This study focuses on the school-work connection from the perspective of curriculum design. The aim was to uncover considerations underpinning the design of learning environments in vocational education. The research took place in the Netherlands. A focus group methodology was chosen to elicit designers' considerations, which generally remain…

This case study of the development of the Norwegian compulsory school curriculum of 1997, "Laereplanverket 1997," parallels a study of the development of the "Illinois Learning Standards" of 1997. The pair of case studies is designed to explore the administration of state-based curriculum-making and, in particular, the use in…

The year 2007 saw a discrete yet significant development in the sphere of "international education" in England: a doubling in number of state-funded schools offering the International Primary Curriculum. This curriculum had been developed in 2000 for the Shell Company Group of Schools. It first emerged in England in 2003; two years later…

Examines educational history to discover the process by which curriculum became a universal idea and how the concept of the classroom was invented. Argues that universal ideas and inventions such as the classroom result in the creation of dominant institutional categories that exert a powerful influence over what can or cannot be done by…

States that the academic course of study in secondary schools has changed only modestly since the late nineteenth century. Illustrates this point by examining changes in the mid-1800s curriculum of the Cambridge, Massachusetts, High School. Includes tables which show the high school's course of study during the period. (GEA)

Outlines the evolution of curriculum theory and practice in Spain from the 1970s to the 1990s. Discusses changing perspectives in response to political developments and reasons for the failure of the curriculum innovations introduced by the Socialist government after 1982. Advocates developing a dialectical theory of curriculum reform. (DB)

Examines "The National Curriculum 5-16: A Consultation Document" that became law in 1988. Outlines the document's content and argues that the document offers solutions to various problems without demonstrating how the solutions address the problems. Raises some issues about the ownership and control of educational institutions. (GG)

Examines the radical shift in educational policies in England and Wales since 1980, and how the shift has affected the curriculum industry. Considers teachers' attempts to influence policy, and the relationship between the curriculum industry and teachers' work in the future. Delineates implications of a national curriculum, an education market,…

Reports on the implementation of the education with production (EWP) curriculum reform 13 years after its implementation in eight pilot schools in Zimbabwe. EWP attempted to foster socialist principles, redress colonial mentality, and inculcate industrial and technical skills. Poor planning, political interference, and lack of support hurt the…

Traces the origin and development of technology education in the United States from its inception during the progressive era to the present. Although it has gone through various name-changes (manual training, vocational education, industrial arts) this field has always suffered from lack of funding and inadequate definition. (MJP)

Reports on a research development model designed to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics in the Dominican Republic. The model drew heavily upon the Missouri Mathematics Project. Discusses innovations in curriculum development, classroom instruction, and inservice teacher training. Includes statistical tables on student achievement and…

Challenges the current belief that post-secondary curricula is defined by faculty and institutions in response to demographic shifts. Maintains that a complex interweaving of social movements, class structures, political, and economic forces influences the adaptation and implementation of curricula. Criticizes the establishment and the recognition…

Uses the case study of a new private school to investigate the implementation of a curriculum designed to incorporate project-oriented, problem-based learning, and a constructivist approach to challenge gifted learners. Discusses the origins of the school, influencing factors, and implications for initiating similar efforts. (MJP)

Maintains that Australian curriculum governance takes place at different levels and all are targets of competing debates. Reviews recurring social influences and themes between 1981 and 1991. Asserts that the trend toward the devolution of management and curriculum control to local schools is the key to restructuring efforts. (CFR)