The study examined the factors that influence the performance of students in selected public junior high schools in Ghana using English Language, Mathematics and Science as cases and also to determine whether these observed performances support the continued implementation of the national policy on progression. In all, 98 teachers and 982 Junior…

We write as critical theorists who share an interest in how conceptions of physical education are taken forward in policy and practice. In this respect, we are particularly intrigued by Peter Arnold's conceptual account of meaning in movement, sport and physical education, and the subsequent ways in which his ideas have informed national…

This study evaluates the 2017 updated secondary school English curriculum of Turkey with the frame of Stake's (1967) congruence-contingency model. The study employed a mixed-methods research design. In this regard, triangulation was employed to provide data diversity. Four different data gathering tools were used: document analysis, interviews,…

Post-apartheid South African curriculum reforms, from outcomes-based education (OBE) to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), resulted in different challenges. Teachers, in particular those teaching Physical Sciences in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase from Grades 10-12, were expected to cope with changes and master…

Conceptualisations and constructs of children and childhood are temporally and contextually grounded. Historical documents are rich sources of insight and understanding regarding how children were understood, valued and treated at various times by particular societies. This article explores the conceptualisation of children and childhood in the…

Languages are not just sets of words. They are powerful tools essential to carry history, traditions, culture and wisdom. In Latin America, Mapudungun, the native language of Mapuche people -- the largest ethnic group in Chile -- can be threatened. A substantial linguistic shift has characterised the panorama of native languages of the current…

This study examines the state of music education in the public schools of Ecuador from the perspective of school administrators. A survey that was distributed to 1800 school administrators (27.4% response rate) was used to answer the following research questions: What are administrators' perceptions of the current national policies for arts…

This study examines how students of majority and minority ethnic backgrounds in Botswana understand national identity as inclusive of their ethnic groups. Within assimilationist policies and curriculum, we find that the value of national identity rests on its positioning as a path toward higher levels of education and employment. However, for…

The reported study is situated within the process of developing a reform-oriented national mathematics curriculum for compulsory education in Greece by a design team that involved teachers, academic researchers, and policy-makers. From an activity theory perspective, we identify the activity systems of mathematics teaching, research in mathematics…

This article questions what kind of actors become involved and analyzes what forms of knowledge are activated, when discourses such as "research-based" and "profession-oriented" become basic preconditions in national curriculum change processes in Norway. A "mapping" is conducted, comprised of actors and ideas, played…

This article draws primarily on a policy discussion hosted by the New Zealand Association of Research in Education's (NZARE) Science Special Interest Group at the 2016 national conference, arguing that an ecosystem view of science education is a useful metaphor when considering both what is being done to implement the vision for science education…

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has implemented various curriculums, so-called the Course of Study, over the past few decades. The Yutori curriculum, which was introduced in the 1990's, aimed to improve flexible thinking by reducing the amount of study materials. After finding lowered scores on the PISA…

Artefacts are an important part of policy work, and a means of representation, translation, re-negotiation, and resistance of policy. While research has established their integral role in policy enactment, little research has examined the production and/or dissemination of artefacts by teacher educators. This paper reports and analyses the…

Whilst the fight for the inclusion of dance in schools has been an ongoing struggle, current government directives and educational policies present an even greater threat to the future of quality dance education in schools and this needs to be addressed. This paper begins to explore the certificated dance education currently on offer in the United…

A century after partition, this article presents a critical reflection on efforts to address educational disadvantage in Northern Ireland using a Foucauldian genealogical theoretical framework. Beset by religious, political and cultural divisions from the very formation of the state in 1921, the article charts the history of opportunities heralded…