Focusing on pupils moving from primary to middle or secondary school, it describes and evaluates the schools programmes to ease transfer, and includes material provided by the pupils themselves. The main body of the book is a rich and detailed account of the first months of life in new secondary schools, where the pleasures and perils of new friends, new teachers and new subjects, and a new approach to teaching are encountered. The book conveys vividly how pupils experience a new environment, and meet its dangers, rules and regulations, timetable, complex groupings and ideology.

Inside the Secondary Classroom was the first comparative ethnography of school life in Britain, carried out in six schools. It reveals surprising similarities and differences between them.The cases studied range from highly successful pupils with nine O levels to others with severe social and personal problems.

Group work is generally accepted as part of the educational ideology of today's primary classrooms. It can, however, mean almost anything from group seating as a technique of classroom management to fully collaborative learning. The authors start from the position that getting children to work together is time-consuming and not easy and that teachers need some assurance that it is worthwhile. Drawing on the work of Vygotsky they look at the importance of collaboration in the development of higher mental functions and also discuss the social and emotional advantages that children can derive from working together. Also using case studies derived from the ORACLE II group work project at Leicester, the authors also take into account the advances made in collaborative group work in other countries. The result is a set of guidelines from which individual teachers can derive policies suitable for the circumstances in their own schools. This book should be of interest to undergraduates and academics in primary education and also to primary school teachers.

First published in 1983, Moving from the Primary Classroom is concerned with what happens to pupils when they change teachers in the primary school and when they move to the secondary or middle school. Although most children are well prepared for the organizational changes, they will face after transfer, the researchers found that major difficulties were encountered when pupils adjusted to the new teaching styles associated with specialist subjects. As pupils move up the primary school, and after transfer, there appears to be a decrease in individualization of the learning process in favour of whole-class teaching and group work. This poses particular problems for pupils who find the work either too difficult or not sufficiently challenging. The disparity in the varying rates at which children complete their work sometimes causes acute problems which are fully documented. This book will be of interest to students of education, pedagogy as well as teachers.

First published in 1980, Progress and Performance in the Primary Classroom assesses the performance of primary schoolchildren in a range of study skills as well as on the more conventional tests of mathematics, language use and reading. The findings indicate that the more successful styles are used by the more experienced teachers, who manage to increase the amount of contact with the pupils by a variety of organizational strategies. While pupils who receive the greatest amount of class teaching do best on mathematics, there is no evidence to suggest that the characteristics of teaching valued by critics of modern primary practice exert any significant influence on pupil progress. The relationship between pupil progress and behaviour shows some remarkable patterns. For example, it was found that children who work on average one day per week less than other children still make the same progress in basic skills as the others. Such findings suggest that there is a need to examine how far teaching in the junior school is sufficiently stimulating and challenging, while at the same time acknowledging the difficulties of improving the situation while class sizes remain relatively high. This book will be of interest to students of education and pedagogy as well as to teachers.

Originally published in 1990. Small primary schools were a source of considerable debate in the 1980s. This balanced and authoritative account is based on the findings of a survey of curriculum provision. It shows that small primary schools differ surprisingly little from their larger counterparts in the content of their curriculum and in the manner of its teaching. It suggests though that pupils in small schools do not necessarily get a better deal than pupils in larger schools. It looks at the future of those schools and discusses clustering and federation to pool resources. Written just as the National Curriculum was about to be introduced, this book is an interesting reflection for students of primary education, curriculum studies and educational administrators.

Originally published in 1990. Small primary schools were a source of considerable debate in the 1980s. This balanced and authoritative account is based on the findings of a survey of curriculum provision. It shows that small primary schools differ surprisingly little from their larger counterparts in the content of their curriculum and in the manner of its teaching. It suggests though that pupils in small schools do not necessarily get a better deal than pupils in larger schools. It looks at the future of those schools and discusses clustering and federation to pool resources. Written just as the National Curriculum was about to be introduced, this book is an interesting reflection for students of primary education, curriculum studies and educational administrators.

First published in 1995, Crisis in the Primary Classroom redefines the crisis plaguing primary classrooms by challenging many of the educational and political orthodoxies of the nineties. The book is set during a particular period in the nineties when primary education was under attack from the Government and sections of the media, with accusations that reading standards had fallen, the National Curriculum was not being taught well and training colleges had failed to produce sufficient teachers of quality. In response to these concerns, the Government commissioned a report, which presented a series of solutions. Maurice Galton argues that the report failed to identify the root causes of the problems facing primary schools. He examines critically whether the National Curriculum was necessary, and whether teaching methods and classroom organization really needed to be changed radically. He also addresses the issue of quality among teachers, suggesting ways in which this might be developed. Crisis in the Primary Classroom deserves to be read by all concerned with the planning, administration and practice of primary education. Teachers will be encouraged by the message that methods found to be successful in the past must be accommodated in new patterns of organization and classroom practice.

