The Singaporean education system is undergoing many changes in order to develop schools and nation which cultivate learning and education. A crucial success factor to these initiatives is the teacher. Singapore needs reflective teachers who can continually reflect upon their own practices to find better ways of teaching as well as maintain their…

In this article it is argued that in order to be an effective artist teacher it is helpful to be a reflective practitioner. Initially a working definition of the artist teacher is formulated and the artist teacher scheme that has developed in England over recent years is discussed regarding its importance in offering both accredited and…

Looking back, the author sees that she misjudged how one becomes an educational expert. She thought it had something to do with thoughtful experience, deep thinking, reflective practice, and the study of theory and research. And maybe there was a time when that was true. But today it seems that the less one has studied education, the less one has…

A current interest in education is the growing awareness that the development of social and emotional skills in children is critical for the foundation of academic knowledge in the classroom. The early childhood educator is in a position to be a powerful nurturer of the social emotional development in young children. It is important, therefore, to…

What English educators call "praxis," the intersections between theory and practice, remains the most viable theory for literacy teachers at all levels, and Paulo Freire, the educator who explained "praxis" to them, remains their most important source of philosophical inspiration. Freire's definition of "praxis," that it requires action and…

An examination of how the use of descriptive analysis of children's work such as the Modified Descriptive Review process supported professional inquiry and growth for educators and for children they serve, is presented. The Modified Descriptive Review process fed immediate actions as well as the posing and exploring of large questions about…

This study is a review of a program and an endeavor that sought to examine the effects of preparing prospective teachers in the skills and abilities of action research, utilizing technological resources, and determining the impact of that upon teacher education efforts. A cohort of secondary student teachers were taught and prepared in the…

The Early Childhood profession would benefit from a systematic inquiry into "calendar math." The authors offer an organized framework for this work. After a description of calendar math practices, the authors examine problematic aspects of its implementation, based on developmental theory. The essay concludes with a call for more reflective…

To benefit from reflective and reflexive actions there is a need to contrast these two terms to understand what each is and is not. Both terms can indicate a level and concern for self-development. For instance, to be reflexive is to self-examine, to consider internal conversation, and use this voice to guide, support, and enhance work.…

This paper explores the metaphor of the "teacher as stranger" as a guide for curriculum inquiry. It describes investigations conducted by educators in an introductory curriculum studies course and illustrates the themes revealed in students' lived-curriculum journals. In particular, it examines several journals to document how…

The article shares some of the reflections of the project team who developed the "Do You Know Me? E Mohio Ana Koe Ki Ahau?" resource for educators, which aims to assist educators in both school and early childhood education services to clarify concerns about young children and take appropriate action. Issues discussed include the context…

Introduction: In this study, nine pre-service teachers worked in group (three groups of two and one group of three) to deliver a series of seven lessons via desktop videoconference from a Faculty of Education to elementary students in their classroom. Method: Each group delivered 2 lessons over a 4-week period. During delivery, the lessons were…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop the notion of collaborative practice from theoretical and empirical bases. Design/methodology/approach: The research analysed the concepts of collaboration, reflective practice and the primary task. It also examined the ways of working of 18 primary schools in Wales where the level of student…

The dynamics of the teacher-researcher relationship-whether embodied in a real time school inquiry or in a writer-reader connection through a piece of literature--are complex and have a significant impact on the meaningful transmission of knowledge between researchers and practitioners. Studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that teachers have a…

In this article, the author discusses the use of stories from the classroom to promote development in learning and teaching through inquiry communities and the "Develop your Teaching" (Dyt) approach. Sharing classroom stories, or "anecdoting," leads to a synthesizing of issues, providing starting points for professional development activity. One…