Showing papers on "Curriculum published in 1999"

Dialogic Inquiry: Towards a Socio-cultural Practice and Theory of Education

Abstract: For more than a quarter of a century, the polemics surrounding educational reform have centered on two points of view: those who favor a 'progressive' child-centered form of education, and those who would prefer a return to a more structured, teacher-directed curriculum, which emphasizes basic knowledge and skills. Vygotsky's social constructivist theory offers an alternative solution, placing stress on co-construction of knowledge by more and less mature participants engaging in joint activity together, with semiotic mediation as the primary means whereby the less mature participants can seek solutions to everyday problems, using the resources existing in society. In addition to using illustrative examples from classroom studies, a comparative analysis of the theories and complementary developments in works by Vygotsky, and the linguist M. A. K. Halliday, are provided. This unique volume will be of tremendous benefit to those in the field of education, as well as to sociolinguists, psychologists and researchers.

Addressing First- and Second-Order Barriers to Change: Strategies for Technology Integration

Abstract: Although teachers today recognize the importance of integrating technology into their curricula, efforts are often limited by both external (first-order) and internal (second-order) barriers. Traditionally, technology training, for both preservice and inservice teachers, has focused on helping teachers overcome first-order barriers (e.g., acquiring technical skills needed to operate a computer). More recently, training programs have incorporated pedagogical models of technology use as one means of addressing second-order barriers. However, little discussion has occurred that clarifies the relationship between these different types of barriers or that delineates effective strategies for addressing different barriers. If pre- and inservice teachers are to become effective users of technology, they will need practical strategies for dealing with the different types of barriers they will face. In this paper, I discuss the relationship between first- and second-order barriers and then describe specific strategies for circumventing, overcoming, and eliminating the changing barriers teachers face as they work to achieve technology integration.

Where's the Learning in Service-Learning?

Abstract: 1. Identifying the Learning Outcomes of Service 2. Personal and Interpersonal Development 3. Understanding and Applying Knowledge 4. Engagement, Curiosity, and Reflective Practice 5. Critical Thinking 6. Perspective Transformation 7. Citizenship 8. Program Characteristics of Effective Service-Learning 9. Strengthening the Role of Service in the College Curriculum Resources A. College and University Participants in the Studies B. Sample and Methods of the Studies C. Survey and Interview Instruments D. Survey Regression Tables: Impact of Service-Learning E. Survey Regression Tables: Impact of Program Characteristics F. Interview Regression Tables: Impact of Well-Integrated Service-Learning.

Effects of Small-Group Learning on Undergraduates in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology: A Meta-Analysis:

Abstract: Recent calls for instructional innovation in undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) courses and programs highlight the need for a solid foundation of education research at the undergraduate level on which to base policy and practice. We report herein the results of a meta-analysis that integrates research on undergraduate SMET education since 1980. The meta-analysis demonstrates that various forms of small-group learning are effective in promoting greater academic achievement, more favorable attitudes toward learning, and increased persistence through SMET courses and programs. The magnitude of the effects reported in this study exceeds most findings in comparable reviews of research on educational innovations and supports more widespread implementation of small-group learning in undergraduate SMET.

Addressing the Challenges of Inquiry-Based Learning Through Technology and Curriculum Design

Abstract: Inquiry experiences can provide valuable opportunities for students to improve their understanding of both science content and scientific practices. However, the implementation of inquiry learning in classrooms presents a number of significant challenges. We have been exploring these challenges through a program of research on the use of scientific visualization technologies to support inquiry-based learning in the geosciences. In this article, we describe 5 significant challenges to implementing inquiry-based learning and present strategies for addressing them through the design of technology and curriculum. We present a design history covering 4 generations of software and curriculum to show how these challenges arise in classrooms and how the design strategies respond to them.

