Syllabus Content Research Articles

THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHING IN LEARNING MATHEMATICS

The Primary Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina is still being dominated by the concept of science-oriented teaching according to which teachers are forced to implement relatively strict division of educational areas within even more stringent and divided subjects from the first class. In such circumstances, in mathematics teaching of the basic and developmental cycle of primary school pupils are most often served tasks isolated from the authentic context, that they solve mechanically, trailing only algorithmic steps. A problem arises when they face the need for the application of acquired knowledge in the real life situations. This implies that the initial teaching of mathematics predominantly activates students’ cognitive area, but in a significant deficit of other psycho-physical areas, which is brought into collision with the basic natural needs of children. Taking into account their strongly expressed need for simultaneous performance of different activities, there is a demand for connecting and integrating scientific and educational areas, both within one subject and between different subjects. Bearing in mind that the natural and social environment represents a starting point and a source on which are based all the cognitions that the child acquires in the elementary grades, the integration of teaching mathematics and teaching science & social studies imposes naturally. Accordingly, the work deals with the learning of mathematics through the integration of the syllabus contents of science & social studies. The aim is to help students not perceive mathematics as a set of definitions, axioms, theorems and proofs. In a sample of 278 students aged 8 to 9 years, an experimental research has been carried out in order to examine the effects of an interdisciplinary approach to teaching mathematics and reactions of students to this model of teaching and learning. All the students have reacted positively to this approach to teaching mathematics, as demonstrated in the results of assessments, suggesting that a multidimensional approach to learning significantly contributes to a better understanding of mathematical contents and concepts and to the better understanding of science & social studies content. It also remarkably raises the quality of the functional and applicable knowledge and motivation for learning in general.

Model Integrasi Ilmu Pada Silabus Mata Kuliah Psikologi Kepribadian

<p>This study aims to determine: (1) What personality psychology syllabus content Islami (2) how the depth of the material being taught personality psychology, and (3) how the competencies of personality psychology lecturer Islami (4) how the integration model of personality psychology West and Islam. The research is a qualitative research, carried out at two Islamic universities namely Lampung Muhammadiyah University and the State Islamic Institute Raden Intan Lampung. Capturing data source is purposive and snowbaal, data analysis is inductive/qualitative. Data collection through interviews, observation, documentation. Analysis and interpretation of data from data reduction, data display verification and draw conclusions. The result of this study indicate that two Islamic Universities in Lampung ie the Psychology Program of Muhammadiyah’s Lampung University and Islamic Psycology Program of IAIN Raden Intan Lampung, still taught their students the psychology of personality in the perspective of western view. The worldview of lecturers in teaching has not been using an integrated approach to interconnect. Efforts to integrate the science of personality psychology begins with the conceptual mastery includes axiology, epistemology and ontology. Axiology psychology Islamic personality that is based on the source of Islamic law revelation (al-Qur'an and as-sunna). Islamic personality psychology is the scientific study that seeks to understand the circumstances and causes of individual behavior by source of truth to the holy book. Epistemology of personality psychology Islam is the way to seek the truth about the substance that is to be disclosed, epistemology talk about what can be known and how to find out. In this issue, meaning aksiologik was instrumental in determining the truth epistemologik. Ontology function sets the substance to be achieved is to understand human beings in accordance with sunnatullahnya. Then verses that talk about including the terms as nafs, man, basyar, aql, soul, qalb can be used as a reference. To be able to pursue the meaning and essence, not just the symptoms. There are five stages in the development of curriculum (syllabus) Islamic personality psychology courses (integrated): first do the analysis, the design, development third, fourth fifth and final implementation evaluation. Starting from the early stages of preparing the course syllabus integrated personality psychology known ADDIE development model. The integration model of Western and Islamic Psychology is implemented at various levels, namely: (1) Philosophy level, (2) material level which done in three models, the first, the integration in the curriculum. The second, naming model in the field that shows the relationship between Islamic and other field. The third, the integration model in doing the learning process. (3) reviewing the concepts and theories of western psychology by sorting out the contents that contradict the teaching of Islam. (4) Strategy level. In this level, the lecturers’ quality and skill were as the key of success in running learning based on interconnect integration.</p><p><strong><em>Keyworld</em></strong><em>:</em><em> Integration model, islamic psychology, personality</em></p>

