This paper will explore key research around Foundation year entry at a large Northwest university in England, UK and explore what makes effective provision. It will share lessons learned during COVID-19 from student feedback from a Humanities, and Languages foundation year. There is some research around what makes for a successful foundation year.…

How to best utilize curriculum time has long been a question for England's schools, which are free to vary time between subjects or to extend the school day/week. This question has now risen to national prominence as policymakers consider ways to help support students catch up lost learning after the COVID-19 pandemic. This article explores the…

This article surveys the state of the humanities in English primary schools drawing on evidence from serving head teachers, current literature and policy documents. The findings suggest that whilst the humanities are highly valued in schools, there are serious challenges which threaten the "broad and balanced" curriculum. It is suggested…

This article draws on a pedagogical case study in order to reflect on the value of using a Humanities disciplinary practice (the "close reading" of literary studies) as a method of educational enquiry and to provide a worked example of this approach. We explore the introduction of a pedagogic strategy--students writing abstracts for…

This introductory article accompanies three further articles forming a case study research project undertaken to describe the experience of four urban secondary schools implementing a competence-based curriculum for students in their first year of secondary education. The nature of such competence-based curricula is discussed in the context of…

Lee Shulman's concept of signature pedagogies in the professions has captured the imagination of many researchers and educators. In higher education, the concept has been extended to teaching in particular disciplines, and it is here argued that the concept of signature pedagogy can be usefully extended to an influential teaching system in the…

Background: It has been claimed that thematic or integrated approaches to curriculum delivery offer a range of advantages over subject-based modes of delivery including improved pupil motivation. Purpose: This study put claims regarding pupil motivation to the test, using the achievement goals framework. This contemporary approach to understanding…

Explores how ideological ferment of the last 30 years has shaped values and principles informing classroom practice. Contrasts tolerant, progressive humanism of the post-war era with intense 1970s political controversies. Explains how history teachers who recognized the postmodern dilemma and responded with new approaches found themselves blamed…

A humanities program is described in which the students learn geography, history, English, religious education, classical studies, social anthropology, and art history as a single subject. All classes have students of mixed abilities. Intellectual and social skills required for mixed-ability teaching are outlined. (SW)

Approaches to studying were measured in male and female students taking arts and sciences degrees at three British colleges. Students taking science courses had greater reproduction orientation than those in arts courses. Females had greater meaning orientation in arts courses taken in a "female" learning environment, and when taking…

An evaluation of a humanities course taught to mixed ability classes of 11 year olds in England showed that the most important factors for a successful course are teacher commitment and enthusiasm, careful course planning keeping in mind student interests, and teaching styles that emphasize student activities and interaction and oral work. (RM)

Special needs teachers and subject teachers simplified text in British secondary level science and humanities courses and used the text with a class of mixed attainment groups. Subsequent assessment indicated that marks of higher achievers were consistently high and marks of low achievers were significantly improved compared to a control group.…

This paper describes the Integrated Studies Project, a middle school curriculum project developed at Keele University in England, and designed to integrate the social sciences and the expressive arts. The described materials are available from Oxford University Press. These consist of large fold-out sheets with information, photographs, drawings,…

Drawing on evidence from lesson observations, teacher interviews and project reports, this paper examines the pedagogical perspectives and strategies of teachers working to incorporate use of Internet resources and associated ICT tools into humanities, social studies and science lessons in English secondary schools. The eight teachers were…

Noting the sharp decline in Latin studies in England, the author reviews the rationale and educational objectives which serve as the foundation for existing programs. Commentary is made on the roles of science, history, literature, and philosophy in the curriculum. The function of classical studies is seen to be related largely to the development…