AMEE Guide No. 14: Outcome-based education: Part 1-An introduction to outcome-based education

Abstract: SUMMARY Outcome-based education, a performance-based approach at the cutting edge of curriculum development, offers a powerful and appealing way of reforming and managing medical education.The emphasis is on the product‐ what sort of doctor will be produced‐ rather than on the educational process. In outcome-based education the educational outcomes are clearly and unambiguously speci® ed. These determine the curriculum content and its organisation, the teaching methods and strategies, the courses offered, the assessment process, the educational environment and the curriculum timetable.They also provide a framework for curriculum evaluation. A doctor is a unique combination of different kinds of abilities. A three-circle model can be used to present the learning outcomes in medical education, with the tasks to be performed by the doctor in the inner core, the approaches to the performance of the tasks in the middle area, and the growth of the individual and his or her role in the practice of medicine in the outer area. Medical schools need to prepare young doctors to practise in an increasingly complex healthcare scene with changing patient and public expectations, and increasing demands from employing authorities.Outcome-based education offers many advantages as a way of achieving this.It emphasises relevance in the curriculum and accountability, and can provide a clear and unambiguous framework for curriculum planning which has an intuitive appeal. It encourages the teacher and the student to share responsibility for learning and it can guide student assessment and course evaluation. What sort of outcomes should be covered in a curriculum, how should they be assessed and how should outcome-based education be implemented are issues that need to be addressed.

Effects of health-related physical education on academic achievement : project spark

Abstract: The effects of a 2-year health-related school physical education program on standardized academic achievement scores was assessed in 759 children who completed Metropolitan Achievement Tests before and after the program. Schools were randomly assigned to condition: (a) Specialists taught the Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids curriculum; (b) classroom teachers were trained to implement the curriculum; and (c) controls continued their usual programs. The Trained Teacher condition was superior to Control on Language, Reading, and Basic Battery. The Specialist condition was superior to Control on Reading, but inferior on Language. Despite devoting twice as many minutes per week to physical education as Controls, the health-related physical education program did not interfere with academic achievement. Health-related physical education may have favorable effects on students' academic achievement.

Learner centred approaches in medical education

Abstract: Medical education is a lifelong process embracing premedical experience, undergraduate education, general clinical training, specialist or vocational training, subspecialty training, and continuing medical education. Although medical education was once seen as the province of medical schools and teaching hospitals, large and increasing numbers of practitioners now provide teaching and promotion of learning outside the traditional environment. Over the past decade both the university sector and the NHS have seen considerable change and increased accountability for their activities, and all the signs suggest that the next 10 years will be no different. Simultaneously, medical schools are having to acknowledge the implementation of new curricula, the consequences of new health service priorities, an increase in the number of medical students, and the implications of the report from the National Committee of Enquiry into Higher Education, chaired by Sir Ron Dearing.1 The most recent recommendations of the General Medical Council's education committee were intended to promote an approach to undergraduate medical education and to give a perspective on its aims, which differ substantially from those of traditional curricula.2 Although the 13 principal recommendations are now well known, at the core is the promotion of the merits of learner centred and problem oriented approaches to learning, which aim to produce doctors better equipped with the adult learning skills necessary for them to adapt to, and meet, the changing needs of the community they serve. The pedagogic shift from the traditional teacher centred approach, in which the emphasis is on teachers and what they teach, to a student centred approach, in which the emphasis is on students and what they learn, requires a fundamental change in the role of the educator from that of a didactic teacher to that of a facilitator of learning.3 Our aim was to explore some of the …

Initial Impact of the Fast Track Prevention Trial for Conduct Problems: II. Classroom Effects

Abstract: JOURNAL ABSTRACT This study examined the effectiveness of the universal component of the Fast Track prevention model: the PATHS (Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies) curriculum and teacher consultation. This randomized clinical trial involved 198 intervention and 180 comparison classrooms from neighborhoods with greater than average crime in 4 U.S. locations. In the intervention schools, Grade 1 teachers delivered a 57-lesson social competence intervention focused on self-control, emotional awareness, peer relations, and problem solving. Findings indicated significant effects on peer ratings of aggression and hyperactive-disruptive behavior and observer ratings of classroom atmosphere. Quality of implementation predicted variation in assessments of classroom functioning. The results are discussed in terms of both the efficacy of universal, school-based prevention models and the need to examine comprehensive, multiyear programs. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1999. Copyright © 1999 by the American Psychological Association) For more information on the FAST Track (Families and Schools Together) Project, a Blueprints for Violence Prevention Promising Program, see VioPro record number 307. Washington Tennessee Pennsylvania North Carolina School Achievement School Failure School Achievement School Adjustment School Based Youth Development Child Development Elementary School Student Grade 1 At Risk Child At Risk Juvenile At Risk Youth Middle Childhood Social Skills Development Friendship Skills Communication Skills Prosocial Skills Child Antisocial Child Problem Behavior Child Behavior Behavior Prevention Behavior Intervention Intervention Program Prevention Program Program Effectiveness Program Evaluation Blueprints Promising Reference 11-04

