The revised National Curriculum for Science for key stages 3 and 4 (ages 11-16) in England provides the opportunity to develop a new coherent approach to teaching about the carbon cycle, the use of carbon as a fuel and the resulting issues. The Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU) intends to develop a new workshop to support the teaching of this…

The use of mentoring within teacher education has become more common in recent years, however, there still seems to be a lack of research about formal group mentorship models as a pedagogical process. In my study, I presented knowledge about how a formal group mentorship model used during a teacher education program at a Swedish university has…

Teacher Professional Development (TPD) is critical for educational improvement in higher education. However, one of the main concerns in TPD is that the traditional workshop format constrains active participation and the consequent creation of usable knowledge for teaching. In response to this challenge, we developed a series of teacher-centred…

Partnership in teacher education is usually seen as needing to occur between the university and a school. This teacher education program, however, considers partnership across many stakeholders, in addition: employer authorities, community agencies and pre-service teachers themselves as active partners. Using Wenger's (1998) concept of communities…

An evidence-based approach to professional development used to promote Head Start teacher adoption of evidence-based early childhood intervention practices is described. The article, includes a summary of findings from a meta-analysis of adult learning methods, a description of an approach to professional development informed by the meta-analysis…

Few online high schools report requiring online education for their teachers, and few programs exist to prepare teachers to teach online (Smith, Clark, & Blomeyer, 2005). Professional development for online teachers continues to be a concern, and evaluative research that examines the effectiveness of various types of professional development is…

In an era of specialization and standardization, what might the liberal arts offer to preservice teachers as they prepare for their participation in a demanding profession? The authors posit that teacher education programs housed in liberal arts institutions can provide rich mentoring opportunities for teacher candidates. While faculty in teacher…

The study proposes a way in which the learning and knowledge building (LKB) framework, which is consistent with the knowledge conversion phases proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi, supports teachers' informal and self-directed workplace learning. An LKB framework in a socio-technical system was developed to support professional development in an…

"Teacher leadership" is often described as a murky concept that refers not to a particular position, but rather to varied formal and informal leadership roles that teachers play within school communities. Teacher leadership may involve shaping curricula, choosing instructional materials, leading professional book clubs, planning staff…

Recruiting quality teachers is a top priority for school districts across the country. However, recent research demonstrates that an even greater challenge facing schools is retaining newly recruited teachers, particularly in urban school settings. This article analyzes the effects of two key components of many formal induction programs--mentoring…

The induction of beginning teachers continues to occupy a significant position on educational policy agendas as a crucial dimension in the formation of a teacher and one upon which an emergent career is built. Whilst there is growing impetus to establish an induction model that constitutes a relevant, fulfilling experience, current arrangements…

The study was designed to collect and document both quantitative and qualitative data based on instructional services provided to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study examined the types of professional development and training provided to teachers of students with ASD and gathered the perspectives of local education agency…

This article examines a 2-year process of integrating Lesson Study--a form of teacher-led professional development--into an introductory course on the principles of teaching for students majoring in early childhood education. The course is taught in conjunction with beginning practicum work in area schools. We describe obstacles, modifications,…

Coteaching has been proposed as an apprenticeship model of student teaching that helps candidates maximize their learning through high levels of collaboration with their partnering classroom teachers. Yet, what this collaboration looks like and how it supports candidates is poorly understood. Understanding collaborations between candidates and…

This paper examines the similarities and differences between two successful programmes of teacher professional learning. Firstly, Lesson Study developed in Japan over 40 years ago. It examines practice either through direct observation or through classroom artefacts and case studies. It assumes that teacher learning will be more meaningful and…