A ‘curriculum moment’ for Adult and Community Education and Training: Acknowledging the voices and experiential knowledge of lecturers and students at community learning sites

Curriculum reform and development is, first and foremost, a political project. It involves the selection, organisation and distribution of particular knowledge structures. But factors such as student and teacher demographics deeply influence the ways in which curricula can be implemented, enacted and used as a catalyst for change. In South Africa, a particular ‘curriculum moment’ has emerged in the field of Adult and Community Education and Training (ACET) through the establishment of community colleges, along with the introduction of new educator qualifications for ACET. In this article, we draw on the reflective diary entries of student lecturers on an Advanced Diploma for Educators of Adults (ADEA) course who are lecturers at community learning sites, to reflect on this moment of curriculum construction in the development of a new Diploma in Adult and Community Education and Training (DipACET). The analysis shows that while curriculum reform is crucial to professionalising the field, it will have a very limited impact if the voices of the lecturers and students at community learning sites are marginalised in the process. These lecturers have experiential knowledge which sets them apart as crucial drivers of the curriculum. Moreover, they select and organise the content to be taught, determine how it is to be taught, and decide on the kinds of knowledge that should be privileged at sites where the curriculum is implemented. We also delineate what counts as valuable knowledge and for whom it is valuable in the field of adult and community education.

Building Bridges

This chapter describes the analysis of 729 daily teacher logs from a 2013-14 national classroom implementation study with hundreds of high school physics students using the game, Impulse, finding classrooms using materials to bridge implicit and explicit science learning performed significantly better than control classrooms (Rowe et al., 2014). This effect was moderated by whether or not the class was a Honors/AP class. The authors examine the student and teacher demographics, science content, instructional materials and methods, and game-based pedagogies as potential explanations for those findings. The largest difference among Honors/AP vs. non-Honors/AP classrooms using any Bridge activities was their use of formal, teacher-led discussion.

Demographic Imperativeness

This chapter examines the demand, struggle, and recruitment of minority teacher candidates in teacher education. The main goals of this chapter are to: 1) survey the impact of teacher demographics on student learning processes and academic achievements; 2) identify the promise and pitfalls of diversifying teacher candidates in preparation programs; and 3) provide a scholarly basis for future developments. The literature review begins with an exploration of demographic profiles in educational environments, especially in relation to culturally and linguistically diverse populations. The discussion then addresses the mismatch of demographics between students and teachers. Next, the potential harm from demographic disparities is discussed. The benefits and hindrances of minority teacher candidates in teacher education, such as cultural competence, role models, recruitment, selection, and retention, are examined as well. Finally, the challenges of preparing qualified minority teacher candidates in teacher education are highlighted.

Why Do Juvenile Justice Teachers Enter the Profession?

Providing students who are involved in the juvenile justice system with an appropriate education has the potential to improve their academic, behavior, and post-school outcomes. Giving these students access to quality teachers is an important and necessary component of the educational process. The purposes of this study were to identify the initial reasons juvenile justice teachers entered their profession, examine the relationship between those reasons and their job satisfaction, and explore how teacher demographics influenced their profession selection. In total, 486 ( n = 486) juvenile justice teachers across three states participated in the study. Results suggest that a majority of the teachers entered the field for both personal reasons and better employment opportunities, with the latter being more important to them. In addition, where teachers work influences how satisfied they are with their job. Teachers in short-term facilities were more satisfied as compared with those in long-term facilities. Findings are discussed in relationship to recruiting and retaining juvenile justice teachers.

A Prediction for Teacher Commitment; Effects of Managerial Style, Burnout and Demographics

The Purpose of this study is to determine the effects of managerial style, teacher burnout and demographics on teacher commitment. In accordance with this aim, a quantitative casual research design was implemented. Data of the research were gathered from 280 primary school teacher, by a questionnaire including managerial style, teacher burnout, teacher commitment and teacher demographics forms. For each research questions, Hierarchical Linear Regression analysis was carried out. According to the findings, task oriented behaviors of principal, emotional exhaustion level of the teacher, self-inadequacy feelings of teacher, marital status and work time spending at the same school predicts teacher commitment significantly. On the other hand, human orientation, isolation level from work environment, physical burnout level, vocational burnout level, gender, professional experience, educational level and working status variables does not predicts teacher commitment.

Building Bridges

This chapter describes the analysis of 729 daily teacher logs from a 2013-14 national classroom implementation study with hundreds of high school physics students using the game, Impulse, finding classrooms using materials to bridge implicit and explicit science learning performed significantly better than control classrooms (Rowe et al., 2014). This effect was moderated by whether or not the class was a Honors/AP class. The authors examine the student and teacher demographics, science content, instructional materials and methods, and game-based pedagogies as potential explanations for those findings. The largest difference among Honors/AP vs. non-Honors/AP classrooms using any Bridge activities was their use of formal, teacher-led discussion.