This ethnographic study responds to concerns that the goal of developing reflective teachers is unrealistic given the practical concerns of preservice teachers. The study examines what should be meant by "reflective teaching" and whether or not teachers can become "reflective." The aim of the research was to understand if and how preservice…

For years, the classic supervision model has frustrated both principals and teachers by fostering superior-subordinate relationships, focusing on teacher conformity rather than growth, or producing checklist data that is irrelevant to the curriculum. This book offers a practical, time-saving alternative that impacts student achievement by…

This book supports primary teachers' early professional development and learning, tackling key questions and concerns that new teachers might face in their early careers, such as: How will I get through the first term? When will I feel like a "real" teacher? What can I expect from my first years in teaching? Drawing on the experiences of beginning…

This policy brief provides guidelines grouped into five areas: personal and professional behavior; classroom environment; health, safety and nutrition; working with families and communities; and administration and management. The document discusses the topics that teacher competencies generally cover, options for how they might be developed and…

The inclusion of online learning technologies into the higher education (HE) curriculum is frequently associated with the design and development of new models of learning. One could argue that e-learning even demands a reconfiguration of traditional methods of learning and teaching. However, this transformation in pedagogic methodology does not…

This guide provides field-tested frameworks for planning and for reflection to assist preschool teachers in integrating popular curricular approaches. Chapter 1 of the guide describes the key components of a good preschool curriculum related to learning, a rich classroom environment, respectful caring relationships with children and families,…

This 5-year study of 2 instructors teaching a master's level instructional design course used developmental research to systematically examine a reflective teaching approach. The reflexive teaching model is described. Eight data sources across six deliveries of the course were analyzed in terms of design decisions (the teaching model), model…

For the last five years I have asked students of the Diploma of Teaching and Graduate Diploma of Education to write "an individual science autobiography". They were asked to include their recollections of any science lesson that either encouraged them to do science or nearly put them off altogether. They were also asked if the content of the…

This paper describes and analyzes the experiences of an inquiry group that was part of a National Science Foundation-funded elementary mathematics teacher enhancement project, the "Mathematics for Tomorrow Project." Inquiry group meetings focused on discussions and interpretations of data that teachers have brought from their classrooms. A…

This study investigated the role of new information management technologies in facilitating student teacher supervision across the supervisory triad of student teacher, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor. The study investigated how data routinely generated by teachers and stored within an Instructional Information Management System…

This paper examines the author's conducting a weekly seminar for eight secondary interns (preservice teachers) from Michigan State University working at three middle and high schools. The leader describes the tension he felt in trying to respond to interns' emerging concerns and needs while at the same time trying to preserve an environment in…

The goals of the five chapters in this guide are to help both new and experienced educators develop as reflective practitioners and to integrate a mentoring program into the fabric of a school's community. The first chapter discusses adult learning and development, reflective practice, change, and diversity. The second chapter presents an overview…

This study, part of a larger study on special education teacher expertise, compared the instructional decision making of expert and novice special education teachers in familiar instructional settings to determine differences in the allocation of attention to different instructional themes. Participants were 19 expert special education teachers…

A reflective thinking model has been developed by reading/language arts faculty at Northwest Missouri State University to provide opportunity for elementary education majors to think reflectively about their teaching and to determine ways to improve their instructional practices. During a 7-week reading/language arts practicum experience,…

In this study, hypermedia technology was used to support prospective elementary teachers in publicly articulating their personal pedagogical theories, revisiting and revising them over time in light of new experiences and learning within the context of an innovative teacher preparation program. Given the need to incorporate opportunities for…