Motivated by the increasing prevalence of shared decision making and distributed leadership in restructured schools, six teams of Canadian secondary teachers were interviewed to explore their collective learning and the conditions influencing it. Qualitative and quantitative evidence identified numerous conditions to explain across-team learning…

Reports on structured interviews with 24 teachers in 4 rural secondary schools concerning their level of satisfaction with teaching in rural schools, advantages and problems of rural schools and communities, factors helping or hindering better teaching, teacher role in curriculum development, and teacher extracurricular activities and outside…

This article discusses two outcomes of the movement to solve economic problems through school reform: corruption of the civic mission of public education, and the straightjacket-like conditions of teaching brought about by such reforms. Also discussed is the Institute for Democracy in Education, whose focus is democratic empowerment of students.…

Reports on the Third International Social Studies Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1994. Discusses democracy, educational reform efforts, and the importance of tourism to the Kenyan economy. Asserts that U.S. teachers must use accurate and nonstereotypical instructional materials in teaching about Africa. (CFR)

Reports a study that examined commitment and satisfaction among elementary and secondary Catholic school lay teachers (n=1040 with 746 responding). The group was classified by commitment group (mission oriented or teaching oriented). Findings indicate that teacher ideology is important to both teacher satisfaction and organizational integrity. (SM)

Reflects on ideas of feminism and critical literacy and their significance in relation to the current policy environment. Topics explored include the dilemmas of personal development; issues of culture, power, and coercion; shifting the focus to teaching; personal and pedagogical influences; pedagogical praxis; and developing a collective…

The purpose of this study was to discover the dissatisfactions for Australian beginning physical education (PE) teachers. Qualitative data yielded five main categories underpinning teacher dissatisfaction: lack of status, repetitive nature of PE work, limited decision making, personal and professional surveillance, and unprofessional staff-room…

Examines three reasons teachers leave their profession and approaches for helping them to love their work. Suggests that when teachers feel challenged, in control of their lives, and have a sense of belonging, their needs have been met. Then they can become the adult attachment figure that children must have in order to have their own needs…

Survival analysis was used to examine and follow the career paths of 6,642 special education teachers hired in Michigan and North Carolina between 1972 and 1983. Educators most likely to leave teaching included those serving students with speech, hearing, or vision disabilities; teachers with high test scores; and teachers paid comparatively low…

Describes a workshop that presented both implementation strategies and a working model for education programs seeking to infuse environmental education (EE) in the classroom. Reviews possible obstacles to cross-curricular EE in the school setting and includes a list of factors useful in selecting cross-curricular program themes. (MCO)

"Teacher Roundtables," associated with Michigan State University, consists of elementary, middle, and high school teachers who focus on literacy and learning and meet regularly outside of school. This article focuses on teacher resistance to texts, curriculum, reform proposals, and other elements of school culture that are insensitive to…

Fulbright teachers from England, Germany, Denmark, and Canada aired their views about American education during a 1991 conference. The foreign teachers admired America's commitment to providing universal access to education and academic second chances. They deplored local school funding disparities; teachers' heavy workloads and low status; and…

Educational innovation will succeed if it results in teacher professionalization that affects the way education occurs. Good educational innovation should focus on teachers as learners. The article discusses labor conditions as a basis for educational innovation, noting the importance of considering both school development and teacher…

Reports on a study of teacher burnout among 160 Swiss secondary teachers. Finds that teacher-student relationships are the most frequently mentioned reason for burnout, followed by feelings of being trapped in school routine and personal difficulties. Discusses the impact of burnout episodes on a teacher's career. (CFR)

Questionnaires completed by Australian preservice teachers before and after practical experiences in isolated rural settings revealed the value of these experiences in developing positive attitudes toward teaching in rural schools and in sensitizing teachers to the culture and conditions associated with teaching in rural areas. (LP)