The National Curriculum and Standards in Primary Schools: A comparative perspective

A comparison is made of the standards in primary school mathematics in England and Cyprus, drawing upon national curricula, content of textbooks and data from international comparisons of attainment. Standards are conceptualised in three ways: expected, planned and realised. It is demonstrated that high expected and high planned standards, as set in national curricula and textbooks, are not associated with high realised standards. Four possible explanations are explored and policy issues associated with national standard setting are discussed. The value of setting national curriculum standards and targets by reference to comparative international data is raised.     

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This article attempts to analyse the ongoing debate regarding open-mindedness as an educational value. The views of Hare, McLaughlin and Gardner are considered. They do not always agree on what open-mindedness is, and the discussion could benefit from a more unified terminology and better counter-examples. The value and limitations of open-mindedness in both science and the humanities are discussed and analysed. It is argued that open-mindedness, while clearly a virtue if not taken to excess, need not be a goal of the educational process.     

The Power of Truth

Democracy thrives on journalism, and journalism thrives on truth. The subject is Truth—what it is, how we find it and why it’s important. In finding Truth, the internet is a rich and dangerous source. Nothing is better than a well-prepared, face to face interview. But Truth is not free. Journalism must find a way to elicit payment for all forms of disseminated Truth—print and online. One Truth seems clear: books and magazines will never disappear, be displaced or diminished to irrelevance.     

Historical research as a foundation for teaching applied issues in publishing

Historical research benefits students of publishing in three ways. First, it provides an accurate account of what happened in the past. Second, by setting contemporary issues in a historical context, it helps identify trends. Finally, it encourages curiosity and learning about one’s cultural and intellectual heritage. Parker provides examples of research that serve these purposes. George L. Parker is professor and head of the Department of English and Philosophy at the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario. He teaches Canadian and American literature, has coedited an anthology,The Evolution of Canadian Literature in English: Beginnings to 1970, has contributed to theDictionary of Canadian Biography, and has publishedThe Beginnings of The Book Trade in Canada (1985).     

(Mis) Conception About Generalizability Theory

In what sense is generalizability theory an extension of classical test theory? In what sense is generalizability theory an application of analysis of variance.