Traces the use of, and arguments for, the history and philosophy of science in school science courses. Specific attention is paid to the British National Curriculum proposals and to the recommendations of the U.S. Project 2061 curriculum guidelines. Some objections to the inclusion of historical material in science courses are outlined. (Contains…

The York-Finnish Project compares how national-policy changes affect implementation in two countries where curriculum reforms are moving in opposite directions. English primary schools were implementing National Curriculum changes while Finnish schools developed decentralized curricula. Teachers in both countries experienced negative…

The mingling of economic and institutional globalization forces with existing national education structures produces various paradoxical mixes of decentralized and centralized educational administration. This is demonstrated through brief case studies of education in France, the United States, Colombia, and Spain, and quantitative analysis of data…

Notes that research in three primary schools in Southern England draws attention to the ways in which the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) is prompting changes in contexts for writing and in the nature of teacher intervention. Concludes that developmentally appropriate, affirming strategies need not contravene the educational ideals of the NLS.…

The present state of Japanese educational reform is a mystery when seen from the outside. Although internationally known as one of the most highly achieving nations on international tests since the end of the 1990s, the Japanese have been engaged in a heated achievement crisis debate over the newest reforms to the national curriculum implemented…

When one begins to look at science in primary schools elsewhere, one is immediately struck by the fact that those in England are the odd-ones-out. Hence this is the second in a series of articles looking at how science is dealt with in other systems, beginning with England's immediate neighbours and then looking outwards towards school systems in…

Highlights recent efforts to create a national social studies curriculum and briefly discusses the new California state curriculum guide. Reports on the efforts of ERIC/ChESS to include state and local curriculum guides in the database, identifies several available resources, and encourages readers to contribute guides for consideration. (GEA)

This project examines the impact of standards-based and curriculum reforms on the role of materials in educational systems in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Australia. The project focused on identifying activities undertaken by publishing companies and in educational systems to develop, select and use materials in the…

A movement of educational change in Portugal aimed at giving schools larger autonomy in curricular decisions is described. In reconceptualizing curriculum, the concepts of competence and innovation played a central role. An analysis of the curriculum development process is included and some suggestions are offered for future research and debate.…

A case study of the impact of the National Curriculum for science in a British primary school experiencing a change in headteacher was compared to 15 other primary schools. Managerial style and ideology of the headteacher had a direct influence on school culture and educational practice. (SK)

Presents the view that deductive mathematical proof offers the purest form of how to distinguish right from wrong. Investigates students' understandings of proof and the proving process in mathematics. Contains 32 references. (DDR)

The National Curriculum is perhaps the most important element of the United Kingdom's Education Reform Act of 1988. Although there are many challenges in describing and assessing the skills, knowledge, and understanding that each child is expected to develop, the national curriculum's early implementation has won wide support. (MLH)

Discusses the standards movement, several standards categories (content, performance, equal-opportunity, and world-class), state and professional standard-setting activities, ongoing controversies, teacher participation opportunities, and need for public support. The New Standards and Equity 2000 projects provide linkages to standards-based reform…

Questions some new orthodoxies of British elementary education: fitness for purpose, planning based on subject order requirements, and differentiation (learning described by hierarchical levels). Teachers cannot implement National Curriculum goals without substantive professional development and deeper subject area knowledge. A fruitful change…

Describes British teachers' perceptions of the first year's implementation of elementary school history using a national curriculum (NC). Surveys about staffing, curriculum development, inservice training, department structure, and NC requirements indicated the experience of implementing the NC was difficult, and only half the respondents favored…