The justification for smaller classes has traditionally been that students can receive more individual attention and be provided with a curriculum that promotes student centred learning. However, in Asia where student engagement is generally over 90% in primary school classrooms, the focus of smaller classes is for teachers to increase the quality of their teaching, building on the already impressive levels of student engagement. Learning to Teach Small Classes comprehensively instructs teachers on ways they can utilise the advantage of a smaller class to its fullest potential. It works through different case studies and gives examples of successful classroom practice in each of the core subject areas (Chinese, English and Mathematics). Chapters include: Setting Objectives, Asking and Answering Questions Sustaining Successful Group and Pair Work The Use of Feedback and Assessment for Developing Independence in Learning Bringing it all together and Sustaining Effective Practice With questions for discussion and further suggested reading, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in small class teaching, and East Asian teaching and education policy.

The justification for smaller classes has traditionally been that students can receive more individual attention and be provided with a curriculum that promotes student centred learning. However, in Asia where student engagement is generally over 90% in primary school classrooms, the focus of smaller classes is for teachers to increase the quality of their teaching, building on the already impressive levels of student engagement. Learning to Teach Small Classes comprehensively instructs teachers on ways they can utilise the advantage of a smaller class to its fullest potential. It works through different case studies and gives examples of successful classroom practice in each of the core subject areas (Chinese, English and Mathematics). Chapters include: Setting Objectives, Asking and Answering Questions Sustaining Successful Group and Pair Work The Use of Feedback and Assessment for Developing Independence in Learning Bringing it all together and Sustaining Effective Practice With questions for discussion and further suggested reading, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in small class teaching, and East Asian teaching and education policy.

First published in 1994. Teacher Education throughout Europe is in a process of change. The reform of school structures, changing demographic patterns, technological development and the evolution of social, economic and political structures have all contributed to this process. This handbook, published in conjunction with the Council of Europe, creates a synthesis of these trends, providing both an overview of teacher education across Europe, and detailed explorations of key issues by leading experts in the field.

What lessons can we learn from the relationship between policy-makers and schools over the life of the 'New' Labour and its predecessor Conservative government? What happened to 'Education, Education, Education' as it travelled from political vision to classroom practice? What are the lasting legacies of 13 years of a reforming Labour government? And what are the key messages for a coalition government?

These are the questions addressed to the architects of educational reform, their critics and the prophets of better things to come. The 37 interviewees include ministers past and present, journalists, union officials, members of lobby groups and think tanks. Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching considers the impact of educational policies on those who have to translate political priorities into the day to day work of schools and classrooms. The authors argue that an evidence-informed view of policy-making has yet to be realised, graphically illustrating how many recent political decisions in education can be explained by the personal experiences, predilections and short-term needs of key decision-makers.

The interviews, which explore the dynamics behind the creation of education policies, cover a wide range of themes and issues, including:

• policy-makers' attitudes to schools, the staff who work in them and the communities they serve
• the drivers of politicians' reform agendas and the constraints on radical reform
• the shaping and reshaping of curriculum and assessment
• the search for a more effective marriage between inspection and school self evaluation
• the relationship of academic research to policy making
• how a vision for teaching and teachers might be constructed for the 21st century

Contributions from leading figures including; David Puttnam, Kenneth Baker, Estelle Morris, Gillian Shepherd, Jim Knight, Pauline Perry, Michael Barber, Peter Mortimore, Judy Sebba, Paul Black, Mary James, Kevan Collins, David Hargreaves, Mike Tomlinson, David Berliner, Andreas Schleicher, Tim Brighouse, Conor Ryan, Keith Bartley, Michael Gove and Philippa Cordingley are woven in with the insights of teachers and headteachers such as Alasdair MacDonald and William Atkinson.

The book's findings and proposals will be of interest not only to professional educators and those with an interest in the current and future state of education but to those interested in the process of policy-making itself.

Originally published in 1989, this book reviews teaching methods and curriculum practice against the reality of classroom practice and educational objective and policies. In some ways a re-appraisal of progressive individual and group teaching and learning methods, together with practical guidelines for teachers.

Published in 1989 in conjunction with the Council of Europe, this book is a major source of reference for those interested in the comparative study of primary education in Europe. Whilst there is much material available at secondary level, there is little information about the organisation and practice of primary education in different European countries. This book, based on reports and case studies collected by the Council of Europe as part of its five year project Innovation in Primary Education in Europe remedies this providing an essential resource in the area. Divided into six sections, each contributed to by member state of the Council of Europe, this book covers topics including organisation policy and practice, professionalism in primary school teachers and innovation in primary education.

