Training needs of extension agents’ regarding organic agriculture in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs of extension agents for training on organic agriculture (OA) in the Riyadh Region. Fifty-five percent (n = 69) of extension agents were selected to collect data through an electronic survey. Results indicated that extension agents in the Riyadh Region cited on job training as a main source for acquiring knowledge in OA. Agents expressed interest in receiving training in OA in general, OA marketing, and transitioning to OA. The most useful resources were field days at organic farms, OA training sessions at colleges, and attending OA trial plots. There were no differences in the level of interest in training; however, there were significant differences between individuals in terms of their experience in OA, job responsibility for providing information related to OA, and area of specialization in their job. This study recommends developing professional training programs based on the current knowledge of extension agents.     

Public school accountability,workplace culture,and teacher morale

Educational scholars claim that teacher morale has suffered from accountability pressures and constrained professionalism, but exactly what is most diminished by these pressures remains unclear. Drawing on recent theoretical work on public school organizational culture, we hypothesize that accountability pressures hurt teacher morale and increase the risk of turnover by undermining the professional culture of the school and by diminishing teacher cooperation and trust. We find support for this hypothesis in a national sample of teachers in 2011–12, and a follow-up survey from 2012–13. The analyses test whether a collective pedagogical teacher culture, comprised of professional culture and teacher collaboration, buffers the impact of these pressures that diminish teacher morale. Counter to past research, we find that a strong collective pedagogical teacher culture does not buffer teachers from the ill effects of negative workplace conditions in the form of accountability pressures. We also find that accountability pressures in the form of district dismissals are associated with a higher likelihood of teachers leaving their school, and this relationship is not mitigated by strong professional culture. We conclude that accountability pressures partly undermine goals of improving performance and equity in public schools by sowing seeds of teacher dissatisfaction and contributing to teacher turnover, thus thwarting student achievement in struggling schools.     

Effectiveness of training to promote routine enquiry for domestic violence by midwives and nurses: A pre-post evaluation study

Background

Asking women about experiences of domestic violence in the perinatal period is accepted best practice. However, midwives and nurses may be reluctant to engage with, or effectively respond to disclosures of domestic violence due a lack of knowledge and skills.

职业师范院校艺术类学生思想政治教育路径探析

职业师范院校艺术类专业学生思想政治教育的效果一直不够理想,这与艺术类专业学生的文化素质、思想水平、心理素质、个性特点等密切相关。本文通过对思想政治教育的有效路径研究,将师范教育、专业发展融为一体,为职教发展培养合格艺术类人才,促进学生全面发展,提升人才培养质量。     

教师口语——师范生必备的基本功

提高师范生口语表达能力,必须重视“教师口语”这门实践性与操作性较强的课程。在“教师口语”课程中,将普通话训练贯穿始终,使师范生掌握教学口语技巧及艺术特征,更好地适应未来教育教学工作的需要。     

“教师资格注册制度”的理论研究与实践

教师资格注册制度已呈现出全国性常态化发展趋向。分析该制度提出的社会背景和政策背景,论述其实施的有效性,阐明其在贯彻中会出现的问题,进而提出笔者对该政策的见解,对于坚持和完善“教师资格注册制度”,具有重要的理论价值和现实意义。     

新生代乡村教师的离职意向与政策改进

新生代乡村教师是乡村教育的新生力量和未来的中流砥柱，他们能否安心留在乡村学校从教，关系着乡村教育的可持续发展。为解决乡村教师"留不住"的问题，国务院办公厅于2015年6月发布《乡村教师支持计划（2015-2020年）》，从经济待遇、社会地位、专业发展等方面着手，提出了具体措施。但是通过实证研究发现：当前新生代乡村教师的离职意向仍然普遍存在，尤其是其中的男教师和工作在乡村小学的教师；新时代乡村教师的离职意向，受经济待遇、社会地位、专业发展、个人偏好、乡村文化适应性、家庭和学校支持度、教师教育满意度等多方面因素的影响，其中个人偏好和乡村文化适应性是最主要的影响因素。因此，为了更好地留住新生代乡村教师，仍需在"乡村教师支持计划"现有政策支持的基础上，进一步补充和完善相关的政策措施：（1）重视乡村教师招聘和管理过程中对个人偏好的考察与培育；（2）积极帮助新生代乡村教师适应乡村文化；（3）关心新生代乡村教师的家庭问题，提供帮助和支持；（4）重视乡村学校建设，给予新生代乡村教师更多的组织关怀；（5）出台针对乡村教师的教师教育标准。     

近五年中英幼儿教师职前教育项目的比较及其启示

2014年以来，中英两国均出台了卓越取向的幼儿教师职前培养项目以提升幼儿教师质量，促进幼儿教育高质量发展。通过比较研究两国幼儿教师职前培养项目在培养机构、课程内容、学员情况、经费投入方面的特色及异同点，分析得出我国卓越幼儿园教师的培养实施可借鉴英国幼儿教师职前教育项目的经验，建立卓越幼儿园教师专业标准，开设职前职后一体化培养路径，健全培养质量监管与激励机制三方面的经验。     

教师教育中的媒介素养教育探析

教师教育是整个教育工作的母机,本研究目的是通过现实总观和基本理论论证,倡导在教师教育中进行媒介素养教育。必要的教师教育路径下的媒介素养教育其形式是渗透教学,以多种方式整合和一般教学相整合。这一教育形式的前景是克服教师个人素质和外部环境双重阻力,使之成为媒介生活反思本身。