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Ian Westbury

Biography

Ian Westbury’s current program of research focuses on state-level curriculum-making and educational decision-making. He is completing a cross-national study of state-based curriculum-making in Illinois, Finland, Norway, Germany, and Switzerland and a study of the management of the NCLB supplemental services program by the Illinois State Board of Education. He is general editor of the Journal of Curriculum Studies.

Key Professional Appointments

  • Professor Emeritus, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Research & Service

My research agenda has focused on the interface between ideas about education and educational research and the institution of the (high) school. I have worked on this agenda as I have looked at (1) the relevance of the German Didaktik tradition for enhancing the idea of reflective teaching and (2) cross-cultural achievement in mathematics as seen comparatively and empirically in the IEA international math studies.

Currently my work has two foci: I am beginning a cross-national study of curriculum development which will involve a study of the development and implementation of the Illinois Standards; I am completing a study of school outcomes and their contexts in metro Chicago.

I teach courses in curriculum theory, educational assessment and evaluation, and web-based teaching in high school social studies.

I am General Editor of the Journal of Curriculum Studies.

Publications

Sivesind, K., & Westbury, I. (2016). State-based curriculum-making, Part I. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 48(6), 744-756.  link >

Sivesind, K., & Westbury, I. (2016). State-based curriculum work and curriculum-making: Norway’s Læreplanverket 1997. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 48(6), 766-782.  link >

Westbury, I., Aspfors, J., Fries, A. V., Hansén, S. E., Ohlhaver, F., Rosenmund, M., & Sivesind, K. (2016). Organizing curriculum change: an introduction*. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 48(6), 729-743.  link >

Westbury, I. (2016). State-based curriculum-making: the Illinois Learning Standards. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 48(6), 783-802.  link >

Westbury, I., & Sivesind, K. (2016). State-based curriculum-making, Part 2, the tool-kit for the state’s curriculum-making. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 48(6), 757-765.  link >

Westbury, I. (2016). Talk, decisions, and action in curriculum-making: reflections on the ILS and L97 case studies. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 48(6), 803-814.  link >

Westbury, I. (2013). Reading Schwab's the 'Practical' as an invitation to a curriculum enquiry. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(5), 640-651.  link >

Westbury, I., Hopmann, S. T., & Waks, L. J. (2008). Making curricula: Why do states make curricula, and how? In The SAGE Handbook of Curriculum and Instruction (pp. 45-65). SAGE Publishing.  link >

Westbury, I., & Milburn, G. (2006). Introduction: Rethinking schooling-twenty-five years of the Journal Of Curriculum Studies. In Rethinking Schooling: Twenty-Five Years of the Journal of Curriculum Studies (pp. 1-6). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.  link >

Westbury, I., & Milburn, G. (2006). Rethinking schooling: Twenty-five years of the Journal of Curriculum Studies. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.  link >

Westbury, I. (2005). Reconsidering Schwab's "practicals": A response to Peter Hlebowitsh's "Generational Ideas in Curriculum: A Historical Triangulation". Curriculum Inquiry, 35(1), 89-101.  link >

Westbury, I., Hansén, S. E., Kansanen, P., & Björkvist, O. (2005). Teacher education for research-based practice in expanded roles: Finland's experience. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 49(5), 475-485.  link >

Westbury, I. (2003). Evaluating a National Curriculum Reform. In P. Haug, & T. A. Schwandt (Eds.), Evaluating Educational Reforms: Scandinavian Perspectives (pp. 189-208). (Evaluation and Society). Information Age Publishing Inc..

Westbury, I. (2002). Introduction: Toward an Understanding of the "Aims" of Music Education. In R. Colwell, & C. Richardson (Eds.), The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning: A Project of the Music Educators National Conference (pp. 105-112). Oxford University Press.

Westbury, I., & Osborne, M. D. (2002). JOSEPH J. SCHWAB 1910–88. In L. Bresler, D. Cooper, & J. Palmer (Eds.), Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education: From Piaget to the Present Day (pp. 73-79). Routledge.  link >

Westbury, I. (2002). “The Educational Situation as Concerns the Elementary School”: Implications for Our Time. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 17(2), 120-129.

Westbury, I. (2002). Theory, Research, and the Improvement of Music Education. In R. Colwell, & C. Richardson (Eds.), The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning: A Project of the Music Educators National Conference (pp. 144-161). Oxford University Press.

Westbury, I. (2000). Introduction. In P. Menck (Ed.), Looking Into Classrooms: Papers on Didactics (pp. xi-xx). Ablex.

Westbury, I., Hopmann, S., & Riquarts, K. (1999). Preface. In I. Westbury, S. Hopmann, & K. Riquarts (Eds.), Teaching as a Reflective Practice: The German Didaktik Tradition (pp. ix-xiii). Taylor and Francis.

Westbury, I. (1999). Teaching as a reflective practice: What Might Didaktik teach curriculum? In Teaching As A Reflective Practice: The German Didaktik Tradition (pp. 15-40). Taylor and Francis.  link >

Westbury, I., Hopmann, S., & Riquarts, K. (1999). Teaching As A Reflective Practice: The German Didaktik Tradition. Taylor and Francis.  link >

Westbury, I. (1999). The Burdens and the Excitement of the “New” Curriculum Research: A Response to Hlebowitsh’s “The Burdens of the New Curricularist”. Curriculum Inquiry, 29(3), 363-364.

