This article focuses on Enquiring Minds, a three-year curriculum development project funded by Microsoft as part of its Partners in Learning programme and run by Futurelab. The article suggests that the project is best understood as an example of a new type of "curriculum entrepreneurialism" that is impatient with the traditional…

The study examined the impact of curriculum reform on teaching practice in primary mathematics in mainland China. The participants included 58 fifth grade mathematics teachers from 20 schools. Thirty-two of the classrooms had utilized a reform curriculum for 5 years prior to conducting the study, and the remaining 26 had been using the…

This article will detail efforts to broaden participation in computing in urban schools through a comprehensive reform effort of curricular development, teacher professional development, and policy changes. Beginning with an account of the curricular development of "Exploring Computer Science", we will describe the inquiry-based research…

This article explores the ongoing evolution of a critical approach to teaching physical education in senior school physical education (SSPE) within a New Zealand context. The nature and development of SSPE is briefly discussed in order to contextualise a shift toward a critical pedagogy in light of recent curriculum changes that focus on…

I have been an English teacher for 38 (gulp!) years. For over 20 of those I have taught "English methods" courses in initial teacher education programs. As the retirement light glows increasingly brighter at the end of my career pathway, I reflect on three aspects of teaching English that have been--and remain--the cornerstones of my…

In this article, we: (1) offer a conceptualisation of what it means for Greek Cypriot teachers to be "reconciled" with the "other side" (i.e. Turkish Cypriots) in Cyprus; (2) examine Greek Cypriot teachers' emotional responses to the new educational objective of cultivating peaceful coexistence in schools; and (3) investigate…

Introducing the general education curriculum in a required first-year seminar can be challenging. However, it provides a great opportunity to influence students' perceptions. The results of this study indicate that doing so increases student appreciation for general education and increases student confidence in general education course selection.…

My professional interest originally focused on curriculum planning and development, but for the last 30 years I have been researching, publishing and teaching in the field of human rights education. Suddenly, I became a human rights educator. Suddenly? No, nothing in our personal and professional life is the result of an abrupt occurrence. We are…

This article makes a case for the use of blended learning in teaching human development as a means to encourage higher-order student learning outcomes. The authors review literature regarding the use and effectiveness of blended learning, discuss an illustrative example of a redesign of a human development course, present outcomes from a…

Using a hierarchical needs assessment model developed by Hunt we identified the essential competencies of communication management practitioners for the purpose of curriculum development and selection. We found that the underlying values of the profession were embodied in two superordinate goals. Six major competencies were identified, which were…

The dynamic systems theory, a theory that goes beyond Piaget and Vygotsky, looks promising for curriculum development. In this theory it is explained how a curriculum that creates physical and psychological space for play and initiative learning (self-regulation) is being designed and how the teacher can support the enrichment of play and…

The authors aim to identify characteristics of democratic schools. The Delphi technique used in this study is based on attaining a consensus among a group of experts over 3 rounds with 22 experts from 9 countries participating in the first round. By the end of the third round, 339 items referring to democratic school characteristics were…

The purpose of this article is to describe lessons learned from studying the leadership in eight award-winning secondary schools and districts that were recognized for successfully leveraging technology as part of their efforts for school improvement. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and document analysis in schools and…

For many years computing in New Zealand schools was focused on teaching students how to use computers, and there was little opportunity for students to learn about programming and computer science as formal subjects. In this article we review a series of initiatives that occurred from 2007 to 2009 that led to programming and computer science being…

California has embarked on a major new wave of curriculum reform with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the new English Language Development (ELD) standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The adoption of the CCSS builds a legacy of standards-based education reform in California that began with the…