Teachers’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing the Curriculum

This paper describes a two‐part investigation into how teachers perceive the curriculum. In the primary stage, teachers were asked to assess how much freedom they felt they should have to determine the content of what they taught in their own classrooms, and how much freedom they fell they actually had, in this respect. A sample of 196 teachers, from varied schools and teaching backgrounds, took part. It was found that there was a very definite tendency to take a ‘middle way’ between total freedom and total constraint, in both cases. By and large, these teachers seemed to feel that they should have some freedom to determine what they taught in their own classrooms, but that there should be restraints as well. The general lack of discrepancy between what the teachers wanted, and what they felt they had, seemed to indicate that the great majority of the teachers were happy with the situation as they perceived it.

The same sample of 196 teachers was then asked to assess thirty varied potential influences, in terms of their power to shape the content of what they themselves taught in their own classroom. These potential influences included LEA advisers, parents, school governors, national educational associations etc. A factor analysis of the ratings made by the respondents showed that they regarded EXTERNAL‐PROFESSIONAL influences as the most important of all. This category included such influences as local colleges, and universities, national reports (such as the Warnock Report), professional journals and articles, local teachers’ centres, LEA advisory personnel, H.M. Inspectorate, etc. Four other types of influence were seen as important, but the EXTERNAL‐PROFESSIONAL category was seen as the most important by far. It was concluded that teachers’ perceptions of the influences which they felt shaped their curricula were positive and optimistic.     

Power,Language, and Ideology: Historical and Contemporary Notes on the Dismantling of Bilingual Education

The authors situate the politics of language surrounding the passage of California's Proposition 227, by discussing the historical and contemporary conditions that have led to the recent dismantling of bilingual education. They review the dynamics of power, language, and ideology since precolonial times, through the colonial period, the era of the Treaty of the Guadalupe Hidalgo, the process of Americanization, the Civil Rights decades, and up to the current 227 law. These are used to bear the point that the hegemonic bond of language is a continual thread that carries over to the new millennium, as we witness the spread of English-only legislation.     

The 1989 Research Selectivity Exercise: A Statistical Analysis of Differences in Research Rating between Universities at the Cost Centre Level

This paper reviews the outcomes of the 1988/9 UFC research selectivity exercise and uses these as a basis for recommendations to those undertaking the 1992/3 exercise. Attention is drawn to disparities between subjects which may result in inefficient allocations at institutional level. Of eight factors incorporated into a statistical model only size of cost centre is consistently associated with research selectively score. The only other variable that influences an individual cost centre's score in the majority of subject areas is that institution's score in other subjects - thus suggesting a 'halo' effect. Surprisingly, research expenditure per member of staff is not strongly associated with reseach selectively rating.     

Using rapid application development to improve the usability of a preservice teacher technology course

The aim of this research was to examine the use of a rapid application development (RAD) approach in improving the usability (effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal) of instructional materials for preservice teachers. The RAD approach used was the analysis, synthesis, evaluation and change (ASEC) model (Reigeluth & Nelson, 1997). After examining existing materials, 11 units of instruction were prototyped, tested, modified, and retested with the requisite changes being implemented over the course of three semesters. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 570 students, 7 instructional designers, and 4 lab assistants. Results of the study showed significant increases in usability scores between the second and third semester. Both positive and negative experiences in using a rapid development model are discussed.     

Differential Subject Performance and the Problems of Selection

Methods of test equating and scaling have been studied in the statistically advanced literature of educational and psychological measurement, and applied extensively where mass testing and selection procedures are required; for example, selection for tertiary study. Usually the procedures themselves require large data sets, and they are applied in order to ensure that students are not advantaged or disadvantaged because of the arbitrary features of the origin and units of measurement of the various tests. However, equating may be necessary where the data sets are relatively small. This paper provides an example of selection into a professional faculty within a university, following study from a range of subjects available in various faculties at the first-year level, and shows the need and a procedure for equating the grades in the different subjects. The procedure itself is based on a psychometric model studied extensively in the psychometric literature, and the purpose of this paper is to introduce the rationale for its application from first principles for a broader professional education audience and to illustrate its application with a practical example.