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Citizenship Education in Zimbabwe was introduced in the school curriculum for the first time in 2007.  This was a result of findings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training (1999). The Commission points out that during its hearings the public blamed young people for anti-social behaviour and that they lacked the citizenship values and knowledge of citizenship issues.  Citizenship education is regarded as the solution to the alleged problems.  However, little is said about views of young people themselves on these issues.  Little is also said about views of teachers who implement the programme in schools.  This study investigated the position of students and teachers on these issues and further analysed documents on citizenship education in Zimbabwe to establish any possible underlying motives for the introduction of the subject at the time. Data from 161 students at two high schools (one rural and one urban) were collected by means of closed-ended self-reporting questionnaires while 21 teachers were involved in face-to-face interviews.  A critical discourse analysis approach was used in the analysis of documents. Findings show that students in this study have some knowledge about citizenship matters.  They, however, have difficulties with skills of interpretation of information on citizenship issues.  Students are positive towards social movement issues but, like their teachers, are negative towards political matters.  Teachers’ views regarding the concept citizenship, status of, methods and training needs in citizenship education vary and, on some issues, disagree with the Commission.  The analysis of documents reveals a rhetoric which, in other similar contexts, points to hidden motives.

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One broad question addressed in this research is "What are the links between the learning of speaking and listening skills in secondary school, and the future use of speaking and listening in the work place?" To facilitate the answer to the above question, this study also seek to answer the following question: "What is the present situation in teaching and learning speaking and listening skills in secondary school after the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1989?" In order to answer the above questions this research adopted a multi-method approach known as triangulation technique. The techniques used were interviews, observations and questionnaire. The sample consisted of 1105 Year 11 students, 14 heads of English Department, 5 English teachers, 1 moderator, 2 careers officers and 2 employers. The data was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings show that there is no explicit link between the learning of Speaking and Listening in Humberside secondary schools, and future use of Speaking and Listening in the work place. Whatever links the school has with work places are more for the students' future plans: further education or employment; the duration for work experience is too short and the development of Speaking and Listening at work place is not one of its purposes. It was found that The HoDs and the teachers based their teaching on English in the National Curriculum. It was observed that some activities were set up by teachers but little teaching of Speaking and Listening was based on them. The opportunity for the students to be involved actively in Speaking and Listening activities was limited and there was minimal use of technology to promote Speaking and Listening. Speaking and Listening were used as tools to achieve other learning, especially literature and writing. The teacher still dominated the class and reading and writing still dominated the integration of skills. Listening has been badly neglected. Based on the two answers it can be deduced that at the secondary school level in the County of Humberside, even after the introduction of the National Curriculum, there is no planned link between schools' teaching and learning of Speaking and Listening skills with their future use at work place. It was also found an aspect of the teaching and learning of Speaking and Listening has been neglected. Based upon the findings, certain recommendations for actions and future research were made. It was recommended for the HoDs and the teachers to attend in-service training and to be part of the national networks that could promote Speaking and Listening. In addition all teachers are recommended to carry out action research. Apart from that there should be equivalent awareness-raising programmes for persons outside school who will meet the school leavers. Future research is needed in evaluating the effectiveness of in-service training and school and industry partnership in bringing positive changes to Speaking and Listening of students and school leavers. Research is also needed to determine whether school leavers who possess the recommended Speaking and Listening skills are in fact more effective than those who do not meet the requirements of work place.

