To satisfy the requirements of the British national curriculum and to provide greater emphasis on the teaching of mathematics, science, and technology, city technical colleges (CTCs) have adopted a longer working week and, in several cases, a longer school year. This document examines outcomes of the longer school day and the five-term year, 4…

This paper reports on a research study that describes the actions of students and teachers when addressing socio-scientific issues and provides some practical advice for handling learning activities. The study involved four classes of 14-year-old students who participated in small group discussions designed to elicit their opinions about the…

This study investigated English teachers' beliefs about how recent legislated changes had affected aspects of their working lives and the extent to which centrally determined objectives were already incorporated into schools' programs of development. Data were collected in the 1991-92 and 1995-96 school years. In the first phase, interviews with…

Explored the impact of regular reading of selected children's books in Slovenian preschools on the development of language competencies among 4- to 6-year-olds. Found significant differences in receptive language, expressive language, and storytelling between children exposed to 2 selected books per week over 2 months and those exposed only to the…

Provides an overview of the principles and framework of Te Whaariki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, and of subsequent assessment and evaluation research. Presents the framework of "Learning and Teaching Stories," a user-friendly approach to assessment and self-evaluation, used in action research in three regions of New…

When 99 British 7-year-olds with moderate/severe learning difficulties, physical disabilities, or no disabilities were assessed on Level 1-3 mathematics targets of the National Curriculum, it was found that Level 1 may be too demanding and that targets were not attainable for some children with special educational needs. (JDD)

Study investigated factors influencing students' choice of teaching subjects during Nigerian preservice primary teacher education, noting an imbalance favoring liberal arts. Final year students wrote biodatas about their choices. Choices in year three were influenced by level of performance during the first two years, employment opportunities, and…

Survey results contrast teachers' (n=159) knowledge and understanding with the understanding levels expected by England's science National Curriculum. Teacher's understanding with respect to the concepts of force, energy, and changes in materials are discussed. (Contains 29 references.) (MDH)

Reports on a study of the implementation of a structuralist approach to teaching text in elementary school classrooms in Australia. Examines the pedagogic practice of one teacher, highlighting the impact of a restrictive and reductive approach to text on her teaching methodology. (Author/VWL)

Describes authentic pedagogy, providing theoretical background and a conceptualization of authentic pedagogy within the context of instruction and research. Examines the extent to which characteristics of authentic pedagogy were found in three Dutch secondary schools, concluding that all three lacked the characteristics. (CMK)

This paper describes the methods and outcomes of a 12-year longitudinal study into the effects of an early intervention program, while reflecting back on changes that have occurred in approaches to research, learning and instruction since the preliminary inception stages of the study in the mid 1960s. We began the study to challenge the prevailing…

A study was conducted in England in 1990 to determine the impact of the l988 Education Act, which requires all primary school teachers of the 5-16 age group to pursue a common and detailed national curriculum in each subject. This legislation mirrors the trend within educational systems towards centrally determined goals with local responsibility…

Reports and discusses observations of three confident, experienced teachers organizing investigative science in their classrooms. The teachers wore microphones and the recorded data coupled with field notes formed a record of what happened that could be negotiated with the teachers. (DDR)

Compared data on English first graders' understanding of geographical terms in 1991 with data from 1993, after two years of National Curriculum for Geography. Found no significant differences; children from both groups had restricted or inconsistent understanding of many terms, and often constructed their own meanings based on intuition or…

Reports the results of detailed observations conducted in four Grade 9 French classes during one school semester in one school district in Eastern Canada. Results suggest teachers were implementing the multidimensional project-based core French curriculum prescribed by the Ministry of Education in different ways. (Author/VWL)