Discusses the proper balance between theory and practice in the professional preparation of teachers. Contents that the argument between educational theory and school-based practice is based mistakenly on the premise that practical training is opposed to theory. Concludes that teacher education must be based on the moral and evaluative…

Asserts that, among the many disadvantages suffered by children cared for by public agencies, low educational achievement has the most serious consequences for their future life chances. Reports that research findings on young people previously in care confirm that education is crucially important for the quality of their adult life. (CFR)

Reports on a longitudinal study about the educational progress and behavior of 49 children in long-term foster care and a comparison group of children receiving social work support while remaining with their birth families. Finds that the children in foster care showed lower academic achievement and more behavioral problems. (CFR)

Maintains that the education of children who are cared for by public agencies is now a national issue. Describes the work of the Manchester Teaching Service (England), which has been at the forefront of national development and change. Concludes with a case study that illustrates the philosophy and purpose of the agency. (CFR)

Explores the career trajectories of young people (16-19 years) in Great Britain cared for by local social service agencies. Examines four areas: (1) educational attainment, (2) student perceptions, (3) further education, and (4) factors associated with career trajectories. Includes recommendations for public policy and practices. (CFR)

Asserts that new government policies must be mediated and implemented through teachers. Maintains that research among some teachers reveals a number of creative adaptations to the English National Curriculum. Describes four aspects of this adaption and argues that they are all related to self-determination. (CFR)

Reports that the debate over class size in schools has become more heated in recent years. Examines recent research and attempts to answer three questions regarding class size and academic achievement. Concludes that there is a link between the 2, but only in the early years and only with classes smaller than 20 students. (CFR)

Discusses the transition to a postbinary higher education system in Australia and the United Kingdom. Contends that, in Australia, the new direction was motivated by official concerns that universities be made more accessible to government priorities. Maintains that the Australian approach ignored a canon for diversity in higher education. (CFR)

Asserts that the debate about competency-based teacher education is in its early stages and is hampered by lack of conceptual clarity. Discusses the importance of considering competence within a framework that includes higher order thinking. Describes competence as a state where behavior, cognition, and feeling are balanced. (CFR)

Reports on an analysis of national assessment data on the academic achievement of 6,423 English and Welsh second-grade students. Uses multilevel modeling to explore the relationship between academic attainment and background variables. Finds a relationship between test scores and nursery school education. (CFR)

Examines the use of rational planning techniques in five English elementary schools. Discusses the decision-making processes used to determine the employment and remuneration of teachers. Finds that the decree of control over decision making was related closely to the extent to which decisions would contribute to solutions of other school…

Maintains the 1991 publication of the English/Welsh National Curriculum was followed by new history textbooks. Reviews 36 textbooks on their coverage of women and women's issues on 3 core units. Concludes with an evaluation of the impact of these resources on initiatives to integrate women's experiences into history. (CFR)

Reviews educational reform efforts in Israel. Identifies mechanisms that constrain reform in a centralized educational system. Contends that successful reform implementation requires responding to client needs and efforts to unite both political interest groups in support of reform policies. (CFR)

Observing that in affluent societies, education loses its primary significance as an economic investment and increasingly assumes the nature of a private consumer good, the author discusses problems this poses for educational policy development which, in the Federal Republic of Germany, is characterized by conflict between egalitarian and…

During January, 1978, 880 Iranian and 599 American high school students completed the Classroom Behavior Survey. Comparison of results suggest that the dimensions on which Iranian and American students evaluate their teachers are substantially different, though the dimensions they use to evaluate characteristics of the course and content are…