Influenced by leadership developments in the private sector, educational researchers have increasingly focused their attention on "transformational" models of leadership that emphasize collaboration and empowerment. The facilitative leader's role is to foster the involvement of employees at all different levels. This digest summarizes…

The formation of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has raised a number of questions about the strategic orientation of teachers in South Africa. These questions are regarded in light of recent political and social changes in the country. Most teacher organizations are reluctant to disband in favor of the new union. The experience…

This paper outlines the diversity of support for educational research and the relatively little influence that educational research has had on recent United Kingdom policy for the secondary school curriculum. The document goes on to describe the major change facing U.K. secondary schools: the introduction of the national curriculum and a related…

A study was conducted in England in 1990 to determine the impact of the l988 Education Act, which requires all primary school teachers of the 5-16 age group to pursue a common and detailed national curriculum in each subject. This legislation mirrors the trend within educational systems towards centrally determined goals with local responsibility…

Changes in authority relationships in the British government recently have had major consequences for the power of local administrators; a national report found an increased politicization of administrators in local government. This paper explores whether similar changes had taken place in educational administration. The effects of changes in…

Iowa has implemented educational reform by providing state financing without state mandates. This paper describes the achievements of Iowa's decentralized educational reform effort. Phase I of the reform effort provided salary relief to the beginning teacher, Phase II provided salary relief for the experienced teacher, and Phase III linked future…

The concept of instructional leadership is constrained by social conventions that derive from a technical notion devoted to managerial rather than educational ends. This paper analyzes (1) assumptions held about leadership and instruction, (2) these notions in other contexts and practices, and (3) effects of such practices on the lives of…

Clinicians who work with at-risk older adults are often faced with the difficult decision to override their client's civil rights and force institutionalization. Many times the professional is pressured by police or a housing manager to "just do something" with the judgmentally impaired older client. Clinicians faced with these decisions may…

The background on academic freedom in the United States and the current situation are discussed by former North Carolina Governor and Duke University President Terry Sanford. Academic freedom had not been established in the United States even as late as the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, the meaning of academic freedom or faculty rights…

The context for considering faculty career vitality is addressed. It is suggested that the unit of study should be individual, and that both internal and external influences should be considered. A contrasting view is that the institution should be the unit of study. A Pennsylvania State University study revealed that faculty career decisions were…

Numerous studies indicate that an individual's perception of internal or external control over life events ("perceived locus of control") is a personality variable that influences the perception of a situation as threatening or stress-inducing. Whether for reasons of personality or because of "situational powerlessness," the…

A study determined if teachers discriminated among three different types of direct supervisory communication--information only, information with suggestions, and information with directives--in instructional improvement conferences. Thirty inservice teachers were assigned to three experimental groups and viewed videotapes which simulated…

Based on the current drive toward professionalism in early childhood education and the low status and prestige afforded teachers in this field, this paper applies some of the main concepts of professionalism to the current state of the art of early childhood education. Two uses of the term "professional" are delineated: the…

This paper addresses the notion of accountability in teaching, arguing that teachers themselves should assume the challenge of making themselves accountable by developing a professional code of practice. The underlying notion of professionalism in teaching is first discussed as a context for justifying the further exploration of the possibilities…

This speech proposes an approach to evaluating principals that incorporates strategies for motivating principals to improve. The first step is to abandon the "middle management mentality" by granting full decision-making authority to principals over matters directly pertaining to their schools, such as teacher employment, use of allocated funds,…