This position paper of the American Federation of Teachers contends that the most fundamental responsibility of schools is teaching students to read. The paper states that the type of literacy instruction that includes a range of research-based components and practices has not made its way into every classroom, and that, indeed, a chasm exists…

Recent reforms in science education call for curricula designed to support students' construction of knowledge through inquiry. Teachers need to learn new methods and content to enact reform-based curriculum, and educative materials designed to address teacher as well as student learning are one vehicle for this type of reform. This paper…

This paper explains the nature of the teacher education program at Saint Joseph's College, Rensselaer, Indiana, focusing on four distinct yet integrated components of the teacher education program. The components--education faculty; faculty from the arts, sciences, and humanities; and preK-12 classroom teachers--work collaboratively in the…

This paper reviews current literature about three tools used by teacher education programs and school districts to assess teacher candidate quality. It presents a matrix which aligns the underlying dimensions of teacher knowledge, dispositions, and skills for the STAR Teacher Interview, the Teacher Perceiver Interview, and the Praxis III Teacher…

This paper responds to the questions: "How do we shape classroom life to reflect a spirit of social justice and equality, of tolerance and respect?" It presents a philosophy and a set of practices by which preschool classrooms may become communities that work for everyone. The paper begins with an observation of a preschool classroom and notes…

This collection of abstracts is representative of the sessions presented at the International Reading Association's Reading Research 2000 Conference, held in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 29, 2000. The theme of the conference, "Learning To Teach Reading: Setting the Research Agenda," was a timely one as schools, teachers, states, teacher…

The progressive agenda of science education reform, particularly the goal of promoting student inquiry, places substantial intellectual demands on teachers. If this reform is to succeed, the education community must do more to appreciate and address its demands. This paper presents three examples of high school physics teachers' conversations…

This publication relates the experiences of seven K-8 teachers who participated in a science education doctoral cohort group during which each of the teachers engaged in a different real-world scientific research project. The idea was to immerse teachers in scientific research so that they could experience inquiry in science first-hand and become…

The act of exemplary teaching requires the orchestration of subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge with pedagogical content knowledge. If this last component is not sufficiently present, then we may be quite efficient in presenting students with rote information. If this last component is sufficiently present (and carried out well),…

This study followed Sternberg and Horvath's (1995) prototype view to sketch a teaching expertise schema as the hypothetical model. An interview of 13 novice, beginning, and expert teachers was used to examine the adequacy of the model. The participants were asked to comment on slides of classroom events. Their think-out-loud protocols were coded…

This paper describes the changes K-8 teachers made in their conceptions of science, teaching, and learning as they participated in a year-long professional development program. The program was based on principles reflected in the national science education reform initiatives, and focused on the role of teachers as decision makers in promoting…

Reports on the effects of six different primary inservice training courses aimed at teachers' motivation, anxieties, hands-on working skills, and support needs. Results showed that primary teachers felt they needed more continuous support in the area of improving their knowledge and understanding of the subject, especially in chemistry and…

Project LIFE, a state systemic initiatives professional development program for middle-grade life science teachers, has been successful in improving the science content knowledge, process skills, and attitudes toward teaching science of the teachers participating in the project. The essential characteristics of this project are described as a…

Examined Greek kindergarten teachers' beliefs and practices relative to the National Association of the Education of Young Children's position on developmentally appropriate and inappropriate practices. Administered questionnaire to 67 teachers, and used checklist as an observation measure to check validity of reported beliefs. Found various…

Identifies concerns of beginning science and mathematics teachers about being a new teacher and their perceptions of the effectiveness of their preservice program in relation to their concerns. Concerns included class assignments, curriculum development, time and classroom management, and presentation of content. Perceptions include specificity of…