The ORACLE (Observation and Classroom Learning and Evaluation) and its follow-up study address the following questions:
Has teaching in the primary school changed over the past twenty years?
Has pupil performance improved or declined?
Are the links between certain teacher approaches and pupil achievement still the same?
Has the National Curriculum had any important consequences for the way in which transfer is conducted?
One of the main claims of the National Curriculum is that it has provided greater continuity through the various stages and this should be reflected in smoother transition from one school to the next. This book focuses on the issue of transfer from the primary to the secondary school, using data from the ORACLE project.
This study which took place from 1975 to 1980, followed by 'Son of ORACLE', the study of group-work in the primary classroom 1980 to 1983, has had an enormous influence on the debate on primary education. The studies described in detail what took place in primary classrooms, the teaching styles used by teachers and the responses made by pupils. It linked these processes to pupil performance. Finally, it followed the pupils as they transferred out of the primary school into the secondary phase of education.
At present a new research project is being carried out in Leicester. It involves studying primary schools for one year and then following the children as they transfer to the secondary phase or to a middle school. The project involves two thirds of the schools used in the original ORACLE research. In addition, the same observation instruments and the same tests, modified for cultural differences, are being used.

The ORACLE (Observation and Classroom Learning and Evaluation) and its follow-up study address the following questions:
Has teaching in the primary school changed over the past twenty years?
Has pupil performance improved or declined?
Are the links between certain teacher approaches and pupil achievement still the same?
Has the National Curriculum had any important consequences for the way in which transfer is conducted?
One of the main claims of the National Curriculum is that it has provided greater continuity through the various stages and this should be reflected in smoother transition from one school to the next. This book focuses on the issue of transfer from the primary to the secondary school, using data from the ORACLE project.
This study which took place from 1975 to 1980, followed by 'Son of ORACLE', the study of group-work in the primary classroom 1980 to 1983, has had an enormous influence on the debate on primary education. The studies described in detail what took place in primary classrooms, the teaching styles used by teachers and the responses made by pupils. It linked these processes to pupil performance. Finally, it followed the pupils as they transferred out of the primary school into the secondary phase of education.
At present a new research project is being carried out in Leicester. It involves studying primary schools for one year and then following the children as they transfer to the secondary phase or to a middle school. The project involves two thirds of the schools used in the original ORACLE research. In addition, the same observation instruments and the same tests, modified for cultural differences, are being used.

eBook available with sample pages: PB:0415170222

In recent years primary education has been the subject of continuing debate with questions of standards and their apparent decline being raised with alarming regularity. Central in informing these debates has been the ORACLE study of groupwork in primary classrooms. Published during the 1980s, the study described in detail the daily life of the primary classroom, the teaching styles used by teachers and the responses of pupils. That research has now been replicated - with over two thirds of the schools originally studied being revisited, using the same tests and observation instruments. This book presents the findings of this second round of research, and is therefore unique in being able authoritatively to document the changes - or lack of them - in primary education and teaching practice over the last twenty years.

In recent years primary education has been the subject of continuing debate with questions of standards and their apparent decline being raised with alarming regularity. Central in informing these debates has been the ORACLE study of groupwork in primary classrooms. Published during the 1980s, the study described in detail the daily life of the primary classroom, the teaching styles used by teachers and the responses of pupils. That research has now been replicated - with over two thirds of the schools originally studied being revisited, using the same tests and observation instruments. This book presents the findings of this second round of research, and is therefore unique in being able authoritatively to document the changes - or lack of them - in primary education and teaching practice over the last twenty years.

First published in 1994. Teacher Education throughout Europe is in a process of change. The reform of school structures, changing demographic patterns, technological development and the evolution of social, economic and political structures have all contributed to this process. This handbook, published in conjunction with the Council of Europe, creates a synthesis of these trends, providing both an overview of teacher education across Europe, and detailed explorations of key issues by leading experts in the field.

Published in 1989 in conjunction with the Council of Europe, this book is a major source of reference for those interested in the comparative study of primary education in Europe. Whilst there is much material available at secondary level, there is little information about the organisation and practice of primary education in different European countries. This book, based on reports and case studies collected by the Council of Europe as part of its five year project Innovation in Primary Education in Europe remedies this providing an essential resource in the area. Divided into six sections, each contributed to by member state of the Council of Europe, this book covers topics including organisation policy and practice, professionalism in primary school teachers and innovation in primary education.