Examining Teachers’ Beliefs About the Role of Technology in the Elementary Classroom

Abstract: Although teachers today recognize the importance of integrating technology into their curricula, successful implementation often is hampered by both external (first-order) and internal (second-order) barriers. This study was designed to examine the relationship between first- and second-order barriers to technology implementation by observing and interviewing several teachers within a single school who had achieved varying levels of integration. Although first-order barriers constrained all teachers’ efforts in this school, teachers responded differently to these constraints based at least in part on their beliefs about what constitutes effective classroom practice. Strategies for technology staff development are discussed.

Cross-cultural primary care: a patient-based approach

Abstract: In today's multicultural society, assuring quality health care for all persons requires that physicians understand how each patient's sociocultural background affects his or her health beliefs and behaviors. Cross-cultural curricula have been developed to address these issues but are not widely used in medical education. Many curricula take a categorical and potentially stereotypic approach to "cultural competence" that weds patients of certain cultures to a set of specific, unifying characteristics. In addition, curricula frequently overlook the importance of social factors on the cross-cultural encounter. This paper discusses a patient-based cross-cultural curriculum for residents and medical students that teaches a framework for analysis of the individual patient's social context and cultural health beliefs and behaviors. The curriculum consists of five thematic units taught in four 2-hour sessions. The goal is to help physicians avoid cultural generalizations while improving their ability to understand, communicate with, and care for patients from diverse backgrounds.

Opening the Black Box: Using Process Evaluation Measures to Assess Implementation and Theory Building

Abstract: The past decade has seen increasing recognition in prevention science of the need to move away from a black box approach to intervention evaluation and toward an approach that can elaborate on the mechanisms through which changes in the outcomes operate (Chen & Rossi, 1989; Durlak & Wells, 1997; Spoth et al., 1995). An approach that examines issues of program implementation is particularly critical in the design of efficacy studies of school-based preventive interventions. Numerous preventive intervention strategies are now delivered within the schools, often by regular classroom teachers. The extent to which teachers faithfully deliver a particular curriculum or incorporate instructional strategies emphasized by an intervention is a critical question for the overall project evaluation. This article illustrates the utilization of process measures from a multicomponent school-based prevention program to examine implementation of a teaching staff development intervention, and the program's underlying theoretical basis. Given the nested study design, the analyses utilize hierarchical linear models (Bryk & Raudenbush, 1992) to examine changes in teaching strategies by condition and investigate the hypothesized relationships between teaching practices and student behaviors based on the program's theoretical framework. Results suggest that teaching practices in two of the six intervention focus areas were positively impacted in the first 18 months of the project. Findings also support th relationships between teachers' instructional practices and students' behaviour.

The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Instruction

Abstract: Written by highly respective researchers in the field, "The Inclusive Classroom" is a book that prepares readers to feel secure in their ability to instruct K-12 learners with disabilities and other special learning needs. General instruction and classroom management skills prevail throughout the book, enabling readers to construct instructional strategies through which they will find success. Comprehensive in scope and coverage, users will be interested in reading about the following topics: inclusive teaching; collaboration; students with higher-incidence disabilities; students with lower-level disabilities; students with other special learning needs; effective instruction for all students; improving classroom behavior and social skills; motivation and affect; improving attention and memory; teaching study skills; content area teaching, including art, music, physical education, foreign languages, vocational education, and transitions. Obviously a book for educators and future educators, this resource can be a valuable read for parents of children with special needs, as well as those in the educational arena that plan curricula for those children.

