First published in 1966, Experiment and Tradition in Primary Schools was written to provide an account of the author’s pioneering study of the attainment of young children in schools where the curriculum was shaped by their spontaneous interests. The book describes the findings of Gardner’s work and assesses them in detail. It will have lasting relevance for those with an interest in the history of education and the development of education in infant and junior schools.
W. Newton Suter argues that what is important in a changing education landscape is the ability to think clearly about research methods, reason through complex problems and evaluate published research. He explains how to evaluate data and establish its relevance.
The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa shows that unelected traditional leaders can facilitate democratic responsiveness. Ironically, chiefs' undemocratic character gives them a capacity to organize responses to rural problems that elected politicians and state institutions lack. Specifically, chiefs' longer time horizons encourage investment in local institutions that enable the provision of local public goods. This is the paradox of traditional chiefs in democratic Africa: elected politicians can only effectively respond to rural constituents through institutions constructed and maintained by local leaders who are not worried about electoral terms. Furthermore, the critical role played by chiefs in brokering local development projects forces us to reassess how we understand the basis of their political influence during elections. The book examines the effects of traditional leaders on the electoral connection in Africa through a multi-method approach that combines qualitative research, surveys, and experiments, with particular attention to the Zambian case.
This open access book discusses several didactic traditions in mathematics education in countries across Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, the Czech and Slovakian Republics, and the Scandinavian states. It shows that while they all share common features both in the practice of learning and teaching at school and in research and development, they each have special features due to specific historical and cultural developments. The book also presents interesting historical facts about these didactic traditions, the theories and examples developed in these countries.
This volume focuses on the creation, structure and evolution of the Irish national system of education. It illustrates how the system was shaped by the religious, social and political realities of nineteenth century Ireland and discusses the effects that the system had upon the Irish nation: namely that it was the chief means by which the country was transformed from one in which illiteracy predominated to one in which most people, even the poorest, could read and write.
This book discusses key aspects of life in schools and classrooms, and surveys the changes that have occurred over the years in educational research, policy making and practice in these school and classroom settings. It not only examines cutting-edge research in these areas, but also showcases good practices in the field. Among the topics reviewed are recent developments in assessment, methods for collecting and analysing data on classroom practice, school leadership and the pros and cons of class size and small-class teaching; topics which are currently hotly debated in education systems around the globe. As such, the book objectively examines the various debates, and surveys the full range of evidence available. Education researchers, policy makers and practitioners often hold differing views about the reasons for teacher and student behaviour in classrooms and, for example, its relevance to class size. Many of these views are based on ‘gut feelings’ rather than hard evidence. Unfortunately, these three groups, with differing perspectives, often ‘talk past each other’ rather than engage in a productive, mutually beneficial dialogue. The book builds an effective bridge between researchers, policy makers and practitioners regarding the impact of these various aspects of classroom life, so that the viewpoints of each can be carefully considered and evaluated.
This book introduces Tao Xingzhi’s ideas and thoughts on education. Tao Xingzhi, one of the very few figures in whose name a national association has been established to commemorate his life and work, has been influential in education and social reforms in contemporary China. Over twenty articles written by Tao Xingzhi have been selected for this book and these articles touch on key aspects of Tao’s ideas on education and his plans in developing China’s educational system. Influenced by John Dewey, Tao’s writings were grounded in the Chinese social and cultural context. This book provides an important angle to examine the social and historical roots of recent educational reforms in China. Tao’s unmistakable emphasis on providing equal education opportunities to people from different social groups is especially relevant for China today.
