This article presents perspectives on how principals in schools in northern Norway value the school reform "The Knowledge Promotion" and the new National Curriculum (LK06). It is based on a survey of all primary schools in the region of Finnmark and interviews with five of these principals one year later. The region of Finnmark in Norway is in the…

Despite increasing recognition that whole-school approaches to sustainability have an important contribution to make in moving society towards a more sustainable existence, progress in this area remains slow. By examining the practices of the Ananda Marga River School, a small independent school in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland of Queensland, this…

It is argued that Australian elementary mathematics curricula have been influenced by earlier British and United States educational movements and theories and are out of touch with current research emphasizing a constructivist approach. A new model of young children's numerical development is offered, and recommendations for improving mathematical…

Discussion of the relationship between the character of the community and secondary schools in developing urban and suburban neighborhoods of Auckland (New Zealand) looks at such factors as location, transportation, and social/ethnic geography. Focus is on the political nature of school construction and recent evolution of national public policy…

According to the management perspective, educational practice is a technical process with predictable and guaranteed outcomes. This viewpoint is reflected in the New South Wales (Australia) Scott Report on educational reform. However, this approach must be challenged, and uncertainty and unpredictability in education must be acknowledged and…

A study investigated the relationship of certain teacher characteristics (gender, teaching experience) and current work situation (K-6, secondary, or administrative) on perceptions of what teaching involves, actions taken during a work-to-rule campaign, and attitudes toward work-to-rule. Results are discussed in terms of the social and…

A study of 16 middle-aged adults undergoing a career change into teaching investigated their relationships with their practicum supervisors, focusing on sources of tension arising from prior occupational identity and self-concept. A strong effect of prior occupational identity on social dynamics of the classroom supervision process was found.…

A study in 12 New South Wales (Australia) high schools investigated differences in motivation for Aboriginal (n=496), migrant (n=487), and Anglo (n=1172) students. A consistent picture of the urban Aboriginal child emerged, and key variables in his decision making (self-reliance, confidence, and goal direction) were identified as well as…

The population explosion among Australian older adults and the perceived benefits of education for this group are examined. A rationale for increased emphasis on development of educational opportunities is offered. Two programs of national importance, the University of the Third Age and the College for Seniors, are described. (Author/MSE)

Productivity and efficiency in education are defined and their dynamics analyzed. It is proposed that improvement of productivity comes not from working harder but from working smarter. Key contributors to improvement are identified including collaborative planning and work organization, skill utilization and output-based planning, and use of…

A procedure for identifying performance indicators of university research attainment are presented, and definitional issues concerning these indicators are examined. The model, developed at the University of Western Australia, is seen as allowing for both diversity and comparability across the institution. It is stressed that an underlying…