Contemporary Conservative education policy may seem to be hastily formulated and executed, but, it is arguably founded on deeply held ideological beliefs. By briefly examining the history of the British Conservative party and its complex formation and disparate ideological traditions, including the broader conservative diaspora, four key…

The article examines the enduring popularity of a form of school history which is based predominantly on the idea that the transmission of a positive story about the national past will inculcate in young people a sense of loyalty to the state; a reassuring and positive sense of identity and belonging; and a sense of social solidarity with fellow…

This article describes part of a transition process in teacher education in Trinidad and Tobago. After assisting the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) in the development of a four-year Bachelor of Education program that replaced the previous system of two-year in-service training at Teachers College, I describe the contested, complex process…

The world of private fundamentalist education grew prodigiously throughout the late 1970s and into the early 1980s. These schools needed curricular materials and guiding educational philosophies. The impassioned debates among leading fundamentalist educators directly affected the education of hundreds of thousands of students. Concern over the…

This article investigates the long-held assumption that Christian educators need their own curriculum orientation. Seminal documents published by Philip Jackson and Harro Van Brummelen in the nineties are analyzed against the background of a brief history of the field of curriculum theory. The author accepts Jackson's conclusion that curriculum…

The reasons for teaching technology have provided support for traditions and given rationale and agendas that have been used in practice. Traditions encapsulate views and experience that will remain after an area of technology education has been established. (JOW)

Perceptions of forces that may restrain the implementation of needed change in legal ethics instruction were investigated in 1984, using a model of resistance to planned change proposed by Goodwin Watson. Based on this model, five barriers to change were assessed: conformity to norms, systemic and cultural coherence, vested interests, the…

Explores changing curricular designs and the differences between traditional and authentic learning. Identifies significant design features of authentic design, and provides examples of these features with instructional units. (AEF)

The pursuit of curriculum and the role of tradition in curriculum development are explored for Norway at the national-political level. The contexts of influence and of policy text production are considered. In Norway there currently exists a new type of nationally mandated curriculum guideline, a general policy curriculum document calling for a…

Technology has a key role in the latest educational reform in which the focus has shifted from what should be taught to how it should be taught. In general, computers in New Zealand schools, particularly secondary schools, are not integrated into classrooms. Lack of funding has resulted in schools buying computers almost entirely from funds raised…

Although researchers have devoted little attention to how religion affects education, religion has always played a major role in education, and religious groups continue to attempt to influence curricula and practices in public schools. Successful educational reform will depend on considering religious and cultural factors in planning and…

In this article, the author discusses his contention that even the best of the best of American schools are not quality schools. He also observes that the curriculum that has been in place since 1892 was the main reason why schools cannot offer the best in quality education. He cites the ten problems that have plagued the American educational…

Compares 1989 National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools' report, "Charting a Course: Social Studies in the 21st Century," to a similar curricular endeavor during the 1930s. Finds the 1989 version conformist, narrow, prescriptive, overly content oriented, and not reflective of educational research. Because of its academic…

Reports on a case study of the perceptions of principles of traditional South African schools on social change. The principal's essential conservatism suggests that meaningful curriculum change will not be easily achieved. Reveals a deep dichotomy between progressive educational rhetoric and actual school practices. (MJP)

Criticizes the National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools' report, "Charting a Course: Social Studies for the 21st Century." Questions the report's chronological exposition of history, exclusion of social problems until twelfth grade, emphasis on content, lack of selectivity, and declarative mood. Contends that, by ignoring…