Usporedba programa izobrazbe za upravljanje brodicama i jahtama, koje nisu pokrivene STCW Konvencijom u Velikoj Britaniji i Republici Hrvatskoj

Research in this paper was conducted under the EU project TRECVET Core Curriculum for Skippers of Small Commercial Vessels (in short TCC-SCV) where a Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka was a project partner. The goal of the project was to analyze seven professional SCV skipper qualifications from UK, France, Spain, Germany, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Croatia by breaking them into their smallest parts called Fundamental Elements and thereby offering objective comparability. After reviewing and comparing training programs in The United Kingdom and The Republic of Croatia for qualifications, required for operating boats and yachts, set by the appropriate Authorities, this paper analyzed skipper/yacht master certification scheme in terms of theoretical education and practical trainings, syllabus contents, required experience, examination methods and evaluated the overall characteristics. At the end, the authors pointed out to some deficiencies in current training program in The Republic of Croatia and drew the conclusion that experience and lessons from other training programs can find purpose for training program reform in their own country.

Methodological problems in the curricular framework for learning the Latin alphabet as the second alphabet in Serbian language teaching

The Latin alphabet, as an alphabet of Serbian language, is taught in the second term of the second grade of primary school. The specificity of learning the Latin alphabet lies in the fact that pupils are already literate at this stage. The First Grade Primary School Curriculum (2004) allows teachers to choose one of the three methods of teaching letters - monographic, group or complex method. In addition, there is no specific order prescribed for teaching the letters of the first alphabet. The letters are grouped freely, in accordance with linguistic and methodological principles. The Second Grade Primary School Curriculum (2004) prescribes only one method of the Latin alphabet teaching and learning, including the order in which the letters should be introduced. The paper analyzes the syllabus contents related to learning the Latin alphabet. The syllabus frameworks for learning the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets have also been compared. There is an inconsistency between the prescribed order of introducing letters in the syllabus and the one presented in the textbooks. The paper offers suggestions for the improvement of the prescribed method of learning the Latin alphabet which amount to choosing one of the many methods of learning reading and writing in another alphabet. Group processing of letters must remain in the syllabus, but without the prescribed order in which the letters should be introduced. There is also a possibility of introducing complex methods of learning the Latin alphabet.

New Forms of Tourism Education

Purpose. The aim of this paper is to consider whether syllabuses of tourism related courses reflect the newest trends in scientific research, and respond to challenges posed by economic practice. Method. An attempt is made to specify research drivers evident in scientific studies, and to classify the most important issues from the perspective of economic practice. By analysing the content of internet sites, the teaching programmes and syllabuses of tourism courses offered at 11 of the largest and best Polish universities were studied. Findings. It was found that the best harmonization of didactic programmes with the thinking of leading scientific research is evident at universities offering Tourism Economy degree courses. The course syllabuses of the investigated universities best reflect the issues of communication forms with the client, the application of information technologies in business (relations with clients and B2B), and also macroeconomic issues, such as satellite accounts, the multiplier and the impact of tourism on GDP (GNP). We note, however, that many trends observable in scientific research and the many needs of business practice are not sufficiently reflected in tourism syllabuses offered by the leading universities in Poland. Research and conclusion limitations. The investigated universities represent diverse teaching profiles (geography, economics or physical education). This reflects the long-lasting traditions or specificity of individual higher education institutions. For this reason, it is understandable that individual universities make references to particular basic sciences in their teaching programmes, which results in different syllabus contents of degree programmes with identical names. We realize that gradation of the most important themes in scientific research and the most interesting issues from the perspective of economic practice cannot be fully objective. Therefore, we attempted to present the most convincing arguments to support our conclusions (examples of specific research studies, market observation and opinions of business representatives). Practical implications. The paper identifies important interest areas of tourism economic practice. These interests focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, tourism destination management and new forms of communication with the client. We show how these areas of interest are reflected in tourism teaching programmes offered by leading Polish universities. Originality. Despite intense competition among higher education institutions offering tourism related courses, so far there have been no attempts to evaluate teaching programmes from the perspective of synchronization with new trends in scientific research and the needs of economic practice. Type of paper. Illustrative review paper.

