A study of the pedagogical content knowledge of 52 teachers focused on the teaching of the Bible in Israel and in Jewish schools outside Israel. Findings suggest that teachers' conceptions of students and of the educational subject matter are frequently inconsistent. Teachers' pedagogical knowledge usually involves tensions between the two…

Suggests that the insights of educational action research, especially in connection with the reflexive nature of knowledge, must be taken seriously by educational philosophers and that it will not be, until they take seriously the fact that philosophy of education can become genuinely synoptic. (Author)

Attitudes, academic intentions, and attainment of students gaining a grade in A-level (Advanced level) mathematics were compared for those who followed a modular course and those assessed at the end of two years of study. Overall, the final grades of those assessed modularly were half a grade higher. (JOW)

A case study of the impact of the National Curriculum for science in a British primary school experiencing a change in headteacher was compared to 15 other primary schools. Managerial style and ideology of the headteacher had a direct influence on school culture and educational practice. (SK)

A sample of British special needs coordinators identified numbers of children in their schools with reading difficulties. More children were likely to be thus identified in schools with higher mean reading levels. Increasing use of within-school assessments under the new Code of Practice might therefore divert resources away from the neediest. (SK)

Canadian fourth, fifth, and sixth graders (n=300) were given either resource-based instruction (RBI), nonintegrated library instruction, or no library skills instruction. Sixth graders in RBI outperformed sixth graders given no instruction. There were no significant differences between nonintegrated and no instruction. Maximum learning growth…

A study of secondary teachers before and after introduction or the Northern Ireland Curriculum (1989-1995) found some improved continuity between primary and secondary science. However, few teachers had taken account of children's earlier experiences in planning secondary science programs. (SK)

Male students in the Gaza Strip (n=30, median age 13) used concept mapping to generate propositional relationships among map concepts; 31 controls received lectures. Concept mapping resulted in significantly higher achievement. (SK)

Ambiguity in the meaning of job satisfaction has caused construct validity problems in research. A series of small-scale studies of teachers suggested a distinction between job fulfillment and job comfort as well as a need for understanding how job satisfaction is interpreted by researchers. (SK)

Interviews with 29 British Education Welfare Officers found they were involved in 21 court cases related to truancy. Some believed legal action was valuable; others were strongly opposed. Factors influencing its use included parent cooperativeness, presence of siblings, and teacher attitudes. (SK)

Interviews with 51 British and 77 U.S. preservice teachers identified their cultural awareness, views of diverse families, and cross-cultural communication. British students appeared significantly more sensitive to diversity, less likely to identify students by race/ethnicity, and more comfortable with nonnative English speakers. (SK)

A British study of 90 preservice teachers, 16 preservice teachers specializing in physical education (PE), and 91 secondary PE teachers found that preservice teachers preferred students to achieve via effort rather than ability; secondary teachers preferred high ability and effort. Physical fitness tests and performance comparisons were least…

Comparison of teaching practices of grade 7-8 science teachers in Ontario, Alberta, and Singapore found an implicit "formula for success" related to high scores on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Recent Ontario curriculum guidelines aimed at boosting TIMSS scores ignore provincial educational values that support an…

Survey responses of 166 administrators and 300 teachers in Alberta schools indicate that most respondents were motivated by personal interest to learn to use the Internet and learned by trial and error. Administrators were more positive than were teachers about the adequacy of school support for Internet use. Administrator and teacher uses of the…

Throughout its history, adult literacy education has been defined, researched, and controlled by external entities. Action research is now enabling literacy practitioners and learners to gain a voice through production of their own knowledge. The applicability, benefits, and inherent risks of practitioner action research are discussed. Contains 53…