Analyzes the educational aims of science and history teachers through classroom observation and interviews. Finds that science teachers placed a strong emphasis on the content of their subject, exhibited a less uniform set of aims, and perceive uncertainty as threatening; history teachers emphasize children's interpretations and judgments as the…

Analyzes a data set of music education in the maintained schools of England to (1) establish an authoritative national picture and (2) determine effective school-specific strategies that could be replicated. Focuses on music participation from age 14, when music is no longer part of the National Curriculum. (CMK)

Discusses how English-as-a-foreign-language textbooks published according to the Korean Ministry of Education standards incorporate speech act behaviors of apology and compliments for Korean middle school learners of English and suggests what can be done to better equip students with pragmatic competence by analyzing 24 textbooks.(Author/VWL)

Examines the evolving relationships between teachers and standards in Maine and in Derbyshire, England. The politics of who develops the curriculum and how it is implemented have strongly shaped teachers' attitudes toward working with standards. Notes that while teachers believe they are substantially meeting those standards, documenting and…

This paper reports a study of the use of non-standard English in the formal speech of 15-year-olds of both genders and of varying attainment levels. The pupils were drawn from two schools on Tyneside which take pupils from catchment areas of markedly different socioeconomic status. Differences were found in the incidence of non-standard lexis and…

This article reports on findings from a research study that set out to identify factors that enable children considered to be able by their teachers to extend and develop their literacy. The data substantiated much that is already known about the significance of preschool home influences on the emergence of literacy. It underlined the importance…

This paper presents findings of a study that explored the governance and administration of elementary and secondary schools in Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. The sample included 12 Bavarian schools--3 each of the following 4 types of schools--elementary (Grundschulen) and secondary (Gymnasien, Realschulen, and Hauptschulen). Data…

This report explores educational-research projects initiated by the National Institute for Educational Research (NIER) of Japan. Selected counties in Asia and the Pacific region, as well as in other areas, were invited to undertake national studies of school curriculums. To share their experiences and to facilitate a comparative analysis of…

In Scottish primary schools, "setting" refers to arranging pupils for a given curriculum area in separate classes with different teachers, based on pupils' attainment in that particular area. This research studied four Primary 7 classes in Scotland, in which setting was used for the teaching of mathematics and English in 3 of the 4…

In primary and secondary education in the Netherlands, 30% of the schools are public, and 70% are private. Both private and public schools are state funded and must follow the national curriculum. Within this context, schools can develop their own identities and teaching methods. With regard to the identity of public education in the Netherlands,…

Presents a study designed to determine which particular aspects of pregnancy, birth, and babies were of most interest to 8-year-old children. Children were interested in details of a baby's behavior and development as well as the impact of its arrival on the parents. There were distinct gender differences in those topics, which particularly…

Describes an attempt to introduce differentiation by task in an inner city secondary school. Concludes that differentiated work cards lead to no significant improvement in the achievement of lower ability students. High and medium ability students improved their performance as a result of using the work cards. (DDR)

Discusses project work, describes what it is, why it should be used, and how its aims are defined. Highlights classroom management during project periods and provides a list of project goals that relate to domains and benchmarks of the English-as-a-Foreign-Language curriculum in Israel. (Author/VWL)

Reviews research and presents the results of a case study on the effects of subject knowledge and its place within the British National Curriculum for early childhood students. The importance of foundation subjects as a vehicle for the acquisition and development of basic skills in literacy and numeracy is a major finding of the research. (MDM)

Presents results of a study of skilled history teachers. Considers beliefs and practices of teachers as compared to what the English National Curriculum defines as good practice. Concludes that many teachers fail to follow the national definition of good practice not because of ignorance but because they have different ideas. (DK)