Observes that the United Kingdom's National Curriculum pressures primary teachers to change their teaching methods, but research shows equivocal results. Argues that the problem stems from the way characteristics of classroom organization have been defined in various studies. Reports on nine case studies of change in rural primary schools. (DSK)

Focuses on the pedagogy constructed in Finnish state educational discourse. Reveals four essential changes in the use of language about teaching, learning, and schooling that have occurred since the 1960s. Finds that decontextualization must occur for the other three changes to be possible and credible. Discusses the appearance of school-free…

Focuses on the struggle that occurred within the Association for Science Education (ASE) between 1976 and 1981 as it formulated its policy for school science education. Addresses policy and the ASE's inability to respond quickly to changes in education, such as science education for all. (CMK)

Examines the impact of reductionist discourses of the market upon the management and delivery of teacher education drawing on observations in England, Wales, and Australia. Discusses the rise of the reductionist fallacy and the pressures placed on educational middle-management by the state. (CMK)

Discusses the new National Curriculum in England in relation to the government's policies aimed at raising academic standards. The new Unified Framework does have the potential to raise the achievement of all students if it is implemented carefully. (SLD)

One way to manage marking error, in a large-scale educational testing context, is to establish a mechanism through which appeals can be lodged. While, at one level, this seems to offer a straightforward technical solution to the problem of marking error, it can also result in unintended consequences, with political, social or educational…

Research into effective pedagogy was a major strand of the science education research programme at the University of Waikato for the 20 years of the 1980s and 1990s, being done in all five Learning in Science Projects and related theses. The research was closely connected to constructivist and sociocultural views of learning, current national…

In "The English Patient: English Grammar and teaching in the Twentieth Century", Hudson and Walmsley (2005) contend that the decline of grammar in schools was linked to a similar decline in English universities, where no serious research or teaching on English grammar took place. This article argues that such a decline was due not only…

This paper considers issues in religious education that ought to be addressed by the recent non-statutory framework for England. It outlines problematic features of the current situation and paints a generally welcoming picture of the educational opportunities afforded by this new initiative. (Contains 4 notes.)

The effects of the significant changes in English education that have followed the 1988 Education Reform Act are explored in this study that considers the impact of the Reform Act on elementary schools and the changes in primary (elementary) schooling as an illustration of wider social developments. The work of B. Bernstein provides a framework…

Discusses the background of arts education policy in Taiwan. Explains that a new curriculum for arts and humanities gives drama a place in the national curriculum. Concludes that people in Taiwan are beginning to use drama as a teaching medium and to use drama as education. (PM)

Reviews key provisions of Great Britain's Education Reform Act of 1987: establishment of a national curriculum and national student assessment procedures, shifts in funding and financial control that should increase school autonomy, and lifting of restrictions on school choice. Considers the applicability of such reforms to Canadian education. (SV)

Reviews the development of education-business partnerships in the United Kingdom and raises a number of issues about definition and purpose. Discusses the difficulty of establishing an educational framework for such enterprises. Contains 31 references. (DDR)

Highlights characteristics of arts education in Norway, especially with regard to music education. Discusses arts education policy issues such as School Reform 97, the aesthetic dimension, and the idea of the core curriculum. Observes how these different policy issues affected arts education and music/dance education in particular. (CMK)

In England an inclusive language and educational policy is implemented which intends to give bilingual/EAL (English as an additional language) students access to a national curriculum studied by all students. Bilingual/EAL children are placed in English mainstream secondary school classrooms where their language and learning needs are to be met by…