The progress of the first cohort of an innovatory "flexible" postgraduate initial teacher training programme in the North-West of England was tracked over a two-year period. The programme itself was introduced by the British government at a time of teacher shortage, and was designed to attract people into teaching from other careers. Its…

Reflecting on one's teaching practice is often an implicit goal for faculty development programs. Yet very little has been documented on how programs for diverse groups of university teachers actually engage faculty in such reflection. This paper examines how theoretical constructs of reflective practice were applied in the context of an 8-month…

Interaction styles of special education teachers were investigated using semi-structured observation of 13 student-teacher pairs during one-on-one language arts instruction of elementary students with cognitive disabilities. Teacher use of directions and responses of differing communication modes and types were analyzed. Student task-engagement…

Based on Raven's (1992) power interaction model, situational and personal variables were examined as determinants of power choice in educational settings. The impact of educational sector (secular, religious), class level, gender and content of conflict on perceived power usage in teacher-pupil conflicts was analysed. A total of 370 elementary and…

This 4-week case study followed a kindergarten teacher (the first author of the report) moving from a conventional teaching approach to one drawing from the philosophies of the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The teacher kept a journal in order to document her reflective practice, and to describe, reflect, and analyze shifts in her beliefs and…

This study investigated the teaching and learning behaviors of elementary school teachers and students, ascertaining student teachers' ratings of the observed behavior and comparing student teachers' and elementary teachers' ratings of behavior. A total of 84 elementary teachers and 25 third-year science education majors from Taiwan participated…

A study examined different teaching styles to determine which was more beneficial to a kindergartner. The study was conducted through the first marking quarter of the school year. Subjects were 24 kindergartners in a suburban, middle class community within the New York City School District. Students were divided into three sample groups meeting in…

This study analyzed relationships between students' regard for one another and their mathematics achievement in cooperative learning groups in six grade 7 middle school classes. The sample consisted of 184 students (55% Hispanic, 14% Black, 27% White, 3% Asian American) in a city of Los Angeles County. Two teachers each taught three classes, two…

Focusing on three literature teachers who have lived with and through the changing representations of the discipline, this paper, an examination of the nature of inquiry in literature education, describes the multiple realities that such teachers must negotiate for themselves and their students. The paper discusses conceptions of reflective…

This study examined to what extent teachers who choose to take a course about cooperative learning implement the innovation and which factors account for variation in use of cooperative learning in their classrooms. Nine female elementary teachers were observed and interviewed. Teachers were categorized as effective users, competent users,…

Classroom observation and evaluation of teachers by supervisors or principals is a delicate process. Most teachers would welcome feedback from their supervisors about improving teaching, but they rarely receive it. Many times the role of the principal is unclear in the observation process. Standardized observation formats sometimes fail to…

This paper addresses the measurement of classroom environment and proposes an alternative approach to assessing classroom environment that allows subjects greater spontaneity and provides greater descriptive flexibility. A study asked 31 college professors at Midwestern State University of Wichita Falls, Texas, to generate lists of adjectives…

This study of gender differences in mathematics learning examined two 4-year-olds who attended a Melbourne, Australia preschool. The study traces the experiences of the students, one female and one male, during their first formal exposure to mathematics in kindergarten. Of particular concern was how the preschoolers interacted with their teacher,…

Earlier content analyses showed that the match between content covered by textbooks and tests varied as a function of the particular textbook and test a teacher was asked to use. This study tried to determine if the congruity in textbook-test content varied as a function of different styles of textbook use. Using year-long case studies of seven…

Approaches to improve the teaching of nursing students of diverse backgrounds are described in 16 papers as part of the Southern Regional Education Board's Faculty Development in Nursing Education Project. Among the papers and authors are the following: "Background on the Faculty Development in Nursing Education Project" (Audrey F.…