Laih, H. L., & Westbury, I. (1998). The transformation of Taiwan's upper secondary education system: A policy analysis. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 6.

Westbury, I. (1998). Didaktik and Curriculum Studies. In B. B. Gundem, & S. Hopmann (Eds.), Didaktik and/or Curriculum: An International Dialogue (pp. 47-78). (American University Studies). Peter Lang Publishing.

Westbury, I. (1997). Editorial. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 29(3), 257-258.  link >

Westbury, I., & Hsu, C. (1996). Does State Control of the Curriculum Matter? A Response to Stevenson and Baker. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 18(4), 343-347.  link >

Westbury, I., & Hsu, C. S. (1996). Structures of curriculum governance and classroom practice in mathematics. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 18(2), 123-139.  link >

Westbury, I., Ethington, C. A., Sosniak, L. A., & Baker, D. P. (Eds.) (1994). In Search of More Effective Mathematics Education: Examining data from the IEA Second International Mathematics Study. Ablex.

Westbury, I. (1993). American and Japanese Achievement … Again: A Response to Baker. Educational Researcher, 22(3), 21-25.  link >

Westbury, I. (1992). Comparing American and Japanese Achievement: Is the United States Really a Low Achiever? Educational Researcher, 21(5), 18-24.  link >

Westbury, I., & Doyle, W. (1992). Die Rückbesinnung auf den Unterrichtsinhalt in der Curriculum- und Bildungsforschung in den USA. Bildung und Erziehung, 45(2), 137-158.  link >

Travers, K., & Westbury, I. (Eds.) (1988). The IEA Study of Mathematics I: Analysis of Mathematics Curricula. Pergamon Press.

Westbury, I., & Purves, A. C. (1988). Cultural Literacy and the Idea of General Education. University of Chicago Press.

Westbury, I. (1988). How should we be judging the American high school. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 20(4), 291-315.  link >

Damerow, P., & Westbury, I. (1985). Mathematics for All - Problems and Implications. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 17(2), 175-184.  link >

Westbury, I. (1984). A nation at risk. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 16(4), 431-445.  link >

Westbury, I., & Reid, W. A. (1984). Foreword. In L. Anderson (Ed.), Time and School Learning: Theory, Research and Practice (pp. vii-viii). Taylor and Francis.  link >

Westbury, I. (1983). How Can Curriculum Guides Guide Teaching? Introduction to the Symposium. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 15(1), 1-4.  link >

Reid, W. A., & Westbury, I. (1982). Foreword. In J. Olson (Ed.), Innovation in the Science Curriculum: Classroom Knowledge and Curriculum Change (pp. 1-2). Taylor and Francis.

Westbury, I. (1982). EDUCATING. Educational Theory, 32(2), 97-101.  link >

Westbury, I. (1980). Review Article - Ideology and Curriculum. Educational Theory, 30(2), 169-175.  link >

Westbury, I. (1980). The Impact of the Journal of Curriculum Studies: a Citation Analysis. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 12(2), 149-156.  link >

Schwab, J. J., Westbury, I. (Ed.), & Wilkof, N. J. (Ed.) (1978). Science, Curriculum, and Liberal Education: Selected Essays. University of Chicago Press.

Westbury, I. (1978). Research into Classroom Processes: a Review of Ten Years ’ Work. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 10(4), 283-308.  link >

Westbury, I. (1977). Educational Policy-Making in New Contexts: The Contribution of Curriculum Studies. Curriculum Inquiry, 7(1), 3-18.  link >

Arlin, M., & Westbury, I. (1976). The leveling effect of teacher pacing on science content mastery. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 13(3), 213-219.  link >

McKinney, W. L., & Westbury, I. (1975). Stability and change: The Public Schools of Gary, Indiana, 1940-70. In W. A. Reid, & D. F. Walker (Eds.), Case Studies in Curriculum Change: Great Britain and the United States (pp. 1-53). Taylor and Francis Inc..  link >

Westbury, I. (1973). Conventional Classrooms, “Open” Classrooms and the Technology of Teaching. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 5(2), 99-121.  link >

Westbury, I. (1972). The Character of a Curriculum for a "Practical" Curriculum. Curriculum Theory Network, (10), 25-36.  link >

Westbury, I., & Steimer, W. (1971). Curriculum: A Discipline in Search of Its Problems. The School Review, 79(2), 243-267.

Westbury, I. (1970). Curriculum evaluation. Review of Educational Research, 40(2), 239-260.  link >

Westbury, I. (1969). Essay Review: "A System for Analysing Lessons". The School Review, 77(2), 157-163.  link >

Westbury, I. (1966). Supervision and the careers of teachers a Canadian study. Melbourne Studies in Education, 9(1), 96-127.  link >

Westbury, I. (1961). The Sydney and Melbourne arts courses, 1852–1861. Melbourne Studies in Education, 5(1), 256-284.  link >