Much debate, research and commentary about class sizes in schools is limited because of an exclusive concern with class size and pupil academic attainment, and a neglect of classroom processes, which might help explain class size effects (or lack of them). Very little is known about the central question: how can teachers make the most of class size changes? Much of the commentary on class size effects has focused on Western and English-speaking countries but there are promising developments elsewhere, particularly the 'Small Class Teaching' initiatives in East Asia in the past decade, which have brought new knowledge and practical wisdom to the class size debate. This book seeks to move toward a clearer view of what we know and do not know about class size effects, and to identify future steps in terms of policy and research. There is a huge and exciting potential for international collaboration on knowledge concerning class size effects which can help with research-informed policy. The book aims to draw out Eastern and Western international contexts which underpin any understanding of the role of class size in school learning. The book has chapters by an international team of experts on class size effects, including Maurice Galton and John Hattie. Chapters are organised into four main sections: Socio-cultural and political contexts to the class size debate in the East and West; Research evidence on class size; Class size and classroom processes likely to be related to class size changes; Professional development for small class teaching in East Asia.

Originally published in 1989, this book reviews teaching methods and curriculum practice against the reality of classroom practice and educational objective and policies. In some ways a re-appraisal of progressive individual and group teaching and learning methods, together with practical guidelines for teachers.

Drawing on the work of Vygotsky, the authors look at the social and emotional advantages children can gain from working together. They use case studies derived from the ORACLE II group work project at Leicester, and also take into account the advances made in collaborative group work in other countries. The result is a set of guidelines from which teachers can plan policies suitable for their own schools.

What has changed and what will change in the next decade? Reforming or Re-inventing Schools? revisits some of the key issues in school and system reform, with a reflection on developments in the English education system and internationally. It offers an insightful review and critique of education principles and their relationship to school practice, exploring some of the myths as well as examining the potential value of comparative data. Drawing on new evidence and interviews with a group of policy makers and academics on the British and international stages, this book asks: What do parents, children and 'society' want from a system of education? What motivates teachers to join the profession and why do such large numbers leave so soon? What are the roots of misunderstanding and mismanagement in provision, support and accountability? How do teachers communicate, support and exchange ideas with each other? How do we measure positive change? Examining the roots and conditions for growth, and comparing and contrasting the situation in the United Kingdom with innovative development taking place elsewhere in the rest of the world, Reforming or Re-inventing Schools? is an essential read for anyone interested in school and country performance at a national and international level.

Focusing on pupils moving from primary to middle or secondary school, it describes and evaluates the schools' programmes to ease transfer, and includes material provided by the pupils themselves. The main body of the book is a rich and detailed account of the first months of life in new secondary schools, where the pleasures and perils of new friends, new teachers and new subjects, and a new approach to teaching are encountered. The book conveys vividly how pupils experience a new environment, and meet its dangers, rules and regulations, timetable, complex groupings and ideology. Inside the Secondary Classroom was the first comparative ethnography of school life in Britain, carried out in six schools. It reveals surprising similarities and differences between them.The cases studied range from highly successful pupils with nine 'O' levels to others with severe social and personal problems.

What lessons can we learn from the relationship between policy-makers and schools over the life of the 'New' Labour and its predecessor Conservative government? What happened to 'Education, Education, Education' as it travelled from political vision to classroom practice? What are the lasting legacies of 13 years of a reforming Labour government? And what are the key messages for a coalition government? These are the questions addressed to the architects of educational reform, their critics and the prophets of better things to come. The 37 interviewees include ministers past and present, journalists, union officials, members of lobby groups and think tanks. Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching considers the impact of educational policies on those who have to translate political priorities into the day to day work of schools and classrooms. The authors argue that an evidence-informed view of policy-making has yet to be realised, graphically illustrating how many recent political decisions in education can be explained by the personal experiences, predilections and short-term needs of key decision-makers. The interviews, which explore the dynamics behind the creation of education policies, cover a wide range of themes and issues, including: policy-makers' attitudes to schools, the staff who work in them and the communities they serve the drivers of politicians' reform agendas and the constraints on radical reform the shaping and reshaping of curriculum and assessment the search for a more effective marriage between inspection and school self evaluation the relationship of academic research to policy making how a vision for teaching and teachers might be constructed for the 21st century Contributions from leading figures including; David Puttnam, Kenneth Baker, Estelle Morris, Gillian Shepherd, Jim Knight, Pauline Perry, Michael Barber, Peter Mortimore, Judy Sebba, Paul Black, Mary James, Kevan Collins, David Hargreaves, Mike Tomlinson, David Berliner, Andreas Schleicher, Tim Brighouse, Conor Ryan, Keith Bartley, Michael Gove and Philippa Cordingley are woven in with the insights of teachers and headteachers such as Alasdair MacDonald and William Atkinson. The book's findings and proposals will be of interest not only to professional educators and those with an interest in the current and future state of education but to those interested in the process of policy-making itself.