This study attempted to identify reasons for the failure of kibbutz society to retain its young people, and to explain the role that parents play in encouraging their children to leave Israel. Data was collected through intensive individual interviews with several dozen ex-kibbutzniks currently living in Los Angeles, California, and through…

It has been argued that qualitative research demands a special ethics code because of the special relationship between researcher and subject. Ethical aspects of teacher-thinking research were examined by asking 12 teacher-thinking researchers in Israel to participate in an interview on ethical issues of teacher thinking. Interview transcripts…

Successful curriculum implementation depends partially on agreement between developers and teachers regarding the relative importance of the objectives of the program. This paper analyzes the ratings of the relative importance of various stated objectives of an elementary science unit by developers, teachers, and outside evaluators. The rating…

Reported is a study which investigated reasons responsible for the lack of enthusiasm among junior high teachers in implementing a new biology curriculum in Israel. Identified variables related to high expectations set at the ideal level, the greater role given to verbalization, and mechanical or routine implementation approaches. (ML)

Explored issues related to student evaluation in higher education through responses of 40 faculty members to a scenario involving the evaluation of a graduate student whose thesis did not meet the teacher's expectations. Findings illuminate the clash between instructors' concerns for their students and the need to evaluate them according to…

How researchers view the teacher informants with whom they work on studies of educational improvement was examined by placing the researchers themselves in the roles of informants. Responses of approximately 40 researchers show differing attitudes, but the teacher informant was not generally considered a true research partner. (SLD)

This study focuses on the process of novice teachers' adjustment to the teaching profession and to school culture in Israel. Forty-six beginning teachers who participated in a support program for novice teachers were interviewed extensively during their first and toward the end of their second year of teaching. The findings indicate how the…

Describes the roles of coordinators leading teachers' workshops dedicated to developing curriculum materials. The analysis of the coordinators' roles, accompanied by detailed maps of competencies needed to fulfill these roles, is intended to serve as a guide for developing a systematic training program for coordinators. (Author/MLF)

This study focuses on the transmission stage of curriculum implementation, specifically at the interaction level of curriculum developer and teacher. Level of agreement regarding objectives and priorities between evaluators, teachers, and developers was determined for a unit on "colors" developed for primary school children and partially…

Compared are boys' and girls' abilities and achievement in a research class which included both classroom and research institute experience. It was found that boys were more active in classroom interactions and that the ratings of girls and boys were otherwise not significantly different. (CW)

A study that analyzed curricular structures of three Israeli schools found four components--basic skills subjects, separate subjects, integrative topics, and enrichment programs--each characterized by a different profile of curriculum features. Israel is moving to decentralize curriculum. Enabling conditions include adequate time and resource…

Studied the views of Israeli principals about school decentralization and restructuring policy. Findings from a survey of 50 principals shed light on the potential of the reforms, the hardships principals face implementing them, and the complexity of implementing decentralization policies. (SLD)

Examined how immigrants from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) assimilated into Israeli society and schools. Data from observations, interviews, and surveys indicated that educational policies and school arrangements, and CIS immigrants' high self-esteem, produced a semipermeable enclave. CIS students acquired the Hebrew language and…