Discusses how an understanding of how children learn can be used to teach them to read nonnarrative information books. Includes how to nurture reading of nonnarrative writing and text features that link with children's ability to learn. Concludes that spoken language reinforces student efforts to make sense of ideas being read. (DK)

Examines the impact of innovations associated with the Education Reform Act (England) on the management of school change in primary schools. Documents growing tensions between collegial and top-down managerial styles based on quantitative data. Discusses ways to reconcile the emphasis on cooperative working within the context of increased…

Presents a brief overview of the theoretical and historical developments surrounding questions about grouping students by ability. Aims to extend theoretical positions further by examining the way in which setting and mixed-ability teaching influenced the motivations, perceptions, and eventual attainment of students in two British schools. (DSK)

Reports on an investigation of the attitudes of British children aged 6 through 7 from a variety of different backgrounds toward specific curricular areas. Reveals that three key dimensions can be used heuristically to conceptualize children's attitudes: interest versus boredom, the level of difficulty, and success versus failure. Discusses…

Assesses the value of looking at reading scores of cohorts of children to identify different changes in attainment. Analyses the reading standards of seven cohorts of Year 6 children from five British primary schools. Highlights the increasing numbers of poor readers and decreasing numbers of very good readers in upper-level cohorts. (DSK)

Examines gender association in the primary classroom and organizational strategies that may influence gender integration. Discusses the effects of strategies to increase gender integration in relation to cross-gender friendships and gender differentiation across subjects. Argues that classroom organization can be influential in the degree of…

Presents the results of a survey of primary teachers to assess the relationships among experience, attitudes, and practice in science and environmental education. Shows that science has a high status in the curriculum and receives substantial support while environmental education remains at the status of a personal concern. (DSK)

Addresses concerns about the trustworthiness of research results derived from image-based data, particularly questions of validity assessment. Compares examples of such research to provide an illustration of these issues. Presents a tentative strategy for ensuring trustworthiness based on five criteria: completeness, interpretive adequacy,…

Defines a cycle of assessment and action, and a continuum from formative to summative assessments. Illustrates problems caused when one assessment must serve both formative and summative functions. Argues that separating the collection of evidence from its interpretation, or the interpretation of evidence from consequent action, helps alleviate…

Explores how a lower school headteacher has developed her own form of leadership in the face of legislated changes to that role. Describes how she created a universalist role for herself, despite conflicting demands. Argues that the complex demands of the role promote the formation of composite forms of leadership. (DSK)

Examines the extent to which race is a factor of white parents' choice of schools in light of increased school choice in the United Kingdom. Reports mixed evidence of the degree and direction of the impact of school race composition on choice. Notes data problems contributing to this outcome. (DSK)

Recognizes that consumerist approaches to education are seductive and agrees that choice and standards are positive ingredients of educational provision. However, argues that official writing on school choice is decontextualized, ignoring the impact of social class, gender, and race. Discusses the personal and social impacts of each of these…

Examines the apparent paradox of young English people expressing positive attitudes about what they see as the imperfect organization of youth work-based training. Argues that people in the programs view them as one of their few means of advancement and, hence, rate them positively. Offers suggestions for improving training programs. (DSK)

Examines the appropriateness of a cut-off score derived from the Angoff procedure for a reading test in the United Kingdom. Shows that the recommended cut-off score is too low. Suggests ways that standard setting might draw on a range of information to produce appropriate and rationally defensible cut-off scores. (DSK)

Analyzes the content of conversations between student teachers and their mentors in the United Kingdom. Indicates that both sets of participants used the conversations to limit possibilities for students to fail. Shows that students presented themselves less as learners in their mentors' classrooms and more as fellow teachers or guests. (DSK)