Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is a qualitative analytical approach for critically describing, interpreting, and explaining the ways in which discourses construct, maintain, and legitimize social inequalities. CDA rests on the notion that the way we use language is purposeful, regardless of whether discursive choices are conscious or…

(Purpose) This literature review discusses the history and application of science, technology, and society (STS) teaching methodologies. (Findings) Topics addressed in this paper include: (1) developmental history of STS; (2) fundamental beliefs of STS practitioners; (3) STS methodology in the classroom; (4) Difficulty in implementing STS; (5) STS…

Addressing issues facing vocational education on the topic of performance testing, this handbook consists of a collection of seventeen commissioned papers and reactions to the papers. Two papers are presented on each of the following types of issues that must be considered before a performance test can be constructed: philosophical, technical,…

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are among the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa which have recently implemented policies for free primary education, motivated in part by renewed democratic accountability following the re-emergence of multi-party politics in the 1990s. However, it is not the first time that the goal of expanding primary education has been…

Almost from the beginning, the junior high school was based on the same vision driving today's middle level schooling: the creation of a unique middle tier of education that bridges the gap between elementary and secondary education and focuses on meeting early adolescent students' academic and personal needs. In the 1950s and 1960s, middle school…

As the world moves from the industrial age into the information age people become less dependent on basic facts and skills and more dependent on the ability to manipulate information. The higher level thinking skills that are needed in this new age must be taught in the schools. When selecting programs for teaching thinking, educators should…

This yearbook provides a readable, usable, and practical summary of the most commonly applied elements of curriculum development on the contemporary educational scene. Separate chapters discuss: (1) "Contemporary Curriculum Circumstances" (Fenwick W. English); (2) "Curriculum Thinking" (George A. Beauchamp); (3) "Curriculum Content" ( B. Othanel…

Outcome-Based Education (OBE) has become one of the most misunderstood efforts in school reform. This brochure sets forth the philosophy of OBE and responds to 25 commonly held concerns. "Outcome-based" means deciding which results the education community wants and then taking the necessary steps during instruction to achieve them. The brochure…

This review provides a background summary of the Commonwealth's involvement in the field of adult literacy in Australia. The review is not research based and does not make recommendations, but it highlights the issues that are important for the future direction of the Commonwealth's involvement in the field. The review is organized into seven…

This collection of papers, consisting of six reports, is the result of a research project during which vocational educators from the United Kingdom traveled to the Federal Republic of Germany to examine the ways in which secondary school students in that country learn about the world of work. Included in the volume are the following reports:…

A community initiative (called ADAPT) was intended to help the workforce in European Union countries to adapt to industrial change and prepare for the information society, as well as to promote growth, employment, and the competitiveness of companies in the countries. Between 1995 and 1999, 4,000 projects were funded to transform the ways in which…