Presents findings about sources of influences on Cypriot primary school teachers. Reveals six relatively homogenous groups of teachers according to perceived influences on their practice. Argues that the notion of a coherent set of teachers' attitudes toward change is problematic and has implications for curriculum reform policies. (DSK)

Explores the experiences of English youths who have been excluded from school and are young offenders. Identifies four main themes in their stories: bullying, home life in relation to school, peer pressure, and truancy and exclusion. Examines the peer pressure-deviancy relationship in greater depth. (DSK)

Asserts that the acoustical environment of the classroom is an important variable in the listening and psychoeducational function, both for children with hearing loss and those with normal hearing. Reports the results of a test of a sound amplification system in two primary classes; indicates the benefits of the system. (DSK)

Argues that the erosion of the foundations of enlightenment thought has produced different consequences in first, second, and third world countries. Reviews meanings of postmodernity in Latin America, the modern/postmodern debate in education, views on postmodernism, and what postmodernism offers to and demands from educators. (DSK)

Undertakes two exercises: (1) argues that the public sector has been transformed from a Keynsian Welfare State to a Schumpeterian Workfare State, and (2) examines educational researchers' conception of and engagement with social policy. Observes a tension in education policy research between commitments to pursue efficiency and social justice.…

Looks back on research about parental choice carried out ten years ago; explains how this was related to the contemporary policy agenda. Summarizes the main findings and critiques their shortcomings. Reviews policy developments in England and Scotland since then, describes the current policy agenda, and indicates how further research might…

Narrates 20 years of gender reform in Australian schools, including boys' education. Discusses the practices and processes of schools' gender reform work, indicating strengths and limitations. Identifies current contexts of gender reform, including the fields of educational policy and politics. Mentions larger cultural shifts affecting gender…

Explores how issues of "race," racism, and ethnicity are positioned within the education reforms reshaping the British schooling system. Exposes the new racist constructions of "the nation" and its "common culture" expressed through the marketization of schooling and willed ignorance about the extent and nature of…

Examines a number of connecting themes concerning home-school relations. Argues the important developments upon which future analysis should concentrate are those where parents seek to define for themselves new understandings of what constitutes an "appropriate" parental role. Considers potential areas for future research on home-school…

Explores ways that the study of special educational needs have changed in the last decade and a half of educational policy-making. Focuses on key theoretical changes and shifts of emphasis in substantive concerns. Notes tendencies to allow social and political values to guide educational provision instead of psychological or sociological…

Focuses on Subject-Pair Analysis, a technique for comparing examinations in different subjects, to demonstrate that reliance on statistical comparisons of standards between subjects is misplaced. Explicates the fundamental assumptions underlying the Subject-Pair Analysis. Argues that this and related analyses are inappropriate for dealing with the…

Describes the nature of school effects on academic achievement for different groups of students based on performance in selected subjects. Uses a "value added" approach, controlling for students' backgrounds. Indicates that schools that are more or less effective for one group of students are likely to be similarly effective for all…

Assesses the "value added" by schools to the academic progress of students aged four to seven years. Finds that gender, socioeconomic background, English-as-a-Second-Language, and school composition affect student achievement. Notes that raw, as opposed to value-added, results can give misleading impressions of a school's effectiveness.…

Analyzes student assessment results at Key Stage 1 in three core curriculum areas and in terms of performance across these areas. Demonstrates that background factors have differential affects on various subject attainments, raw data systematically penalize disadvantaged inner-city schools, and school policies and practices measurably affect…

Investigates the potential of 11 traditional play activities in a nursery classroom for contributing toward the development of sociability and cooperation in children. Findings suggest four elements characteristic of cooperative play: (1) communication of imaginative ideas; (2) interactive, activity-related dialog; (3) problem solving; and (4)…