This book examines the personal, moral, cultural, and political dimensions of teaching in the context of rapid and far-reaching change within teachers' work and in the world beyond it. The chapters in Part One examine the powerful forces for change in society and how those forces are exerting pressure on existing institutions. Issues such as the…

A study examined a number of sources regarding a growing trend against the importance of academic publishing, including various articles that have appeared in the popular and academic press both for and against the "publish or perish" mentality. The literature review was grounded in E. Boyer's 1990 report "Scholarship Reconsidered:…

Strategies for teacher retention are presented, including successful approaches and elements for operating a state system for personnel recruitment and retention in special education. Such initiatives as the Utah Mentor Teacher Academy; the Texas Teacher Recruitment, Retention and Assistance Program; and the Kansas Recruitment/Retention Project…

This paper presents the results of a study to identify the specific needs graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in speech communication have while teaching. Six GTAs completed a description of their experience as GTAs, maintained a day-by-day teaching log and participated in a group discussion. The paper uses a qualitative-phenomenological approach…

Findings of a study that determined factors of beginning teachers' work and career choice commitment and retention are presented in this paper. The data consisted of a nationally representative sample of first-year K-12 public and private, full- and part-time teachers derived from the 1987-88 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). The final subsample…

In the area of language instruction, a network of ecological relationships exists among the teacher, the child, and the text--the sustaining and nurturing of these relationships is at the heart of whole language instruction. Moreover, this network of relationships falls prey to neither of the unsustainable extremities of "gericentrism"…

The paper presents a history of the 1966 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)/International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendation concerning the status of teachers. It spans the years 1945-1966, explaining how the recommendation evolved into the present text designed to improve teacher status and working…

This brief introduction to the career of early childhood special educator first describes the nature of the special educator's work with infants and preschool children, and then discusses the educator's role in involving families to develop and implement an individualized plan and work as part of a team of professionals and family members. The…

This brief introduction to the career of elementary level special education resource teacher first describes the nature of the work and the variety of settings in which these educators work. The pamphlet explains the education required, desirable personal qualities, the job outlook and possibilities for advancement, and some ways for high school…

This paper examines the problem of stress within the teacher's environment and ways in which teachers can manage stress. The components of the stress process are identified in terms of the sources of stress and teachers' response to stress. Sources include the events or characteristics of the environmental situation and life events, occupational…

This study replicated earlier state-wide studies of Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas teachers with a current sample of Alabama teachers. Data from a random sample of 196 teachers in the fall of 1988 revealed that more than one-third of the state's teachers are seriously considering leaving the profession. They cite inadequate pay as their major…

The Task Force on Teaching was asked to gather research, review literature, and collect testimony on improving teaching. Two papers are presented: (1) "Attracting and Retaining Talented Teachers" (Cindy K. Currence); and (2) "Building State Strategies to Attract and to Retain Talented Teachers" (Robert Palaich). This report…

To explore several categories of variables strongly associated with professional satisfaction and dissatisfaction in American middle schools, responses of 540 out of 900 targeted middle school teachers to two open-ended questions were analysed. (The two survey items were drawn from the Status of the U.S. American Middle School Teacher…

Academic freedom for precollegiate teachers in the United States is less clear than that expressed and confirmed in law and custom for college faculties. The question studied was how academic freedom is perceived in theory and practice by secondary school teachers outside of the United States. The interview schedule was modeled after schedules…

Factors that contributed to the demoralization of junior faculty at a university with 214 teaching and professional staff were identified and change strategies were recommended. A consultant held interviews with 65 current and 8 former staff members. Themes that emerged from the interviews were used to develop suggestions for improving specific…