While much has been written about the use of instructional materials in the field of language education, very few studies have actually studied the impact of the context in the use of materials in teachers' practices. This work shows the findings of a study about the contextual factors that a group of experienced Mexican teachers believe shaped…

Courses on French civilization and culture should begin with a presentation of essential information, including historical background, role of the state, and the weight and presence of the past. They should move on through public life--politics, commerce, industry, social structures, the media--to the experiences of day-to-day life. (Author/JR)

Controversy surrounding the use of a social studies textbook involved the differing opinions of parents, teachers, administrators, and school board members. The debate also, however, inspired respect among those involved and fostered improved future communication. (CJ)

The research reported in this paper identifies the "core curriculum" and "optional curriculum" suggested by widely used textbooks of elementary school mathematics and describes the influence of each on teacher autonomy in selecting the content of instruction. Preliminary analyses suggest that the "core curriculum" is generally consistent with…

The political implications of decisions on curriculum content are discussed. A review of the literature on school policies is analyzed with particular consideration of who determines what will be studied in the classroom and what bias may be reflected in textbook selection. It is argued that while it is generally assumed that boards of education…

This study attempts to determine the relative power of six factors that might influence decisions of teachers about the content of fourth-grade mathematics: district tests, mandated textbooks, the principal's opinion, and parents' opinions. Sixty-six teachers were presented with descriptions of hypothetical school districts constructed to provide…