Describes restructuring in a Western Australian school district. Provides background information and summarizes findings of a case study exploring what primary teachers thought about the restructuring of their work. The 60 teachers interviewed generally thought the restructuring process negatively influenced their curriculum work. Teachers felt…

Discusses the education for citizenship program that is part of the National Curriculum in Great Britain. Maintains that citizenship can be interpreted in a minimal, or formal way or in a maximal, or more personal fashion. Calls for a national debate to define more clearly the meaning of citizenship. (CFR)

Discusses "Building a Literate Nation" (1997) which offers "the strategic agenda for literacy for the next five years." Finds that it offers no clear way forward for those who teach underachievers, especially with regard to teaching reading. (PA)

Examines the British government's recent advice about target setting and compares it with evidence-based understanding of the technique. Although the official advice is deemed unhelpful and ideological, some use of target setting that involves all stakeholders' participation is recommended for raising student achievement. (Contains 29 references.)…

This paper uses A-Level Information System data to compare academic performance in two subjects often viewed as relatively close substitutes for one another at A-level. The important role of GCSE achievement is confirmed for both subjects. There is evidence of strong gender effects and variation in outcomes across Examination Boards. A…

This study examined U.S. and Chinese teachers' constructing, knowing, and evaluating representations to teach mathematics. All Chinese lesson plans are very similar, because they are all based on the Chinese national unified curriculum in mathematics. However, the U.S. lesson plans are extremely varied, even for those teachers from the same…

Using standardized tests and surveys of eighth graders in China and the United States, this study explores the relationships among family income, parenting, home environment, and mathematics achievement. Focusing on Chinese only children and American children with no more than one sibling, the study found that the mathematics achievement of…

In this article the impact of technology education, as a new learning area (subject) in the curriculum, on in-service teacher education in South Africa is described in order to ascertain the extent of the impact. The research on which this article is based draws on a variety of experiences and observations in the field at grassroots level (in…

In the 1980s Standard Grade curricula replaced Ordinary Grade curricula as the main academic course of study in the last 2 years of compulsory schooling (S3 and S4) in Scotland. This brief report examines the impact of the Standard Grade reform, focusing on changes in inequality of attainment for students from different social origins. It is based…

During the past 100 years, there has been an evolution in publicly funded education in England. This report provides a historical perspective for recent reforms and spotlights three related areas. The first section describes the early 19th-century Newcastle Commission's efforts to design a system of sound and cheap elementary education for…

Linked with professional development programs to support the implementation of Te Whariki, the national early childhood curriculum in New Zealand, a project was designed to: (1) construct a framework for assessment and evaluation in early childhood programs in Aotearoe-New Zealand; and (2) use this framework to develop an evaluation process…

Examines values and purpose in mathematics education in Scottish schools in light of declining Scottish scores on international and national mathematics assessments and the rhetoric of national policy documents. Argues that policy documents convey an unclear, dual vision of mathematics learning as a carefully structured activity with predetermined…

Examined the key constructs of Norway's centrally-based curriculum reform plan, Laerplan 97 (L97), interviewed those responsible for designing the subject related curricula, and administered teacher questionnaires (n=54). Findings show how the journey from policy making to effective classroom practice would benefit from a continuing interface with…

Since technological innovation is accelerating, European education should deemphasize preparation for today's technology and concentrate on preparing students to handle whatever changes newer technologies might bring. A shift is needed from information-giving teaching to learning for understanding, lifelong learning, survival skills, and qualities…

Examines views of the role of knowledge in educational policies of countries of the Mercosul (the common market of South America's southern cone) and the influence of two international aid organizations with conflicting views (productivity-oriented goals versus cultural diversity and equity concerns). Discusses Brazilian national curricular…