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…

This study investigated the implementation of a 7th grade biology curriculum ("Animal and its Environment") in Israel. The curriculum has seven parts, each one with a dictated sequence including well-defined objectives, suitable activities, and assigned materials, with little degree of freedom for the teacher. A primary concern for the…

In order for teachers to take a greater role in curriculum development, more trained curriculum coordinators are needed. A two-year Israeli course to teach skills in leadership, curriculum development, subject matter, and teaching techniques to future curriculum coordinators is described. (IS)

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…

Autonomous schools in Israel are faced with the challenge of integrating centralized and decentralized curricular approaches. The curriculum structure by which schools attempt to comply with national curricula standards and achieve school autonomy is examined. Case studies of three primary schools involved document analysis, observation,…

The success of any new curriculum depends on an appropriate level of qualified input on the part of many individuals at different stages of the change process. Professional curriculum centers are cited as important agents in the effective implementation of a new program. Workshops in curriculum development are explained. (CE)

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)

Because workloads frequently do not permit teachers to develop curriculum themselves, their participation in its formative evaluation (field testing) is a productive alternative. A seventh-grade biology program was evaluated by 14 teachers. (CP)

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…