This paper reports on ongoing research investigating the role of literacy in the secondary schools of England. A National Literacy Strategy was introduced in England in 1997, its principal initial focus being primary schools. It was always clear, however, that the strategy would influence secondary schools and later it became apparent that the…

Investigated levels of grammatical knowledge among 99 trainee primary school teachers in England and Wales. The study focused on clause and sentence structure to investigate the students' ability to apply their knowledge to analysis of children's writing and to explore the implications of proposed revisions to English in the national curriculum.…

A survey of 56 deaf adults in England and Canada found that respondents perceived themselves as members of a definable deaf community. Results also indicated the importance of shared language (American or British Sign Language) and the possible community inclusion of individuals without deafness if their attitude is one of commitment to the…

Describes (1) a statistical study of secondary teachers' conceptions of and beliefs about mathematics and its teaching and (2) the relationships between them. Reports that five factors were identified representing a conception of mathematics as an area of human activity, while five conceptions of mathematics teaching were also identified.…

In the European context the continuing training of early childhood educators in terms of information and communications technology (ICT) remains limited and is in need of development. The KINDERET project has been funded through the European Commission's "Leonardo da Vinci" programme aimed to identify and understand the theoretical and…

The White Paper Success for All set out a vision to transform post compulsory education in the United Kingdom. A key theme was "Developing the leaders, teachers, trainers and support staff of the future," reflecting a belief that leadership is one of the key elements in achieving the national vision. Alongside this positive affirmation…

This paper discusses some of the conditions that have facilitated the use of a customised virtual learning environment as part of a blended learning approach on a part-time postgraduate initial teacher training programme for prospective primary school teachers. It is based on data gathered as part of a study of the impact of e-learning on students…

This paper reports on the second phase of the Froebel Research Fellowship project "Ownership and Autonomy in Early Childhood" (2003-5). Based on the first phase of the project (Robson and Hargreaves, 2005), a questionnaire survey of 80 professionals working in the Foundation Stage (age 3-5) in England was conducted to obtain an overview…

Questionnaire responses of 55 students (42 white students) and six in-depth interviews show the initial perceptions and the experiences of secondary school teachers in training in relation to issues of race and education as they progress through a British Post Graduate Certificate of Education course. (SLD)

Examines the outcomes of a two-year trial of computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) conducted at a British university during the final-year undergraduate course in glacial and periglacial geomorphology. Discusses the issues related to CMC and describes the experience over the last two years of using CMC conferencing. (CMK)

Reports on the development of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). Incorporates a revised version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory. States the questionnaire was completed by first-year students (n=1284) at six British universities, at a Scottish technological university (n=466), and at a South African university…

Explores the views of 120 student teachers, from two higher education institutions in England and France, on their initial teacher training programs. Provides information on the reforms of initial teacher training programs in England and France. Discusses the results. (CMK)

Although links between the affective domain in the classroom and a facilitative learning environment has been mooted in the literature, little research has focused on Further Education (FE). Accordingly, I sought the views of staff and students in a large FE College in the south of England from 100 returned questionnaires in the Spring of 2003.…

This article reports on a project to establish taiko drumming groups in schools throughout the southwest of England. The project is funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music (YM) which aims to increase access to music-making activity for young people in the UK. Taiko is a relatively new phenomenon in the UK. In the southwest, Kagemusha…

The use of paired placements and collaborative practice is promoted by many university-school partnerships that train teachers in England. This paper reviews the recent literature on the subject and then focuses on some small scale research within initial teacher education in one large university-school partnership. That partnership works with…