Describes the development and testing of an environmental education curriculum model. The model, successfully used with secondary students (ages 14-16), is structured around a set of five key questions which are amplified to fit the topic and circumstances in which they are applied. (Author/JN)

Having broadly defined the process of curriculum formation as a complex set of interactions among many specified internal and external factors, the authors review the field of curriculum theory with the goal of finding the most potent theory for structuring and guiding studies of how changes occur in the curriculum of American public schools. For…

Different groups have different ideas about how schools should be restructured. Although decision-making and control are increasingly shared with other groups, the principal remains most accountable. Innovative leadership styles, such as the inhouse critic and the master generalist, address issues of curriculum totality, function, and goals.…

Outlines the study of a curriculum development project, analyzing the decision-making processes involved in each phase and raising questions about the general process of curriculum development. (MD)

The reputed merits of the interdisciplinary curriculum movement are explored in this collection of works by leading educators. Context is laid out in the introduction, "When Theory Meets Practice in the World of School," by Pam Grossman, Sam Wineburg, and Scott Beers. The chapters are as follows: (1) "On Disciplinary Lenses and…

Presented is a model of curriculum design for history instruction using the concept cluster approach. The importance of proper age/grade placement when teaching historical concepts and the developmental characteristics of children and adolescents are emphasized. (Author/RM)

This paper is based on the assumption that each school creates its own culture and that comparisons between a tribal society and a school society might prove profitable as a heuristic device to learn how change might be more effectively approached by change agents. Studies of the impact of western technology on tribal societies have suggested that…

Conducted during the Institute for Steelband Playing held in 1988, this study's aim was to understand how Trinidadian people view, experience, explain, and order specific elements of their musical world, with the goal of providing an information base for establishing steelband programs in Canadian schools. The study focused on (1) How did the…

It is now almost universally acknowledged that science education must be rejuvenated to serve the needs of American society. An emerging science of science education based on recent advances in psychological research could make this rejuvenation dramatic. Four aspects of psychological research relevant to science curriculum design are discussed:…

This report summarizes and compares the views of six experts (three university professors and three elementary teachers) concerning elementary-level social studies teaching. The experts were asked to treat the topic comprehensively by addressing issues of curriculum (goals and objectives, selection and organization of content); instruction…

Describes a study of teachers as curriculum developers in a broad organizational setting. Identifies three themes that shaped the teachers' participation: their low status, isolation from other teachers, and lack of rewards. Includes tables and appendix. (MD)

As more school districts install computers at all grade levels, order and evaluate instructional software, and send educational personnel to computer seminars, curriculum decisions concerning computers become mandatory. To clarify the conditions or factors which might affect the rationality of a school district's decision on computer literacy…

Described is how an elementary teacher established an environment conducive to learning in her classroom by implementing her own integrated science and mathematics curriculum. The implications for change on the county and state levels are discussed. (KR)

Serious attention should be paid to analysis of the ideological, social, and educational factors that influence Israel's secondary school curriculum. The values of the kibbutz and its educational system are not included in existing school courses and should be integrated into the social studies curriculum. More than 400 curricula, used in schools…

The pilot project described in this report involved the development of an integrated art and music curriculum model for elementary grades. In this discussion, an example of one integrated unit is described for each of grades one through six. The curriculum units are centered around literary or musical themes that incorporate a variety of…