Tacit educational assumptions based on power and control are compared to current professional knowledge on teaching, learning, and school organization. Points out that educational leadership is needed that engages in self-critical analysis of our current instructional practices. Learning environments must be based on an understanding of young…

A study of restructuring in three urban elementary schools with ethnically diverse populations found that the schools did change, with new student grouping patterns, new ways of allocating time, increased teacher collaboration, and new ideas for professional development. Changing teacher practice was primarily a matter of learning rather than…

Maintains that the studies presented in this collection combine cultural with political analyses to illuminate educational processes. Elaborates on the key constructs, including contextualization with agency, sociopolitical dynamics in designing school practices, and personal self-definition in relation to sociocultural context. (Author/KB)

Explores recent policy initiatives in England and Wales that affect the character of day care and early education and their implications for practice. Focuses on parental involvement in early reading in the new policy context. Presents results from the pilot phase of the National Literacy Project, including impact on the context of home reading,…

Explores an art education program offered in two aged-care homes in South Australia. Examines the argument for the establishment of gerogogy (education for older adults). Addresses considerations of art education for older adults, the research approach, the learning model that emerged, teaching, and recommendations for further research. (CMK)

Institutional norms, practices, and unwritten policies that further mediocrity include transferring nonperforming staff to avoid problems, tolerating inadequate or misleading evaluations, ignoring student-performance data in supervisory interactions, and shielding staff from meeting standards through work assignments. Focus, persistence, and…

Articles in this special section by middle-school educators describe the multi-age team (MAT) experiment at a Georgia middle school from 1993 onward. In 1992, a project inspired by "Turning Points" recommendations addressing teacher and administrator empowerment was launched at another Georgia school. (MLH)

Reports on a small-scale research project designed to examine the characteristics of good primary science teachers and consider how they became good teachers of science. Reports that the findings question the efficacy of an approach to initial teacher education that focuses on the development of subject knowledge. (CMK)

Describes an alternative approach for general music educators wanting to study new instructional strategies in which a classroom teacher and university educator collaborated to explore the integration of computer technology with Orff-Schulwerk in second- and third-grade music classes. Discusses the project and two of its technology-assisted…

Relates the founding of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Project and addresses comprehensive musicianship. Describes the five parts (selection, outcomes, strategies, analysis, and assessment) of the Wisconsin CMP model. Provides an example of how the model works for a specific composition. (CMK)

Proposes to explore some of the origins of ideas that form the "official" music curriculum in England and suggests ways in which the impetus for development can be sustained. Believes that historical research in music education is central to illuminating the difficulties and strengths of current practice. (CMK)

Examines how internationalization is interpreted and promoted through school curriculum by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (Monbusho). Provides examples from other education systems. Explores the knowledge base of the world presented to Japanese students and highlights four issues concerning internationalization in the…

Discusses issues present in early childhood music education, including the role of parent involvement, a balance between spontaneity and structure in the learning environment, the certification requirements for early childhood teachers, and educational research. Provides resources for early childhood music education. (CMK)

Stresses that teacher educators should model portfolio assessment in their classrooms in order to encourage reflective thinking and develop future teachers' notions of assessment. Describes the aspects of the theme-based portfolio. Discusses how to evaluate theme-based portfolios, providing questions for peer review and a microteaching peer…

A commentary precedes this previously published article that presents different perspectives on the inclusion of gifted students in the heterogeneously grouped classroom. A professor advocates homogeneous ability grouping, a teacher explains how inclusion can be impractical, and a parent describes the benefits of appropriate placement. (Contains 3…