The aim of this explorative study was to develop and test a pedagogy aimed at promoting students' ability to perform historical contextualization. Teaching historical contextualization was conceptualized in terms of four pedagogical design principles: (1) making students aware of the consequences of a present-oriented perspective when examining…

This article describes and reflects our experiences as researchers in a design-based research project on a curriculum innovation focused on meaningful, co-operative learning in vocational education in the Netherlands. The project was successful in gaining insights in possible practices for workplace learning but did only partly realize the…

The aim of this international study was to generate recommendations for curriculum improvement in family-school partnerships (FSP) by examining teacher candidates' understandings, attitudes and experiences. A survey of 1144 candidates in their first or final year of preparation at three universities, one each in Belgium, the Netherlands and the…

A team of secondary school language teachers and a teacher trainer developed a new method for Dutch writing instruction. The principles underlying the method were derived from insights regarding activating instruction and self-directed student learning. The development entailed two phases. In the first phase, the exploration of actual problems in…

In large-scale educational reforms, many actors play their roles. The diversity of contributions and lack of harmonization prove to be frequently found to cause educational reform failures. Many explanations for these failures focus on differences between the actors and on differences in their contributions to the reform process. In this article,…

Teacher involvement in curriculum design has a long tradition. However, although it fosters implementation of curriculum reforms, teachers encounter various problems while designing related to conditions set for the design process, and lack the knowledge and skills needed to enact collaborative design processes. Providing support to enhance…

Worldwide, the interest of policy-makers in participating in studies from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has been growing rapidly over the past two decades. These studies offer the opportunity to relate the teaching and…

Outlines the program "Language Arts in the Primary School" which was developed by the National Institute for Curriculum Development in the Netherlands. Focuses on three areas of that project: (1) the school and its language education; (2) the projects research activities; and (3) the school's curriculum. (BR)

Focuses on the question "What kind of learning processes are intended in the subjects 'Care' and 'Technology' in the Dutch common curriculum?" Demonstrates that Care and Technology are not 'practical' subjects in either the learning-domain dimension or in the learning-outcome dimension. Includes references. (CMK)

Describes the results from an implementation study that focused on the introduction of a technology course in Dutch junior secondary schools as part of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development project. Observes that almost no cooperation occurred between science and technology teachers and elaborates on these problems in detail.…

To what degree is a Dutch curriculum reform in classics incorporated into teaching practice? This study included two data sources: questionnaires that asked teachers about their beliefs concerning curricular innovations and an analysis of authentic assessment material, i.e. school examinations constructed by teachers. The findings suggest that the…