In the 1920s the question of kindergartens was actively discussed in Finnish teachers' journals. The concern was with social and educational demands that kindergartens and lower elementary schools should be combined in the public educational system. Elisabeth Alander (1859-1940), the grand pioneer of the Finnish kindergarten pedagogy, opposed the…

If well planned, service learning can exhibit developmental stages that parallel and feed into patterns of academic growth. Students who learn through service pass through six developmental stages (the need to be needed, to know, to know more, to understand why, to know what can be changed, and to integrate action and knowledge for developing…

The "Realms of Meaning" by Philip H. Phenix emphasizes several key ideas that schools should address in their curriculum planning and implementation. Ethical educators would benefit from this text because it is a timeless work of art that speaks to past and current educational issues. With the federal 2001 No Child Left Behind mandate to…

Focuses specifically on Jean Piaget's theory of development. Examines Piaget's ideas about constructivism and explores the application of this theoretical perspective to the conceptualization of curriculum development. (MG)

A theoretical framework for incorporating relaxation instruction in the physical education curriculum is presented based on the assumption that relaxation is a muscular-skeletal skill benefitting general motor skill acquisition. Theoretical principles, a definition of relaxation, and an analysis of stages of skill development are also used in the…

An effective inservice teacher education program was found to have the characteristics of: (1) immediate applicability to the classroom; (2) use of teacher input; (3) curriculum change and innovation; and (4) provisions for ongoing, continuous evaluation. (JN)

Curriculum theory is a rationale for defining purpose, selecting objectives, and determining content. Two rationales, movement analysis, and developmental stages are discussed and evaluated, in terms of their purposes, objectives, content, and teaching methods. (JN)

This paper examines theories of human development within the context of the models presented by the schools of cognitive learning, behavioralism, psychoanalysis, and humanistic views of growth. Stress is placed on the stages of human development that provides a means of better meeting the needs of students ages 10-14 in the middle school milieu.…

First Steps is a program instituted by the Western Australia Ministry of Education to improve the literacy and numeracy of primary school students, particularly those at risk of academic failure. First Steps is organized around reading, writing, spelling, and oral language; children's skills are organized along developmental continua. These…

Evaluations of the relationship of curriculum programs to Jean Piaget's developmental psychology theory are reviewed. These programs include Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS), Man: A Course of Study (MACOS), Family of Man (FOM), and Social Encounter and Research Curriculum for Humanization (SEARCH). Piagetian based research results are…

This book contains papers presented at the Seventh Interdisciplinary Conference on Piagetian Theory and the Helping Professions. More than 40 papers are included. Areas explored in the papers include: the impact of Piagetian theory on educational policy and aspects of language acquisition and cognitive development in early childhood; theoretical…