This report examined the effects of implementation of England's National Curriculum requirements on teachers, students, teaching methods, and classroom organization. Most teachers accepted the National Curriculum in principle, while at the same time reporting problems regarding pace and extent of changes. Changes in teaching approach and…

Map and compass skills are a neglected aspect of the elementary school curriculum. Orienteering--a sport that involves running a prescribed course with the aid of map and compass--may provide an avenue for teaching these skills. This study taught orienteering to 148 10-year-old children and compared the effectiveness of a serial approach based on…

Schooling is always a moral practice. It takes place in specific contexts where social regulation is justified by reference to ethical codes and their specific values. Teachers' work is constituted by these values. Teachers act morally, steering practice in particular directions. The task is, however, never simple. In a context where the…

Presents a student's eye view of science education. The views emerged from a three-year research and evaluation study carried out at the Manchester Metropolitan University in England that involved preservice primary teachers. (DDR)

Study examined how British teachers' attitudes and classroom practice were influenced by government-imposed innovations, noting English teachers' responses to the 1993 Standard Assessment Tasks for 14-year-olds. Results noted teachers initially had strong solidarity in their disapproval of the tests, but their reasons for disapproval varied…

Reports on a study of children's literature selected for primary grades in British schools. Finds that the books fall into two categories: word books and picture books. Recommends that authors, illustrators, and selectors of books should consider how to develop books that help students progress smoothly from one group to another. (CFR)

Reports on a study that explores student perspectives on the transfer to A-level chemistry from GCSE chemistry. Explores the attitudes of groups of new A-level chemistry students at a sixth-form college. (DDR)

Explores stereotypes of scientists and the effectiveness of a national curriculum at altering these ideas among primary children. Results confirm the prevalence of a gender-biased stereotype and an unrealistic view of students' work. Contains 20 references. (DDR)

Outlines the policy context of New Zealand early childhood program evaluation and quality. Presents ethnographic research findings on key elements of program quality in relation to New Zealand National Early Childhood Curriculum; findings provide basis for self-evaluation framework through use of Teaching Stories as a focus for reflection and…

Examines differences in attitudes between boys and girls after 5 years of modern language study through interviews with 75 students, 12 language teachers, and 2 headteachers. The significance of teacher personality and classroom practice emerged clearly from student interviews. Findings are discussed in the context of the British national…

This paper deals with a required methods course, based on the national curriculum of science and technology for junior high schools. The course participants are pre-service teachers who study towards a B.Sc. degree in education in science and technology parallel to their studies in one of the faculties of sciences or engineering. Working in small…

Slovenia is currently undergoing a process of school reform in order to extend compulsory education from eight to nine years and to lower the school entering age from 7 to 6. According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the new elementary schools will focus less on the content and more on developing cognitive and social skills. At…

This paper discusses the findings of a United Kingdom study that examined the impact of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA) on a group of parents whose children would be most affected by the changes. Between the fall of 1989 and the summer of 1992, five rounds of interviews were conducted with the same sample of 138 parents from 11 different…

Research and controversy continues to surround the principles that underpin the teaching of English. English teachers, nonetheless, must understand and be able to articulate a rationale for what they believe to be important in the teaching of English. In Great Britain the introduction of a National Curriculum for England and Wales has produced a…

This study examined the type and amount of interaction taking place between mainstream class teachers and English-as-Second-Language (ESL) pupils in primary schools. Teachers at two primary school classes, each at a different school, identified two early-stage ESL pupils in their classes as subjects for the study. Teachers made weekly 30-minute…