Investigates the nature of curriculum decision making as it occurred in two school-based curriculum development committees in an Ontario, Canada, school district. As Thomas J. Sergiovanni suggests, certain technical, human, and educational forces are necessary but not sufficient for deliberation; symbolic and cultural forces must also be present.…

Summarizes study investigating collaborative curriculum development in Alberta, Canada, elementary schools. Focus is "snapshot" capturing extent, rather than quality, of collaboration, based on stratified random sample of elementary school principals. School staffs are moving toward more collaborative curriculum-development mode but are…

Summarizes results of a study of 43 Israeli teachers' reactions to teachers' curriculum guides. Fewer than half the teachers interviewed made significant use of guides. Authors' intentions, as set forth in these guides, do not reach the teaching community and are felt to convey alienation, distance, arrogance, and lack of respect. Teachers did not…

Explores four factors determining the success or failure of the 1911-12 polar expeditions. These factors, with implications for planning in general and curriculum planning in particular, are: a clear focus on priorities, efficient use of funds, expertise developed through training and consulting lead scholars, and reliance on meticulous planning,…

Discusses contemporary psychologists' criticism of Jean Piaget's developmental theory; reviews research in brain science, psychology, history, and the experiences of teachers; proposes a new theory of developmental stages based on children's shifting interests; discuses implications of "shifting interest center theory" for school…

A study conducted in Alberta, Canada, examined curriculum development at provincial, district, and school levels through the eyes of participating teachers. Findings indicate teachers felt satisfied with production of high-quality materials, with efforts to improve education, and with participation on curriculum committees. (SI)

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…

Didactics, an entity associated with different Scandinavian institutions and educational settings, comprises the theory and prescriptive elements for reflection, deliberation, and action in pedagogical planning. This article discusses the processes of selection and planning involved with preparing national programs for teaching and learning and…

Differences between the planning and execution of two 1911-12 polar expeditions transcend matters of aims and resources. Scott's planning approach was deterministic, whereas Amundsen's was deliberative, resolving each problem in its practical, human context. Like Scott's expedition, current U.S. and British attempts to improve education practice…

Examines the origin of expressive writing, briefly reviewing Britain's language-across-the-curriculum reform movement and expressive writing's debt to that movement. Describes a conference where British and American educators exchanged ideas about language and learning. Explains how pyscholinguistics has provided the intellectual framework for…

Study of the status of teachers participating in curriculum development committees revealed that their lack of status impedes professional development. Colleagues' inattentiveness, plus an already heavy teaching load, unsurprisingly caused teachers to respond with a "why bother?" attitude. Clarification of principals' attitudes toward…

Buchenwald offers an omnipresent reminder that future success of political and economic reunification is related to slow, but necessary, healing of national wounds over dual legacies of Hitler and the Cold War. In midst of painful transitions, the living memorial of Buchenwald holds promise as a place where German youth might continue arduous…

In Australia, school-based curriculum development (SBCD) encountered significant problems during the 1970s because of insufficient teacher preparation, unchanging school structures, and conservative community expectations. This article examines SBCD as a 1990s policy option and places it within a professionally oriented context. Because of equity…

This article considers common dilemmas faced by schools undergoing change. The dilemmas are related to three areas: autonomy, focus, and acceptance. How teachers and administrators resolve these dilemmas is fundamental to the way change in schools is implemented. This study examines the way curriculum leaders in a regional Australian government…

During the past few years, several Dutch curriculum and assessment specialists have been developing proposals for national attainment targets for various education sectors (primary education, lower secondary education, secondary vocational education, and teacher training colleges). This article analyzes this development activity according to…