The purpose of this quantitative research was to examine whether there were statistically significant differences in Islamic elementary public school teachers’ curriculum orientation and teaching conception across demographic variables of gender, age, and teaching experience. Data were collected through questionnaires from 65 Islamic elementary public school teachers. Data were analysed through Rasch analysis and tests of inferential statistics. The results of the data analysis show that, over all: 1) the teachers’ curriculum orientation tended to be “technological” and “academic” rather than “social reconstructionistic”; and 2) the teachers tended to conceptualize teaching as “apprenticeshipdevelopmental” and “knowledge transmission” rather than “nurturing” or “social reform”. Tests of inferential statistics revealed a significant difference between male and female teachers’ conception of teaching. A significant difference was also found in the teachers’ curriculum orientation across the demographic variable of teaching experience. No significant difference was found across the variable of age. Correlations were identified between the teachers’ curriculum orientation and teaching conception. The findings of this study provide evidence for policy makers, school leaders, researchers, parents, and teacher educators that the curriculum orientation and teaching conception of the majority of the teachers seems to be incompatible with the nature of character education that necessitates teachers to be “nurturing” and “social reconstructionistic”. In addition, evaluation and reorientation of paradigms and approaches in teacher education and educational objectives and further research are suggested.

This paper aims to describe an ongoing three-year vocabulary project funded by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. It focuses on explaining the unique features and one of the practical uses of VIBE* (Vocabulary Item-Bank of English). Designed as a multi-purpose lexical tool on computer for vocabulary assessment as well as vocabulary learning, VIBE has the following features: (1) a coverage based on distinctive selection of the target items/words, namely high frequency words, (2) a novel open-database approach to item creation, and (3) innovative test formats. In its current state, it has been successfully used in pioneering vocabulary competitions to encourage autonomous vocabulary learning.

In the mass media, the educational aspiration of Korean parents is overheated regardless of social class. Moreover, people seem to believe it. However, it has been shown by the results of earlier empirical studies that educational aspiration of parents is different by social class. In this paper educational aspiration of parents was analyzed in two steps. First, parent’s interest about their children’s grades was analyzed by statistical method. The result showed that it is different by the parent’s educational level. Then the educational aspiration of working-class parents was analyzed using the cooling-out and cooling-down concept of Takeuchi. The result is that working class parents did not control their children’s study and private tutoring. Moreover they prefer universities with less economic burdens rather than prestigious universities. The implication of this study is that working class parent’s educational aspiration appears quite different from an overheated pattern and seems to be cooling-down.

One of major education process flaws in the Lembaga Pendidikan Tenaga Kependidikan (LPTK) or Teacher Training Institute in Indonesia is portrayed in the implementation of the Program Pengalaman Lapangan (PPL) or Apprentice Program that has not optimally developed candidate’s proficiency to be competent teachers. Therefore, this research is intended to construct a teaching and learning model of practical teaching that can improve pedagogical competence as the ultimate goal to be achieved by future teacher candidates. The main subjects of this study were undergraduate students of the Elementary School Teacher Education program conducting their PPL in Indonesia University of Education and Lampung University. Based on the analysis of Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, on the level of significance of 95% (α = 0,05), the model produced from the research and development process and called theModel Pembelajaran Praktik Mengajar Reflektif (MP2MR) was verified to help improve students competence based on the following benefits,(a) teaching and learning and evaluation designs focused on standardized achievements (b) individual and contextual implementation of problem-solving based process of teaching and learning, and (c) priority to intrinsic evaluation.

This project promotes teacher collaboration for the professional development of Japanese language teachers. Practical reports of their class activities and communication between mentors and participants were recorded in an e-portfolio and Learning Management System for six months, following which a focus group interview and questionnaires revealed the following: (1) participants did not have sufficient opportunities to communicate with each other, although they were highly motivated; (2) classroom evidence and reflective documentation were effective tools for focusing on and analyzing their own practices; (3) continuing discussion among participants was needed to build and sustain a community of practitioners; and (4) young teachers were hesitant to express their ideas and opinions to senior participants.

This research paper will describe the current process and practice of Education for sustainable development (ESD) implementation in Korean schools through a case study that was carried out in Tongyeong city. This study is based on a field study and empirical observation in South Korea (Tongyeong city), with the subject of research being 2 schools. The scope of this research focuses on ESD implementation within school which consists of curricular design, an extracurricular program, and learning and teaching model on ESD in the classroom. There were 2 elementary schools which were chosen in this case study in Tongyeong city. They are Inpyeong elementary school and Yongnam elementary school. The method of research through depth interview, observation, and document review on ESD and the analysis in this research includes the process and teaching strategy of ESD in schools. Other analysis includes extracurricular activities and school programs. The result of this research shows that ESD issues in Korean schools have strongly focused on eight areas; they are improving the basic quality of education, a sustainable and healthily lifestyle, equity, environmental ethics/education, sustainable consumption and production, democratic sustainably, children protection, cultural understanding. Specially, this research showed that Korean schools has a concern in a clean plate movement, environmental awareness, energy saving, and waste management. Meanwhile, in Indonesian schools the emphasis is on environmental awareness and cultural preservation and protection. Additional programs related to ESD implementation were found in extracurricular activities such as field trips, cultural preservation activities and club activities on environmental protection. Basically, two schools in Tongyeong City have implemented ESD in various activities before the term ESD was created. It is clear that ESD could develop and increase student’s awareness about the environment, life, and the future of the earth.

At the time of the Confederation in 1867 when Canada became a country the government made English and French the official languages, ignoring the aboriginal languages altogether, both at the federal level and in the province of Quebec. Later, when it joined the Confederation, Manitoba gave French official language status as well. But in most parts of Canada French eventually began to lose ground; Manitoba rescinded its French language policy, Ontario abolished French schools in 1912, and other provinces put restrictions on the use of French. Most immigrants learned English, especially in the western parts of Canada. More recently Canadian bilingualism has not only adopted English and French as the nation's official languages, but also allowed ethnic minorities to maintain native-language and choose English or French as second languages. The purpose of this research is to analyze dual language French- English education in the multicultural society of Canada.