No undergraduate or postgraduate programmes currently exist for the professional education of informal educators. The authors outline the development of previous programmes and consider the emergence of informal education as a discrete concept. The article then highlights some key failings in the professional education of informal educators and…

Following the publication of a recent report, commissioned by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and conducted by Staff and Educational Developers Association, this short paper considers the HEA UK Professional Standards Framework in the UK Higher Education Sector, in the context of recent and continuing debates about how best to support faculty…

This paper explores the professional development literature in the educational setting. The different literature pieces are aligned to a framework that requires effective professional development to focus on three concepts: content, context, and process. The content focuses on the "what" question in the programs while the context aims to…

Professional development (PD) for early childhood educators has received increased attention as a means of bolstering young children's learning and development. Theory and research indicate that educators' characteristics play roles in both their own learning and that of children; however, little research has explored who participates in PD. This…

Despite the key role that principals play in leading schoolwide change, districts' efforts to support principals are often limited, particularly in rural settings. In this article, we report the preliminary findings of a cross-district mentoring program for nine midcareer rural school principals. The collaboratively developed human resource…

The six essential elements of this model are based on adult learning principles: (1) motivation; (2) ongoing meetings; (3) changes in attitudes, knowledge, and skills; (4) varied formats; (5) small number of participants; and (6) continuous feedback. Comparison with large seminars and individual study illustrates the merits of this format. (SK)

By describing the working of the UTA (University of the Third Age) system in Paris and Cambridge, the author examines the differences that have arisen in the transfer of the concept from France to Britain. (Author)

The article argues the case for greater attention being paid to parents as lifelong learners, whether they pursue knowledge consciously or unconsciously, whether they are highly motivated or learn merely to survive through frequent rapid changes. She discusses parenting characteristics, transition to parenthood, content of parent education,…

Describes two vocational programs for retarded adults--a two-semester food service program and a one-semester janitorial service program. The article discusses program eligibility, financial aid, counseling, teaching philosophy and techniques, and program content. The community college's role as a resource center is also described. (CT)