We present the results of a literature review of studies on teaching strategies for moral education in secondary schools (1995-2003). The majority of the studies focus on the "what" and "why", i.e. the objectives, of curriculum-oriented moral education. Attention to the instructional formats for enhancing the prosocial and moral development of…

Delineates two traditional assumptions of educational research: (1) social progress is tied to an evolutionary conception of change and (2) inquiry must identify actors as causal agents who create or suppress change. Argues that both assumptions are grounded in the effects of power and modernity and are complicit in social regulation. (MJP)

Reviews recent literature concerning subject choice and curriculum planning. Charts a centrist course between classical humanist ideology and radical reform that would place all power in the hands of students. Maintains that young people need a balanced mix of guidance and freedom. (MJP)

Uses the case study of a new private school to investigate the implementation of a curriculum designed to incorporate project-oriented, problem-based learning, and a constructivist approach to challenge gifted learners. Discusses the origins of the school, influencing factors, and implications for initiating similar efforts. (MJP)

Proposes an elementary secondary school where an elementary school would teach the basics and the secondary institute would operate more like a college. Students would focus on a main field of interest with other subjects being subsidiary. Presents an analysis of the social construction of schooling to support this idea. (MJP)

Provides an overview and an examination of educational didactics in Sweden. In this context, didactics refers to the study of what content is chosen and how it is taught. Some theorists have extended this to include how students conceptualize what they are taught. Discusses the conflicting schools of thought. (MJP)

Examines the conflicting conceptualizations concerning the status of high school honors chemistry and the actual importance of the class. Reveals that standards of behavior and learning are actually less in the honors class. Examines this phenomenon from a sociological and anthropological perspective. (MJP)

Reports on a study of the effects of the curriculum material used and of teaching behavior in "Information and Computer Literacy," a new course introduced in the Netherlands. Suggests that education can diminish but not entirely eradicate gender-related ideas about computers. Includes statistical and tabular data. (MJP)

Explores the different status and validity accorded to various subjects in Hong Kong secondary schools and the structure and ideology that supports this system. Argues that the curriculum continues to promote the characteristics of direct state control even though efforts have been extended to change it. (MJP)

Describes how a group of primary schools in Northern Ireland plan to make the shift to a differentiated curriculum. Differentiation, in this context, refers to a broad effort to teach to individual students' abilities and needs. Concludes that although progress was made, more work needs to be done. (MJP)

Challenges the current belief that post-secondary curricula is defined by faculty and institutions in response to demographic shifts. Maintains that a complex interweaving of social movements, class structures, political, and economic forces influences the adaptation and implementation of curricula. Criticizes the establishment and the recognition…

Examines the historical development of work-study programs from the early days of communist government to current practices in China. Traditional Chinese culture separated mental and manual labor according to Confucian edicts. After a slow start, work-study was integrated into the national curriculum in the late 1950s. (MJP)

Reports on the implementation of the education with production (EWP) curriculum reform 13 years after its implementation in eight pilot schools in Zimbabwe. EWP attempted to foster socialist principles, redress colonial mentality, and inculcate industrial and technical skills. Poor planning, political interference, and lack of support hurt the…

Maintains that the ways in which students react, absorb, and communicate new information are defined by their perception of the requirements and expectations of their surrounding situation. This information is particularly relevant in designing and implementing school-based drug prevention programs. Provides examples of various situational-based…

Describes the communist Chinese national curriculum in social studies, a broad term that includes moral and political education, as well as traditional subjects. Includes a sample moral and political education lesson, " Socialism is Good," and lists of several textbook contents and curriculum guides. Provides a brief educational history. (MJP)