Transforming Teacher Education in India: Ten New Roles for Departments of Education in Universities

The Departments of Education in Universities mainly focus on running pre-service and in-service teacher education programs and facilitating educationally relevant researches. Upcoming the National Education Policy of India expects from the Departments of Education in Universities to play a significant role in transforming teacher education. To fulfill, l this mandate, Departments of Education are expected to look beyond their routine activities and envision new roles for moving their boundaries. Extending this argument, the present paper suggests ten new roles for consideration of the Departments of Education. The suggested roles are: (i) offer professional development support to teacher educators, (ii) run academic clubs for teacher educators to share and connect, (iii) help teacher educators to become a good researcher, (iv) promote ICT usage among teacher educators, (v) compile and use best practices in teacher preparation, (vi) cultivate University-School partnerships, (vii) initiate teacher-trainee exchange programs, (viii) start Diploma programs to train School Principals/Leaders, (ix) conduct more researches on teacher education issues, and (xi) hold hands of beginning teachers.

Early 20th Century Historical Sources on the Siberian Student Community

The article examines the early 20th century historical source base on the Siberian student community of the pre-revolutionary period. It argues that the sources complex of the period is heterogeneous in structure, nature, and content. It determines that the life of Siberian students, as depicted in the early 20th century sources from state archives, was recorded principally in the following aspects: approved and regulated university activities (admission, scholarships, training, participation in registered student organizations, fraternities, academic clubs, etc.) and oppositional, political, ideological activities of students prohibited by both central and local authorities and, in some cases, by university administration that followed the instructions. More details on pressing issues of student life (poverty, employment issues, etc.) unfold in the periodicals. There was a series of analytical and op-ed articles in the Sibirskii student (‘Siberian student’) and Sibirskie voprosy (‘Siberian issues’) magazines, in the Sibirskaya zhizn' (‘Siberian life’) and Utro Sibiri (‘The morning of Siberia’), and some others. The article shows that, apart from poverty and domestic issues, the informal student life, as lived outside educational institutions and politics (that is, love, friendship, attitude toward family, marriage, taste and theater preferences, fashion, and so on), went unreported. Some aspects of this life were pictured in fiction, published, for instance, in the Tomsk student press. But although they give some idea of the Siberian students’ view and ways of life, these sources don’t record facts of life.

High-Ability Students’ Time Spent Outside the Classroom

This study considered how three groups of academically talented high school students—those who attended an academic summer program (TIP), those who qualified for the program but chose not to attend (QNA), and those who did not qualify (DNQ)—spent time outside the classroom. These groupings differentiated students by ability (QNA vs. DNQ) and attendance (TIP vs. QNA). Male–female comparisons were also conducted. By comparing participation rates across a variety of activities and by sex, the current study helps explain the lives of high-ability students outside the arena by which they are defined: their academic ability. Results reveal numerous group and sex differences based on how high-ability students spend their time outside the classroom. Females tended to participate more than males in activities that were generally positively associated with academic achievement, while also participating in more types of activities. Males, however, reported watching more TV and were less likely to participate in any activity. QNA students reported spending more time on academic-related activities, such as homework and academic clubs, than did DNQ students, indicating a generally higher interest in academic endeavors. However, the QNA and TIP groups differed only in their service club participation rates, indicating that attending a summer program is not associated with spending time outside the classroom differently during the school year. This research underscores the heterogeneity of different groups of high-ability students and suggests some caution when generalizing from research findings based only on program participants. Knowing how students spend their time can help parents, educators, and researchers understand and foster adolescent development.

An Integrative Review Of 2/4 Transfer Programs

This integrative review paper examines the most recent research data as it pertains to transfer programs between two-year and four-year colleges in the United States. This examination is guided by the research question: What are the suggested components of a quality transfer program? Suggested components of transfer programs are Transfer Centers which provide one location for transfer student services. These services should include: (a) advising services; (b) pre-transfer orientation programs; (c) access to four-year academic clubs, student organizations, peer mentoring programs and special networking sessions; (d) a method of tracking the transfer student’s performance; and (e) internet access. Transfer student transition is a collaborative service process among transfer students, community colleges, and 4-year universities, working together to assist with the transition.

A Study of Academically Talented Students’ Participation in Extracurricular Activities

In this study, we surveyed the participation rates of academically talented students across 9 areas: dance, solo instrument, choral music, band, athletics, student government, academic clubs, ethnic/cultural clubs, and an “other activities” category. Participants consisted of 2 independent cohorts (Cohort 1, N = 842; Cohort 2, N = 290) attending a summer program. Results indicated that athletics was the activity in which males and females reported greatest participation across cohorts. Significant differences in rates were found for participation in athletics, choral music, and dance in the direction of gender-stereotypical expectations. Differences were also found among ethnic groups and across grade levels in certain activities. We concluded that the results contradict the nonathletic stereotype sometimes associated with students who are academically talented.