Is religious education compatible with science education?

This paper tackles a highly controversial issue: the problem of the compatibility of science and religion, and its bearing on science and religious education respectively. We challenge the popular view that science and religion are compatible or even complementary. In order to do so, we give a brief characterization of our conceptions of science and religion. Conspicuous differences at the doctrinal, metaphysical, methodological and attitudinal level are noted. Regarding these aspects, closer examination reveals that science and religion are not only different but in fact incompatible. Some consequences of our analysis for education as well as for education policy are explored. We submit that a religious education, particularly at an early age, is an obstacle to the development of a scientific mentality. For this and other reasons, religious education should be kept away from public schools and universities. Instead of promoting a religious world view, we should teach our children what science knows about religion, i.e., how science explains the existence of religion in historical, biological, psychological and sociological terms.     

The relationship between teachers’ emotional intelligence and classroom discipline management

One of the fundamental problems of educational systems in many countries is related to classroom discipline. This reflects one of the worst problems faced by teachers. Classroom discipline management strategies play an effective role in creating positive teacher‐student relationships. One of the factors that influence behavior management in a classroom is emotional intelligence. Therefore, this study analyzing how teachers emotional intelligence influences the management of discipline in a classroom and the relationship between gender, academic formation, and service time of teachers with their emotional intelligence. Its sample comprises 559 basic and secondary school teachers. An Emotional Competence Questionnaire, a Scale of Teacher Efficacy in Classroom Management, and a personal and professional data inquiry have been used as instruments. Results show that teachers who have more capacity to deal with emotion demonstrate a greater management of discipline in the classroom. Most of the relationships in the model are statistically significant.     

Performing mundane materiality: Actor-Network Theory,global student mobility and a re/formation of ‘social capital’

ABSTRACT

Social capital is a puzzling actor; made real by its allies. It has been ‘out-there’ in the form of scientific publications for decades. Although some characteristics are common to all elaborations of this theory (networks, trust, and norms), there remains confusion in determining a ‘coherent concept’ of social capital. In this paper, we make use of such ‘incoherence gap’ to open an experimental theoretical and, subsequently, analytical space. Based on empirical research with mobile students and assemblages of non-human actors, the paper offers two investigative gatherings. First, the Bourdieusian approach to ‘social capital’ is discussed, allowing relational ontologies to enter the scene. Second, consideration is given to issues of performativity and the relevance of materiality for empirical social capital investigations. Despite the degree of ontological security social capital has managed to achieve, we question the disregard for the performative role of non-human entities in the context of global student mobility.     

Teamwork and Entrepreneurial Behavior among K-12 Teachers in the United States

Abstract

This study attempted to identify the predictors of entrepreneurial behavior by assessing a series of variables that included teamwork skills and demographic variables, and to explore teachers’ experiences with teamwork. A sample of 367?K-12 public school teachers completed the survey. The findings indicated that teamwork predicts entrepreneurial behavior. Most participants received teamwork training through their school districts. Barriers to teamwork included time constraints, individual differences, and inability to collaborate.     

Some recent Unesco publications

Notes and Reviews

Some recent Unesco publications     

Promoting Parents' Social Capital to Increase Children's Attendance in Head Start: Evidence From an Experimental Intervention

Improving children's attendance is a high priority for Head Start and other early childhood education programs serving low-income children. We conducted a randomized control trial in a major northern city to evaluate the impact of a low-cost intervention designed to promote parents' social capital as a potential influence on children's attendance in Head Start centers. The intervention assigned children to treatment group classrooms based on (a) neighborhood of residence (geography condition) or (b) the geography condition plus the opportunity for parents to form partnerships in support of their children's attendance, or to control group classrooms according to Head Start guidelines only. We did not find impacts on average attendance throughout the year. However, the intervention did lead to increased attendance during the winter when average center attendance was lowest. There were no impacts on fall or spring attendance. Follow-up exploratory analyses of focus groups with parents and staff suggested that parents' level of connection and trust, self-generated partnership strategies, and commitment to their children's education may be factors by which parents' social capital expands and children's attendance improves.     

Investigating the effects of multimedia input modality on L2 listening skills of Turkish EFL learners

The present study examined whether or not different input delivery modes have an effect on listening comprehension of Turkish students learning English at the university level. It investigated the effect of one single mode, which is audio-only, and three dual input delivery modes, which were audio-video, audio-video with target language subtitles and audio with PowerPoint presentation, on listening comprehension. The data have been gathered through: a listening proficiency exam, a topic familiarity questionnaire, listening comprehension tests, think-aloud protocols and a semi-structured focus group interview. Analysis of data demonstrated that the students’ listening comprehension scores were significantly lower in audio-video with subtitles mode. In addition to this, the students stated that they experienced most confusion and anxiety in understanding through audio-video with subtitles. Moreover, the students mentioned that they were most successful in the audio with PowerPoint presentation mode. Results also indicated that the students were influenced by their pre-university listening class experiences, meaning that they were most accustomed to the audio-only mode, and therefore felt most relaxed when they listened only.     

Promoting entrepreneurship education among university students: design and evaluation of an intervention programme / Fomento de la educación emprendedora entre el alumnado universitario: diseño y evaluación de un programa de intervención

For the consolidation of entrepreneurial education as a field of research, a number of challenges must be met, among them, a better connection between pedagogical objectives and the design of programmes, as well as greater methodological rigour in the evaluation of their impact. With this in mind, this paper analyses the results of an entrepreneurial education programme carried out with a group of students from a Spanish university, contrasting the results with a control group. The results indicate that, after this process, the participating students displayed greater entrepreneurial potential than the group of students that had not participated. However, this difference is due more to a loss of entrepreneurial intention in the group not participating in the programme than to an improvement in the participating students.