Analyzing Syllabus “Sports and Pedagogical Improvement in Artistic Gymnastics” for Female Second-Year Students of the School of Physical Education and Sports

The objective is to analyze the syllabus content of the discipline “Sports and Pedagogical Improvement (Artistic Gymnastics)” for female second-year students of the School of Physical Education and Sports.
 Materials and methods: analysis, synthesis and comparison of literary sources, pedagogical observation, study and collation of instructors’ positive working experience.
 Results. The analysis of the syllabus content of the discipline ”Sports and Pedagogical Improvement” for female second-year students allowed to determine that the principal tasks are: to arm the students with the knowledge of the main types of training for qualified female athletes in artistic gymnastics; to teach the future professionals the fundamentals of the methods of physical, technical, psychological, tactical and theoretical training in artistic gymnastics; to shape the students’ professional and pedagogical abilities and skills in effective realization of all types of female gymnasts’ training; to cultivate in the future professionals the knowledge, abilities and skills of organizing control of the level of female gymnasts’ physical, technical, psychological, tactical and theoretical training.
 Conclusions. Teaching the discipline “Sports and Pedagogical Improvement (Artistic Gymnastics)” in the second year of training at the School of Physical Education aims at arming the students with the knowledge of the main types of female athletes’ training in artistic gymnastics; teaching them the fundamentals of the methods of physical, technical, psychological, tactical and theoretical training, and shaping professional and pedagogical abilities and skills in effective realization of all the above-mentioned types of training in the future professional activity.

Analysis of nutrition (and food) education syllabus of nutrition undergraduate courses

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the Nutrition Education discipline syllabus in Nutrition undergraduate courses in Brazil. Methods: This is a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out in the form of survey. A letter of invitation was sent to higher education institutions that had at least one class that graduated by the end of the first semester of 2010 and provided the Nutrition education discipline syllabus. The software Analyse Lexicale par Contexte d'un Ensemble de Segments de Texte (Image, Toulouse, França) version 4.7 was used in the textual data analysis of the syllabuses, and the social representation theory was adopted as the theoretical model. Results: Data were obtained from 46 participant higher education institutions (11.7%), of which 18 were public institutions. Lexical analysis revealed the formation of two independent axes, which were composed respectively of words from the reference list of relevant books and articles included in the discipline syllabus and words related to the discipline program, indicating a lack of association between "reference list" and "text". As for the syllabus content, it was observed that the educational process should be composed of analysis, planning, and implementation, but these three steps (defined by classes) do not seem to be related or connected to each other, demonstrating a nutrition (and food) education teaching gap. Conclusion: This analysis revealed the need to restructure the nutrition education syllabuses to promote greater integration between theory and practice. However, in order to ensure higher qualification and competence of future professionals, it is suggested deeper consideration including the political-pedagogical projects of nutrition undergraduate programs and the Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais (National Curriculum Guidelines).

Perceptions of the Use of Blueprinting in a Formative Theory Assessment in Pharmacology Education.

This study aimed to assess perceptions of the use of a blueprint in a pharmacology formative theory assessment. This study took place from October 2015 to February 2016 at a medical college in Gujurat, India. Faculty from the Department of Pharmacology used an internal syllabus to prepare an assessment blueprint. A total of 12 faculty members prepared learning objectives and categorised cognitive domain levels by consensus. Learning objectives were scored according to clinical importance and marks were distributed according to proportional weighting. A three-dimensional test specification table of syllabus content, assessment tools and cognitive domains was prepared. Based on this table, a theory paper was created and administered to 126 pharmacology students. Feedback was then collected from the faculty members and students using a 5-point Likert scale. The majority of faculty members agreed that using a blueprint ensured proper weighting of marks for important topics (90.00%), aligned questions with learning objectives (80.00%), distributed questions according to clinical importance (100.00%) and minimised inter-examiner variations in selecting questions (90.00%). Few faculty members believed that use of the blueprint created too many easy questions (10.00%) or too many difficult questions (10.00%). Most students felt that the paper had a uniform distribution of questions from the syllabus (90.24%), that important topics were appropriately weighted (77.23%), was well organised (79.67%) and tested indepth subject knowledge (74.80%). These findings indicate that blueprinting should be an integral part of written assessments in pharmacology education.

A core syllabus for the teaching of embryology and teratology to medical students.

