Enrolments in undergraduate economics programs have been falling constantly since the early 1990s. This trend coincides with the increasing popularity of business and management degrees. Consequently, the major activity of many, if not most economics departments and schools in Australia is service teaching of introductory economics to first year…

Self-directed learning (SDL) is viewed as a desirable outcome of schooling, yet scant information is available to educational leaders and teachers on how to implement an inquiry-based curriculum or to support effectively students' development as self-directed learners. To understand better the relationship between the inquiry nature of primary…

The successful establishment of a purpose-built innovative school designed to support new ways of teaching and learning in the senior secondary years, particularly in the area of science and mathematics, required a comprehensive and research-based professional development policy and program. Planning professional learning opportunities for the…

Is the short-term study abroad experience, particularly when undertaken with a self-contained group of international students such as on a "semester abroad programme" accredited by a US university, little more than glorified tourism? This study investigates some of the ways in which a group of American students developed their understanding of…

Using data provided by the Council of International Schools and a literature review to contextualize the subject, this article examines the topic of international school finance. It is suggested that postgraduate programmes are not doing enough to supply financial training for teachers turned administrators, and that a lack of understanding of…

This article defines how the message systems of international schools and the mechanisms of learning and control can be located in a trajectory from colonialism to global civil society. A discussion of Bernstein's message systems introduces how practice in international schools can be defined. The practice of international schools is framed…

This article explores the response to cultural diversity and international mindedness at international schools in Malaysia and Brunei. It shows that the curriculum at these schools is set within a liberal-humanist framework, which some might suggest facilitates the project of "Westernization". It argues, however, that under the (local)…

The purpose of the study described in this paper was to identify those factors which affect Year 9 students at Sha Tin College, Hong Kong, as they make option choices at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9: age 14). The main focus of the investigation was how these factors influence the selection or rejection of the four subjects offered under the…

During the past decade, tertiary education providers in the English-speaking Western world have enjoyed the significant economic and societal benefits that result from a substantial level of participation by students originating from the People's Republic of China. However, a sharp decline in student numbers between 2003 and 2007 has prompted many…

This article analyses intergroup differences in education, with particular emphasis on schools offering one or more of the International Baccalaureate programmes ("IB World schools"). Experiences of human difference are often interpreted in terms of culture, and the notion of intercultural understanding is valued in many international schools. Yet…

This article reports on two research projects (one in Malaysia and one in Australia) that studied the experiences of Islamic background learners studying western science. Conceptually, this research program is conducted within a socially constructivist discourse and employs both quantitative and qualitative forms of data collection. The article…

This article gives an overview of the perceptions of professional staff involved in the delivery of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma programme at Turkish national schools. Overall, the results suggest that while many Turkish schools have staff who recognize the value of the IB Diploma programme, there are some major areas of concern…

Internationalization is a multifaceted concept, with many different interpretations, emphases and purposes. Its amorphous nature is captured in this comparative case study of the internationalization of two contrasting universities: one in the UK, the other in Hong Kong. The cases represent two distinct models of internationalization: the…

In this article the development of educational provision for second-language speakers in various English-speaking countries is traced. Conclusions are then drawn as to which are the best educational models for international schools, and an argument is made for the central positioning of ESL-and-mother-tongue departments as one entity in…

Using findings from an ethnographic study of international postgraduate students at a university in the south of England, this article offers a model of adjustment that is informed by the duration of the sojourn, from the initial stage to the month of students' departure from England. This study found that stress was at its height in the initial…