Analysis of other national systems of education identified factors that may explain the low ranking of U.S. students in achievement. Other nations emphasize clear priorities and accountability, school autonomy over personnel and operations, teacher discretion over teaching methods, and more time spent studying. (SK)

This paper aims to contribute to the limited literature on teacher job satisfaction in developing countries, especially in Cyprus. Drawing on interviews with 52 teachers and administrators in 17 schools, the paper describes the sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of Cypriot teachers and the impact on how teachers feel. Teachers…

The purpose of this study was to explore Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations, using school nurses and to answer the research question of whether there is a relationship between empowerment and autonomy in school nurses. This study found a positive relationship between the nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy. The school…

When the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) decided to remove the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) from its list of censured colleges, an opportunity was created for VCCS colleges to examine anew the status of academic freedom. The 1972 decision to abolish tenure within the VCCS had been viewed by some faculty as a direct…

This article explores the issues of trust, control, professional autonomy and accountability in higher education quality assurance in the UK. The main part of this article is conceptual, but it includes results from semi-structured interviews with academic staff that were conducted at two "new university" business schools. Both…

In this paper transitions in the operational definitions of professionalism over the last 20 years will be discussed. As a consequence of (imposed) changes in the control of curriculum and assessment and increased measures of public accountability, teachers in most countries now work within cultures in which their careers are ever more dependent…

Using a narrative inquiry methodology, this 10-year study examined the situated nature of two teachers' development. Research questions examined how the teachers situated their own learning, how they developed discourse communities for teaching and learning, and how they used tools in their work. Findings suggest that the following elements of…

Assistant principals are in a precarious position. Although assistant principals are relied on to take over when the principal is out of the building, they are often viewed simply as disciplinarians. To change this perception, the author has learned that he needs to pave his own way by implementing activities and procedures that let others know…

Due to conceptualizations of autonomy as detachment and independence, research on the parenting-autonomy relationship in adolescence has yielded inconsistent results. In the present study, self-determination is proposed as an alternative way of tapping into the construct of autonomy. An integrated model of the relationships between perceived…

The last two decades have been witness to the introduction of a series of interlocking government-led initiatives ostensibly designed to establish and raise performance standards in teaching and learning. These include target-setting, assessments, appraisals, performance management systems and performance thresholds. Such measures have often been…

The purpose of this study was to develop a theory for the relationship between primary school teachers' autonomy and collegiality and its impact on their professional development. In the first phase of the research, 39 teachers from 11 primary schools in Belgium were interviewed about autonomy, collegiality, and professional development. The…

This paper discusses current court rulings on academic freedom at the college and university level. The paper focuses on three cases: "Hall v. Kutztown," in which the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled that Kutztown University violated the free speech rights of a philosophy professor when it rejected him…

Findings of a study that examined successful high school principals' strategies for implementing school improvement visions are presented in this paper. Methodology involved case studies of four Georgia high school principals with reputations for effective school improvement. Interviews were conducted with the principals and 10 teachers from each…

A study examined the similarities and differences which exist in the professionalization of public relations in Austria, Norway, and the United States. Subjects, 136 of 188 members of the Public Relations Verband Austria, 150 of 300 members of the Informasjonsforeningen (Norway), and 272 of 500 members of the Public Relations Society of America,…

This paper examines the responses of English primary schools to the changes imposed on them by the introduction of the National Curriculum. The study first focused on schools' management strategies and their impact on the school's management culture. A second focus was on the relationship of the school and its headteacher with external agencies.…