Clinical relevance in the teaching of biomedical sciences within health care courses presupposes that there is internationally agreed core material within the curricula. However, with the exception of a syllabus for neuroanatomy and gross anatomy of the head and neck for medical students, core syllabuses within many of the specialized anatomical sciences have yet to be developed. The International Federation of Associations of Anatomists aims to formulate internationally accepted core syllabuses for all anatomical sciences disciplines initially using Delphi Panels that comprise anatomists, scientists, and clinicians who evaluate syllabus content. Here, the suggestions of a Delphi Panel for embryology and teratology are presented prior to their publication on the website of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists. Hence, to obtain a more definitive syllabus, it is required that anatomical and embryological/teratological societies, as well as individual anatomists, embryologists and clinicians, freely comment upon, elaborate and amend, this draft syllabus. The goal is to set internationally recognized standards and thereby provide guidelines concerning embryological and teratological knowledge when involved with course development. Clin. Anat. 30:159-167, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Building an ambient room to foster the teaching/learning of anatomy and physiology of the human digestive system

The current teaching model has been characterized by activities distant from the student’s reality and mainly based on memorization. Since it is assumed that unconventional teaching strategies may foster the knowledge of the syllabus contents, this paper aims to present the construction of an ambient room simulating the human digestive system to provide high school students an experience of its physiological processes. The room was built in a government school with different materials, such as nonwoven fabric, PVC pipes, mortar and PET bottles. Visiting the ambient room, monitored by their teacher, the students were able to simulate the experience of each stage of the digestive process, allowing one to believe that the ambient room can be an effective playful approach activity, enabling students to construct meaningful learning on subjects which otherwise they may see as too theoretical and of difficult comprehension

TEACHING TO THE TEST: ASSESSMENT SYLLABUS AND VALIDITY OF ENGLISH EDUCATION IN BOTSWANA SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The demand for better results among school leavers in Botswana, like in many other places in the world, has been increasing in recent years, but what do the scores students get in examinations really mean? Do they mean such school leavers are adequately equipped to join the world of work and fully participate in the development process? Is classroom instruction geared towards achieving the goals of the syllabus or it is a mere examination preparedness exercise? To what extent can mid-year and final examinations be taken as a valid measure of the syllabus? To find the answers to these questions and others, the study, which was survey inferential in nature, comparatively content analysed the subject matter content as well as cognitive skill content of the midyear as well as the final examinations, and the subject matter content as well as well as cognitive skill content of English language syllabi. The data was then analysed using SPSS by conducting Pearson correlation and Fisher’s z-score transformations tests. Both literature review and findings for this study indicated a tendency among instructors to teach more to fulfil the requirements of the examinations than those of the syllabus. Correlation between the content of the mid-year examinations and that of BGCSE was found to be significant in most cases. It was recommended that teachers be engaged in in-service courses that emphasize test development and that assessment of English should include oral exams. Article visualizations:

Teachers’ Perceptions of the Problems faced in the Teaching of History in Senior High Schools

<p>History is an important school subject which conveys invaluable lessons from the past and whose worth transcends regional, national and cultural boundaries. Such a subject needs to be taught well in order to make learners gain deep appreciation of the relevance of their learning. However, effective teaching of history in Ghanaian schools has long been blighted by problems and challenges that have often gone unaddressed. With little empirical literature emerging from Ghana, this study, drawing on 32 history teachers from 18 senior high schools, examined history teachers’ perceptions of the problems faced in the teaching of history in the Cape Coast metropolis and Komenda, Edina, Eguafo, Abrim district in the Central Region of Ghana. The descriptive cross-sectional research design was used for the study and data were collected through questionnaires. The study found that overloaded syllabus, insufficient human and material resources, lack of support for the subject and large classes were the major problems facing the teaching of history. Based on the findings, the study concluded that the problems confronting the teaching of history in the two districts are administrative and pedagogical in nature. On this conclusion, it was recommended, among others, that syllabus content should be integrated to make it sync with the period given for its implementation. Also, the necessary resources should be provided to enhance the teaching of the subject.</p>

¿QUÉ EMOCIONES DESPIERTAN LOS CONTENIDOS RELACIONADOS DE FÍSICA Y QUÍMICA EN EL APRENDIZAJE DE LOS ALUMNOS DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA?

