This paper discusses some practical and theoretical aspects and problems of curriculum change and reform with a focus on the formal and informal power structure in professional Swedish education. Special attention is also paid to how teachers use a widened scope of action in curriculum planning and setting standards. It explains the formation of…

This paper discusses the relationship between individual differences and educational practices by reviewing the historical models of teaching and past research on learner characteristics. The mental testing movement is reviewed in terms of the emergence of aptitude as a measurable concept. Learner motivation is also discussed along with the…

A national survey examined the opinions of aircraft maintenance training school administrators and instructors concerning the suitability of Federal Aviation Regulation Part 147 (FAR 147) to regulate effectively today's training programs. Responding to the mail survey instrument were 163 persons representing 90 schools in 37 states. Included among…

An analysis of surveys conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics shows that the overwhelming majority of U.S. secondary schools offered one or more courses in the arts and in the humanities during the 1981-1982 school year. The arts program most commonly available was music, offered by over 90 percent of the schools; the humanities…

First-year higher education students' approaches to learning navigation were assessed. The research used a structured questionnaire to assess deep, surface, and strategic approaches to learning. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of 13 sub-scales revealed that students learning navigation employed two main approaches, a deep-strategic approach…

The emphasis in recent research on the responsibility of college and university business instructors to prepare students for future employment underscores a need to refine the evaluation of student performance. In this article, an agency theory framework is used to understand the trade-offs that may be involved in the selection of various…

This paper examines language trends in 21st century Asia and reports on the development of Applied Linguistics (AL) in the region. It has a dual focus: the first analyses the unique preoccupations of Asian and Asia-based applied linguists that have given rise to present research directions and preferences. These, however, seem to be not much…

Blended learning basically refers to using several methods for teaching. It can be thought to be a learning program where more than one delivery mode is being used with the ultimate goal of optimizing the learning result and cost of program delivery. Examples of blended learning could be the combination of technology-based resources and…

This paper reports on our investigation of how AACSB standards can be woven into an MBA curriculum. The result is a bold move away from functional "silos" and a radical redesign using a cross-functional integrated approach. The Cotsakos College of Business's curricular requirements were examined in order to determine whether or not they…

Drawing upon experimental work in different history departments, Mark Cottingham explores "assessment for learning" principles in practice. He raises the problem of a clash between these approaches and the progression model inherent in the National Curriculum Attainment Target, and, crucially, the way in which history departments are…

This study aimed at investigating the perceptions Brazilian pre-service teachers hold concerning the teaching of the four skills in English as a foreign language, with a view to understanding how perceptions relate to pedagogical practice. Data were collected during the pre-service teachers' teaching practicum and the analysis, based on six sets…

As teachers are probably the most invaluable source of field-based informants regarding (in)effective classroom practices, teacher-training should equip teachers with tools for classroom-based teacher-led research. More importantly, these tools should sustain trainees' research-eagerness as well as autonomous professional development beyond…

A cultural divide exists in the classroom, with each participant (teacher and student) having rarely-coinciding objectives for a session. In this paper, the authors wish to reflect on the teaching and learning of science as a process of creating understanding from both sides of this cultural divide. Gary, the second author, describes the…

How do students' best learn in science? The traditional, teacher-centered view was that students, viewed as "empty vessels" waiting to be filled with new knowledge, "received" understanding by absorbing information supplied by teachers and found in written materials. Supplying information to students, without accounting for…

This study examines whether new private schools are innovative, drawing on theories of markets and institutions. Choice advocates claim that markets spark innovation, while institutional theory suggests that isomorphic forces will limit novel school forms. Using qualitative data from third sector private schools in Toronto, three hypotheses about…