This article features the standards and practice for K-12 physical education in Japan. Physical education in Japan has many similarities to, and differences with, programs in the United States. Many of the main objectives for the school curriculum are the same; both systems promote major outcomes related to fitness and lifelong sport and physical…

No one learns in isolation; learning must be tied to real life experiences that are relevant to the student. "Integrated curriculum, interdisciplinary" and "multidisciplinary curriculum, teaming, standards" and "accountability" are terms with which every educator is familiar. "No Child Left Behind" is the…

Despite the apparent lack of universally accepted goals or objectives for elementary science methods courses, teacher educators nationally are autonomously designing these classes to prepare prospective teachers to teach science. It is unclear, however, whether science methods courses are preparing teachers to teach science effectively or to…

The author's work as a professor for special and inclusive education in the eastern part of Germany kindled a special interest for Canada for two reasons. First, the result of the international comparative study of students assessment showed Canada as one of the top countries and Germany as one of the countries far behind. Second, the author's…

The dynamics of educational policy discourse in the USA are illustrated by the highly contested positions on charter schools in three arenas: media debates, national policy and local school reform. In media debates, civil society actors--including teachers' unions, think tanks and print media--engage in polarized exchanges notable for their…

There is not enough substance behind a degree to warrant the ubiquitous belief that a stint in higher education is a "sine qua non" for success in America. While college diplomas may translate into higher-paying jobs for some, high school signifies little in the way of education these days, so jaded employers' estimates of the real value of…

This article looks at policies of the British Government relating to teaching, the curriculum, and research and how they impact Theology and Religious Studies (TRS). It reflects on the use of Government funding to steer research outputs and to focus such activity on a small number of selected institutions. It further discusses Government attempts…

The SACE Review report, Success for All, completely ignores two important issues, namely, (a) the portability of the certificate, and (b) the nature of secondary schooling in a future that is set in a global world. The Review saw the South Australian education system operating in a context that was limited to the geographical and cultural…

In this article, the authors explore whether educational systems have the institutional capacity to implement comprehensive, systemic reform, as envisioned in legislation such as No Child Left Behind. Drawing upon evidence from various state-level reform initiatives, the authors highlight the ways in which systemic reform appears to positively…

Objective: This article describes the process and preliminary findings that a department of psychiatry developed to meet a new Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) educational standard known as ED-2. Method: At an educational retreat, 92% of faculty and 56% of residents who attended developed the types of patient symptoms all students…

This study examines one child's use of computational procedures over a period of 3 years in an urban elementary school where teachers were using a standards-based curriculum. From a sociocultural perspective, the use of standard algorithms to solve mathematical problems is viewed as a cultural tool that both enables and constrains particular…

School reform efforts can have greater effect on student achievement if there is a much-needed dialogue between proponents of standards-based reform and proponents of learner-centered reform. The standards-based reform movement could learn a great deal from the theory and research generated by the learner-centered approach and use that knowledge…

Career development objectives, as codified in the American School Counselor Association's National Standards, can be overshadowed by the growing emphasis on academic standards, testing, and accountability so thematic of national educational and public policy initiatives. The career fair vehicle, which proactively employs the wisdom of social…

Every educational system should meet certain criteria that establish quality in teaching and learning. These criteria are often provided by aims and objectives listed in school curricula. After describing and commenting on the history of school education in Turkey, the main question posed in this research is how to change the Turkish primary…

Principals set the tone and create visions for innovation and change. Mounting research about the brain tempered with cautions of over interpretations can aid the principals to provide leadership in implementing more brain compatible schools. Practical strategies encompass the emotional environment of the school, policies, and procedures that…