Educational change does not occur overnight, but the introduction of information technology will initiate a chain reaction of changes in the curriculum, instruction, and organization of education. Research on the process of change both identifies factors involved in the introduction of innovations and suggests guidelines for educators. Two phases…

The decision to create Great Britain's Open University and stages in the preparation of higher education reforms are considered. The current position of the Open University in relation to its original goals is also addressed, and the policy implementation process is examined to determine why the Open University achieved some of its original goals…

Three perspectives from which to study the implementation of educational innovation are explored in this document. Using the comparative policy perspective, the author compares and analyzes federal programs supporting educational change in the United States and Australia. Noting that Australia is more homogeneous, centrally organized, and oriented…

Issues concerning the urban university in Great Britain, France, Sweden, Japan, and West Germany are considered in the five selected conference papers that make up this document. In "Analysis in Politics: The Regionalization of Swedish Higher Education," Rune Premfors discusses how Swedish regionalization of higher education used…

The personal characteristics of teachers and the situational characteristics of work settings were identified and studied in relation to adoption and implementation of innovations among teachers. One hundred teachers were administered a questionnaire to identify teacher and situational characteristics. A subsequent interview determined the…

The nine author contributed chapters are intended to provide a basic introduction to the rationale and processes of mainstreaming handicapped children. The first paper, "The Whys and Hows of Mainstreaming" by T. Tice, provides a philosophical examination of the basic principles of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and…

The history of the Swedish universities and their roots in various traditions are traced. Attention is directed to the historico-sociological theory concerning the development and transformation of the Swedish universities from a traditional cultural institution to a rational educational institution. Six themes are covered: a general historical…

Projected declines through the 1980s in Australian elementary and secondary school enrollment imply a number of changes in school finance and educational facilities and personnel, according to this report. Elementary enrollments will decline sharply until 1987 and then rise, while secondary enrollments will rise slowly until the mid-1980s before…

Studies on the identification of power bases within five Canadian universities were designed to develop a utility function for each sub-unit that will generate a series of power rankings. The unit of study is the faculty, and the tool is designed to identify the relative power of separate faculties and various combinations of faculties. Two power…

The document discusses the highly developed, diversified, and decentralized system of education in Switzerland. Because of the political, geographic, and linguistic diversity of education in Switzerland, this brief report is limited to major characteristics and patterns of education common to most Swiss cantons. Topics of the report include school…

This report is designed to highlight certain aspects of the growth and development of primary education in Tasmania which have specific implications for those concerned with the education of children. The report focuses on the needs of children during the primary school years and the crucial importance of appropriate learning experiences at this…

Responses to a series of five group interviews and questionnaire surveys provide the basis for this study of the effects of declining enrollment on Ontario's curriculum. The supervisory personnel in the sample identified six factors in curriculum planning that would be influenced by declining enrollment: teachers, line administrators, curriculum…

This work synthesizes 14 case studies from different countries that were developed as part of the "School Map" project. The project developed a methodology to identify and to project the spatial characteristics of an educational system so that the existing distribution of educational opportunities can be diagnosed and an educational plan…

This book is a case study of the role of the school in a rural German village of 3400 inhabitants, Rebhausen, which is undergoing rapid cultural change as a result of industrialization. The school, in this study, is regarded as a transmitter of the community culture and as a potential mediator of cultural change rather than as an academic…

Sets forth the essential characteristics of Japan's approach to education, including the content, structure, and objectives of public schools; teaching conditions, teaching methods, and the characteristics of teachers; the role of parents; the role of supplemental private education; and the cultural factos that underlie the system's…