The institutional divisions between academic and technical education at the secondary level in France are analyzed. A brief account of the development of French technical education is also provided, and how pressures from certain social groups have affected both academic and technical education is discussed. (RM)

Six studies of secondary schooling in the United States by Goodlad, Cusick, Lightfoot, Sizer, Boyer, and Adler are discussed. Differences and commonalities among the studies are examined. Problems of some of the studies are also pointed out. (RM)

The article reports on a research investigation into the effectiveness of a student teaching practicum where American students took part in a training program in north-east England. A dichotomy between the concept of child-centered education and control through behavior modification emerged. (Author/DF)

There is an explosion of cross-cultural research on cognitive development. This research has the following three phases of interaction with education: (1) the application of western approaches to the third world; (2) the search for culturally specific modes of learning; and (3) the testing of innovations for the education of minority children.…

Written in 1945, this article calls for an increased recognition by the educational profession of the rights of children. Some of the concerns addressed still need attention 43 years later. (BB)

Outlines the structure of the Scottish educational system in general, and the social studies program in particular. Discusses recent and ongoing changes in the social studies designed to decrease rigidity, encourage cooperation across social science departments, and promote student awareness of social problems and contemporary affairs. (GEA)

Many current school problems arise from a desiccated sense of institutional purpose that fosters student and teacher alienation. A regeneration rather than reform is in order. This essay mixes research findings, personal concerns, and individual speculations to provide educators an entry point for further discussion regarding the moral life of…

Discusses how professional institutions have influenced the content and level of engineering courses in Ireland. Describes how industrial demand leads to the provision of a wide range of courses at different levels. (CW)

Studies were conducted in Chinese, Japanese, and American classrooms during mathematics classes. Large cross-cultural differences were found in variables related to classroom structure and management. These paralleled differences in mathematics achievement among China, Japan, and the United States. (PCB)

Offers a list of practical hints about how to survive and prosper as writing teachers offered to young women and men who hope to teach writing in middle and secondary schools, two-year colleges, and colleges and universities. (NH)

Assesses the status and direction of Japan's approach to schooling. Questions the emphasis placed on rote learning and on attainment of high scores. Outlines potential themes and problems to examine for reforming Japanese schools. (ML)

Three schools with differing ways of promoting excellence are described. Background, distinctive features, curriculum features, teacher behaviors in class, and teacher activities out of class are each discussed. (MNS)

The research and development of mental (standardized) testing and its relationship to educational practice is traced historically from its pre-World War I roots to its controversial national prominence in the 1970s. How standardized tests have been used in research and in schools is analyzed. (BS)

Educational theory and practice among the most privileged group in English society--the nobility and upper gentry--are examined. Fundamental differences distinguished the humanist program of study for girls from that for boys during the middle years of the sixteenth century. (RM)

Discussed is one social mechanism--society's requirement for trained personnel--that is in constant interaction with the educational system. This requirement is determined by the existing level of development of productive forces, by the structure of the social division of labor, and the career-choice attitudes of youth. (RM)