En el presente trabajo se analiza y compara la evolución de las emociones que experimentan los alumnos de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria hacia el aprendizaje de contenidos concretos de Física y Química en función del curso. En concreto, el Bloque de contenidos es Energía y Electricidad donde se tratan los siguientes contenidos: la energía y las formas de energía; el calor y la variación de temperatura; los cambios de estado de la materia; la electricidad y los circuitos eléctricos; luz y sonido. Para realizar esta investigación, se elaboró un cuestionario donde el alumno señalaba con qué frecuencia experimentaba emociones tanto positivas como negativas hacia los contenidos anteriores. La muestra estaba constituida por 431 alumnos de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) de distintos centros de Badajoz durante el curso escolar 2014/2015. Los resultados muestran que existe un descenso de emociones positivas hacia los contenidos del Bloque de Energía y Electricidad a medida que avanzamos en el curso escolar en concreto al pasar de 3º a 4º de ESO. En cambio, se produce un aumento en las emociones negativas al pasar de 2º a 4º de ESO.

The impact of teaching Lingua Franca Core on English as a foreign language learners’ intelligibility and attitudes towards English pronunciation

The current study investigated the effect of Lingua Franca Core (LFC)-based pronunciation instruction on language learners’ intelligibility and attitudes towards English pronunciation. Fifty-six high-school students were sampled as the control (n = 28) and experimental (n = 28) groups. For six months, the experimental group was taught the content of the LFC syllabus, while the control group received instruction based on the content of the British accent. At the end of the course, both groups’ recognition/production intelligibility was assessed. The results revealed that teaching pronunciation by LFC significantly affected the general pronunciation intelligibility of the experimental group as well as their recognition and production intelligibility. The participants completed an attitude questionnaire before and after the study, too. The result of data analysis showed that learners’ attitudes towards English pronunciation did not change at the end of the experiment and both groups maintained their roughly positive attitudes towards English pronunciation after the experiment.

Exploring podcasting in heredity and evolution teaching.

Podcasts are digital files very popular in several and very distinct areas. In higher education, they have been explored in a multitude of ways mainly to support teaching and learning processes. The study here described focuses the integration of podcasts in Heredity and Evolution, a course from the Biology and Geology Degree Program at University of Minho, Portugal. It aimed to introduce podcasts in the teaching/learning context, to empirically study different dimensions of podcasting, and to evaluate students' acceptance and receptiveness to the pedagogical use of this technology. Five informative podcasts and three with feedback were produced and delivered. All the students listened to the audio files and considered the episodes audible and clear, their preference going to episodes of short or moderate length and containing summaries, study guidelines or syllabus contents. Students judged extremely valuable the integration of this technology in learning and showed receptiveness to podcasting in other courses. Curiously, in spite of owning mobile devices, students clearly favored the use of personal computers to listen to the podcasts. This student acceptance and openness to podcasting has been encouraging its pedagogical application in other teaching courses. The episodes produced often maintain the characteristics identified as the best by the students of this study but the pedagogical approach has been moving to a more student-centered learning situation, with students as podcasts producers. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(5):429-432, 2016.

Evaluation of Listening and Speaking Syllabus in EFL Situation at the Preparatory Year Program

The present study aims to find out whether the syllabus of listening and speaking at Preparatory Year Program Najran University fulfills the desired learning outcomes or not. Despite immense efforts made by teachers, students are not able to acquire a desired level of competency (as stated in the objectives of the syllabus) in listening and speaking course/skills. This study attempts to analyse the contents of the syllabus with special reference to listening and speaking skills, to identify the gaps between the syllabus and students’ performance in listening and speaking and suggest some remedies in order to fill the gaps between the syllabus and learning outcomes. A survey questionnaire with 10 statements focusing on the key elements of the syllabus (as outlined in the objectives of the present syllabus) was used as a tool to collect data from 20 EFL teachers. Their responses were analysed using a likert scale. In addition, an interview with 5 key statements on the current syllabus was also conducted with the same teachers in order to know their opinion and suggestions on the present syllabus. The interview included 5 key statements on the current syllabus. The analysis of data demonstrates that the present syllabus meets out its objectives to certain extent but not completely. As the result shows that most of the statements based on the key elements of the syllabus fall in the category of ‘moderate’, it is suggested that the syllabus should be revised so that it could fulfill the objectives of the course completely and fill the gaps between the syllabus and learning outcomes.

