-being of their children. We discuss the approach that two systems, China...     

Science education: innovation in rural and remote Queensland schools

Outside its heavily-populated south-eastern corner, Queensland is a huge administrative area with many small, remote communities that can be separated by hundreds of kilometres of dirt road, or, in other areas, not accessible by road. In this study, parents, students and teachers in nine schools from rural and regional Queensland were interviewed about their perceptions of school science. Teachers, parents and students defined remoteness by reference to their social ties, as well as the social capital and resources they drew on to teach science meaning that not only did different groups differ in their interpretations of remoteness; different teachers in similar circumstances also responded differently. Science teachers’ responses to remoteness were related to their perceptions of school-community communication and their perceptions of their freedom to innovate. Teachers who felt that remoteness gave them more freedom and recognised opportunities to utilise their environment created innovative and relevant science programmes. Teachers who felt their remoteness gave them less freedom felt isolated from the community were less likely to innovate.     

服务"三农":远程教育的新使命

为"三农"服务,是教育为全面建设小康社会服务的战略重点,是江苏实现"两个率先"对教育的现实要求,是远程教育担负的新使命,也是广播电视大学创新发展的战略机遇.远程教育服务"三农",既是一项创新工程,也是一个重大的实践课题,存在许多新的困难和问题,需要有新的措施和对策加以解决.