Implementing the democratic principles and practices of student-centred curriculum integration in primary schools

Student-centred curriculum integration (CI) is a concept underpinned by democratic education. It places students at the centre of learning, involving them in classroom decisions and curriculum planning. Most research on this approach has been situated in the middle years, but this study focuses on primary schooling.

This project examined what happened when three teachers, located in three New Zealand schools, explored the democratic principles and practices inherent in student-centred curriculum integration. The project utilised participatory action research (PAR) methodology supported by multiple data sources. The findings indicated that this form of curriculum design provides relevant, engaging and equitable learning environments. The teachers found that by slowly increasing the level of student inclusion they gained the confidence and competence to collaboratively co-construct curriculum with students.     

Education for democratic citizenship in Malawian secondary schools: balancing student voice and adult privilege

In countries that embraced democracy after the fall of communism, education became a particular focus for policy change, particularly within their citizenship programmes. Schools that had been used to inculcate obedience to and unfailing support for authoritarian regimes were now being required to adopt citizenship programmes incorporating democratic values. This paper reports a study in Malawi that explored the school as a location where democratic citizenship is practiced. Using a multiple case study approach in three different kinds of secondary schools to explore students’ participation in school affairs, the study found that different forms of participation were being encouraged, with each school apparently socialising students to distinctive kinds of citizenship roles. The paper highlights a conflict between democratic values and traditional roles of schools leading to new and hybrid school cultures. Providing scope for student voice to be heard can lead to tensions and paradoxical practices.     

Behaviour support in secondary schools

Student voice and pupil empowerment projects are common in many mainstream schools. However, such initiatives are more challenging to implement in provision for students experiencing (social), emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). As a consequence, they are less frequently attempted. This article reports one such attempt at an SEBD special school, where a student research group was formed to evaluate the school's behaviour policy. The students' views remind professionals of the need for consistency, positive relationships and communication underpinning behaviour management strategies. The article also reflects on a number of issues to consider when implementing such projects in special education contexts.     

Student fear in secondary schools

Our data have shown that physical aggression has an extreme psychological effect on the student body of American secondary schools; it creates a subgroup of youngsters so adversely affected by fear as to merit the often-misused label of socially disadvantaged. This study has discovered that fearful youngsters differ importantly from others by virtue of much more than simple avoidance patterns. More than others, apprehensive youth tend to dislike their school, their teachers, and their fellow students. They see themselves as suspicious of their surroundings and helpless to modify conditions of a game which appears beyond their control.     

Co-operative schools: democratic values,networks and leadership

ABSTRACT

For over a decade, co-operative schools have struck a note of discord within the highly orchestrated context of English education policy. They encapsulate an old set of ideas but re-articulate them for new times by engaging with educational frameworks which are locked into the so-called global education reform movement (GERM) based upon on standards, standardisation, a mixture of centralised and devolved accountabilities, leadership, testing and accountability. Yet co-operative schools ostensibly aim to embed a set of wide-ranging values and principles: equality, equity, democracy, self-help, self-responsibility and solidarity as well as the principles of education, democratic control and community ownership, all of which echo the history of labour movements. The co-operative legal model not only adheres to co-operative values and principles but necessitates stakeholder involvement in the governance of schools: pupils, staff, parents, community and, potentially, alumni are all expected to play a role. These are compared to David Hargreaves’ ideas about a ‘self-improving school system’. I analyse the emergence of the co-operative network and the reasons for its dramatic growth alongside the complex problems it faced. In turn, these help us to understand the possibilities and contradictions inherent in attempts to build inclusive and democratic educational networks.     

Geometry in English secondary schools

In the past twenty years many countries have implemented new approaches to the teaching of geometry at school level. In England, most schools seem to have changed towards an experimental science approach to geometry, whilst a significant number appear to have continued the traditional geometry of Euclid. The new approach uses a great variety of techniques, and thereby loses coherence: it is based largely on practical work and seems to have forsaken the deductive approach entirely.The paper attempts to quantify the present situation in England and suggests a way of building upon the experimental science approach to provide a unified knowledge of spatial configurations through deductive methods.     

Independent study in secondary schools

This paper reviews research and other publications on independent study in secondary schools in the United States appearing subsequent to the Alexander-Hines survey of the field in 1965–66. Particular attention is given to the rationale of independent study, types, characteristic features, independent study students and teachers, schedules, facilities, and outcomes. To the extent possible in the absence of another, more recent, comprehensive national survey, comparisons are made with the findings of the Alexander-Hines study. The state of the field, burgeoning but somewhat confused by the use of independent study as time rather than process, is summarized in a final section.

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Résumé Cette étude passe en revue la recherche et autres publications sur l'étude indépendante dans les écoles secondaires aux Etats-Unis, parues consécutivement à l'exposé du sujet par Alexander-Hines en 1965–66. Une attention particulière est donnée à l'analyse raisonnée de l'étude indépendante, aux types, traits caractéristiques, étudiants et professeurs adeptes de l'étude indépendante, programmes, facilités et aux résultats. Autant que possible en l'absence d'autres études d'ensemble national plus récentes, des comparaisons sont faites avec les conclusions de l'exposé Alexander-Hines. La situation actuelle, bourgeonnante tout en étant quelque peu confuse par l'utilisation de l'étude indépendante en matière de temps plutôt que de méthode, est résumée sommairement dans le dernier chapitre.

     

Students' preferences for discipline practices in schools

Data on pupils' perceptions of the classroom discipline techniques of “good” teachers are compared for Australian, U.S., and Norwegian pupils. The results indicate remarkable similarity in the pupils' preferences.