Over the last 2 years, 3 Australian universities have been cooperating on a Commonwealth Government funded project on Distance Teaching and Evaluation Skills to identify and disseminate good practice in the professional development of distance educators. A specific and supportive professional development intervention to foster the evaluation of…

Within the context of the student teaching experience, a vast body of research examines the role played by cooperating teachers and the benefits gained by student teachers. However, few studies have explored the intrinsic benefits of having student teachers to cooperating teachers and the students in their classrooms. This study, which included a…

This study examined the functional relationships among motivation, perceived classroom environment, and student satisfaction, for three major curricular groups: arts and leisure programs, personal development programs, and professional development programs. The sample included 1,180 students enrolled in noncredit courses at the College of…

A 5-year Title III grant received by Northern Maine Technical College (NMTC) in 1989 provided funding for professional development (PD) activities at the college. To evaluate the impact of the grant and plan for the continuation of the professional development program, a study was conducted in 1994 near the end of the grant period. Following a…

This document reports on a workshop conducted to bring together vocational, technical, and adult education colleges and the University of Wisconsin-Stout staff members who are working with computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM). Participants discussed current program content, identified areas that need further development, and determined how…

This report documents a study that examines the first 4 years of a beginning chemistry teacher's career. The report explores the difficulties that are faced by the new teacher as she attempted to transform her formal knowledge of chemistry and pedagogy into the practical application of a high school chemistry teacher. The report includes the…

Recent changes in the field of early childhood education that suggest patterns of emerging professionalism in Australia are discussed. These changes include the following: (1) the development of a code of ethics for the Australian early childhood profession; (2) the transitions of training institutions into universities; (3) the development of…

A growing number of graduate students are career changers who are seeking second careers as teachers. This paper focuses on 20 novice teachers, graduates of a program specifically designed to recruit and meet the needs of those who enter teaching from other careers. Two questionnaires, biographical in nature, were distributed to participants upon…

How teachers restructured their professional knowledge (PK) was studied using data from a Tel Aviv (Israel) University workshop for experienced writing teachers that was designed to change their professional orientation from technical rationality to reflection in action. Workshop participants included 18 teachers with 10 to 35 years of teaching…

A cooperative effort of 29 engineering colleges, Colorado's National Technological University (NTU) is designed to provide career-long engineering education through the use of educational television and teleconferencing. NTU delivers both graduate courses leading to Master of Science degrees and continuing education instruction via communications…

Teach for America is a national teacher corps of outstanding individuals who commit 2 years to teach in urban and rural areas experiencing persistent teacher shortages. Teach for America selects corps members through an intensive application process, prepares them to enter the classroom in a preservice institute, clusters them in placement sites,…

The mission of the South Carolina Writing Improvement Network (WIN) is to improve students' writing abilities by providing professional development programs and writing activities for remedial writing teachers. A study assessed the effects of WIN on the growth and professional development of writing teachers, as well as the effects of the…

This document briefly describes school improvement opportunities in Michigan, including 19 projects, programs, grants, and plans for school improvement in grades K-12; 2 accreditation processes; 2 school improvement opportunities for intermediate school districts; and 3 opportunities for professional development. Each description contains…

Approved by the city's board of education in July 1982, Houston's Special Education Team Member Quality Assurance Program is intended to help assure continual professional growth for special education teachers. By establishing a system of faculty performance assessment, the program seeks to identify teachers' strengths and weaknesses, improve…

A study to compare the mentorship experiences of female and male faculty members in a large research institute of higher education is described. Three hypotheses were defined: (1) mentors are not available to women and men on an equal basis during key points in career development; (2) if the sex of the mentor and person receiving guidance differs,…