Search

The article discusses the primary demands of educational accountability in higher education. The important considerations in improving accountability include the public in the campus and off the campus, feedback from the field of educational service and research in teaching and learning. Provided with the three considerations, teacher educators and academicians provide leadership in answering the complicated question of accountability. Accountability is motivated to economize on educational costs and this point of view emerges from the great increase in expenditures which has not been accompanied by well authenticated increases in outcomes.

The author of this article describes his impressions of science teaching in Burma, Taiwan, and Afghanistan. After an examination, which was given to both high school students and to a college chemistry class at the State Training College for Teachers in Rangoon, Burma, the author has found that the former greatly outperformed the latter. In Taiwan, the traditionalism of the teaching was discovered. In Afghanistan, strong proponents of European-type curriculum was found among science teachers. Some common features of science instruction in the three countries include: memoriter learning; the use of the lecture method; science equipment; formalism in teaching; the content of science courses; language; centralization; teachers' salaries; and improvements.