Reviews the reform of secondary school physics in the United States from the 1930s through the mid-1960s. Describes the impact of progressive education, World War II, and the post-Sputnik reforms. Points out differences between past reform efforts and the current Project 2061 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (CFR)

Reports labor history coverage in seven college-level introductory history courses. Finds that all incorporated some material about unions and offered an interpretation of their effectiveness. Also finds the absence of gender and race as shaping forces in labor history to be the most neglected topic. (CFR)

Analyzes in two fifth-grade social studies textbooks, the production of three "foundation myths" relating to Chicanos in American history: (1) Texas independence and the Alamo, (2) the Mexican War, and (3) the 20-century struggle for civil rights. How these contribute to cultural degradation is discussed. (SLD)

Analysis of the term "communicative" as used by scholars and realized in textbooks suggests a gap between theory and practice and substantial differences between the perspectives held by scholars and those held by instructors, publishers, and others. Differences are reviewed and their sources traced to attempts to adapt the term itself to existing…

Considers the forces contributing to the development of democratic citizenship education in Albania and reviews the progress that has been made. Explores the barriers to democratic citizenship education, such as the centralization in Albanian schools and the lack of resources for running a program. Ponders the future of democratic citizenship…

Many private schools accepting public and private voucher funding use instructional materials that transmit profoundly conservative values. Content of texts produced by A Beka Books and Bob Jones University Press is virtually identical to materials produced and disseminated by the Christian Right and other conservative groups. (Contains 42…

Describes a two-part study involving 125 minority female students, 14 faculty members and 35 textbooks that explored the kinds of images minority students found in their textbooks. Results indicated that the exclusion, omission, or misrepresentation through images directly impacted student learning as well as student career choices. (Contains 12…

Many have called for reform of the science curriculum to incorporate the process of inquiry: this has been shown to improve student understanding of biological concepts. Laboratory activities provide excellent opportunities to incorporate inquiry in to the curriculum. This study used a modified version of the Laboratory Task Analysis Instrument…

Out of the 38 nations studied in the 1999 "Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study" (TIMSS), children in Singapore scored highest in mathematics (National Center for Education Statistics, NCES, 2003). Why do Singapore's children do so well in mathematics? The reasons are undoubtedly complex and involve social aspects.…

According to research studies, one glaring omission from teacher education programs is gender. Tomorrow's teachers receive little instruction or training on the tremendous impact of gender in the classroom. Just how does gender influence teaching, the curriculum, and the lives of teachers and students in the classroom? This unique book has been…

An analysis of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) textbooks published in the United States from the 1950s through the 1980s focuses on incidental but pervasive social messages contained in their content, including restriction to middle class populations and values, stereotyped sex roles, lack of visibility of minorities, negative messages about…

This paper describes a study in which a Picture Readability Index (PRI) was used to investigate initial and extended perceptions of photographs. Readability criteria for evaluating instructional text seems to have been in place for a long time, yet instructional visuals like photographs and illustrations have typically been subject to no such…

This report brings together recent research, analysis, and textbook evaluations to explain what lies behind today's school wars over teaching about religion. It concludes that textbook controversies involving religion are an important part of a large cultural debate. Some of the most divisive and important curriculum issues of current times,…

This revised text adds chapters to address the urgent issues surrounding how to prepare students to live in a global and culturally diverse world, as well as keep pace with rapid developments in emerging microprocessor based technologies. The book is divided into 3 major parts with 13 chapters. Part 1 examines the origins and evolving state of…

The Basic/Technical Literacy project at White River Vocational Technical School in Arkansas implemented a comprehensive curriculum to raise students' basic reading and technical literacy levels in their chosen skill area. During the project, master vocabulary lists for each skill area were developed, and self-test worksheets and study guides were…