The author's favorite way to start the new school year is to perform a science demo for students. At the beginning of the period, he discusses the importance of making accurate observations. He tells them that he will perform a short demonstration that they are to carefully watch and then record their observations. They each have a sheet of paper…

It is no secret that language arts and math are the dominant features of the elementary curriculum. This is especially the case in Kindergarten through third grades. In many states, the thrust of the curriculum in the primary grades is on learning to read. After that, it is thought that students will then be able to read to learn. With that…

For middle school students, writing a formal lab report can be challenging. For middle level teachers, reading students lab reports can be overwhelming. After grading report after report with incomplete procedures, incorrect graphs, and missing conclusions, the author's frustration level was at an all-time high. Ready to try anything, he thought,…

This article provides a theoretical discussion of the concept 'object' within Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). It also introduces some of the methodological considerations that are raised in the study of the formation and transformation of objects of activity. A research project is described in which a theoretical discussion concerning…

This paper reviews changes to the key stage 3 curriculum at a leading comprehensive school. The nature and practical concerns of the changes are described. These move beyond a fresh approach to content; they include issues about engaging students actively in learning for the future, planning around the school's distinctive ethos and expertise in…

Students training to become teachers of science to children aged between 7 to 11 years used principles of reflective practice linked to participatory approaches in their curriculum planning and evaluation. A central part of the work was to enable them to introduce aspects of education for sustainability to their pupils. Students first undertook a…

This paper focuses on the perception of undergraduate geography and environmental science students of individual and group assessments, and compares this perception with their performance in these assessment types in practical classes. Results show that students may instinctively prefer individual assessment but they perform best, and achieve…

This paper describes the online learning and teaching resources that are currently being developed for the contemporary and historical UK censuses as part of a project that is being funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) to support its 'Information Environment'. The online resources are intended to support learners and teachers…

Results are presented of a series of focus-group sessions held at Lancaster University during May 2002. Participants consisted of 12 undergraduate geography students chosen from amongst those identified as having strong antipathy towards quantitative material. The intention was to mine these students' perspectives on courses covering quantitative…

Taiwan has gradually transformed from an authoritarian to a democratic society. The education system is moving from uniformity to diversity, from authoritarian centralization to deregulation and pluralism. Moral education is a reflection of, and influenced by, educational reform and social change, as this paper shows in describing the history of…

The government, through several White and Green Papers, has promoted the 'Skills Revolution'. This requires central direction and coordination of a wide range of policies, practices and partnerships. But there are several difficulties: the impossibility of micromanaging the complex social and economic system; the dominance of the rather limited…

The past practice of programme accreditation in Hungary is evaluated. One of the main weaknesses was the imperfect adherence to the principle of uniformity of evaluations. Reasons for this were the uneven quality of the performance of visiting committees, and the changing of quality requirements. Another weakness was 'built in' to the system:…

In this paper we explore dichotomies that exist between/within/through the (re)presentations of students and teachers found in the television shows Dangerous Minds and Boston Public . These dichotomized relationships engender a school culture organized by and through either/or conditions. More specifically, these dichotomized relationships force…

School-based assessment of science students' practical skills has two important roles--as a complement to written papers in public examinations and as a catalyst for enriching the science curriculum in schools. This article describes a quantitative study of the concerns chemistry and biology teachers experience as they engage in the process of…

Students in part-time courses were interviewed about their perceptions of good teaching and tutoring. The perceptions differed markedly between those with reproductive conceptions of learning and students holding self-determining ones. The former preferred didactic teaching but disliked interaction, whereas the latter had almost diametrically…