The education and care of children under the age of eight has become one of the major focuses of attention in recent education research and policy-making around the world, and it is now widely recognised that investment in provision at this stage can be both cost effective and beneficial to the social fabric of communities. Approaches to education in nurseries, kindergartens and preschools have traditionally been significantly different from those that inform the teaching of older children but, until recently, these approaches have had little impact on education beyond early years...

Education in, about, and through, the sciences physics, chemistry, biology, earth science has grown rapidly in the last 150 years. Starting from the twin bases of an elective provision for those likely to become scientists and engineers and of informal provision for the general populace, it has evolved into a core component of compulsory education across the globe. Above this rises an edifice of provision at university level and beyond, both formal and informal. This expansion has been justified by the perceptions that science is one of the major roots for economic prosperity, that it must...

The past century has witnessed an ever-accelerating revolution in the ways by which we communicate with each other, and that revolution is far from complete. Understanding how our literacy skills and behaviours are evolving how we make use of old technologies and adapt to new ones and how critical development may be fostered is arguably one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. It is vital to education, to civic participation, to political and commercial judgement, and to many other areas of contemporary life.

One of the principal barriers to gaining a...

With contributions drawn from a variety of contexts, this extensive six-volume collection reflects the international diversity of ELT in practice. Containing articles from a range of differing perspectives, it highlights the controversial nature of many apparent 'givens' in the field and provides a useful balance between academic and practical insights.

With a general introduction and separate section introductions presenting the historical context for current debates and guiding the reader through the various issues raised in the articles, this is a highly useful resource for both...

The education of gifted and talented pupils is an established domain of study but research in the area has increased dramatically, particularly in the past fifteen years. The reason for this burgeoning interest relates principally not to conventional educational concerns but rather to the desire of governments around the world to maximize intellectual capital better to compete in a globalized economy. Nurturing those with exceptional ability is now seen as a societal necessity rather than simply an educational objective. A secondary aspect of this societal interest relates to equity;...

A new title in the Routledge series, Major Themes in Education, this Major Work is a four-volume collection of cutting-edge and foundational research about mathematics education.

If a primary objective of feminism is to expose and challenge the social relations of power embedded in all spheres of life, then an exploration of the issues attached to female education is a vital aspect of such a project. Indeed, women and education is now an established and flourishing domain of study. And as academic thinking continues to develop, this new title in Routledge s acclaimed series, Major Themes in Education, meets the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of the subject s vast literature and the continuing explosion in research output.

Edited by two...