Examined how British elementary principals' values were realized in the school environment. Data from online research journals kept by principals over two 4-week periods indicated that government policy of improving school leadership in order to raise standards was seriously compromised by educational market pressures. Many principals reverted to…

Surveyed English elementary school teachers regarding their roles as teachers and caregivers and their provision of social work support to parents and their children. Common roles included helping parents with personal problems, supporting students with emotional and behavioral problems, participating in child protection, and working with agencies…

Explores the increased level of interest in retention rates among full-time, undergraduate students, considering the interests served by the state, universities and colleges, and students, and suggesting that as British higher education moves from an elite to a mass system, the elite instincts continue to dominate, working against student…

Reviews research on performance-based pay in England and Wales, examining: its effects on teacher behavior; its benefits and disadvantages; and performance-based pay in the United States, and noting studies of the conditions under which performance-based pay succeeds. The paper concludes that performance-based pay works best in situations that…

Examined Israeli students' concerns and expectations about their transition to junior high school. Survey data indicated that students in the city where the junior high school system was new, expressed significantly more negative feelings and concerns regarding their anticipated adjustment than did students from the city with a veteran junior high…

Investigated contradictions between the complex reasons why a percentage of English college students dropped out and the simplistic funding and policy assumptions about such "failures." Many factors influencing non-completion lay beyond students' and educational providers' control. Causes of dropping out may be better explained in the complex…

Examined the educational experiences of nontraditional, ethnic minority, women students in the United Kingdom who were involved in a community-based, flexible access to higher education project in the inner city, highlighting financial and institutional barriers they experienced. Students were frustrated participants in an unresponsive…

Discusses Great Britain's funding of higher education institutions, which is linked to funding student support, identifying factors underpinning the Secretary of State for Education and Employment's establishment of a National Committee of Inquiry; exploring contextual dimensions of those working to influence policy; considering educational…

Interviewed British higher education middle managers about their roles, specifically the extent to which collegiality was a significant factor in the university's internal decision making. Respondents noted difficulties with and imperfections in collegiality but considered it the most appropriate form of decision making because it was important to…

Collected self-report data on the experience of being teased and bullied from 11-year-old children, also gathering ratings of the children from their parents, teachers, and nurses. Teasing/bullying experiences did not differ by race, physical maturity, or height, but were more likely among children who were less physically attractive, overweight,…

Synthesizes recent research on bullying in school, showing the multifaceted coercive behaviors of bullying, demonstrating short- and long-term consequences for both victims and bullies, and outlining characteristics of victims, bullies, and bystanders. The paper discusses social tolerance of bullying and provides theoretical bases for explaining…

Investigated college faculty members' views about student evaluations of teaching. Most women faculty believed that student evaluations were biased against female teachers, though they were confident in their identities as conscientious teachers. Respondents offered first- and second-hand accounts of student sexism and prejudice. Women's…

Quantitative algebraic and qualitative topological models can be used in the quest for simple explanations in the field of teaching and learning. The examples described cover such diverse topics as teacher anxiety and classroom control, process-product studies, aptitude-treatment interactions, the pace of instruction, the size of classes, and…

Explores secondary school staffs' use of value added data, summarizing evidence emerging from other studies on how value added data are used by schools and questions this raises. The paper discusses findings and issues that emerged from a recent National Foundation for Educational Research-funded project that explored the potential role of value…

Describes how several schools participated in a school improvement project that helped them learn from each other in a competitive climate, noting issues influencing teachers' readiness to collaborate. It proved important to identify issues engaging with fundamental aspects of teaching and learning that were powerful enough to involve other…