Trends in curriculum reform recognise the need to develop skills and competencies in addition to specifying what knowledge should be taught and when. However, a balance between skills and knowledge is sometimes difficult to achieve. In this paper which takes mathematics as the focus, we consider reform currently underway in Wales, from the…

The release of the "Australian curriculum: Mathematics" has generated considerable debate in the education community. Some educators warn that this debate has centred on mathematical content and skills, setting the conditions for a "back to basics" movement in line with the political rhetoric that accompanied the national…

This article analyses the relationships between the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the development of the 1998 New South Wales Stages 4-5 history syllabus. It examined four key issues that emerged in the debates about history education during the review and found that stakeholders' views diverged significantly on three of these issues.…

The goal of this booklet is to identify and present essential concepts and generalizations within the structure of knowledge of the social studies. The basic rationale rests upon the following assumptions: 1) the development of concepts and generalizations should be given primary emphasis over retention of facts in teaching the social sciences; 2)…

In reviewing the situation in social studies education in general and the place of social studies in the curriculum, this paper focuses on the concept of the evolving individual, a person characterized in social studies curriculum by encountering, decision-making, and taking action. Chapter I, a position statement, discusses the nature and goals…

Described is a media exercise which involved social studies curriculum specialists department chairmen, and classroom teachers in the Baltimore County Public Schools. The exercise was designed and utilized as a model of the content and processes that should be involved in developing an international perspective in social studies programs. The…

The focus of the volume is on reasons for selecting or not selecting any particular social science content, including history, for inclusion in the elementary and secondary social studies curriculum. Prominent authors from each of the social sciences--among them, Paul Ward, David Easton, and Ronald Lippitt--describe the nature of their disciplines…

The paper reviews literature dealing with children's social and political development and examines how changing orientations in child development research relate to citizenship education. The paper is intended for use by elementary school educators as they develop and implement citizenship education and law-related education programs. The paper is…

This project is in the process of developing a new curriculum, which they hope will provide senior high school inner city students with the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enable them in later life to participate effectively in the political life of their community. Specific cognitive objectives include: 1) knowledge of the…

The paper is designed to aid social studies educators and teachers in selecting curriculum materials. It is presented in three sections. Section I outlines problems involved in choosing among curricula. These problems include similarity of traditional social studies textbooks; recent proliferation of innovative curricula which have not been…

The document describes social studies programs, citizenship education, and major social studies issues in the Federal Republic of Germany, Thailand, Japan, Nigeria, England, and the United States. The first chapter considers the transnational nature of the social studies, traces the development of social studies, and discusses efforts and need to…

While pointing out some of the criticism being leveled at the social studies in recent years, this paper suggests a need to reassess the historical development of the social studies as part of the public school curriculum. It argues that such a reassessment is needed to resolve present difficulties and effect future possibilities. The period…

This social studies curriculum guide is designed for grades K-12. Divided into seven sections, the first section offers a brief introduction and calls attention to the laws and rulings in Indiana which affect the teaching of social studies. Section two outlines the guide's rationale which stresses that knowledge must be combined with rational…