THE ADMINISTRATION OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN A PARISH

Environmental consciousness-raising programs tend to emphasize the magnitude of imminent ecological disasters, if humans continue on their current trajectory. While these environmental literacy programs also call for action to avoid cataclysmic ecological changes, psychological research on “learned helplessness” suggests that information on the magnitude of ecological problems may actually present barriers to action, unless it is coupled with hope. We focus here primarily on Christian literature that finds hope for environmental action in the rhythms and beauty of Creation, in the biblical narratives of a people of hope, and in a faith community that worships and acts on behalf of the shalom of God on earth.     

Changing Notions of Lifelong Education and Lifelong Learning

Drawing on material from IRE as well as other sources, this article describes how the notion of lifelong education came into prominence in the educational world in the late 1960s, how it related to the concepts of formal, non-formal and informal education, and how it contrasted with the idea of recurrent eduction, as promoted by the OECD. The author goes on to discuss the emergence of the broader and more holistic concept of lifelong learning and the various ways in which it is understood. The article shows how IRE and its host institute have played an important part in the debate on these issues.     

CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP,INNOVATION, AND CHANGE

Anticipated changes in the population that will be served in the 1990s have implications for the curriculum that will be needed in postsecondary educational programs. These changes will require consideration of the leadership needed to guide institutions seeking innovation and change in the curriculum for the future. The major themes of this article focus on (a) leadership skills essential for curriculum planners, (b) needed innovation in curriculum planning, and (c) planning for curriculum change.     

Improving Mathematics Instruction and Learning in the Junior High School: An Israeli Example

Abstract

A 4‐year project is described which was designed to improve mathematics instruction and achievements in two Israeli junior high schools. Project activities focused on the individual teachers, the mathematics staff, and the organization of instruction at the school level, under the assumption that more efficient teaching would lead to greater pupil learning.

Evaluation data gathered from classroom observation, questionnaires and tests indicated a general positive impact: many teachers improved their teaching strategies, more curricular material was being covered in class, a school‐wide program for mathematics instruction was established, teamwork among teachers was formalized, and pupil achievements improved.     

Software Engineering Design Principles Applied to Instructional Design: What can we Learn from our Sister Discipline?

The failure of many instructional design initiatives is often attributed to poor instructional design. Current instructional design models do not provide much insight into design processes for creating e-learning instructional solutions. Given the similarities between the fields of instructional design and software engineering, instructional designers could employ the ideas and techniques employed in software engineering to improve their design solutions. Software engineering development and project management methodologies can be employed to develop effective e-learning solutions. Furthermore, software engineering design principles used to develop high-quality software can be applied to planning and enhancing instruction. Fundamental software design concepts, such as abstraction, modularity, reusability, compatibility, extensibility, scalability, and maintainability are all important factors that can potentially lead to the development of high quality instructional solutions. This paper explores the possibility to integrate software engineering design principles into instructional design for e-learning solutions, which not only augment the generic instructional design approach with the best practices from the field of software engineering, but also make the development process more productive and efficient. Finally, this paper illustrates how all of the software engineering design principles are interrelated and can be realized in practice to enhance the quality of instruction.     

Pre-university Chemistry Students in a Mimicked Scholarly Peer Review

Peer review is a significant component in scientific research. Introducing peer review into inquiry processes may be regarded as an aim to develop student understanding regarding quality in inquiries. This study examines student understanding in inquiry peer reviews among pre-university chemistry students, aged 16–17, when they enact a design of a mimicked scholarly peer review. This design is based on a model of a human activity system. Twenty-five different schools in Brazil, Germany, Poland and The Netherlands participated. The students (n?=?880) conducted in small groups (n?=?428) open inquiries on fermentation. All groups prepared an inquiry report for peer review. These reports were published on a website. Groups were randomly paired in an internet symposium, where they posted review comments to their peers. These responses were qualitatively analyzed on small groups’ level of understanding regarding seven categories: inquiry question, hypothesis, management of control variables, accurate measurement, presenting results, reliability of results, discussion and conclusion. The mimicked scholarly review prompted a collective practice. Student understanding was significantly well on presenting results, discussion and conclusion, and significantly less on inquiry question and reliability of results. An enacted design, based on a model of a human activity system, created student understanding of quality in inquiries as well as an insight in a peer-reviewing practice. To what extent this model can be applied in a broader context of design research in science education needs further study.     

Selection of Authentic Modelling Practices as Contexts for Chemistry Education

In science education, students should come to understand the nature and significance of models. In the case of chemistry education it is argued that the present use of models is often not meaningful from the students' perspective. A strategy to overcome this problem is to use an authentic chemical modelling practice as a context for a curriculum unit. The theoretical framework for this strategy is activity theory rooted in socio‐cultural theories on learning. An authentic chemical modelling practice is characterized by a set of motives for model development through a well‐defined modelling procedure using only relevant issue knowledge. The aim of this study was to explore, analyse, and select authentic chemical modelling practices for use in chemistry education. The suitability of the practices was reviewed by applying a stepwise procedure focused on criteria such as students' interest and ownership, modelling procedure, issue knowledge, and feasibility of the laboratory work in the classroom. It was concluded that modelling drinking‐water treatment and human exposure assessment are both suitable to serve as contexts, because both practices exhibit clear motives for model construction and the applied modelling procedures are in line with students' pre‐existing procedural modelling knowledge. The issue knowledge involved is consistent with present Dutch science curriculum, and it is possible to carry out experimental work in the classroom for model calibration and validation. The method described here to select and evaluate practices for use as contexts in chemistry education can also be used in other science domains.