Resumo Este artigo descreve como um grupo de professores de escolas primarias da Irlanda do Norte planejava um curriculo diferenciado e em que medida os coordenadores pedagogicos ofereciam orientacoes para o planejamento diferenciado do ensino de Ingles, Matematica e Ciencias. Foram coletados dados sobre as visoes de diretores, coordenadores pedagogicos e professores sobre a maneira como o planejamento elaborado e posto em pratica nas salas de aula junto a alunos com maior e menor nivel de desempenho, tanto em atividades de sala de aula quanto nas tarefas de casa. O grupo de apoio curricular descreveu o quanto ainda falta para os professores conseguirem aplicar os principios da diferenciacao, incluindo a progressao e a continuidade. Os resultados mostraram que, embora muitos professores tenham dito que compreendem o signifi cado de diferenciacao moderadamente bem, eles necessitavam de ajuda para implementar esquemas de trabalho e proporcionar o atendimento dos diferentes niveis de aprendizagem e de desempenho dos alunos. Palavras-chave: Classes heterogeneas. Diferenciacao. Ensino Fundamental.

In contrast to the previous article this one emphasises the importance of reading fiction. The joy of getting engrossed in ‘a good book’ is certainly something we should offer children. It is only one part of reading but an important one. Indeed its power to get the reading habit established is hard to over-emphasise. Hence this survey of factors that seem to affect children's voluntary fiction reading is interesting. The authors argue that the habit is a tender plant, easily disturbed. Both authors work at the Faculty of Education, New University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and will supply a longer research report ‘Words, Words, Words’ on request.

This article questions whether the mediated experience provided by picture books contributes toward or hinders a realistic and appropriate appreciation of the natural world. Based on an examination of 1,074 books, it argues that picture book makers typically transform and domesticate animals and their habitats in ways that provide readers with highly misleading images and impressions. The article examines a few exceptional books that give an accurate and sensitive account of the animal kingdom and the natural environment, and argues that many more are needed.

Changing times It's a very long time since it has been possible to be even slightly optimistic living in Northern Ireland, but there are now some real grounds for hope. The Good Friday agreement of April 1998 provided, at long last, a potential foundation for a society no longer paralysed by the overriding imperatives of death and destruction as has been characteristic of the last thirty years. As normal politics, taken for granted elsewhere, start to replace the democratic deficit of direct rule, as local (and locally accountable) solutions begin to be found to the peculiar problems of this community, and as it becomes possible to learn from experience on the other side of the Irish Sea or south of the border but sometimes decide to do things differently, so this small and rather isolated place may be able to become a more self-confident and innovative society with its own positive and distinctive characteristics. Of course there have already been well publicised setbacks and there will be more: there are plenty of intractable problems as yet unresolved. Nevertheless, it is now possible to look forward with a degree of confidence in what Arthur Koestler (1964) once called 'the slow growth of human reasonableness' in a way that was almost unthinkable even four or five years ago.

Historique de l'education des adultes en Grande-Bretagne, les debuts difficiles de son instauration, le rejet initial de son incorporation au ministere de l'education au milieu du XIXe siecle jusqu'a nos jours ou les politiques en la matiere ont du s'adapter aux changements sociaux.

L'article retrace les episodes du partenariat entre l'Universite et la Worker's educational association (WEA) en matiere de formation continue des adultes en Angleterre : de 1870 a la guerre de 1914 le modele University extension (enseignement para-universitaire) prevaut qui finance des departements de l'universite pour assurer une formation aux adultes qui n'ont pas le bagage necessaire pour acceder au niveau superieur, c'est dans l'esprit de ce modele qu'est creee la WEA en 1903; a partir de 1917 se met en place la formation continue extra-universitaire Continuation schools dans le cadre du Plan for educational reconstruction. Ces deux tendances qui s'affrontent contribuent toutefois a la mise ne place d'une education des adultes reconciliee vers 1930, devenant Further education (enseignement post-scolaire) apres la seconde guerre mondiale.

