Based on an in-depth case study, this book reveals how politicians, as policy makers, conceptualise, develop and initiate large-scale education system reform and why it matters for whole system school improvement. Governments all over the world are spending increasing time, money and effort on improving school systems but the evidence suggests…

Purpose: Marks and Spencer's Plan A environmental strategy is an ambitious one which addresses economic, social and environmental considerations. As part of this process it recently used a sustainable learning store strategy to develop, capture and disseminate learning before, during and after construction so that learning could be transferred to…

Technology implementation research indicates that teachers' beliefs and knowledge, as well as a host of institutional factors, can influence technology integration. Drawing on third-generation activity theory, this article conceptualizes technology implementation as a network of planning and integration activities carried out by technology…

Siedentop and Locke (1997) proposed three critical elements that must exist in our profession to make a difference and achieve systemic success in physical education (SSPE): (a) quality PE in the schools, (b) effective physical education teacher education (PETE)programs, and (c) a working relationship between the two. Using Cuban's (1992)…

Expertise in the technical aspects of planning and a keen appreciation of the social factors involved are not, in themselves, sufficient for satisfactory educational planning. The plan will still not be feasible unless there is attention to a third group of factors called "practical issues", "organizational features", or…

This paper presents a case study in which systems theory is used as a framework for analyzing the experience of international consultants in assisting the education ministry of a developing country in formulating a national education 5-year plan. The study highlights the broader dilemma faced by international consultants who are frequently…

This final report of a conference on curriculum development within the ES '70 program is divided into three parts. The first part contains addresses concerning the comprehensive high school and the ES '70 program as a curriculum innovation. Three current trends--individualized instruction, changes in instructional theory, and changes in…

A large majority of the world's people are denied access to learning. The link between technical and vocational education (TVE) and individual and workplace economic productivity is well documented. Many countries are experiencing combinations of increasing populations of young people and high unemployment rates. Existing traditions of training…

The role of school-to-work transition in the broader context of K-12 systemic reform was examined by way of a case study of Jefferson County, Kentucky, before and after passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in 1990. The systemic approaches toward school-to-work transition as part of educational reform that were developed and…

In the late 1980s, in response to a number of problems including consistently low academic performance by students and graduates lacking the skills needed by employers, Swansea High School in Swansea, South Carolina, launched a major reform effort designed to transform Swansea into a high-performance high school. During the multi-year reform…