In this collection, educators from the United Kingdom debate the history, purposes, achievements, and future direction of the National Curriculum. Differing points of view about the value of the National Curriculum are expressed. More than half of the essays focus on specific aspects of the curriculum. The selections are: (1) "What Place for…

If discussion of English primary curriculum is ever to develop from its present impressionistic state, it needs to develop a greater concern with the detail of organization and interaction, with the day-to-day commonplace of teaching, and with the conceptual models held by typical teachers. (CS)

Explores the expectations of the National Literacy Framework and highlights some problem areas in the context of the National Curriculum for English. Notes one such area relates to the assessment criteria which were selected from the framework to address children's understanding of organizational features of texts in reading and writing. Concludes…

Recent funding changes in Great Britain have shifted the purpose of evaluation to serve the ends of government. Government now has the power to define and prioritize key categories in education and provide a mechanism for control. Claims that evaluation is now little more than consultancy and monitoring and is not research-based evaluation. (NL)

Education reform in Great Britain during the last 15 years has been piecemeal, and all the pieces are not yet in place for broad and balanced post-16 education. The last 10 years of debate have achieved much common ground among the goals perceived by government, industry, and education. Three major ways of looking at the post-16 curriculum have…

Part of a research project for the investigation and development of techniques for the analysis of curriculum materials, this document explores possible roles and goals for curriculum analysis in Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, and the United States. The methodology of the project includes four main types of activity: (1) reading, consultation,…

Developmental testing at the Open University is a type of formative evaluation in which a small sample of students work through learning materials to determine their effectiveness. On the basis of student feedback, the material may be accepted as it stands, modified in part, or totally revised before it is produced in its final form for the…

Discusses criteria to apply to key aspects of the inspection and monitoring process in modern language instruction. Quality assurance includes assessment of the whole learning environment. Ten characteristics of a good modern language lesson are listed. (six references) (CK)

Describes the evaluation and revision of the O-level Nuffield chemistry student and teacher curriculum materials. Includes a discussion of the rationale for the evaluation process and the methodology used. (JN)

This book addresses the issues of educational quality from a British perspective considering how educational quality can be evaluated within the higher education system. It is intended for managers of colleges and universities where quality control is exercised and provides scientific techniques which will allow them to maintain and improve their…

Curriculum development at the secondary and higher education levels was examined to identify issues and features of interest to curriculum workers within the further education sector. The main study of the curriculum projects was concentrated on an indepth analysis of four key variables: (1) aims, goals, objectives, and associated curriculum…

An innovative syllabus outlining a history course for students ages 13-16 in Great Britain was developed by this council. Content of the course, which encourages students to collect and analyze historical evidence, is discussed, and evaluation techniques used in the course are examined. (RM)

Investigates the institutions in Cheshire, England, where Spanish is taught. The method involves a survey by questionnaire of 16 Comprehensive schools, 3 VI Form Colleges, and 5 Colleges of Further Education. Of the 24 institutions sent questionnaires, 79% were returned and analyzed. Results are provided. (four references) (CK)

British editors and authors have applied Jim Cummins' creative ideas in various settings in British schools, by using a novel technique of curriculum related assessment with bilingual children. Articles in five chapters demonstrate the flexibility, promise, and limitations of this technique. Articles include: "The Development of a Model of…