Health promoting schools and health promotion in schools: two systematic reviews

Abstract: Searching The following databases were searched: ERIC (1980 to 1997), PsycINFO (1980 to 1997), MEDLINE (1966 to 1997), CINAHL (1982 to 1997), ASSIA (1980 to 1997), Sociofile (1974 to 1997), EMBASE (1980 to 1997), and the British Education Index (1980 to 1997). No time or language restrictions were applied. The following databases were searched for 'grey' literature: SIGLE (1980 to 1997), DHSS Data (1980 to 1997), and Dissertation Abstracts (1980 to 1997). The MEDLINE strategy was adapted for use with other databases. Relevant web pages were scanned, including those of the European Network of Health Promoting Schools. Reference lists of retrieved papers were examined to identify further relevant studies. Requests for unpublished data were made to individuals and organisations in the field of health promotion. Bibliographies of identified reviews were scanned for relevant studies. Search terms were listed in an appendix to the main report.

Schools Making a Difference: Let's Be Realistic! : School Mix, School Effectiveness, and the Social Limits of Reform

Abstract: Part 1 The problem of school mix: the social limits of reform school effectiveness research and the enduring problem of school mix possible mechanisms and a research strategy. Part 2 The Wellington schools: setting the scene it's not what you know... the negotiated curriculum the art of the possible. Part 3 Theory, practice, policy and research: understanding the impact of school mix social class segregation and the politics of polarization and blame improvement research - how realistic? conclusion - let's be realistic!.

Constructivism: The Career and Technical Education Perspective

Abstract: For over three-quarters of a century, the implicit learning theory underlying the curriculum and pedagogy of career and technical education has been behaviorism, but the emerging theory of constructivism may have implications for career and technical education practice in the future. Preparation of workers for entry into and advancement in the workplace of the next decade requires an educational program that provides not only job skills, as career and technical education did throughout the 1900s, but also higher order thinking, problem solving, and collaborative work skills. Classical behaviorist theory does not adequately address the latter kinds of learning, but constructivist theory may. Constructivist principles are examined in light of the fundamental requirements of career and technical education as we move into the new century with a new name for a redesigned profession. Of the three basic types of constructivism discussed, cognitive constructivism is most compatible with career and technical education. The authors recommend a more thorough examination of the relative efficacy of behaviorism and cognitive constructivism to serve as the learning theory on which to base career and technical education in the future. To embrace such a foundational change, leaders in the profession must re-think many of the fundamental assumptions underlying the mission, curriculum, and pedagogy of career and technical education. Perhaps such a rethinking is due.

Instruction, Capacity, and Improvement

Abstract: Since World War II, efforts to improve schools have numbered in the thousands. Most efforts have concentrated on improving the curriculum materials used in schools or on "training" teachers in new instructional methods. Many of these efforts have gone under the banner of "building instructional capacity," a term that for decades has been featured prominently in conversations about educational reform. Unfortunately, three decades of research has found that only a few interventions have had detectable effects on instruction and that, when such effects are detected, they rarely are sustained over time. A review of research and professional experience with school improvement suggests several explanations for these disheartening findings. One is that schools are complex social organizations situated within, and vitally affected by, other complex social systems including families, communities, and professional and regulatory agencies. The larger social environment of schools constrains and shapes the actions of teachers, students, and administrators, often in ways that greatly complicate the work of school improvement. Challenges to school improvement are particularly acute in highpoverty settings where recruiting wellqualified teachers is difficult and where the emotional and health problems of students often deflects attention to educational issues or impedes work on them. As a result, many researchers now believe that school improvement involves much more than efforts to change interactions occurring within schools. To succeed, school improvement interventions also must attend to the complex relationships that exist among intervention agents, schools, and their social environments. Disciplines Curriculum and Instruction | Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Methods | Education Policy | Teacher Education and Professional Development Comments View on the CPRE website. This report is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports/8 Instruction, Capacity, and Improvement David K. Cohen and Deborah Loewenberg Ball CPRE Research Report Series RR-43

Undemocratic Schooling: Equity and Quality in Mass Secondary Education in Australia

