In answer to economic needs and social demands, a structural innovation was introduced in secondary education in most West European countries, mainly in the 1960s. Contrary to the traditional schools, organized in vertical categories, the so-called comprehensive schools brought together all branches in one school. There was protest against this…

Utilizing conventional laboratory-science classrooms for a flexible science program is done by unitizing the science program and by team teaching. (BR)

Farley's theory of arousal and stimulation-seeking proposes specific educational alternatives for high and low arousal and hyperkinetic children. This study tested the prediction that open classrooms provide children at the lower end of the physiological arousal continuum with enough external stimulation to reduce their overt seeking of…

Determines the intercorrelations among measures of intelligence, achievement, self-esteem, and anxiety among elementary pupils who were enrolled in two different styles of instruction: a traditional self-contained structure and an open school using the Westinghouse PLAN system of computer-backed individualized instruction. (Author/RC)

This paper provides an analysis of alternative schools that may help understand their problems and kindle future interest, together with guidelines as to how these schools might be more effectively organized. Two case studies are provided to illustrate the importance of authority patterns in these schools. (AM)

This study investigates the moral development of thirty 5-year-old children in Montessori and traditional preschools. Data for the study were derived from five sources: an intelligence test; a perspective taking task; an altruism/helping task; an altruism/sharing task; and an interview for exploring moral reasoning. Two 30 to 45 minute sessions…

An outmoded university system, geared along aristocratic lines, causes growing unrest among university rectors, faculty, industrial and business leaders, and students. The Italian university provides training in law, economics, commerce and philosophy within a rigid structure which permits entrance only to a select few, yet Italy's expanding…

This study explores some of the relationships of the task structure in organizations to the allocation of power, job satisfaction, and perceptions of rewards. Six elementary schools in three school districts in a Midwestern State were studied. Three schools were "traditional," the others were multiunit schools. Questionnaires were administered to…

This history of Greek education traces the path of modernization from the emergence of Greece as an independent state in the early 1800's up to the present date. Educational philosophy and content are seen as pawns in the social and political struggles of those years. Detailed coverage of the historical events describes the structure of education…

This two-phase study identifies the techniques used by teachers in their classrooms to arouse and maintain the attention and interest of their students (student engagement). During the first phase (reported in another document), 24 third- and fourth-grade teachers and their students in nine elementary schools in low-income communities were the…

The self-concept of three groups of different age children attending traditional and open classrooms was assessed over a two-year period. Self-concept differences due to both age and classroom type were observed and are discussed. Certain implications of the results for elementary school counselors are pointed out. (SE)

What students learn in school is determined more by the hidden curriculum of rigid classroom structures and power relationships than formal curriculum. A less alienating classroom environment must replace these traditional structures, such as tracking, grading, and student powerlessness, if education is really to be reformed. (SJL)

This article presents a study that analyzed audio taped transcripts of students' interaction in two different kindergarten settings. Findings presented indicate that early classroom socialization has a significant impact on the communicative patterns of young children. Comparisons are made between open classroom and traditional classroom…

Discusses arguements for, but basically against, both open space classrooms and open education. Reviews studies which reveal that students in a traditional setting and program demonstrate higher basic and creative skills and reveal less anxiety than do those in a nontraditional setting. (KC)

Sophomore and senior female students from traditional and progressive high schools were interviewed to determine stage of moral development (Kohlberg scale) and epistemological development (Perry scale). On both scales, progressive school seniors scored higher than traditional school seniors. Seniors' mean scores were significantly higher than…