Teachers face continuous changes, many of which significantly influence their professional identities and work practices. This study investigates Finnish vocational teachers' pathways in the course of a curriculum reform. The data were obtained by interviewing 14 vocational teachers twice, i.e. at the initial and later stages of the reform. This…

This study explores measurement of a construct called knowledge integration in science using multiple-choice and explanation items. We use construct and instructional validity evidence to examine the role multiple-choice and explanation items plays in measuring students' knowledge integration ability. For construct validity, we analyze item…

Making Consistent Judgments (MCJ) was a systemic professional development program designed to increase teachers' capacity to make consistent judgments about students' achievement of educational standards in government schools in Western Australia; the MCJ program was in operation from 2004 to 2007 (Department of Education and Training 2007; 2008).…

The purpose of this study was to analyze what leaders of Advanced Technological Education (ATE) programs funded by the National Science Foundation believe are their most important needs for research information. Data was collected through a Delphi process, and results were analyzed through frameworks associated with program improvement initiatives…

Online courses appear to be the future if colleges and universities choose to increase enrollments with students who need more flexibility in scheduling. The challenge has been to create a course that is rigorous with the limitations to physical presence of the instructor and the parameters inherent in technological delivery. This article relates…

There has been perhaps no greater admission of the general failure of schooling in New Zealand than the Schools Plus programme, which essentially proposes that apprenticeship-type programmes should be made available to students as young as 13. Released close on the heels of the newly introduced national curriculum, it seems to be a form of…

When designing curriculum, the unique characteristics of young, gifted students must be carefully considered. Many have a highly defined sense of justice or fairness, a precocious ability to manipulate language or number systems, a need to see the connections between learning experiences, a heightened curiosity, and an ability to conceive a…

Since the first use of "scientific literacy" in the late 1950s, numerous science educators and policy makers have reconceptualised the term to such an extent that it has been described as being "ill-defined and diffuse". Despite this lack of clarity, the term is the focus of curriculum standards in many countries and is at the…

Communication is inextricably important to instructional design and performance-based training. Promoting effective communication as an integral part of the performance support system improves professional instructional design functions and offers greater avenues for meaningful discourse among end users of the instruction. In this article, we…

In this article, the authors explain their understanding of internationalization of the curriculum (and some implications for higher education), and discuss how they identified a particular educational development approach that they believe is very effective in the advancement of an internationalized curriculum. The authors then describe the…

Even as the notion of continuing professional learning or development (CPL) in academic practice has become more established, the concept of curriculum and the nature of the learning involved remains problematic. We argue for a focus on transformation of self, and posit this as an expanded version of one established curriculum model. Through a…

How can teachers merge research and daily practice? Where can they find the time, information, and resources? In exploring this issue, it is important to clarify the definition of "research". "Research" might mean (1) using best practices that are already research-based or (2) doing research on one's own students. For purposes of discussion in…

A critical question for societies emerging from conflict is what should be done about the traumatic memories of the past. In post-conflict societies political issues of memory and identity are at the same time issues for curriculum construction. Using the examples of post-conflict Rwanda and South Africa, I raise questions about the competing…

The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) plays a vital role in the educational and vocational system in Kuwait. PAAET consists of two main sectors: the applied education sector and the training sector. The focus in this article is on the training sector of PAAET. The training sector suffers from a number of administrative…

Courses focused on renewable and alternative energy are taking hold across the country as educators seek to channel students' concerns about the environment and conservation into classroom lessons. This article talks about the rising interest in "green" curriculum. Here, the author describes the Green Tech class that introduces students to the…