CALL FOR CHAPTERS

Proposal Submission Deadline: June 30, 2012

A Handbook edited by Victor C. X. Wang, Associate Professor, Florida Atlantic University, USA

To be published by IGI Global: http://bit.ly/K9FQYG

Introduction

In the 1970s, and even 1980s, scholars and practitioners in the United States debated on the divide between pedagogy (k-12 education) and andragogy (beyond k-12 education). Few would disagree with the distinction that Malcolm Knowles made between the education of children and the education of adults. However, after years of research and practice, scholars and researchers began to advocate the idea that it is acceptable to practice pedagogy in adult education and to practice andragogy in children’s education. After all, learners young or old acquire knowledge almost the same way via the same senses.  Pedagogy was defined by Knowles as the art and science of teaching children, whereas he defined andragogy as the art and science of helping adults learn.  After intensive and extensive analysis and critiques of the theory of pedagogy and the theory of andragogy, Knowles, hailed as the father of adult education, did make the concession by saying “I don’t see andragogy as an ideology at all but as a system of assumptions about adult learners that needs to be tested out for different learners in different situations”.  “Different learners” in Knowles’ terms should include pre-adults, or children.  The general agreement in education is that the more senses we involve in learning, the better we learn. The question remains why we need the distinction between the education of children and the education of adults.  The distinction is significant in the sense that, although children and adults learn the same way, the context in which adults learn should be substantially different from the context in which children learn due to the varied characteristics that adult learners possess.  To a certain extent, pedagogy and andragogy represent two different ways of learning. In addition, pedagogy and andragogy offer two distinctively different teaching methodologies just as Knowles emphasized; that is, the helping role of teachers in andragogy and the teaching role of instructors in pedagogy.

It is adult educators who argue that self-directed learning is one of the core characteristics of adult learning. Specifically, they posit that adults have a self-concept of being responsible for their own lives and their own learning. However, Knowles also noted that many adults expect to be taught using teacher-centered methods and it is incumbent upon the adult educator to help adults transition from dependent to self-directed learners. It is human nature to start out as dependent learners when newly introduced to a subject and move to being interested, involved, and finally self-directed learners. Then, it does not make any sense to separate K-12 education from adult education or vice versa. Around the globe we still have departments of K-12 education and departments of lifelong learning, but many universities have merged these two departments and have made one big department that includes programs in K-12 education, higher education, and adult education. The rationale behind this merger is the idea that students in these programs will receive a “well rounded” education in what we call K-20 education. The education of children and adults is a continuum of lifelong education. One stops receiving education when one stops breathing. No wonder we see “lifelong education” or lifelong learning” in the mission statements of many grade schools or high schools. Teaching and learning are inseparable processes in K-20 education. To achieve effective teaching, teachers must be engaged in learning first. On the job training, workplace learning, and professional development provide learning opportunities for professional teachers in K-20 education. Likewise, it is K-20 education that molds our learners to become productive citizens of the world. After one successfully completes K-20 education by exploring a variety of diplomas or degrees or teaching credentials, one’s learning journey has just begun. The joy of learning and the challenges of learning lie just ahead of every learner.

The availability of information via the Internet and Web 2.0 technologies that connect users across thousands of miles is changing education at all levels.  At the local, national, and international levels, more K-20 programs are being delivered electronically, providing needed convenience and flexibility for learners while saving money for schools at all levels. To accommodate the learning needs of children and non-traditional age students, universities must deliver these programs via cutting edge technologies. K-12 schools do not want to lag behind universities. Some are delivering their courses electronically.

While we have many books on adult education and books on the education of children, most of these books address the differences between pedagogy and andragogy. To date, there has never been a book on teaching and learning in K-20 education. Technology is discussed in books on andragogy or books on pedagogy. Few books deal with the integration of technology in K-20 education. Since the merger of these educational programs is the new trend in colleges of education in universities, both scholars and administrators at all levels need a comprehensive book on teaching and learning in K-20 education. Such a reference source will serve as a premier resource for teacher and learning in this field (although separated in the past, it should never be separated in the new century). Such a book will provide ample opportunities for scholars and practitioners in K-12 education, higher education, and adult education to contribute their pertinent and significant research to K-20 education as the newly evolved field in education in the new century.  No longer should educators depend on K-12 education theories to educate children or andragogy to educate adults. We are searching for teaching and learning theories that can be applied to both adults and children while acknowledging the distinctive differences. Such a book will provide a well-rounded education to students of all ages.   This publication will serve as an exhaustive compendium of this community’s expertise, research, skills, and experiences. Authors with a background K-12 education, higher education, and adult education are welcome to send your chapter proposals to the editor. 

Objective of the Handbook

The Handbook of Research on Teaching and Learning in K-20 Education will feature full length chapters (7,000-11,000) authored by leading experts offering an in-depth description of key terms and concepts related to different areas, issues and trends in K-20 education worldwide. Additionally, this volume will provide a compendium of terms, definitions and explanations of concepts, processes and acronyms.

Coverage

Topics to be discussed in this publication include (but are not limited to) the following:

�         Historical considerations of K-12 education

�         Philosophical foundations of K-12 education and its added value

�         Historical considerations of higher education

�         Philosophical foundations of higher education and its added value

�         Historical considerations of adult education

�         Philosophical foundations of adult education and its added value

�         Theories of K-20 education and their contributions to the economy

�         Practice of K-20 education and its repercussions for the economy

�         K-20 education and innovative technology

�         K-20 education and globalization

�         Partnerships between business and K-20 education providers

�         Partnerships between governments and K-20 education providers

�         Development and sustainability of “learning societies”

�         Teaching theories in K-20 education

�         Learning theories in K-20 education

�         Research examining the impact of K-20 education on local, national, and international economies

�         K-20 education and important education acts such as Nation At Risk Report, No Child Left Behind

�         Perspectives from international organizations on policies relating to K-20 education

�         Current funding sources for K-20 education programs and innovative alternatives for current systems (for example, Open Badges)

�         Critical teaching and learning issues in K-20 education

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before June 30, 2012 a chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by July 25, 2012 through August 15, 2012 about the status of their proposals and sent c guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by October 30, 2012. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Publisher

This handbook is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference), “Medical Information Science Reference,” “Business Science Reference,” and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com.  This publication is anticipated to be released in 2013.

Important Dates

June 30, 2012: Proposal Submission Deadline

July 25 – August 15, 2012: Notification of Acceptance

October 30, 2012: Full Chapter Submission

December 31, 2012: Review Results Returned

January 15, 2013: Final Chapter Submission

January 31, 2013: Final Deadline

Editorial Advisory Board Members:

Valerie Bryan, Florida Atlantic University, USA

Patricia Cranton, University of New Brunswick, Canada.

Sandra Daffron, Western Washington University, USA

George Denny, University of Arkansas, USA

John Henschke, Lindenwood University, USA

Kerry Lee, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Catherine McLoughlin, Australian Catholic University, Australia

Vivian Mott, East Carolina University, USA

Pat Maslin-Ostrowski, Florida Atlantic University, USA

Judith Parker, Columbia University, USA

Robert Shockley, Florida Atlantic University, USA

Lawrence Tomei, Robert Morris University, USA

Teresa Torres-Coronas, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) to:

Chunxue V. Wang at vcxwang@gmail.com