This paper describes a study that investigated Western Australian senior high schools' cultures. Researchers developed the School Cultural Elements Questionnaire to examine six aspects of school culture: professional values, emphasis on learning, collegiality, collaboration, shared planning, and transformational leadership. A group of 422 teachers…

Since the 1970s, there has been a growing trend in the number and percentage of part-time, adjunct, and contingent faculty in higher education. While the working conditions of such faculty vary dramatically, their employment conditions are substandard when compared to those of their full-time colleagues. Generally, they do not receive any benefits…

This newsletter's central item is an essay on teaching as a profession and its condition in the midst of current trends and historical movements. It discusses teacher education, recent reform efforts to incorporate new understandings of teaching and learning in programs for prospective teachers, establishment of professional development schools,…

This paper examines research on risk factors affecting teachers, noting that teachers encounter daily challenges and stresses in working with today's students. Risk is difficult to define. Consequences of risk can include stress and burnout, absenteeism, and attrition. Research shows that everyday events, even positive ones, cause stress, and…

This study, which comprises part of a larger Western Australian research project on the relationships among teacher stress, perceptions of the school organizational climate, and beliefs in teacher efficacy, involves interviews with six secondary school teachers. The study focuses upon four major variables which may impact upon teachers' ability to…

This report presents suggestions for retaining beginning teachers. Research indicates that after 5 years, nearly half of new teachers leave teaching in the state where they first taught. Helping new teachers become veterans is an important step in addressing teacher shortages. New teachers tend to leave because of such factors as inadequate…

Reports a study of the effect of variables at the personal, school, and district/division level on these aspects of the attitudinal professionalism of 1,205 Manitoba teachers: use of professional organization as major referent, belief in public service, belief in self-regulation, sense of calling to the field, and autonomy. (SB)

Contextual factors that may affect the appropriateness of the placement of student teachers are described. A case study is presented of an inappropriate placement. (CJ)

In this paper, a psychologist comments on "Philosophy and Education: Eightieth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education." Criticisms of the yearbook's essays concern failure to appreciate the importance of how to teach (as well as content), the need for evaluation, the significance of real teaching conditions, and the…

Teachers are facing political pressure from both the left and the right regarding their right to choose appropriate instructional materials. The experiences of several teachers who have been involved in censorship arguments are reported. A checklist of items concerning school policies and public relations activities to counter censorship is…

In a study of school-based support services given to beginning teachers, three major categories of support were explored: (1) formal support, including school, school district, and teacher center related activities; (2) informal support, including professional books and articles; and (3) job-embedded support, entailing workload modifications and…

Burnout occurs when teachers are exposed to chronic stress without sufficient compensatory relaxation. Symptoms of burnout include physical, emotional, and attitudinal difficulties. Coping strategies for teachers include self-help groups and professional counseling. (JN)

The physical environment of the school is often not designed to fit the needs of older teachers. (Author/JM)

This article describes a new student teaching element introduced in the Netherlands in which student teachers act on their own during a three-month practicum, with no classroom observation incorporated into supervision. Also discusses short-term learning outcomes (as perceived by student teachers and their supervisors) of this effort to increase…

Examined prospective Tanzanian teachers' reasons for choosing teaching as a career, perceptions of the job, and future aspirations. Data from student surveys indicated that few respondents considered teaching their chosen career. However, although many of the respondents initially regarded teaching as a last resort, low-status, low-paying job, the…