Critical allies and feminist praxis: rethinking dis-ease

ABSTRACTIn Australian universities, non-Indigenous educators teaching Indigenous studies and/or Indigenous content must engage critically with anti-colonialism, not simply as lip service to syllabus content, but also, as an ethical consideration whereby consultation and collaboration with Indigenous scholars must necessarily direct praxis. Such an engagement might be referred to as a ‘critical alliance’: an engagement with Others about whom we are speaking that forms the basis for an ethical relationship. A ‘critical alliance’ with Others seeks always to undermine the colonial relations of power that discursively position both Indigenous and non-Indigenous subjects. This paper explores what such an alliance might ‘look like’ as a feminist practice, what will sustain it or give it substance so it can be a productive contribution to a more socially just pedagogy that gives emphasis to Indigenous struggles and Indigenous knowledge.

Student perceptions of the benefits of drama projects in university EFL

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to address the situation that although the theoretical benefits of using drama projects in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) have been described in a number of studies, researchers have identified a lack of literature on their practical use, particularly in terms of different institutional settings, teaching styles, learning styles and proficiency levels. This paper therefore describes three case studies in universities in Korea, showing that the use of drama projects can be successfully used in different teaching situations and is an effective means of promoting meaningful language learning in students often demotivated by traditional methods and the test-driven classroom.Design/methodology/approach– In these adult-learner EFL settings, a process approach to drama projects aimed to promote meaningful language acquisition and holistic learning in students of different proficiencies and majors. Drama projects were used as: syllabus supplementation by an individual teacher in a Korean-mediated English program (Case Study 1); core content on an English-mediated pre-service teacher training course (Case Study 2); and syllabus content on a Freshman English program taught by 25 native-speaking instructors (Case Study 3). Data were collected from pre/post-course questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and students’ evaluations. These were then triangulated to identify trends in participant perceptions.Findings– Results indicated positive attitude change and promotion of cognition, positive affect and social skills in all three case studies, confirming earlier research findings and showing that the drama project is a viable and effective educational tool for the foreign language teacher, from individual syllabus supplementation to incorporation into a language program curriculum. Rather than resisting the innovation presented by drama projects, the adult learners involved welcomed the opportunities for creativity, autonomy, group work and performance.Originality/value– The practical confirmation of the theoretical benefits of EFL drama projects across individual and institutional settings indicates the potential value of including them in university language programs and teacher-training EFL curricula, enabling and encouraging language teachers to promote holistic, meaningful language learning.

A Review of Social Justice and Diversity Content in Diversity Course Syllabi

Given United State's leading position among international social work organizations, it is important that its standards of practice for diversity in social work education are examined. Using a nationwide sample of syllabi (N = 174) in the United States, the purpose of this study is to measure the extent to which various facets of diversity and social justice are incorporated into social work course syllabi. The study further assesses whether social justice content is integrated into diversity courses according to the Council on Social Work Education's 2001 and 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). The goal is to better understand program adherence to diversity objects designed for social work education curriculum. An examination of course titles, syllabi content, and course objectives revealed a broad array of identified topics; however, terms such as culture/multicultural (79.2%), race (71.7%), diversity (68.2%), ethnicity (63.6%), gender (60.1%), oppression (57.8%), and gay/lesbian (56.1%) were addressed with greater frequency across all syllabi. In an assessment of adherence to 2001 and 2008 EPAS among syllabi, interrater agreement with the use of Kappa revealed modest agreement. Greater transparency in connecting EPAS with diversity course syllabi is an important step in the requirement to improve capability across programs. Implications for future research are discussed.

Education for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): Linking Theory with Practice in Ghana’s Basic Schools

Current understanding of disaster risk reduction (DRR) concurs that, when provided the right education, children have the potential to reduce their own vulnerability and the vulnerability of others in their community. What, then, comprises the right education for DRR? Research has established the need for disaster education to address the causes and effects, prevention and response, and management and recovery from disaster events. The educational process must include diverse and practical techniques that reinforce disaster knowledge and builds a culture of safety and resilience amongst students. Drawing on syllabus content analysis and field research in two rural communities in semi-arid Northern Ghana, this study explored the presence and nature of DRR within the syllabi of the basic school system. By comparing the result of the content analysis with results from interviews and questionnaires completed by teachers and students, significant gaps were identified between the disaster pedagogy outlined in the syllabi (theory) and that which occurs in the classroom (practice). It was realized that while the theory outlines active and innovative techniques for teaching, learning, and evaluating DRR lessons, various challenges hinder the practical application of these techniques in the classroom. The study concludes that a lack of teacher training and professional development, and inadequate teaching and learning materials, generally account for these results. A new and consolidated effort is required from all stakeholders to train teachers and to provide the appropriate learning materials to improve on the current DRR education.