This study compared the impact of three types of instructional methods (case-based learning, worked example and faded worked example) on preservice teachers' (n?=?72) decision-making about classroom management. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate both the outcomes and the processes of preservice teachers'…

This article outlines an empirical investigation into equivalent forms reliability using a case study of a national curriculum reading test. Within the situation being studied, there has been a genuine attempt to create several equivalent forms and so it is of interest to compare the actual behaviour of the relationship between these forms to the…

This article analyses the impact of processes of globalization on both policy and practice in relation to primary school leadership and management in England and Finland. Data are drawn from case study research carried out from 1994-1996 in six schools in Finland and six schools in England and a follow-up study on teacher professionalism…

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…

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,…

Compared policies and practices of curriculum change in English and Finnish primary schools. Case studies documented the implementation of reforms at the classroom level and teachers' attitudes toward them. Though England promoted a national curriculum and Finland was moving away from one, teachers in both countries had common responses to change,…

Analyzed how British primary schools interpreted discretionary time, noting how that interpretation related to amounts of time given to different subjects within the National Curriculum. Surveys and interviews indicated that over half of the schools had 5% or less of the week available for discretionary time. Circle time and health education were…

An analysis of 100 English primary school development plans (SDPs) found that the SDPs tended to be multifocused, with few criteria for judging success. The paper examines three key issues in SDPs: promoting a unified, collaborative ethos; linking withtarget identification and review and subsequent improvements; and linking with student learning.…

Investigated the long-term influence of a longitudinal calculator awareness approach to numbers on British elementary students' mathematical achievements and attitudes. Teacher and student interviews and student test scores from intervention and nonintervention schools indicated that the curriculum had no substantial long-term influence on…

A large-scale longitudinal study of the progress of elementary school students, focusing on effects of school membership upon cognitive outcomes, attainment in verbal abilities, and noncognitive outcomes such as attendance, attitudes, behavior, and self-concept, found that school membership is far more influential in these areas than are…

British researchers asked elementary teachers how competent they felt to teach the National Curriculum with existing knowledge. Teachers considered themselves most competent in English and mathematics. Inservice priorities were for assessment, testing, science, and technology. Teachers did not oppose the national curriculum but were concerned…

Findings are reported from a longitudinal study, involving 8- to 10-year-old students in England, which evaluated and analyzed student writing samples. The writing samples were elicited by tests intended to produce two kinds of writing: a story and a description. (IAH)

Discusses assessment of elementary students in the second year of the statutory implementation of England and Wales' national assessment program. Researchers developed models of teacher assessment practice that reflected different beliefs about the nature of teaching and learning and different reactions to national assessment. (SM)

Describes British teachers' perceptions of the first year's implementation of elementary school history using a national curriculum (NC). Surveys about staffing, curriculum development, inservice training, department structure, and NC requirements indicated the experience of implementing the NC was difficult, and only half the respondents favored…