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In recent years, networking and collaboration have become increasingly popular in education. However, there is at present a lack of attention to the theoretical basis of networking, which could illuminate when and when not to network and under what conditions networks are likely to be successful. In this paper, we will attempt to sketch the theoretical background to networking drawing on work in sociology, psychology, and business studies and looking at 4 main theoretical frameworks: constructivism, social capital theory, Durkheimian network theory, and the concept of New Social Movements. We will also explore differences between networks on a number of factors such as goals, activities, density, spread, and power relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the idea of the perceived curriculum from the student's viewpoint. Based on this, students' perception of opportunity to learn is measured and a process indicator developed for use in school effectiveness research and school evaluation. The Essential Skills of the New Zealand Curriculum are used as the foundation for the development of an instrument to measure opportunity to learn. The instrument measures students' perceptions of opportunity to learn from activities within the school environment. Some illustrative results from a baseline study of 1,300 pupils from 20 schools are presented. Potential uses for an instrument are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]