Student teachers' learning in the field experience is seen as being at the heart of their professional training in initial teacher education. This paper reports a qualitative case study of preservice student teachers' learning experiences in school placements in Hong Kong. A multi-case study was conducted in a concurrent teacher education…

The past 25 years have seen an accelerating erosion of the comprehensive "ideal" in England and Wales. Parental choice has replaced centralized LEA allocation of pupils, systems for engineering a balanced social mix in schools have been largely abandoned, and the introduction of "league tables" to measure the comparative effectiveness of…

The analysis considers two key questions relating to pupil progress. First, whether the "route" or pattern of "steps" a pupil takes between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 matters in terms of their performance in the Key Stage 2 assessments. Secondly, whether such progress is influenced by the primary school a pupil attends. The research draws on a…

Examines the academic effectiveness of English and Welsh Catholic schools, showing that there is a distinct Catholic community within English society having its own history, beliefs, values, attitudes, and practices that legitimately constitute a specific lifestyle. In meeting the many needs of their faith communities, Catholic schools accrue…

Presents information from a research project that investigated advantages and disadvantages of the diversity of school management interests in Northern Ireland and the effects of direct rule on framing and implementing educational policy. The effect of direct rule on the power of English and Welsh local education authorities is also discussed. (SM)