Abstract: This book, based on a social survey of secondary education in Australia, provides information on students' achievements in relation to their attitudes and values, their perspectives on issues ranging from jobs to discrimination, and their destinations in relation to their backgrounds. It is presented in five main parts: the first part, 'The machine of the curriculum', describes the hierarchical nature of the curriculum, likening it to an economic system which produces outcomes in the form of access to jobs, careers and further education; the second part, 'Historical progress', analyses the growth in social access to mathematics and sciences, and the mixed pattern in humanities and social sciences; part three, 'Hierarchical curriculum, stratified school system', looks at the reasons why social inequalities still exist in the curriculum; part four, 'The results of school' looks at the destinations of young people after schooling; and the final part, 'Lines of reform', examines how schools can be made more effective in terms of equity and quality. The chapters are: Economy and school; The hierarchy of the curriculum in historical perspective; Creating a working-class space in the curriculum, 1985-1998; Social progress in access to mathematics; Social progress in access to the sciences; Progress or regression in the social sciences and humanities; What makes the hard options hard, and for whom?; Selective schooling and the curriculum; Early leaving; Finishing school and getting a job; Going on to further study; School effectiveness and structural inequality; Vocational education and training in schools; From mass to democratic secondary education.

AMEE Guide No. 14: Outcome-based education: Part 5-From competency to meta-competency: a model for the specification of learning outcomes.

Abstract: Increased attention is being paid to the specification of learning outcomes.This paper provides a framework based on the three-circle model: what the doctor should be able to do ('doing the right thing'), the approaches to doing it ('doing the thing right') and the development of the individual as a professional ('the right person doing it').Twelve learning outcomes are specified, and these are further subdivided.The different outcomes have been defined at an appropriate level of generality to allow adaptability to the phases of the curriculum, to the subject matter, to the instructional methodology and to the students' learning needs. Outcomes in each of the three areas have distinct underlying characteristics.They move from technical competences or intelligences to meta-competences including academic, emotional, analytical, creative and personal intelligences. The Dundee outcome model offers an intuitive, user-friendly and transparent approach to communicating learning outcomes. It encourages a holistic and integrated approach to medical education and helps to avoid tension between vocational and academic perspectives.The framework can be easily adapted to local needs. It emphasizes the relevance and validity of outcomes to medical practice.The model is relevant to all phases of education and can facilitate the continuum between the different phases. It has the potential of facilitating a comparison between different training programmes in medicine and between different professions engaged in health care delivery.

Do we all mean the same thing by “problem-based learning”? A review of the concepts and a formulation of the ground rules

Abstract: Problem-based learning (PBL) has emerged as a useful tool of epistemological reform in higher education, particularly in medical schools. Indeed, PBL has spent most of its career inducing revolutionary undergraduate medical reform. Nevertheless, obtaining informed agreement on the characteristics of the PBL "genus" is a challenge when the label is vulnerable to being borrowed for prestige or subversion. Many "PBL" single-subject courses within traditional curricula do not use PBL at all. Such semantic uncertainty compromises the evidence-base on the added value of problem-based versus traditional approaches and the main messages for good practice. This literature review explores what is meant by the term PBL by aiming to answer the following questions: What difficulties are inherent in the "problem-based" tag? What does the term "problem-based curriculum" imply? How has PBL been characterized and validated by focusing on its purpose? How else has PBL been characterized? How does PBL relate to problem solving? How does PBL relate to epistemological reform? In conclusion, what ground rules can be formulated for PBL? Despite much conceptual fog lingering over the PBL literature, useful ground rules can be formulated.

Developing Children's Understanding of the Rational Numbers: A New Model and an Experimental Curriculum

Abstract: A new curriculum to introduce rational numbers was devised, using developmental theory as a guide. The 1st topic in the curriculum was percent in a linear-measurement context, in which halving as a computational strategy was emphasized. Two-place decimals were introduced next, followed by 3- and 1-place decimals. Fractional notation was introduced last, as an alternative form for representing decimals. Sixteen 4th-grade students received the experimental curriculum. Thirteen carefully matched control students received a traditional curriculum. After instruction, students in the treatment group showed a deeper understanding of rational numbers than those in the control group, showed less reliance on whole number strategies when solving novel problems, and made more frequent reference to proportional concepts in justifying their answers. No differences were found in conventional computation between the 2 groups.

