Elementary education - Essay Example

Elementary education In this paper, I discuss two journals that publish literature in the field of elementary education. A journal is a periodical that only publishes articles after they have passed a rigorous editing and review process (Moon 1). Unluckily, I was not able to obtain full views of the most current journals from my research and thus I used the previews of the current journals I found. However, these journal previews had much of the information that I needed to analyze them. To analyze and evaluate a journal we need to consider its output, content, perception and usage, citation and management (Haustein v). The two journals I analyze in this Paper are the American Education History Journal, Volume 31, and the Journal of Research in Character Education, Volume 6. The American Education History Journal, volume 31, was first published in 2004. One of its outspoken positive qualities is that it has several topics which can be viewed in its preview at no cost through the internet. Another positive quality is that it covers a wide range of topic related to elementary education most of which contain comprehensive information about research undertaken in this field (Watras 1). Moreover, its research surveys are not biased to any country thus making it a worldwide journal. However, the journal also has some negative qualities. One of its negative qualities is the inaccessibility of the full view of the journal only that makes the information available from this journal to be limited. Our other journal, the Journal of Research in Character Education, Volume 6, was published in 2008. It has several positive qualities, one of them being having the most recent information on current research on elementary education. Moreover, it has very few pages and short topics that are easy to read and comprehend. In addition, its content is not biased to any country and thus scholars regardless of their countries can use it. Furthermore, I can use its information, it contains most current information which is easy to relate with current situations of elementary education profession. However, this journal has very few pages in its preview and hence very few information is readily available through the internet. To obtain the full view of the American Education History Journal, volume 31, is somehow costly since it is among the most current journals. However, it has a preview which can be viewed through the internet at no cost since it contain much of the information which an elementary profession can require. It was published for many years ago in 2004 and its information is as important as those in the latest journals are and hence it has a good durability. The journal had a lot of prestige in the field of elementary education when it was first published because of the quality of its content. However, it has lost some of its prestige due to the emergence of current journals in this field that relies mostly on current research. The institution of origin of this journal is the University of North Carolina. This is where the journal was first edited and published. University of North Carolina is the place where it is currently published although currently it can be purchased from several books distributers. Journal of Research in Character Education is costly to purchase since it is among the most current journals. Like our previous journal, this one too has large longevity since it is currently as much useful as when it was published in 2008. It is also very much prestigious because it carries information from highly rated scholars and it contains information from most current research. One of such research is research on the effect of school-based program in enhancing pre-social development of Children (Milson and Berkowitz 1). The institution origin of this journal also is the University of North Carolina. This is where it was edited and published. From my interviews, I found out that many scholars in the current society are still using these two journals. Two people I interviewed told me that they have used either a concept or a topic from these journals in their professional undertakings in the past one week. The two people told me that the topics in these journals are well arranged and thus someone can very easily derive information from them. One of them told me that he likes the Journal of Research in Character Education because it contains information on most current research. My other interviewee told me that the reason why he likes it because its topics relate very well with the current knowledge on elementary education. Both of my interviewees said that the American History Education Journal has good and elaborate topics and they are short hence very easy to read and comprehend. In my analysis, I found out that the American Education History Journal has almost 100 pages and 13 topics. This means that the average number of pages per topic is around eight. This is not a very big number and thus it is readable. I also found out that some of its topics have abstracts thus it is easy to trace the topic to read without necessarily reading the whole topic. Also from my analysis I found out that about three quarters of the articles of this journals are written in first person while the remaining are written in third person. According to Hyland (1), the use of first person expresses authority and displays confidence in the evaluation of the writer and it shows his commitment to his ideas. This actually makes this journal to be very understandable. From my analysis of the Journal of Research in Character Education, volume 6, I found out that this journal has very few topics and thus it is easy to trace information in this journal. I also found that a preview of this journal is available in the internet at no cost and thus it is very accessible. The preview of this journal has almost 50 pages and 3 topics and thus has an average of about fifteen pages per topic. Although, these are more than those of our previous journal are, they cannot be time consuming, and thus the journal can be easily read and comprehended. Moreover, majority of the topics are written in first person and thus they show authority of the writer on his ideas making them very understandable. However, majority of its topics have abstract and thus one has to read almost the whole topic to realize the main ideas