This book presents a unique opportunity to read many original source materials written by authors representing diverse points of view and a broad spectrum of history in the field of education. It offers a personal philosophical perspective on the work of teaching; the function of schools in our society; and the relationships between education and productivity. Unlike most introductions to the profession, the issues raised in this book bring readers face-to-face with themselves and with the challenging dilemmas they will confront as teachers. It provides exceptional coverage of community and the changing social, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic landscape of our society and its impact on schools, children, and teaching. In addition, the book answers the following questions: What are the relationships between culture, society, and education?, What are the dynamics of daily life in schools as institutions in particular organizational and community contexts?, In what ways are gender, language, culture, race, social class, and the relationship between school and work important to education?, and What orientations and strategies can teachers adopt that will enable them to become more transformative educators? For individuals contemplating a career in teaching.

The chapters included in this book address two major questions: what are some of the methodological and theoretical issues in sociocultural research in urban education and science education and what sort of questions do technological and virtual contexts raise for these types of research perspectives. The chapters build off Ken Tobin's personal history of sociocultural research in science education and as they do each chapter asks philosophical, sociological and/or methodological questions that inform our understanding of the challenges associated with conducting research in experiential and virtual contexts.

We are pleased to introduce this inaugural volume in the PSCIE Series—Beyond the Comparative: Advancing Theory and Its Application to Practice—which expands on the life work of University of Pittsburgh Professor Rolland G. Paulston (1929-2006). Recognized as a stalwart in the field of comparative and international education, Paulston’s most widely recognized contribution is in social cartography. He demonstrated that mapping comparative, international, and development education (CIDE) is no easy task and, depending on the perspective of the mapper, there may be multiple cartographies to chart. The 35 contributors to this volume, representing a range of senior and junior scholars from various CIDE backgrounds and perspectives, celebrate the life and work of Paulston by addressing issues, perspectives and approaches related to charting the future course of the field. The volume reports on new research in several genres as well as conceptual analysis. As the title suggests, authors were encouraged to go “beyond” established canons of CIDE. The cover art, The CIDE Theoretical Compass, was conceptualized by the editors and depicts that theory selection and theory generation are an ongoing and important process in comparative, international, and development education (CIDE). The image was designed by artist Natalie Jacob, which positions the CIDE Theoretical Compass over Rolland G. Paulston’s 1993 concentric circle map.

This edited collection of chapters from invited scholars, explores issues of social justice and micropolitics in educational institutions. More specifically, it examines the ways in which social justice workers navigate, or can navigate, (micro) political systems in their quest to promote social justice. Issues of social justice and micropolitics are particularly important in this day and age as standardizing regimes and polarizing forces continue to erode the already perilous condition of the traditionally disadvantaged. While social justice workers make it a point to acknowledge the plight of the less fortunate, their well-meaning attempts to take action are not always successful. This requires that they acknowledge the realities of the micropolitical environments in which they work, and to take action in these arenas if they are to achieve their social justice goals. The title of the book, Working (With/out) the System, draws attention to the ways in which social justice workers/leaders (teachers, administrators, students, community members) navigate educational institutions and the wider social systems that are not always hospitable to changes that promote social justice. This volume describes the prospects, possibilities and actual practice of working with, working without, and working outside of educational organizations to promote social justice. Among other topics, the chapters probe: - the manner in which social justice-minded leaders navigate micropolitical environments - the ways in which social justice minded leaders promote and sustain social justice action within systemic contexts - the difficulties and successes that they experience.

It is impossible to discuss economics, development or education in a world-wide context without considering the effects of markets or globalization on these issues that have such an impact on humanity. Neoliberalism has had profound consequences for education worldwide, particularly in the developing world. The chapters in this volume include both case studies for specific countries as well as reflections on economic and educational priorities in a globalized world. How development aid is delivered, provisioned and under what conditions is debated in several chapters. Similarly, development as well as poverty are conceived in multi-dimensionalities depending on the context. In addition, the issue of what quality education has come to mean in a globalized age is also addressed. The contrast between discourses of humanistic approaches to education and those of neoliberalism as propounded by the World Bank informs discussions throughout the volume. The collection of papers in Economics, Aid and Education: Implications for Development provides a roadmap for policy makers in developing countries as well as for comparativists to the key issues and challenges of globalization, marketization and internationalization of education in a period of economic crisis. This book explores the contributions of globalization and the roadmaps developed as vehicles for societal transformation. Contributors from all parts of the globe discuss the expanding role of the World Bank’s market reforms in education in developing countries. In a detailed and practical way, the authors question false assumptions of education aid and underline the challenges of funding gaps related to development in education.

This book focuses on the development of research in mathematics education cultures and its products from the perspective of local educators. It consists of contributions from Mainland China, Indonesia, Korea, Macao, Singapore, the Philippines, and Turkey. This book examines the development of the culture of research in the respective countries and also reviews the research conducted in the recent past in mathematics education. It takes a critical stance through identifying the various accomplishments, and identifying challenges for the future of research in terms of its diversification and quality. Divided into two sections, the first section considers factors around the development of a research culture in the respective countries by focusing on the means used to develop research expertise and quality. The second section consists of overviews of the area of research and methodologies conducted in mathematics education in the various countries, with the intention of highlighting the research topics conducted as well as discussing omissions of such research.

Perspectives on Transitions in Schooling and Instructional Practice examines student transitions between major levels of schooling, teacher transitions in instructional practice, and the intersection of these two significant themes in education research. Twenty-six leading international experts offer meaningful insights on current pedagogical practices, obstacles to effective transitions, and proven strategies for stakeholders involved in supporting students in transition. The book is divided into four sections, representing the four main transitions in formal schooling: Early Years (Home, Pre-school, and Kindergarten) to Early Elementary (Grades 1–3); Early Elementary to Late Elementary (Grades 4–8); Late Elementary to Secondary (Grades 9–12); and Secondary to Post-Secondary (College and University). A coda draws together over-arching themes from throughout the text to provide recommendations and a visual model that captures their interactions. Combining theoretical approaches with practical examples of school-based initiatives, this book will appeal to those involved in supporting either the student experience (both academically and emotionally) or teacher professional learning and growth.

Given the challenges facing educators today, it is vitally important to understand the workings of teacher excellence. Which teachers exceed state standards for performance and continue to exhibit passion and resilience in the classroom? Beyond subject knowledge and teaching techniques, what do exemplary educators know and do that could be adapted for use by others? Exploring these questions serves as the basis for Avoiding Burnout: How Exemplary Teachers Find Fuel and Cultivate Success. The featured educators—among the most distinguished American teachers—provide insight into their successful strategies with students, parents/caregivers, colleagues, and administration. Their honest and thoughtful voices provide compelling evidence of how they navigate today’s complex issues in education. Concise connections to relevant research underscore the value of their perspectives. This highly engaging and easy to use book is designed to spur thinking and conversation about what supports and inhibits educator success at all levels. In small meaningful bites, readers will learn what exemplary educators do, why they do it, and how it helps. In this time of high teacher attrition, we need to share ideas about how to succeed in the teaching profession.

In this volume we describe exemplary programs in teacher education that attempt to address some of the issues alluded to above. Our authors address theoretical perspectives on the importance of teacher education for improving educational outcomes; the achievement gap between different groups and in particular the significant achievement gap between indigenous students and other minorities and mainstream groups, and how this might be overcome by better trained teachers; and how teachers learn to be effective teachers and are these skills of effective teaching broadly applicable across all educational environments?