This paper presents findings from a small-scale pilot evaluation of the Silver Stories programme. Silver Stories involves school-age children reading to older people in the community and is a way of addressing literacy and emotional difficulties, as well as enhancing wellbeing. The authors collected and analysed questionnaire and interview data…

The transfer from primary to secondary school in England and Wales is a status passage, from child to teenager. Research on the anxieties and anticipations surrounding that transfer over a 30-year period shows continuities and discontinuities. As well as the contrast of sociological approaches, the perceptions of children in 1977-1978 and…

In this paper, based on a project funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council considering how people position themselves in relation to popular representations of mathematics and mathematicians, we explore constructions of mathematicians in popular culture and the ways learners make meanings from these. Drawing on an analysis of popular…

This paper examines three key education policy documents from Scotland, England and Wales in the eight years after devolution. A close textual analysis of the language of each document is undertaken, which is supported by the authors' insider knowledge of these countries. Findings are presented from analysis of a group of selected words, as well…

Since 1999, the devolution of aspects of domestic policy formulation from the UK Government in London to a Welsh Assembly Government based in Cardiff has affected the way in which such policies are initiated, developed and implemented. A consistent feature of the stance taken by Ministers in this new policy environment in Wales has been that…

The place of economics in the curriculum in England and Wales provides a lens through which we may view the ways in which the curriculum as a whole is fought over and remains shifting terrain. Conceived of as social movements, school subject communities are made up of competing factions giving rise to contest and conflict both within themselves…

Explores different layers of policy and the intellectual arenas from which they emerge about inclusion. Sees attempts in recent policy to fuse New Right and center-left thinking. States that proclamations from British politicians about inclusion are to be welcomed, but effects of exhortation will be counteracted by policy promoting competition.…

Describes a study designed to investigate what history student teachers in England and Wales read during their year of post-graduate professional education (PGPE). Suggests that while many students have a positive view of the value of research findings for their professional development, their reading is very limited. (DAJ)

Analyzes the effects of changes in teachers' career structure, enrollment trends, and labor markets on the primary teaching profession in England and Wales (1950-85). Primary teachers benefited less than secondary teachers from altered teaching career structure, and women benefited less than men in career opportunities from expansion of the…

Discusses changes over 30 years of British teacher education, noting the impact of the 1988 Education Reform Act. Qualitative changes include rigorous national accreditation structures, an all-graduate teacher population, and in-service education of teachers. (SM)

Examines sexism and curricular patterns in Britain's educational system, describing one coeducational secondary school. Option choice, school negotiation processes, and teacher role in reinforcing gender stereotypes are discussed. Results indicate that option patterns and student assumptions lead to choices reflecting traditional, stereotypical…

Investigates changing pattern of teacher-student relationships in 20th century England through the lens of the professional lives and pedagogical practices of teachers using oral history methods. Relates the findings of oral history interviews to those from documentary and secondary sources. Assesses the strengths of the oral history method. (DSK)

Recounts the pedagogical history of the Anglo-Welsh Adams family that spans the 1840s to the 1930s in England and Wales. Comprises summarized biographical details of relevant family members and offers generalizations drawn from this longitudinal case study. Argues that this study highlights neglected aspects within educational history. (DSK)

Attempts to move away from a model of change in English and Welsh primary education that relies heavily on the impact of strong personalities. Tries to identify a range of contextual or structural features of the English and Welsh systems that facilitate the spread of progressive ideas. (DSK)