Papers And Addresses On Primary Reform

Teacher evaluation is an activity of assessing teachers' performance. It is equivalent to teacher appraisal/teacher performance management in England. This study explores the complexities of implementing Teacher Evaluation in primary schools in Taiwan. It concentrates principally on the development of Teacher Evaluation in Taiwan in the light of international research, especially that relating to the English context. The philosophical perspective with which this study is most closely aligned is constructivism. In particular, using qualitative methods of documentary analysis and interviews, it explores the nature of Teacher Evaluation and the meaning held by implementers. Government publications, including books, journals and other documentation from public institutions were examined to trace the development of Teacher Evaluation in Taiwan, and how it might be influenced by globalisation. Interviews were carried out with 3 head teachers and 7 teachers from 3 primary schools in Taiwan and 3 officers from different levels of official organisations. A Recommended Model of Teacher Evaluation was synthesised from the review of international research. Using the Recommended Model of Teacher Evaluation to evaluate the implementation of Teacher Evaluation for Professional Development in Taiwan, the effectiveness of the project was demonstrated. However, by looking at the empirical data, some limitations were observed, including deficiencies in the administrative system, teachers' heavy workload, the reluctance of teachers to accept changes, and insufficient knowledge of the relevant policy. Other obstacles were noted, including inadequately trained evaluators, the lack of a mechanism for professional dialogue, and the incoherence of the educational policy. This study shows that most teachers agree with the measures in the Teacher Evaluation for Professional Development implemented by the Ministry of Education, although some supplementary measures need to be established in a more sophisticated manner before it can be implemented fully. Finally, this study further proposes suggestions for a Teacher Evaluation model based on the Recommended Model of Teacher Evaluation, the implementation of the current Teacher Evaluation for Professional Development, and ideal models mentioned by the interviewees.

Detailed accounts of two influential initiatives of the 1990s, whose educational and political lessons remain highly relevant: systemic and pedagogic reform in one of Britain’s largest cities, and the controversial ‘three wise men’ government enquiry into primary teaching to which it led. Alexander's controversial and widely-read report on primary education in Leeds has now been revised as a major study of policy initiatives in primary education and their impact on practice. The book examines an ambitious programme of local reform aimed at improving teaching and learning in the primary schools of one of Britain's largest cities. It addresses important questions about children's needs, the curriculum, classroom practice and school management. When first published, Robin Alexander's report was hailed as `seminal' and `the most important document since Plowden' but it was also quoted and misquoted in support of widely opposed political and media agendas. This new edition retains Part I from the first edition, detailing the impact of Leeds LEA's programme for educational reform. However, it also provides a totally new and greatly extended Part II, which gives an insider's account of the sequel to the Leeds report - the government's 1992 'three wise men' report. There is also a new introduction.

Australia has a proud history of being an international leader in electoral administration, and Australian electoral commissions continue to have a professional, non-partisan approach to the management of elections. Yet their independence is constrained by the electoral laws they need to administer, and parliamentary committees charged with the oversight of the conduct of elections do so with a clear partisan bias. Elections are all about winners, but who decides who the winners will be? Voters definitely have a big say, but it is the electoral system that determines how votes translate into seats in parliament. Any changes to the electoral system require the support of those in power, and it is important to question who benefits from electoral reforms. It is not surprising that partisanship plays a role and that governing parties usually benefit, although that is not always the case. This book assesses Australian electoral reforms of the past 30 years using personal interview data and parliamentary debates, to provide a picture of the reform process as well as the outcomes. These issues, such as who gets to vote, the use of postal voting, party registration and vote weighting, have a profound impact on who wins elections. The book also examines Australia's electoral administration, testing for professionalism, independence and integrity.