Initial algebra is a critical stage in the teaching of algebra and occurs when students are transitioning from arithmetic to algebra. Irish mathematics education at post-primary level has undergone a period of major reform beginning in 2010, which encompassed a radical change in the methods for teaching algebra. Despite this reform evidence…

This paper explores relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in New Zealand secondary schools. After conducting a nationwide survey of teachers and producing a report on the challenges reported by RSE teachers, we began to develop a paper exploring the perennial issues faced by RSE teachers as they enact curriculum policy. Given that these…

The purpose of this study was to examine school principals' perceptions of their roles as curriculum leaders in middle schools in the Atlanta metropolitan area. A questionnaire was developed by the researchers to explore the aspects of curriculum leadership in the areas of development, organization, implementation, evaluation and improvement. In…

Mental health challenges are on the rise among today's youth. Recent reports have noted an acute and significant need for school-based mental health education and supportive interventions for children and adolescents. Among these approaches, a growing focus has centered on improving students' mental health literacy (MHL) as a foundational…

After taking over a course on adolescent learning theory, two professors recognized the need for radical change -- specifically with regard to the ethical considerations of a required project that involved interviews with middle level learners. The interviews, embedded within a service-learning assignment for this undergraduate course, were…

To prepare students for lifelong learning, and their role in society, student agency has been foregrounded as an important aim of secondary education. In general, student agency is seen as the will and skill to intentionally transform one's functioning or circumstances. Yet, research on promoting student agency in secondary education is based on a…

This paper explores the views of leading Czech physicists regarding a physics curriculum for upper secondary schools. This paper presents the first part of an effort to define starting points for a new physics curriculum in Czechia (subsequent phases would analyze the opinions of other scientists, education experts, and physics teachers regarding…

Contrary to popular myth, teachers do not simply deliver a ready-made curriculum. Rather, they interpret and make meaning of the curriculum. The introduction of a capabilities dimension in the formal curriculum in Australia invites a case study of curriculum innovation in action. Drawing on Clandinin and Connelly's narrative inquiry approach,…

In England and Scotland, the History National Curriculum avoids the prescription of specific content; expecting schools instead to devise a curriculum appropriate to their pupils within broad guidance. This means in both countries, teachers apparently have responsibility for constructing a curriculum: selecting content, sequencing learning and…

This article presents a curricular reasoning model developed based on research conducted with middle grades teachers as they planned, taught, and reflected on a geometric transformations unit. Teachers can use the model to become aware of their own curricular reasoning to make key mathematical decisions as they plan and teach their lessons. While…

The purpose of this study was to create a measurement instrument that would be both valid and reliable for assessing middle school branch teachers' perceptions of curriculum leadership. A straightforward random sample technique was used to choose the participants. 343 middle school branch teachers made up the study's sample. The researchers…

This research aimed to 1) study compositions and indicators towards learning management competencies for enhancing critical thinking of math teachers in secondary schools, and 2) to check construct validity of learning management competencies for enhancing critical thinking of math teachers in secondary schools. The sample group was 260…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to "understand" how secondary teachers describe the curriculum change processes of unfreezing, change, and refreezing in the southwestern school districts of the United States. The research questions were as follows: RQ1: How do secondary teachers describe the curriculum change…

Curricular reforms oftentimes cause more problems than they solve. Teachers' being kept out of curricular activities is one main reason for a reform to plummet. In this qualitative study, we examined the Malian curricular policy from two aspects -- reform and teaching and learning. Guided by Fischer's argumentative approach theory, this analysis…

Teacher education programs need to prepare future teachers to adapt their teaching for students varying in motor ability, experience, and prior knowledge. The purpose of this case study was to examine (a) preservice teachers (PSTs) adaptations in lesson plans; (b) whether the adaptations were modifications or refinements; and (c) the…