expressed in that topic. This makes it somehow difficult to trace information that one wants to read from this journal. Among this journal, I would prefer to read the American Educational Research Journal more than the Journal of Research in Character Education. This is because most of the topics in it have abstracts and thus I do not have to read the whole topic to realize whether it has the information that I am looking for. Moreover, it has more number of topics as compared to the Journal of Research in Character Education and thus it is likely to have more information as compared to the other journal. In addition, this journal has well explained topics and its concepts are explained in details with sufficient evidence. Among these journals, I would recommend you to read the American Education Research Journal. This is because even if it is much older than the other journals, its ideas and concepts relates very well with current concepts in elementary education. Moreover, as I have said earlier in this journal it is very easy to trace what you want with less effort and has short and readable topics. However, I do not suggest that you completely fail to read the other one since that one too contains information that can be of great use to you as an elementary education profession. Moreover, I do not say that the information they offer is sufficient on its own, it needs to be supplemented with information from other journals and literatures from this field if one want to become a proficient elementary education profession. Annotated bibliography Brad, Frey. Searching for a Public Morality to Empower Affirmative Action Charlotte: Information Age, 2004 30 pages This is an article about public morality and how it can empower affirmative action. It is readily accessible through the preview of American Education history journal and it contains information that can be very helpful to an elementary education profession. Professions have edited the information that can be obtained from this article and thus it is reliable and accurate. Harrison, Elizabeth, Smith. The Education of Mexican Americans in Kyle, Texas, Public Schools Austin: University of Texas 2003 20 pages. This article talks about research undertaken on some public schools in Texas. The research is about Education of Mexican Americans in those schools. The content of this article can be very useful to an elementary educator especially those teaching in public schools. This is because most public schools have similar characteristics regardless of the state where they are found. Groen, Mark. Those Incendiary Yankee Schoolbooks: Educational Politics and Sectional Conflict In Mid-Nineteenth Century America. Riverside: University of California 2003 31 pages This article talks about research undertaken about certain schoolbooks. It brings out the educational politics and conflict that surrounds and affects the issue. Although it talks about the mid-nineteenth century some of the conflicts and educational politics brought out in the article affects us even in our current society. As a result, this article is important to any elementary educator irrespective of state and nationality. Ramsey, Paul, J. Building a Real University in the Woodlands of Indiana: The Jordan Administration, 1885-1891 Indiana: Indiana University School of Education, 2003 27 pages This article was written to explain the information gotten from a research about building a real University in the woodlands of the State of Indiana. Although it seems to have less important to an elementary school educator, it can equip him with the history of educational development in this state. This is comparable to other states and thus it can help a professional elementary school educator to know the roots of his profession. Battistich, Victor Effect of a School-Based Program to Enhance Pro-social Development of Children’s Peer Relations and Social Adjustment Oakland: Development Study Center, 2007 20 pages This is an article after a research undertaken on school-based programs. This article talks about how this program can be used to enhance pro-social development and to facilitate social adjustments. This is one of the articles that any elementary profession should make an effort of reading. This is because of the knowledge that it carries. It has been edited in a way that makes it useful to educators regardless of their states or countries. Benninga, Jacques, S. The Relationship of Character Education Implementation and Academic Achievement in Elementary Schools Fresno: California State University, 2007 23 pages This article was written after a research was undertaken on how character education is related to academic achievements. The article explains the relationship between the achievements and how they influence each other. The knowledge that can be obtained from this article can help the elementary school educators in their effort to improve academic performance of their students. This article too has been tailored to be of assistance to any educator wherever he is in the world. Hauer, Josphine Education for Character and Teachers’ Moral Vitality Bridge Port: University of Bridgeport, 2008 30 pages This article talks about how teachers’ character and vitality can be enhanced to improve education. Like the other articles of this journal, this one too was written after a thorough research on this issue. It is equipped with knowledge which can be very helpful to an elementary education profession especially in his effort to improve his professionalism. According to the way it is written, it not biased to any part of the country or any country and thus it can be used by anyone anywhere in the world. References Haustein, Stefanie. Multidimensional Journal Evaluation: Analyzing Scientific Periodicals beyond the Impact Factor. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2012. Print. Hyland, Ken. Authority and Invisibility: Authorial Identity in Academic Writing. Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong Press, 2002. Print. Milson, Andrew, J. and Berkowitz, Mervin, W. Journal of Research in Character Education, Volume 6. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers, 2008. Print. Moon, Ruth. Journals and Magazines, Part I. 2006. . Watras, Joseph. American Education History Journal, Volume 31. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publisher, 2004. Print. Read More