Mr Galton reckons that 35% of the primary-school day is now spent on whole-class teaching, up from 15% a few years ago.

ECONOMIST: Plowden��s progress

In teaching maths, for instance, both those countries spend more time on basic arithmetic than on deeper mathematical ideas, emphasise mental arithmetic, rely on standard teaching manuals and favour whole-class (as opposed to group) teaching.

ECONOMIST: Education and the wealth of nations

These countries all have high aspirations, highly competitive school systems, and an emphasis on whole-class, formal teaching.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | What Kelly does next

Zuckerberg based his newly-public stance on personal experience with the middle-school entrepreneurship after-school class he started teaching earlier this year.

FORBES: Zuckerberg: Undocumented Immigrants 'Should Be Part Of Our Future'

On a recent morning, Mr. Leon was teaching his 12th-graders a class about gender roles in the media and society.

WSJ: Newark Lays Off Newest Teachers, Even If They're the Best Teachers

But since January 2003 Mr Badnarik has been criss-crossing the country, making speeches and teaching a freelance class on the United States constitution to anyone who will listen.

ECONOMIST: The Libertarians choose their man

Before Plowden, whole-class teaching got a bad name because it often led to teachers droning on while their pupils dropped off.

ECONOMIST: New skool rules, OK? | The

My friend and colleague, John Gregory, was teaching a short non-credit summer class at Pasadena City College on the history of rock songs based on his book Making Music.

FORBES: Women and Overperforming: Don't Go for the Bait