This paper traces the professional growth of science teachers in Trinidad and Tobago through their involvement in the production of context-based resource materials relevant to the lives of their students during workshop sessions. Grounded theory methods were used to analyse pre- and post-workshop questionnaire responses, tape-recorded group…

Informal learning's roots emerged from educational philosophers John Dewey, Kurt Lewin and Mary Parker Follett to theorists Malcolm Knowles and other successive researchers. This paper explores the background and definitions of informal learning and applications to the global workplace. Informal learning's challenges are applied to developing…

In this article, the author discusses the responsibilities of private sector dance educators to their students, parents and the faculty in middle America. The author believes that dance educators' responsibility to their students requires that they are qualified, caring, and professional. Private sector dance educators have the challenge of…

This article presents the author's reaction to Catherine Marshall and Michael Ward's article on research on social justice and training for leadership. Marshall and Ward's article provides an informative lens into how influential leaders perceive the role and importance of social justice training in the field of educational leadership. Marshall…

The newly developed "Learning To Teach System" for the preparation of teachers in California and the accompanying standards (referred to as the "2042 Standards" since they were derived from Senate Bill 2042 (SB 2042) passed by the California Legislature in 1998) have changed the way some California educators perceive the…

In this paper the author makes a short presentation of an ongoing longitudinal research project in Sweden. However, he wants to focus on the theoretical perspective he has found fruitful for his understanding of music teachers' professional socialisation, and on the question whether the music teacher must also be a musician in order to possess…

One hundred fifty-four special education directors in one northeastern state were surveyed regarding how specific components of Section 504 were implemented. Mean scores revealed that districts are properly implementing components of the law, including providing Section 504 plans only to students with disabilities, reviewing Section 504 plans on a…

This paper draws on research that has recently been conducted in Australia on the possibility of formulating professional standards for teachers of English in primary and secondary schools. English teachers around the country have played a vital role in the project, writing stories in an effort to capture "accomplished" English teaching,…

This article will draw on an investigation of teachers' research in a small-scale project involving 19 schools in the North West region of England. The teachers engaged in the research were funded by a government initiative, the Best Practice Research Scholarships Programme, and were mentored and tutored by university staff. The sample is very…

This article analyses the views of secondary school teachers involved in the Transforming the School Workforce: Pathfinder Project--a project designed to address issues of teacher workload and job satisfaction. The initiative was launched in 2002 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to enable 32 pilot schools to explore ways in which…

The power of the Internet to reach individuals across great geographic distances and to provide flexible, timely access to research-validated materials is revolutionizing the design of professional development. Creating strategies for linking technology-based instruction with onsite, application-based learning has great potential for teaching…

Numerous scholars have promoted "practitioner research" or "teacher-research" as a way of facilitating professional development for pre-service and in-service teachers, promoting change and reform in K-12 settings, and giving voice to teachers" personal and professional knowledge. In this article, the authors consider what…

This study explores the use of video vignettes as a tool for the professional development of teachers. It is postulated that teachers' professional frames prime them to view vignettes through multiple "lenses," and that teachers may not recognize exemplary practice when presented with it. Think-aloud and interview data are collected as 11…

Virginia Richardson, professor and former chair of Educational Studies at the University of Michigan, has recently been recognized for her contributions to teacher education with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). She has previously served as Vice President of Division K for the…

This study investigated teachers' motivations to undertake professional development, in particular where postgraduate study is involved. Specifically, the study involved the development, design and implementation of a psychometric instrument to measure Christian teachers' professional development motivations. Influential factors identified in the…