Identifies the components of the current social trend, "McDonaldization", as efficiency, calculability, predictability, and the substitution of nonhuman technology for human technology (or control). Contends that market forces and mass production have imposed "McDonaldization," on the British educational system. Considers…

Discussion of quality assurance in colleges and universities looks at theories and definitions of quality; four approaches to quality (traditional peer review, the assessment-and-outcomes movement, the Total Quality Management movement, and accountability and performance indicator reporting); the moral and ethical dimensions of quality; and ideals…

In a response to lower test scores in science and mathematics in Australia, the Western Australian Institute of Technology conducted a study to identify high quality science and mathematics teachers in Western Australian schools. This paper describes the teaching practices of one male and one female teacher of biology from two different schools.…

The history of the advancement of blacks in the United States is almost a laboratory study of human achievement. But the story of how millions of people developed from the depths of slavery--acquired work skills, personal discipline, human ideals, and the whole complex of knowledge and values required for achievement in a modern society--is a…

Analysis of current literature indicates that the process and the outcome of social studies education in rural communities is little different from that in the rest of the country. Despite the excitement surrounding the "Foxfire" program in rural Georgia and the efforts of curriculum innovators, students in rural America are likely to encounter a…

Reiterates some of British historian R. G. Collingwood's ideas on education and uses a wide range of his works to develop them further. Discusses Collingwood's ideas on such subjects as, the aim of education, the nature and content of the curriculum, the organization of education, forms of experience, and self-knowledge. (MJP)

Utilizes Uwe Poerksen's concept of "plastic words" to examine and criticize the preeminence given to research in art education. "Plastic words" refers to vague technical jargon that suggests meaning without actually providing it (e.g., development, process, goal-setting). Argues that this usage inherently corrupts and diverts any productive…

Colleges and universities have begun to benefit from advancing technology. Considering the problems higher education faces and the potential that enterprise-wide information access offers, institutional leaders must look ahead and decide where to invest in information technology support to achieve maximum benefits in quality improvement and cost…

Introduces the symposium on arts integration in other countries. Provides brief summaries of the papers included and biographical information on the authors. Authors include Andre Karpati and Emil Gaul on Hungary, Shifra Schonman writing from Israel, Gary E. McPherson discussing Australia, and David Best on England. (MJP)

This volume sheds light on contemporary theoretical work and research, on a range of national and international polices, and on education reform in developing countries. International Education has become an increasingly prominent and urgent matter in recent decades. Since the 1990 and 2000 Education for All conferences in Thailand, and Senegal,…

This paper is an ethnographic study of African American male students at an urban high school and an examination of the quality of education received by those students. The study population was composed of 115 African American males in the high school class of 1989 observed from January, 1987, through the December following their expected…

This report presents the outcomes from two international 1991 conferences, one held in Washington, D.C., and the other in Scotland, which addressed developing a framework for cooperative research in the area of measuring quality in postsecondary education. The first meeting established the foundations for collaborative research and the second…

While effective schools research has inspired new efforts toward improving education for all students, it is flawed by offering simplistic prescriptions based on correlational studies focusing on basic skills achievement. Effective school research and theory can be upgraded by a more careful definition of the goals of learning and a systematic…

Since 1985, Congress has provided the U.S. Department of Education with funds for a program to improve the availability and quality of math and science teachers at the elementary and secondary level. This effort was initiated in response to concern that the math and science skills of elementary and secondary school students were insufficient to…

The homogeneity of the Japanese people is a major component in their educational achievements. The success of the educational system is linked to various factors, such as the state of the national health, the excellence of the transportation system, a common language, and other cultural attitudes and values. Parents are considered responsible for…