Teaching professionalism in undergraduate medical education.

Abstract: ContextThere is a growing consensus among medical educators that to promote the professional development of medical students, schools of medicine should provide explicit learning experiences in professionalism.ObjectiveTo determine whether and how schools of medicine were teaching professionalism in the 1998-1999 academic year.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA 2-stage survey was sent to 125 US medical schools in the fall of 1998. A total of 116 (92.3%) responded to the first stage of the survey. The second survey led to a qualitative analysis of curriculum materials submitted by 41 schools.Main Outcome MeasuresPresence or absence of learning experiences (didactic or experiential) in undergraduate medical curriculum explicitly intended to promote professionalism in medical students, with curriculum evaluation based on 4 attributes commonly recognized as essential to professionalism: subordination of one's self-interests, adherence to high ethical and moral standards, response to societal needs, and demonstration of evincible core humanistic values.ResultsOf the 116 responding medical schools, 104 (89.7%) reported that they offer some formal instruction related to professionalism. Fewer schools have explicit methods for assessing professional behaviors (n=64 [55.2%]) or conduct targeted faculty development programs (n=39 [33.6%]). Schools use diverse strategies to promote professionalism, ranging from an isolated white-coat ceremony or other orientation experience (n=71 [78.9%]) to an integrated sequence of courses over multiple years of the curriculum (n=25 [27.8%]). Of the 41 schools that provided curriculum materials, 27 (65.9%) addressed subordinating self-interests; 31 (75.6%), adhering to high ethical and moral standards; 17 (41.5%), responding to societal needs; and 22 (53.7%), evincing core humanistic values.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the teaching of professionalism in undergraduate medical education varies widely. Although most medical schools in the United States now address this important topic in some manner, the strategies used to teach professionalism may not always be adequate.

Creating a Culturally Relevant Curriculum for Disengaged Girls

Abstract: Findings from physical education research conducted over the last two decades suggest that girls' experiences in and perceptions of physical education in many team sport-based programs are less than satisfactory. Team sports taught within a traditional multi-activity format often permit dominant aggressive male players to control the game, marginalizing and alienating low-skilled girls and boys. This paper critiques the circumstances often found in sport based physical education and reports the use of an innovative approach to team-sport curriculum entitled, 'Sport for Peace', to enhance girls' levels of engagement and satisfaction in urban high school physical education. In this research, seven teachers and 15 girls were involved in the curriculum innovation in three urban high schools. Teachers trained and mentored using the curriculum implemented the program in two classes in each school. The implementation process was described using observation protocols and the teachers and girls were interviewed formally at the conclusion of the observation period. Data were analysed using constant comparison. Findings suggested that the Sport for Peace curriculum improved the sport environment for girls by enhancing their perceptions of success, promoting ownership of the sport content and the class processes, creating authentic cooperative environments for boys and girls, and encouraging the use of second chances to promote understanding and learning. Boys' attitudes towards girls' ability and motivation became more positive and girls indicated that they enjoyed participating with boys in these sport programs. The findings were analysed within Ladson-Billings' conceptualization of culturally responsive pedagogy.

Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into education and training

Abstract: Zimbabwe stands at a special moment in its history. In 2001 the nation comes of age, celebrating 2l years of independence. That same moment in history will be the beginning of the Third Millennium. This heralds a new dawn for education and training in Zimbabwe. It is time for review and change. Great strides have been made in education since Independence. Educational access has increased significantly. Compared to 1980, there are now (1999) three times as many children in primary schools and twelve times as many in secondary schools. We now have 13 technical and vocational training colleges. About three thousand students graduate each year compared to three hundred who graduated in 1980. These massive improvements have been made as a result of bold policies and substantial investments by the government and the nation. They have produced a finn base for the future. That future will be challenging. We have to develop our inner strengths, our technology, economy and our social systems so that we can build our nation and can be competitive in the global village ofthe 21st century. However it has become apparent that the current education system is not capable of facilitating the achievement of these aspirations. In 1998, the State President, the Honourable R.G. Mugabe, established the Commission to review the entire education and training system at all levels. The Commission conducted a nation-wide consultation. In addition, it commissioned studies by specialists to cover certain key areas of education and training. Workshops and roundtable discussions were conducted with industry and commerce, religious groups and other stakeholders. This process gave a comprehensive picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the current system. Strong recommendations were submitted on urgent changes to the system of Education and Training. The Commission has analysed and discussed all views given and presents recommendations to the Government in this report. These recommendations are radical, perhaps contentious and in some cases, demanding • radical, because of the complete revamping of the system, with an outcomes based approach. • contentious, because of a proposed change in the education structure and the examination system. • demanding, because there will be need for more resources and funding to deliver quality education that is relevant. The central proposal is to overhaul the curriculum at all levels in order to make it relevant to the needs of the country and the individual learner. Among the major proposals are to: • guarantee 9 years of Basic Education for every child and the encouragement to extend education beyond this • provide access to education at all levels, from pre-school to tertiary and life-long education • develop good citizenship and the philosophy ofunhulubuntu • promote the development of indigenous languages • develop skills required to make the most of the information and communications technologies which is changing our lives and the way we do our work • promote practical skills in primary school; the introduction of vocational education followed by vocational training in secondary school, leading on to a range of qualifications in different occupation areas: professional, academic, practical and technical • provide guidance and counselling • give special attention to marginalised groups such as the girl child, the disabled and children in especially difficult circumstances • set up education structures which ensure good quality education and efficient management of resources

Curriculum Materials in Mathematics Education Reform: A Framework for Examining Teachers' Curriculum Development

Abstract: This paper presents a model of teachers’ construction of mathematics curriculum in the classroom or their curriculum development activities. The model emerged through a qualitative study of two experienced, elementary teachers during their first year of using a commercially published, reform-oriented textbook that had been adopted by their district (Remillard 1996). The aim of the study was to examine teachers’ interactions with a new textbook in order to gain insight into the potential for curriculum materials to contribute to reform in mathematics teaching. The resulting model integrates research on teachers’ use of curriculum materials (cf. Stodolsky 1989) and studies of teachers’ construction of curriculum in their classrooms (cf. Doyle 1993). The model includes three arenas in which teachers engage in curriculum development: design, construction, and curriculum mapping. Each arena defines a particular realm of the curriculum development process about which teachers explicitly or implicitly ma...

The Impact of High-Stakes Testing on Teachers and Students in North Carolina.

Abstract: What happens to science and the arts in a back-to-basics accountability program? The authors' survey of teachers in North Carolina provides the answer to this and other questions about the impact of that state's most recent reform plan. All schools for miles and miles around Must take a special test. To see who's learning such and such To see which school's the best. If our small school does not do well, Then it will be torn down, And you will have to go to school In dreary Flobbertown.1 LIKE THE school described by Dr. Seuss above, the public schools of North Carolina are currently subject to a very high-stakes accountability program known as "The New ABCs of Public Education." This is the fifth major state reform plan in the past decade, and it has had a major impact on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and school personnel throughout North Carolina. The ABCs began with a legislative mandate for the state board of education to create a plan that would involve "improving student performance, increasing local flexibility, and promoting economy and efficiency."2 The resulting plan called for school-based accountability; a focus on the basic subjects of reading, writing, and mathematics; and increased local control. The accountability component of the plan called for each school's performance to be evaluated according to its own previous performance and statewide average test scores. Schools are publicly labeled as "exemplary," "meets expectations," "adequate performance," or "low performance" based on the end-of-grade achievement tests in reading, mathematics, and writing. Among the high stakes associated with this plan are financial incentives of $1,500 bonuses for teachers if their schools exceed expectations. On the other hand, for schools that fail to meet expected growth standards there are mandated assistance teams, the removal of principals and teachers who are "not willing to improve their practices,"3 and competency tests for teachers of low-performing classes. At least part of the goal of the program is to embarrass low-performing schools into higher achievement, as noted by Jay Robinson, former state superintendent: "With the help of a little public scrutiny, I think you'll be amazed at how much better those schools are going to get in the coming year."4 The focus on the basics indicates that emphasis is to be given to reading, writing, and mathematics. Although the state does not go so far as to eliminate the study of science, social studies, or the arts, the plan stipulates that "principals are free to focus additional instruction in other subject areas as they wish."5 The result is that science, social studies, and the arts are subjects that are pushed aside and taught only if there is extra time left in the schedule. The local control aspect of the plan is less clearly defined. The express intent of the plan was to move toward school-based management and less involvement on the part of the state. Specifically, the plan allowed local school boards to be flexible in spending state funds and to waive certain state laws and regulations. However, the tradeoff for this flexibility was tight state control of student achievement through high-stakes testing. The ABCs plan was initially implemented for grades K-8 in 1996, with high schools joining the plan in 1998. The impact of the plan has been swift and very public. After the first year of implementation, teachers reported that their principals and superintendents were directing them to teach mathematics, reading, and writing in order to prepare students for testing, even if doing so meant teaching less science or social studies. There were reports from low-performing schools of principals being suspended and battles between assistance teams and teachers over instructional practices. The newspaper headlines have included "ABCs Warrant an F," "Teachers See Disincentive to Helping Low-Rated Schools," and "43% of Schools in N. …

