Table 15.1 Comparison of different methods and approaches
Despite the recognition within the field that decision-making authority for educational
matters should rest with local educators, there seems to be a resistance to this notion
from outside the field. As Clarke (2007) argues, teachers should have the say in
educational matters, but this is not always the case, given today’s political reality.
Decisions affecting education beyond the control of teachers can be seen in the
increasing reliance on language examinations and in the demand for more effective
preparation and in-service professional development for teachers. There are also
widespread calls for establishing standards. As Richards (2008) expresses it:
The standards movement has taken hold in many parts of the world and promotes
the adoption of clear statements of instructional outcomes in educational programs
as a way of improving learning outcomes in programs and to provide guidelines
for program development, curriculum development, and assessment.
Richards (2008:172)Of course, examinations, teacher education, and standards are not in and of
themselves worrisome. Everyone wants education to be conducted to the highest
possible standards, but how that is to be accomplished is what is disputed. We will
return to this point later in the chapter, but for now we will discuss the similarities and