The effectiveness of class size reduction on student performance has been of great research interest and policy debate worldwide. Nevertheless, the evidence has been largely inconclusive partially due to potential bias arising from non-random placement of students and teachers in classrooms of different sizes. This study applied instrumental…

Describes an approach to teaching atomic, nuclear, and particle physics using the history of the most important discoveries in that field. Uses the manuscripts, first publications, measurements and data of initial discoveries, and the photos of apparatus and of famous physicists to arouse student interest. Presents examples from the life and work…

The first six years of a new program to organize high-level scientific research training for gifted high school students in Hungary are described. Besides giving top-level research opportunities for talented students in their most receptive age, the program has already helped the establishment of almost two hundred scientific research clubs.…

Presented is the second of a two-part article describing the content of secondary level physics courses taught in Hungarian schools. (SL)

The shift from a centrally-controlled to a market-oriented economy in the early 1990s put pressure on the Romanian education system to reform both the curriculum and methods of instruction employed in primary and secondary education. At least part of the pressure to implement educational reforms came from the relatively poor performance of…

Discusses an experimental curriculum project in Hungary that introduces quantum mechanics into the secondary school. Briefly covers the following topics: superposition and intensity of waves, de Broglie wavelength, the uncertainty principle, ground states, quantum numbers, and symmetry. (MLH)

Although the participation rates of females in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (or STEM) education is poor in most Western countries, considerable differences across countries exist as well. This may be due to differences in the so-called gender achievement gaps, that is, delays of one sex with respect to the other. The variation…

Discusses Zoltan Bay's unpublished paper "Old Education, New Teaching." Highlights the need for order in education which originates in the general order of nature and the great step by which the natural sciences allowed humankind to understand and control more and more of the natural world. (JRH)

Many educators in high schools and colleges have taught about European history and politics in the context of the Cold War and the division of Europe into two blocs. The revolutionary changes in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union have made obsolete the superpower spheres of influence that divided Europe. This curriculum project contributes…

This unit introduces students to the principles of democracy through a variety of teaching/learning techniques. Each lesson builds upon the opinions/knowledge developed in previous lessons and utilizes them to expand to a higher understanding of the principles of democracy. The principles and values that this exposes can be applied to and…

This lesson examines the Hungarian system of government so that students compare that governmental system with the U.S. model. The lesson is structured with: (1) background on the parliamentarian form of government; (2) description of the judiciary in Hungary and/or the issue of local self-governments; (3) highlights on some major differences…

This paper recounts the experiences of a U.S. professor involved in field research in Hungary. The professor visited classrooms and observed civics education practices in Hungary. The paper combines a review of the literature with observations, interviews, and field notes from the Hungarian experience. Specific emphasis is placed on a "Good…

This lesson summarizes the most significant facts about the communist period in Hungary and briefly examines the Hungarian electoral system. The lesson is structured with: (1) background on the communist period (1948-1989) and the evolution of the democratic political system and institutions during 1989-1990; (2) description of the electoral…

Examines the effects of peer and parent attitudes regarding academic performance on students' educational aspirations in 12 countries. Indicates that peers and parents influence educational goals in countries with relatively undifferentiated secondary schooling, while the influence of significant others is negligible in societies with more…

This lesson describes the current government of Hungary and its underlying political and electoral systems. The lesson is structured with: (1) background on the parliamentary model of government, political parties, and Hungary's unique electoral system; (2) a summary of the six major political parties in Hungary and voter information for the 1990…