In a number of Western nations, concern over literacy and numeracy standards has put huge political pressure on education systems to improve the situation. Here in New Zealand, the government has recently introduced literacy and numeracy standards designed to improve basic skills in these key fields of achievement. What is perhaps less evident is…

In "The Politics of Inquiry", Benjamin Baez and Deron Boyles critique recent trends in education research to argue against the "culture of science." Using the National Research Council's 2002 report "Scientific Research in Education" as a point of departure, they contend that the entire discourse on education science…

"Sound-Bite Saboteurs" examines the emergence of a multifaceted, multimedia culture that encourages the use of sound bites to silence one's opponents at the expense of democratic deliberation and debate. No simple partisan phenomenon or mere attempt to "spin" a particular issue, sound-bite sabotage is, the authors argue, a…

This report examines the importance of learning communities within institutions of higher education. It identifies two important dimensions of learning communities: (1) primary membership, which differentiates based on the characteristic that group members hold in common; these include learning organizations, faculty learning communities, and…

The "Struggle for Identity in Today's Schools" examines cultural recognition and the struggle for identity in America's schools. In particular, the contributing authors focus on the recognition and misrecognition as antagonistic cultural forces that work to shape, and at times distort identity. What surfaces throughout the chapters are…

This collection of articles invites parents, teachers and other helping professionals to take a new look at the familiar human experiences of time and space. Chapters I, II and III provide systematic analyses of these fundamental phenomena. Chapter I focuses on cultural differences in the experience of time and space. Chapter II describes…

This book offers a generalized way of examining the moral significance of what occurs in classrooms, with a focus on analyzing classroom interactions from a symbolic/expressive point of view. The book's ideas were derived from the Moral Life of Schools Project, a 2-year study that investigated the ways in which moral considerations permeate the…

Ecological constraints will soon bring economic growth to an abrupt end. Chapter 1 examines how the discourses of recent educational reform movements ignore the reality of ecological limits and are dominated by concerns of national and individual economic expansion that are impossible to sustain. Chapters 2 and 3 outline the philosophical history…

This volume contains a collection of essays on the issues and concerns that face women from working-class backgrounds who enter academic careers. Following an introduction and transcript of a dialogue between Kate Ellis and Lillain S. Robinson, the essays are as follows: "What's a Nice Working-Class Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like…

This book analyzes the crisis facing the American liberal arts college and offers a proposal for its reform. It argues that a college's infidelity to the ideals of liberal education adversely affects its relationship to society, its educational program, and its teachers. A definition and a defense of liberal education ideals is offered. The author…

In a lighthearted yet serious look at academic deanship, stories are recounted regarding the dean's role in such matters as tenure decisions, budgeting, affirmative action, and coping with demands of faculty, department chairs, vice-presidents, parents, and students. Current practices in academic administration are described in a humorous manner.…

This book focuses on brain-based research to explore why boys and girls learn differently and how educators and parents can use that information to create the ultimate early childhood, elementary, or secondary classroom for both boys and girls. Part 1 of the book presents research findings from three primary points of view: (1) neurological and…

This book is intended for researchers and teachers interested in literacy and concerned about classrooms as a context for literacy activity and learning. The book contains the following chapters: (1) "What It Means to be Literate about Classrooms" (Lyn Corno); (2) "Beyond Access: An Ethnographic Study of Reading and Writing in a…

Results of an investigation made by a commission established to (1) examine the living conditions of Danish children of preschool age, (2) discuss the adequacy of these conditions for the children's needs, and (3) make recommendations concerning child and family policy, are reported in the 13 chapters of this volume. Chapter I contains the…

This book discusses the cluelessness (bafflement, usually accompanied by shame and resentment) felt by students, the general public, and even many academics in the face of the impenetrability of the academic world. The book examines some ways in which schools and colleges reinforce this cluelessness and perpetuate the misconception that the life…