Visual-spatial thinking: An aspect of science overlooked by educators

Abstract: Thinking with images plays a central role in scientific creativity and communication but is neglected in science classrooms. This article reviews the fundamental role of imagery in science and technology and our current knowledge of visual-spatial cognition. A novel analogic and thematic organization of images and visualization within science and technology is proposed that can help in the generation and evaluation of classroom activities and materials, and serve as a focus for professional development programs in visual-spatial thinking for science teachers. Visual-spatial thinking includes vision—using the eyes to identify, locate, and think about objects and ourselves in the world, and imagery—the formation, inspection, transformation, and maintenance of images in the “mind's eye” in the absence of a visual stimulus. A spatial image preserves relationships among a complex set of ideas as a single chunk in working memory, increasing the amount of information that can be maintained in consciousness at a given moment. Vision and imagery are fundamental cognitive processes using specialized pathways in the brain and rely on our memory of prior experience. Visual-spatial thinking develops from birth, together with language and other specialized abilities, through interactions between inherited capabilities and experience. Scientific creativity can be considered as an amalgam of three closely allied mental formats: images; metaphors; and unifying ideas (themes). Combinations of images, analogies, and themes pervade science in the form of “master images” and visualization techniques. A critique of current practice in education contrasts the subservient role of visual-spatial learning with the dominance of the alphanumeric encoding skills in classroom and textbooks. The lack of coherence in curriculum, pedagogy, and learning theory requires reform that addresses thinking skills, including imagery. Successful integration of information, skills and attitudes into cohesive mental schemata employed by self-aware human beings is a basic goal of education. The current attempt to impose integration using themes is criticized on the grounds that the required underpinning in cognitive skills and content knowledge by teachers and students may be absent. Teaching strategies that employ visual-spatial thinking are reviewed. Master images are recommended as a novel point of departure for a systematic development of programs on visual-spatial thinking in research, teacher education, curriculum, and classroom practice. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed 83:3–54, 1999.

Critical Race Theory and Ethnographies Challenging the Stereotypes: Latino Families, Schooling, Resilience and Resistance

Abstract: In this article, Villenas and Deyhle use the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to examine Latino schooling and family education as portrayed in seven recent ethnographic studies. They argue that CRT provides a powerful tool to understand how the subordination and marginalization of people of color is created and maintained in the United States. The ethnographic studies of Latino education are filled with the stories and voices of Latino parents and youth. These stories and voices are the rich data by which a CRT lens can unveil and explain how and why “raced” children are overwhelmingly the recipients of low teacher expectations and are consequently tracked, placed in low-level classes and receive “dull and boring” curriculum. The voices of Latino parents reveal how despite the school rhetoric of parent involvement, parents are really “kept out” of schools by the negative ways in which they are treated, by insensitive bureaucratic requirements, and by the ways in which school-conceived parent inv...