Outlines some fundamental issues associated with the "new world order" (the economic and social movement toward a knowledge-based society) and discusses the importance of critical thinking becoming the key attribute addressed by pedagogy and curriculum development. (EV)

University students, asked to judge criteria for their own quality, rated a commitment to learning most important of 25 criteria. They considered most criteria of student quality to be more important at graduation than at entry, supporting a talent development approach to assessment rather than a resource approach. (Author)

Curriculum developers and scholars in China are facing a set of inter-related issues around the goals and the strategies of curriculum reform. This paper argues that there are, as in every process of curriculum development, seven goals to be addressed within China's curriculum reform: (1) the establishment of a new curriculum philosophy or ideal;…

The last quarter of a century has seen significant progress in the identification and assessment of individual difference variables and an increasing awareness of the importance of seeing variables in the context of others, both in their effect on one another and their interactive effect on educational performance. Several challenges must now be…

Efforts by the state of Illinois to foster school improvement at the local level in crucial subject matter areas in all Illinois schools have been underway for nearly two decades and have involved all stakeholders, from educators to citizens to state board employees to elected officials. The overarching goal has been to help children increase…

The author of this article states that one of the more troubling aspects of contemporary American culture is the considerable number of persons who feel no obligation to support freedom of speech and/or freedom of the press. Those who disagree are perceived as dangerous. There are right answers and wrong answers, and to suggest that one might…

For many teachers, integration of subjects like science and reading makes perfect sense; for others--including many school administrators--it does not. For these individuals, integration is an approach that takes away valuable time needed to ensure that specific learning goals are met in each discrete subject. By building on the common ground…

A small state agency used the FLC model to collaborate with campuses on faculty development efforts that resulted in successful implementation of pedagogically robust and technologically enhanced programs. 2003-04 Ohio Learning Network Faculty Learning Communities are appended.

In this article, the authors state that the presidents and deans, with the cooperation of the professors, are responsible for the faculty and for the curriculum as a whole. The faculty work within organizations, and every organizational policy and practice, many outside the purview of faculty, has at least potential impact, either positive or…

With the arrival of calendar year 2004, there are some New Year's Resolutions that, if thoroughly considered, might make schools and districts more hospitable to children, parents and teachers. Everyone desires high standards, but the current path to achieving them is affecting the art of teaching while causing considerable stress and anxiety in…

Some of the great urban teachers believe that it is their job to make sure that all students succeed. The different strategies used by teachers to help students in achieving their goals are discussed.

An English teacher describes his use of advocacy project for writing instruction and its ironies in the classroom. He asserts that such projects meet the instructor's educational aims while helping students recognize their place in a democratic society with the ability to influence institutional change.

The problem with organic chemistry labs is that the educational objectives of lab instructions are often vague and seldom stated. The great majority of organic chemistry labs in American colleges and universities are based on verification experiments.

Although Americans have always viewed education as a vehicle for upward mobility, research continues to reveal that children from less-advantaged families are more often held back in school and often fail to complete their education. To explain this inconsistency, some researchers have focused on the role of socioeconomic obstacles and quality of…

This article integrates the technical model of policy implementation with a co-constructed perspective of implementation to understand the impact of the New Jersey Department of Education's (NJDOE) actions and policies on implementation of a set of court-ordered mandates in 30 of the state's poorest school districts (referred to as the Abbott or…