The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and understand the impact of standardized testing on educational practice in an urban, Title I school community, and to determine solutions to improve the utility of standardized testing in supporting student learning and achievement. The specific areas of focus are diagnosing…

History has much to offer education in emergencies scholars and practitioners. Most research in this field comprises qualitative case studies and, to a lesser extent, quantitative experimental studies, both of which tend to focus on either the impact of interventions or whether education processes or structures are a cause or effect of conflict. I…

Here, at "FORUM's" invitation, is the text of the 2014 Godfrey Thomson Trust public lecture at the University of Edinburgh. Its backdrop is the centralisation of educational decision-making in England since 1988 and the power and patronage exercised by the Secretary of State. Taking as examples recent policies on childhood, curriculum…

The authors aim to identify characteristics of democratic schools. The Delphi technique used in this study is based on attaining a consensus among a group of experts over 3 rounds with 22 experts from 9 countries participating in the first round. By the end of the third round, 339 items referring to democratic school characteristics were…

Background: Deliberative mode of curriculum development has been hailed as one effective way of developing school-based curriculum. Its participatory, egalitarian and discursive characteristics have helped to generate the much-needed synergy and ownership feeling among the curriculum team members that lead to curriculum success. Nevertheless there…

Surprisingly little is known about the micro-leadership and management of the curriculum within schools. This study first applies a purpose-designed set of research instruments to penetrate the micro-workings of school decision-making in curriculum, teaching and learning. Second, it reports the findings from an application of the instruments in…

Using an ethnographic approach, this article describes the factors influencing the curriculum planning of a fifth grade teacher. (Author/MP)

Analyzes the processes used by a group of Australian teachers to make curriculum decisions at the school level. Policies aimed at decentralizing curriculum decision making can be supported only if teachers' expertise is fully utilized in the decision-making process. Unless teachers contribute something that administrators cannot, they will be seen…

Instructional materials are usually selected by classroom teachers. Little is known about what criteria they use in making these choices. Most of the literature recommends, instead, the attributes to be used. This study employs a qualitative approach to examine one teacher's thinking about her selection of materials. Fundamental to her thinking…

Identifies kinds of thinking that fit naturally into elementary social studies curricula, using models of thinking that are not complex. Models include general problem solving skills and skills pertaining to specific types of intellectual tasks, such as comprehending information, solving specific problems, researching topics, and making decisions.…

Basic to good leadership is a repertoire of management skills providing a productive climate in which teaching and learning are facilitated. The elementary principalship requires well-trained, intelligent individuals with the necessary human, conceptual, and technical skills to lead groups of professionals and students into rich educational…

This paper draws on the findings from a collaborative research journey with two groups of primary school teachers and principals within a context of curriculum change in Hong Kong. The purpose of the paper is an invitation to stakeholders to reflect and act upon the findings that can have an impact on reconstructing teachers' work at various…

Summarizes views of 222 British elementary school principals in 2 neighboring local education authorities about 4 aspects of science coordinators' work (curriculum development, resources, assisting other teacher, and responsibilities for teaching decisions). Headteachers believe that coordinators should not influence their colleagues' teaching…

This paper discusses a utility function estimation procedure developed to provide curriculum planning information on elementary school principals. Both theoretical and empirical studies were performed to evaluate the procedure. The results of the use of this approach to obtain data from a national sample of principals are presented. (Author)

Discussing the Jonestown mass suicide, Charles Manson, etc., this article maintains children must be alerted to the fact that there are people and advocacies capable of exerting the kind of influence that causes followers to act with total irrationality; educators must emphasize the development of strong, questioning minds. (Author/JC)