Depuis la rentrée 2016, les professeurs des écoles doivent initier les élèves à la programmation informatique dès le cycle 2. En France, les travaux sur l’enseignement de l’informatique n’abordent pas la réception de cet enseignement par les enseignants. À partir d’un cadre théorique d’acceptation des nouvelles technologies, notre recherche vise à comprendre les conditions et les raisons pour lesquelles l’enseignement de la programmation informatique a été, ou non, mis en oeuvre à l’école primaire. Elle s’appuie sur une enquête menée par questionnaire et par entretien auprès des professeurs des écoles. Les 578 réponses obtenues par questionnaire permettent d’identifier les variables expliquant l’acceptation de ce nouvel enseignement. Les entretiens réalisés auprès de 17 professeurs des écoles ont pour objectif d’illustrer et d’approfondir les relations statistiques. Le modèle proposé dans la recherche met en exergue la nécessité de percevoir l’utilité et la facilité de mise en œuvre de l’enseignement. Il rend compte également de l’influence exercée par l’environnement matériel et social de l’enseignant : formation, matériel et présence de collègue pour soutenir la mise en œuvre. Les déterminants individuels (genre, expériences en tant qu’enseignant, série du baccalauréat obtenu) n’exercent quant à eux aucun effet sur l’acceptation. / Since 2016 schoolteachers in France are required to introduce computer programming to all children aged 6 or more. We present the first work studying the reception of this subject by teachers in France. Based on a theoretical framework for acceptance of new technologies, our research aims to understand conditions and reasons for which computer programming teaching has or has not been implemented in primary schools. Our study is based on a survey by questionnaire and interviews with school teachers. 578 responses obtained by questionnaire identify the variables explaining the acceptance of this new subject. We illustrate and develop statistical results through 17 interviews with school teachers. The model proposed in the research shows the need to perceive the utility and ease of implementation for teaching the topic. We also show that the teacher's material and social environments matter when it comes to acceptance: their training, the material they have access to, the presence of knowing and more experimented colleagues. Individual determinants (gender, experiences as a teacher and series of baccalauréat) have on the other hand no effect on acceptance.

In the 21st Century, the need for Tanzania to navigate through the impact of globalisation with a more responsive school curriculum was evident, and TC2005 was an effort towards this end. My study was on the formulation, management and implementation of TC2005 with special emphasis on disadvantaged localities. I sought to answer three central questions: (1) What role did curriculum stakeholders play in the TC2005 process and with what effect? (2) How relevant and practicable was TC2005 to students, parents and communities? 3) How was management carried out and with what effect to actual classroom teaching? Critical Policy Sociology (CPS) was the conceptual framework guiding the research with data availed through questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and documentary review. Purposive sampling provided the 201 participants of the study from state and non-state institutions, local and central government, school heads, teachers, parents and students. Data corpus was mainly transcriptions and summaries. An eclectic model adopted from Vidovich (2001), Gale (2002), Ball 1994, 1993) and Bowe et al (1992) guided data analysis with contexts that influenced production and enactment of TC2005 identified and interpreted. The findings suggested the existence of unequal power relations between the state and stakeholders with the former not only controlling and dictating terms from the centre, but also excluding even practitioners. Bi-partisan politics were also portrayed with parties struggling for inclusion of their values as the centre fought to retain status quo. The good intentions of TC2005 was noted, but weighed down by a multitude of limitations e.g. lack of resources, influence of the polity, donor pressure and global agenda. Finally, management of TC2005 process was authoritarian rather than participatory and thus the best use of other people’s skills to arrive at more effective decisions was not made. Hence TC2005 featured rigid syllabuses that were to be translated using State-vetted textbooks. Teachers’ sense of autonomy was eroded to render them unable to broker and craft their own policies as professionals.

This thesis sets out to examine the extent to which primary science is a complex interplay between educational and political perspectives which in turn has influenced and shaped the way primary schools interpret, reconstruct and implement science in practice. This study uses a policy trajectory to consider the changing conceptions of primary science within the arenas of policy influence, policy text and practice in relation to its curriculum content, related pedagogy and assessment. In addition, it examines the nature and impact of professional development to support the implementation of primary science in practice. Evidence was collected through a series of interviews with elite figures in education, a regional survey of primary schools, along with in-depth cases studies in order to develop a deeper understanding primary science within the policy to practice context. The findings would indicate that despite a succession of top down science education policy reforms, there are still concerns about the extent to which teachers have sufficient science subject knowledge to develop conceptual understanding, a clear idea of the purpose of science investigations and how to use formative asiessment as an effective way of diagnosing pupil understanding. Furthermore, the evidence would suggest that the emphasis placed on summative assessment and accountability has narrowed teachers' conceptions of primary science. The implications are that science policy reform needs to acknowledge existing practice and support a wider definition of science that includes an appreciation of the historical and cultural aspects of science together with an understanding of technological applications. In addition, a more robust infrastructure of professional development needs to be in place which places more emphasis on the science co-ordinator to support teaching and learning in order to provide teachers with access to a changing knowledge base and opportunities to update skills in primary science. Unless these implications are given serious consideration the unrelenting focus on performativity and accountability will prevent any real development of creativity and innovation in the primary science curriculum.

