The experiences of two schoolmasters in the small Western Port Bay fishing community of Hastings (Australia) in the last century are presented to provide insights to present-day teachers about the nature of living and teaching in a rural community. The second schoolmaster did a much better job than the first in involving parents in school…

Presents a study that uses a quasi-ethnographic methodology employing impressionistic tales of the field to explore constraints and successes encountered by teachers while implementing innovative teaching approaches in middle school classrooms. A new middle school structure blended elementary and secondary school cultures. Presents three tales…

Considers how the process of developing standards is similar to previous development efforts such as defining "objectives" and "competencies" just a few decades ago. Analyzes how such standard development processes when combined with high stakes tests place teachers in the position of implementing curricula designed by others.…

Discusses the limitations of dominant notions of background knowledge (BGK) as neutral information and objective knowledge and of the reading techniques that accompany these notions. The article argues that the notion of BGK should be broadened to include awareness of the social processes of production and interpretation of text. (26 references)…

Notes that teaching literature in a Technical and Further Education setting presents its own special set of problems and paradoxes not usually encountered by teachers in more conventional classrooms. Discusses students and their literature experiences; impact of the canon on teaching; and influence of modern literary theory on the reader-text…

Examines how early childhood teachers in one Australian state use child observations. Argues that the current economic/political climate has produced changes for early childhood settings and that how teachers respond to changes regarding child observation depends on their work context. Suggests that the purpose of observation is changing and that…

There is little international research focusing on parents' and teachers' roles in sexuality education during children's primary school years. This paper focuses on teachers' and parents' key experiences as sexuality educators of primary-school-age children in both Leeds, UK and in Sydney, Australia. Based on research findings from both the United…

This research draws upon both a preliminary study conducted over a 3-year period, in which a group of 15 children was tracked through the first 3 years of school, as well as works-in-progress. The particular concern of this research is the accessibility of the complex organization of reading instruction to young readers, realized by explicit and…

In this study, 12 preschool teachers in Queensland, Australia were given opportunities to record and describe their work within their specific teaching context, as well as within the wider contexts of the school campus and the educational and social system. Subjects kept a reflective journal each day over a 2-week period, and entries frequently…

This booklet discusses the importance of pretend play in the education of young children in Australia. The booklet notes that pretend, or socio-dramatic, play is characterized by imitative role playing, make-believe objects and situations, persistence, interaction, and verbal communication. Pretend play can appear as early as age 2 and peaks at…

In the Australian state of Victoria, virtually all decisions about spending, curriculum, and personnel are made at the school level. Victoria's experience in developing a system of school-based management (SBM) and shared decision making offers a perspective on school reform efforts in the United States. Underlying the school restructuring trends…

The availability and adequacy of careers education and counseling for migrant and refugee youth in Australia were evaluated. Data were collected through two means: a major questionnaire study of a large sample of secondary schools across Australia, and an intensive but more limited interview survey of a few schools identified as having a large…

A comparison of regular preschools and their teachers with Montessori preschools and their teachers is made in order to assess the advisability of introducing Montessori teacher education in an Australian teacher education institution. The comparison involves a discussion of general educational objectives, curriculum, teacher education, the role…

This book presents a basis for preschool education derived from a rigorous analysis of the concept of education. The central concern is to provide a strategy for the development of an Australian preschool that is educationally sound, and, at the same time, has an identity of its own. Included are discussions of the dilemmas, issues, and strategies…

Proposes that "curriculum" means the interaction between teacher, student, and content to promote optimum learning. Suggests a model of negotiation in the classroom that will facilitate learning, illustrating that model with a case study and a unit study plan. (RL)