Choice of curriculum content should follow four research-based principles: learning is a domain-specific skill; general learning ability is highly correlated with general knowledge; learning a subject requires comprehension of general principles illustrated by specific examples; and broad general knowledge is the best entree to deep knowledge.…

In this paper, the author explains why programs or potential programs designed to serve education in music and the other arts should be evaluated on the basis of breadth of coverage of standards-based skill and knowledge, of depth of coverage of that skill and knowledge and on the proportion of a given student population that they reach. Those who…

Jos Castro Silva, lecturer in sciences of education, and Jos Morgado, assistant professor, both work at the Instituto Superior de Psicologica Aplicada in Lisboa, Portugal. In this article, they describe their study of support teachers beliefs about the academic achievement of school students with special educational needs. The support teachers who…

Teachers who have tried problem-based historical inquiry have often found its demands overwhelming. Both teachers and students need a support structure to assist them with the inquiry process. The Persistent Issues in History (PIH) Network seeks to nurture and support a national community of teachers who engage their students in problem-based…

The world's greatest cities and centers of civilization arose near or along major waterways providing access to the sea. Many people, no matter where they live, find the ocean and the life associated with it a fascinating topic. Although the ocean is characterized by high taxonomic diversity (over 90% of the animal phyla are represented in the…

A laboratory curriculum has been designed for an undergraduate biochemistry course that focuses on the investigation of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The sequence of procedures extends from analysis of the DNA sequence through PCR amplification, recombinant plasmid DNA synthesis, bacterial transformation, expression, isolation, and…

Faculty learning communities create connections for isolated teachers, establish networks for those pursuing pedagogical issues, meet early-career faculty expectations for community, foster multidisciplinary curricula, and begin to bring community to higher education. The following are appended: (1) Qualities Necessary for Community in FLCs; and…

The 2005 Claude Bernard Distinguished Lecture was presented at the XXXV International Congress of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) in San Diego, CA, by Ann J. Sefton. Dr. Sefton is an Emeritus Professor of Physiology of the University of Sydney and co-Chair of the IUPS Education Committee. A full profile of Dr. Sefton is included in this issue's "The…

In this paper we reflect on the experiences and results of the development and implementation of context-based chemistry education. This development is discussed with respect to five challenges defined for chemistry curricula (Gilbert, 2006). Five context-based approaches were selected that will provide the data for this study (Bennett & Lubben,…

Although students of color continue to be underrepresented in gifted programs, teachers in diverse communities are serving increasing numbers of gifted students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds. Recently, teachers of the gifted express interest in understanding how to better meet the needs of CLD students through a…

Julie Lause has designed a curriculum that transformed the students and the school. Reading workshops increase the reading speed, comprehension and motivation of the students.

This study investigated the relationship between curriculum design and children's learning in church. Participants in this study included 12 six-year-old children attending two different Sabbath school classes in the same Midwestern Seventh-day Adventist church. A traditional curriculum guided instruction in Class 1. "GraceLink," a new curriculum,…

What should be learned? How should it be organized for teaching? These seemingly simple questions are deceivingly political. Curriculum theorists are preoccupied with the politics of the first question at the expense of the realpolitik of the second. Instructional designers are preoccupied with the realpolitik of the second question at the expense…

Background: Reform of senior secondary school certificates is occurring in many countries. Such reform is driven by a desire to have a better understanding of student achievement and clearer pathways into further education and employment. Aims: This paper examines trends since the reform of the New South Wales Higher School Certificate (HSC)…

The following lists offer indicators with which a tertiary institution may choose to audit, review, and develop opportunities to internationalise student learning experiences. They are classified under the headings: Staff and Student Attributes, International Relations, Curriculum Design and Content, and Curriculum Delivery. Although they do not…