This paper shows the ways in which a group of subject coordinators and teachers attemptto differentiate in the core subjects in the Northern Ireland primary curriculum. The views of the coordinators and teachers were obtained through survey questionnaires on the extent to which they make provision for a range of pupil ability, the ways in which pupils are grouped, and the teaching strategies used to provide differentiated learning experiences. The case studies carried out in parallel served to illustrate these aspects of differentiation, and also revealed some contrasts between the survey results and what may be realistic in terms of classroom practice. Emergent issues as to the nature of differentiation in practice are discussed.

(1998). The Board of Education and policy for adult education up to the Second World War. History of Education: Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 403-419.

This paper describes how a group of primary schools in Northern Ireland plan a differentiated curriculum, and the extent to which subject co-ordinators offer guidance to teacher colleagues in planning for English, mathematics and science. The views of headteachers, subject co-ordinators and teachers on the ways in which plans are translated into classroom practice for higher and lower attaining pupils in both classwork and homework were obtained. The curriculum support staff described how far they consider teachers are applying the principles of differentiation, including progression and continuity. The results showed that, although most teachers were said to understand the meaning of differentiation moderately well, help was needed in drawing up schemes of work and providing for the extremes of pupil attainment.

ABSTRACT The views of core subject coordinators in a sample of Northern Ireland primary schools were obtained on their specific responsibilities with regard to differentiation and on the difficulties being experienced in evaluating differentiation in practice. The extent of in-service training in differentiation for subject coordinators was described by curriculum support teachers and areas of need in this respect were identified by both groups. The results showed that the role of the coordinator in supporting differentiation is still developing and that its success is crucially dependent on the support of the head.

This paper focuses on the increasing use and changing role of auxiliary classroom support, and formed part of a wider study of the organization and management of resources in a group of primary schools in Northern Ireland. The views of headteachers and teachers were sought on how classroom assistants could be used to facilitate the delivery of a curriculum with a strong practical emphasis, and a case study carried out in one school provided an example of good practice. The extent to which primary schools employed classroom assistants out of their own budgets, or had the benefit of this kind of help from a range of external sources at no extra cost, is described. The paper shows that the classroom assistants were mostly concentrated at the lower end of key stage 1, although the key stage 2 teachers in the study would equally have valued this regular support. The duties of classroom assistants are described, as well as the skills required for their responsibilities towards both pupils and teachers. The results showed that the primary teacher's role as manager and facilitator has increased, and that there is a need for auxiliary support for these functions. Where support has been available, though, it has remained largely the responsibility of the teacher to foster the classroom assistant's essential skills. Some local education authorities and higher education are beginning to take this training seriously, and formal courses are emerging. Recently, the Department of Education for Northern Ireland announced that from the start of the 1995/96 school year every primary school would have a classroom assistant for Primary 1. Considering the present research, which revealed a need for the right calibre of practical help in primary classrooms, it is to be hoped that this support will be extended and applied more flexibly to all primary classes.

Summary This paper identifies a range of problems associated with putting differentiation into practice. The opinions of head teachers, subject co‐ordinators, and teachers were sought, as well as those of the curriculum support staff in the Education and Library Boards on the extent to which these problems affected primary schools in Northern Ireland, and case‐studies illuminated these views. The results showed that the curriculum support staff regarded most problems in differentiation in a more serious light than the schools themselves did, but there was agreement on the acute lack of time to deliver a differentiated curriculum, on the shortage of human resources and on the difficulties with new assessment methods.

>ABSTRACT This paper reports research on in‐service support for primary schools in Northern Ireland within a differentiated curriculum. The views of headteachers, subject coordinators and teachers were sought on the extent, relevance and value of the in‐service training provided by the Education and Library Boards’ curriculum support service for the problems currently being encountered in differentiation. The demand from schools for help with this aspect of the curriculum and how it is provided by the Education and Library Boards is investigated, as is the role of the subject coordinator in supporting teacher colleagues. The results showed that, although the curriculum support service attempts to tailor in‐service provision to meet schools’ needs, help is still urgently required in some areas of differentiated teaching.

(1992). Reading pictures: Children's responses to nursery rhymes. Education 3-13: Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 39-44.