Teachers in institutions of higher education have a very high degree of freedom when designing curricula. They make decisions on learning objectives, content, content organization, teaching arrangement, and assessment. Teachers' beliefs regarding curriculum design affect decision-making and planning processes, teaching approaches, and their…

Teachers in various contexts worldwide are sometimes unfairly criticized for not putting teaching methods developed for the well-resourced classrooms of Western countries into practice. Factors such as the teachers' "misconceptualizations" of "imported" methods, including Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), are often blamed,…

This study investigated an emerging language learning culture by examining the relationship between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and perceived efficacy in two cities in southern Texas. Drawing on Bandura's (1994) theory of self-efficacy and Ashton and Webb's (1986) notions about teacher efficacy, a multi-sited case study was conducted to explore…

This essay reviews the Geographical section of the "International Handbook of Jewish Education" published in 2011. The differences between countries, their unique histories and cultures, are important, but their similarities are arguably more revealing. Indeed, on occasions when similar phenomena are examined in different places by different…

In the field of second/foreign language teaching, needs analysis is widely recognized as an essential step in curriculum design and program evaluation. A needs-based approach to Hebrew language education has been advocated by a number of researchers and educators. In a study that employed interviews and surveys, the Hebrew language learning needs…

Argues that program evaluation in the teaching of English-as-a- Second-Language is no longer such a well-circumscribed area of activity. Concludes that program evaluation should be systematic, principled, purposeful and context-specific; use the information collected to make balanced judgements; and embody recommendations for curriculum change.…

There are relatively clear definitions of what is meant by authenticity in relation to language-teaching materials and texts; there is much less agreement about what constitutes authenticity of context and of task activity. Article explores different notions of authenticity in language classroom. A crucial point often overlooked is that the…

This paper reports the findings of a study conducted on a foreign language course at a large mid-west university in the USA. In the study a web-based tool which supports both linear and non-linear learning environments was designed and developed for this course. The aim of this study was to find out students' preferences pertaining to the learning…

This article describes a prototype for articulation for Spanish-language programs in the elementary schools, along with examples of how it can be used to create an articulated Spanish-language program within a current elementary school curriculum. (17 references) (Author/CK)

Discusses an innovation second-language teacher education project for teachers of English as a foreign language from Egypt. The model program used was based on the premise that teacher education programs must provide trainees with opportunities to reflect critically upon their own teaching practices and beliefs in a context of collaboration with…

Discusses the importance of teacher attitude and its interconnections with beliefs and teaching behavior. The article introduces a model to explain the gap between statements of intent and the reality of what happens in classrooms. Concludes that beliefs about innovation and its consequences are important in determining behavior and attitude…

Focuses on English as an additional language assessment practices in England and summarizes a recent survey of the assessment frameworks being used in different parts of the country. Findings are discussed with reference to the need to develop appropriate assessment practices within the national curriculum. (11 references) (Adjunct ERIC…

Discusses new approaches in assessment development and describes two examples of English-as-a-Second-Language assessment recently developed in Australia. The article places these approaches within the context of state responses to linguistic and cultural diversity and demonstrates the implications of the differences between them. (85 references)…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…