Using case study method comprising multiple cases developed over three years, this. research identifies and explores factors which may have a positive impact on the standards of speech and language of children in the first year of Key Stage 1 in one school serving an area of high socia-economic deprivation. The study is framed within the context of national concern regarding the perceived low level of children's speech and language skills on entry to Nursery and Reception classes, alongside the project school's perception of the failure of the National Literacy Strategy and the more recent Primary Strategy to address and redress this problem during the lifetime of this research. Sharie Coombes EdD 2007 Abstract: Factars which may improve standards of speech and language in the first year of K51 The research identifies the critical role of oracy in language development and tracks three. Year 1 cohorts by measuring the impact on the children's speech and language scores of a specifically devised teaching intervention and a Foundation Stage approach to curriculum delivery. Interpretation of the numerical results is developed through the analysis of qualitative data from interviews, observations, document scrutiny and description of the intervention. The findings suggest that the re-instatement of a less formal, constructivist, oral-rich early years curriculum, up to and including Year 1, which includes dedicated time for supporting children's language skills through social interaction may positively contribute to improved standards of speech and language, to improved learning in literacy, to children's attitude to learning as well as to their view of their own learning competence. The thesis argues that a too-early start to formal literacy learning actually impedes effective language development. It is suggested that the implementation of the revised Strategy Frameworks should encourage schools to decide when to introduce formal teaching of literacy on the basis of their learners' perceived needs.

This study is an action research project concerned with the effect of a change initiative on primary teachers' behaviour. It involves trying out a change approach and then refining and testing that approach in a consciously conducted change experiment. The study has two investigative strands. Both of these build on previous research into change that I conducted at a school in which I was working in 1986. The 1986 research described difficulties I had in conducting school self evaluation and the development of a revised approach to change. The product of the 1986 study was a change model. One strand of this study is an investigation into the effectiveness of that model in supporting teachers moving along the path to change. The second investigative strand of the study is concerned with the wider effect of implementing the change model on staff relationships in primary schools. The phrase 'changing the rules' in the title of the study harks back to an article by Helen Simons (1987) in which she suggests that activities such as self evaluation are 'against the rules of schools as institutions'. One element of this second strand of the study is an investigation into the rules governing staff relationships. It examines whether the closed behaviours that initially undermined the 1986 initiative are more widely prevalent in primary schools. The 1986 change initiative appeared to leave a residual effect of increased openness and collaboration between staff. A further element of this strand of the study is therefore an examination of whether implementing the change model affects staff relationships in other primary schools. The study examines the extent to which the change model acts to dismantle closed patterns of interaction between staff and replace them with more open ones. During the time that has elapsed between setting out and concluding this research there has been a growing focus on staff relationships in schools. Reviewing research into school culture Fullan (1991) suggests that "we have not yet made much head way in how to establish collaborative cultures in schools". This study is an investigation into a possible process by which the rules of schools I have known as a teacher, deputy headteacher and headteacher might be changed.

The general theme is the experience of the Curriculum Development Unit as a case study in innovation in modern Irish education. The main time span is 1972-1987. The approach is broadly historical. The story of the Curriculum Development Unit is told in the context of what was happening in the Irish educational system during the period in question and, more broadly, in the context of the political and social development of contemporary Ireland. Against this background the Unit's experience is assessed - as an illustration of the influence of certain national events and also for the light that the development of the Unit itself can throw on these events. Two main research questions are addressed in the dissertation: What is the story underlying the Unit's efforts to institutionalise itself? How may this story be told by one of the principal actors involved? The focus of the research is on the efforts to institutionalise the innovative activities of the Unit. The main thesis is that this effort has largely failed mainly because of the strong centralising tendencies in the Irish system and the improbable nature of the Unit's sponsorship - a partnership between the local education authority, a university and a Government ministry. This is not to belittle the Unit's achievements; these perhaps have been all the more significant given the failure to institutionalise the Unit. The Unit may yet prove to be an interesting example of a phenomenon that is in keeping with the late twentieth century - an ad hoc body with no guarantee of survival, which manages to exist and even prosper in situations where more stable organisations are falling by the wayside.