Examines plans and proposals for the "Key Stage 4" portion of the United Kingdom's General Certificate for Secondary Education (GCSE) program. Explains the development of a 10-point assessment scale and plans for combined subject courses. Argues that, although economics instruction should be encouraged, it should not be the sole emphasis…

Outlines a course based on a series of experiments in which students are introduced to the behavior of electrical components without any references to Ohm's law. Argues that this approach has advantages over the traditional presentation. (DDR)

Examines George Herbert's sonnet "Prayer" to argue for the integration of literary and linguistic approaches to the critical appreciation of poetry at both A/AS and university levels of the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). Presents a model analysis of the sonnet and discusses why its distinctive linguistic and literary features…

A study of schools in two English local education authorities found that time spent teaching Shakespeare increases in Year 9 now that the National Curriculum mandates testing on Shakespeare. However, restrictions on the choice of plays is limiting teaching methods and diminishing student learning and enjoyment of the subject. (SK)

With new demands and expectations being placed on careers work, the role of careers service is changing to focus on those most at risk of dropping out of education. Recent research has been used to show how careers education has improved since the mid-1980s, but there is still much work to be done. New challenges must be met by those responsible…

Developed for use in small groups, this unit is intended to help Key Stage 3 pupils in England who have attained Level 3 in English to improve their spelling further. The sequence of 18 sessions revisits and builds on objectives from the primary "Framework" in the way envisaged in the "Framework for Teaching English: Years 7, 8, and…

Developed for use in small groups, this unit of study is aimed at helping children in England who have reached Level 3 in English at Key Stage 2 but who may be making errors in spelling, particularly in the area of vowel choices. In this unit, pupils read realistic texts and investigate the spellings of words they find there. While spelling is the…

Adapted for whole class use, this unit is intended to help Key Stage 3 pupils in England who have attained Level 3 in English to improve their spelling further. The sequence of 21 sessions revisits and builds on objectives from the primary "Framework" in the way envisaged in the "Framework for Teaching English at Key Stage 3."…

Discusses assessment in the context of a national curriculum and issues that have arisen in England as a result of the introduction of a national curriculum about seven years ago. Outlines the public view, the official view, and teachers' views about assessment that were obtained using questionnaires. (JRH)

A discussion of the teaching of poetry begins with a brief look at attitude toward poetry within British educational institutions, followed by an assessment of the relationship between poetry teaching and teaching reading skills to children and foreign language learners. A new approach for teaching poetry is presented. (11 references) (Author/LB)

A classroom assessment of students' work against Britain's National Curriculum is presented. Some development work that focuses primarily on Teacher Assessment of Profile Component 2 is described. How this work has been tested in the classroom is explained. Some comments upon the initiative in the light of evaluation are also included. (KR)

Traces the use of, and arguments for, the history and philosophy of science in school science courses. Specific attention is paid to the British National Curriculum proposals and to the recommendations of the U.S. Project 2061 curriculum guidelines. Some objections to the inclusion of historical material in science courses are outlined. (Contains…

Discusses the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in homes and its impact on teachers in schools, based partly on case studies of British secondary schools. Topics include home learning environments; the National Curriculum for England and Wales; and initial teacher training curriculum for ICT. (LRW)

The successful study of history requires many things, but few would contest that an understanding of time is one of them. Quite what we mean by "an understanding of time" needs clarification, however. Chronological understanding is one feature. But it is not simply an ability to place events in order that drives our teaching (although…

In 1995 the streamlined British national curriculum defined outdoor education as "outdoor and adventurous activities" (OAA) and placed it within the physical education (PE) curriculum. However, many PE teachers lack a knowledge of outdoor education and, when faced with limitations in time, resources, facilities, and expertise, may choose…