'Good teaching' remains disputed, but few studies have empirically studied variations in views of good teaching as reflected in teacher education. This study performed a content analysis of criteria for student teacher lesson observations stated in protocols from universities in six countries. Similarities across the protocols were the absence of…

Teachers have an important influence on pupils' academic progress, yet the quality of teaching varies widely. Policymakers, school leaders, and teacher educators therefore face the challenge of designing and commissioning professional development (PD) to help all their teachers become as effective as the best teachers. In the last two decades, a…

The Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2016, v.8.2) acknowledges that gifted and talented students are diverse and require educational provisions that meet their special needs. However, without professional learning in gifted education, teachers are ill-equipped to understand, identify and provide for gifted students. This paper reviews the literature…

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the research literature on continuing professional development and School Improvement demonstrate that teachers who have the opportunity to develop "knowledge of practice" by integrating theory and practice have a positive impact on student attainment. It is argued in this article that we have…

It is the aim of this investigation through literature review to identify teacher characteristics that may best promote social capital in students, thereby improving their ability to succeed in society. This review defines success as the procurement of a career-aimed occupation or a prestigious occupation. Consequently, it intends to (a) provide a…

Teachers are one of the key elements in any school and effective teaching is one of the key propellers for school improvement. This review is concerned with how to define a teacher's effectiveness and what makes an effective teacher. It draws out implications for policymakers in education and for improving classroom practice. Teacher…

Effective learning is strongly related to effective teacher and effective teaching. In this concept, teachers' characteristics gain crucial importance in understanding and lessening the problems and difficulties hindering students' long lasting learning process. The aim of this study is to present a literature review about the features of an…

Teaching for the development of students' thinking is not a straightforward matter. It requires pedagogical skills, which are different from those of normal good quality teaching for conceptual development. It follows that providing professional development (PD) for teachers of thinking is a "hard case"--we can learn much of general value to…

This is the first in a series of issue briefs to be written for The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement during 2006. A longstanding tenet of American education--one built into the very fabric of teacher training and licensure--is that elementary teachers need only general teaching skills and that having a caring personality is…

Studies such as the Effective Teachers of Numeracy Study (Askew, Brown, Rhodes, Johnson, & Wiliam (1997) have contributed much to our understanding of what constitutes effective teaching of numeracy. This paper aims to build on these findings and to contribute a model that could be used to understand teachers' numeracy practices and the…

Effective teachers consider interrelationships among aspects of teaching including learners, subject matter knowledge, assessment, and instruction. The 70 journal entries of 25 preservice elementary teachers are analyzed to characterize the teachers' written reflection. One focus of the analysis is on how the preservice teachers integrate ideas…

Review of research on school and teacher effectiveness in literacy identified a core of best practices. However, potential conflicts between the findings and present educational policies, particularly in the areas of context specificity and classroom level, raise some concerns. (SK)

There is a strong international interest in the enhancement of teaching quality. Enhancement is a big job because teaching is an extensive activity. It is a complex job because learning to teach is not, mainly, a formal process: non-formal, practice-based learning is more significant. These two points, extensiveness and practice-based learning,…

Noting that children's early mathematics experience is a significant factor in their future mathematics outcomes and attitudes, this paper discusses the importance of developmentally appropriate practices in mathematics instruction for young children and explores how teachers' pedagogical content knowledge determines their teaching practices in…

Addresses teacher qualifications and certification as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Teachers must know the subjects they teach. Briefly discusses teacher-preparation programs; teacher-retention rates; different pathways into teaching; teacher pay; and districts' role in assigning out-of-field teachers. (Contains three graphs.) (WFA)