Examines the conflict between progressive educational ideas and the prescriptive patterns of learning now fashionable in Great Britain. Discusses the teacher training document "Initial Teacher Training National Curriculum for Primary English"--its reduction of complex ideas about the English curriculum to the lowest common denominator is…

Analyzes findings from a study of Cypriot teachers' perceptions of national policy for curriculum reform in primary school, emphasizing mathematics. Responses of 286 teachers, including some beginning teachers, show a coherent view of active pedagogy among Cypriot teachers, with emphasis on practical activities that is not yet apparent in the…

A four-year investigation of 200 British children with language impairments found that they performed all of the British National Curriculum's Key Stage 2 assessments poorly. After full-time placement in language units at 7, 171 of the children were found to continue education in a variety of placements with provision for special education needs…

In Malaysia, the national moral education curriculums are designed to develop the values that Malaysians of diverse cultures share or that the government wishes to develop as shared values to bring about religious and ethnic harmony. Moral education for Muslims is incorporated into in-school religious education, while a separate, essentially…

Environmental education is defined as a cross-curricular theme in the national curriculum (NC) of England and Wales. Environmental education may be experiential in and outside the classroom; outside, the environment may act as a stimulus for creative writing, investigative fieldwork, or sensory activities. Young children learn best by doing.…

The British National Curriculum suggests that a range of thinking skills need to be taught. But can children be taught to think? This paper takes the view that all thinking is embedded in a particular context. It gives an account of its author/educators' work with children, draws attention to distinctive features of their approach to teaching, and…

These 10 fliers focus on strategies to improve students' writing. The fliers are: (1) Improving Writing (covers general points related to all types of writing); (2) Writing Narrative (covers the main points to writing narrative, helping children to build up a repertoire of different types of narrative); (3) Writing Poetry (covers the main points…

Reviews a recommendation that all entrants into English and Welsh primary initial teacher training should possess a science GCSE pass. Identifies potential problems related to recruitment and adequate time allotted for the curriculum. (DDR)

Addresses the United Kingdom government's control both of curriculum and instruction, elementary teachers' loss of their ability to control instructional time, and the effects of school inspections and national testing on teachers' morale. Argues that content standards, instruction, and assessment must be developed by teachers and government…

British primary schools will change significantly if recent recommendations (concerning subject orientation and specialist approaches) are implemented. Key 2 curricular approaches are similar to those advocated for middle schools, but a middle school philosophy could only be sustained in schools of a certain size and with proper teacher…

Explains the work of a primary-research group focusing on the practical aspects of the use of scale in science. Reports on three studies that look at the impact of the representation of scale in different areas related to the Standard Assessment Tasks (SAT). (DDR)

Describes the Key Skills, which will be established across the revised National Curriculum being introduced by the British government in September 2000. Discusses ways in which the Key Skills--communication, information and communication technology, application of number, problem solving, working with others, and improving own learning and…

Suggests that the direct teaching of written language features is no substitute for extensive experience of written language. Gives a brief preliminary account of a recent Centre for Language in Primary Education (CLPE) research project on the influence of children's reading of literature on their writing at Key Stage 2. Highlights the value of…

The 5-14 Development Programme is a major reform encompassing the whole of the curriculum, assessment, national testing and reporting for pupils 5- to 14 years of age in Scotland. To monitor the early years of implementation of the program, the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department (SOEID) commissioned a national evaluation with a…

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…