Although it contains a statutory inclusion statement, England's National Curriculum "hardly acknowledges the learning practices of different minority groups" ( Gregory and Williams, 2003, p. 103). Through observation and interview, this study examines the repertoire of languages that six children for whom English is an additional…

This paper analyses some changing aspects of learning and "cultures of learning" in China: these are related to meeting the needs of Chinese learners studying in higher education in the UK. We use the term "cultures of learning" to draw attention to the socio-cultural aspects of key practices, expectations and interpretations…

An assessment of the professional needs of science teachers was conducted in order to aid in the development of more effective preservice and inservice teacher training programs in Malaysia. A modified version of the Teacher Need Assessment Questionnaire was administered to 78 science teachers. Data analysis indicated that the top 25 perceived…

Over the last several years, state boards of education have become increasingly engaged in the development of content and performance standards and the assessments that will accompany them. This guidebook provides information on the move toward standards-based education. Part 1 provides a brief historical overview that places the standards…

Most current writing about American public education describes it in terms of a crisis situation. However, schools often serve as scapegoats for the failure of other institutions and for social ills that they had no part in creating. This book presents a collection of essays and commentaries on recent proposals for educational reform and actions…

The content and assessment of the curriculum is under discussion in many educational systems. Because the curriculum is a product of authority relationships, the role and position of several actors executing the authority relationships in the education system are under question as well. Traditionally, inspectorates, as part of the authority…

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…

In order to gain a perspective on how civil servants may influence the present movement toward a national curriculum, Proctor examines how civil servants influenced the shaping of the curriculum during the early 1900s by examining the fate of one school subject--geography. Depicts the ways decisions were made and the attitudes and prejudices of…

Learning to Teach Mathematics in the Secondary School covers a wide range of issues in the teaching of mathematics and gives supporting activities to students to enable them to translate theory into practice. Topics covered include: (1) mathematics in the National Curriculum; (2) different teaching approaches; (3) using ICT; (4) mathematics…

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.…

Teachers in U.S. schools affected by Mexican immigration need to understand immigrants' prior school experiences when planning lessons and delivering instruction. Mexico requires education through grade 9 and has nearly reached its goal of providing facilities for all school-age children. There are vast differences between rural and urban…

Both the United States and England initiated ambitious standards-based education reform to eliminate large gaps between their highest and lowest achievers. England appears to be ahead, having started in 1988 with a national curriculum, tests, and performance tables. The United States' No Child Left Behind Act began rewriting state rules in 2002…

This article examines the implications of the shift, in England and Wales, from the previous National Curriculum assessment model based on the assessment of performance in relation to statements of attainment, to a model based on level descriptions founded on the recommendations of R. Dearing (1994). Both models reflect a common sense view that…

This paper explores the role of teachers in national assessment in England. The Education Reform Act of 1988 introduced a national curriculum for ages 5 to 16 together with a national assessment program for students at ages 7, 11, 14, and 16. The national assessment program is a crucial accompaniment to the national curriculum as the vehicle…

Sex differences in performance of year-11 British students in science are being explored in an ongoing study. Some early results and tentative conclusions are reported. Double award science was introduced in England to improve scientific literacy, to reduce sex imbalances in later science pursuits by females, and to encourage generally greater…