In 2007, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples became law, extending inherent human rights for the first time to the approximately half a billion Indigenous people around the planet. The declaration sets standards for respecting Indigenous knowledge systems and heritage rights, preserving identity and languages, and…

This study analyses how discourses in regional contexts affect the development of curriculum-based literacy standards for adolescents in schooling. A comparative case-study research design enabled the influences of discourses at the regional level to be analysed. The case studies include the development of curricula to define a minimum literacy…

As a result of its direct link to the labour market, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) plays an important role in equipping the modern workforce with in-demand skills. This discussion paper aims to inspire the introduction of entrepreneurial learning in TVET towards a fully mainstreamed approach, whereby entrepreneurial…

It is commonly understood that policy makers make curriculum policy and teachers implement it. Some teachers, however, have been in on the ground floor of curriculum policy development. Driven by events in their life histories and teaching contexts, these teachers develop and teach original course material in their own classrooms. Over time they…

This paper, which is part of a larger comparative project, outlines a conceptual framework for studying large-scale education reform across political jurisdictions. A great deal of comparative work on education reform is now being done, but this work often lacks a clearly articulated conceptual frame. This paper, based on studies of change in five…

Considerations about school music programs, often considered to be a nonutilitarian element of school curriculum, are examined in this paper, with a focus on the application of technological thinking to school administration. Indepth interviews were conducted with 30-40 administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, and students in each of three…

Seven papers in Part III of "Studies in Curriculum Decision Making" bring forward views on improving curriculum decision making. The first paper outlines actions that may be taken to strengthen Ministry of Education guidelines. In the second paper, the teacher's role in curriculum planning is examined. The teacher as a user of research,…

A conceptual framework for planned educational change is presented in this book. The three studies outlined in part I examine how curriculum decisions are made by teachers and factors that seem to influence this decision making. An attempt is also made to discover explanations for the character of this decision making, through the use of several…

Curriculum policy in Ontario reflects concern for local curriculum development and a return to "the basics" and also (1) developing confidence and self-worth in the individual child, (2) raising proficiencies in the skills fundamental to future learning, (3) preparing for participation in society, and (4) inculcating moral and…

A major study of Canadian science education was undertaken in 1980 to establish a documented basis for describing the present purposes and general characteristics of science teaching in Canadian schools, to provide a historical analysis of science education in Canada, and to stimulate active deliberation concerning future options for science…

This paper has two major objectives. The first is to examine a broad "umbrella" goal for school science programs, commonly referred to as "scientific literacy," which has evolved in practice as a way to express a balanced formulation of the several legitimate and competing purposes for teaching science in schools. The second is…

The way in which science teachers use innovation and the implications for curriculum policy making are addressed in five articles. In "Classroom Knowledge and Curriculum Change: An Introduction," John Olson proposes a humanistic framework for curricular change. Rob Walker's "The School, the Community, and the Outsider: Case Study of…

Six papers, which comprise Part II of "Studies in Curriculum Decision Making," explore: (1) actions taken by those in nonteaching roles to facilitate teacher effectiveness; (2) how helpful these actions are likely to be; and (3) what individuals in nonteaching roles can do to assist teacher effectiveness. Interviews and questionnaires…

The introduction of this report on educational policies in Quebec informs the reader about the present education system of Quebec and emphasizes that "democratization" is the most significant of the policies established in implementing reform from 1964 to 1974. Chapter 1 reviews the educational system as it existed in 1974, providing a…

Twenty-four symposium participants from across Canada, all working in some way on language development in Native education, presented summaries of their work and then identified the most serious and widespread problems in the field and made recommendations for improvement. Six major problem categories were identified: (1) language and language…