Selecting and Evaluating Curriculum Materials. A Study of Teacher Education for Bilingual-Bicultural and Multicultural Educators.

Overview & Synopsis

This document reports on a project with the following aims: (1) to identify and discuss the important issues about using curriculum materials in bilingual-bicultural education and multicultural education through a comparative analysis of these conditions in the United States and Australia; (2) to identify and analyze relevant research in the idexes of the Educational Resources Information Center, the Australian Education Index, and the British Education Index; (3) to review the activities of three institutions--the Social Science Education Consortium, the Educational Products Information Exchange Institute, and the Centre for Educational Technology at the University of Sussex--involved in the selection and the evaluation of curriculum materials, with particular reference to the characteristics of their programs for teacher education; (4) to present a description for an inservice teacher education program that aims to develop the knowledge and skills of teachers in selecting and evaluating curriculum materials for bilingual-bicultural education and multicultural education; (5) to present alternative models and approaches to implement the inservice teacher education program; and (6) to conclude with a commentary on introducing to Australian education the techniques for both selecting and evaluating curriculum materials and implementing teacher education programs. A bibliography, author index, and nine appendices are included. (Among the appendices are a list of the organizations forming the national network of bilingual education, five bibliographics from specific educational indexes, and materials pertaining to a survey on the need for a course designed to improve the quality of selection and evaluation of curriculum materials.) (Author/JD)