Analyzed data from a session of the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) mathematics examination to identify items displaying a bi-modal expected score distribution, try to explain the bi-modality, rescore the items to remove under-used middle categories, and determine the effect on test reliability of rescoring the data. Discusses…

Discusses the nature of understanding and why it is of value. Understanding cannot be transmitted, but a teacher can press for it and support it. Describes some ways of doing this and outlines some tendencies and obstacles to understanding. (Author/SLD)

Summarizes in chronological order the main issues that have been considered in defining primary English (elementary school English) in the United Kingdom as a subject. Discusses the English subject knowledge considered necessary, over time, for teachers to know. Concludes that primary English, when compared with other subjects, is a special case:…

Discusses the nature of mathematical understanding for primary school (elementary school) students in the context of the National Numeracy Strategy of the United Kingdom. Suggests some ways in which the national curriculum does not seem well designed to support the development of mathematical understanding and advocates a return to some classroom…

Discusses what counts as understanding in primary school science (elementary school science) in the context of the United Kingdom's National Curriculum Order for Science. Considers the problems elementary school teachers face in pressing for understanding and suggests some ways to encourage teachers and enable them to support the construction of…

Explores the prior knowledge children from Key Stage 2 (7 to 11 years) at one school in England had of rock classification and how they developed a more scientific understanding using strategies shown by research to support understanding. Findings for 60 Year 5 and 6 students show the importance of providing students with a conceptual model and…

Considers some of the ways in which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can support teaching for understanding in primary (elementary) schools. Previous research and research in progress about ICT training for teachers suggest that there are clear possibilities for improving learners' understanding using ICT. Identifies some barriers…

Discusses what is meant by understanding in elementary school geography and considers the place of geography as a subject in current curriculum legislation in the United Kingdom. Provides some strategies teachers might use to support students in the development of their geographical understanding. (SLD)

Discusses what counts as understanding in history at the elementary school (British primary school) level and describes some strategies that have been shown by research to be effective in supporting the construction of historical understanding. Identifies implications for teachers' practices. (SLD)

Focuses on how the construction of understanding can be supported through the visual arts in the context of the British National Curriculum for Art and Design. Giving students experience working with art materials is not, in itself, sufficient; the experience must be shaped in order for students to develop artistic understanding and appreciation.…

Considers what research has revealed about the development of understanding by young children. Discusses what the "Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage" of the national curriculum of the United Kingdom has to say in terms of that research. The published guidance makes it quite clear that the early years curriculum differs from that…

Evaluated a course in pediatric surgery for nurses to determine the integration of the contents of several previously taught courses. Learning outcomes for 19 students were characterized on 16 cognitive structure measures by a concept mapping task and link strength matrices. Discusses the failure of the course to meet its major objectives and aims…

Studied the learning outcomes of a science teaching program for preservice teachers in Fiji using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Results for 24 teachers show that students involved in the constructivist pedagogy generally developed a deeper conceptual understanding of the topic, and in some cases these learning outcomes could be linked…

In this paper, single-sex and coeducational schools are compared in terms of pupils' perceptions of disciplinary and academic climates. Use was made of data from 68 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium). Of these schools, 25 were mixed and 43 were single-sex (21 girls, and 22 boys, schools). Respondents were third-year students: 3370 girls and…

This paper reports on some initial findings from an ongoing research project undertaken with staff and students at one university department of Educational Studies. The project is seeking to explore the experiences of undergraduate students who are reading Educational Studies. Graduates of the degree programme are not awarded qualified teacher…