Professional learning communities (PLCs) have been recognised as having the potential to raise the quality of teachers, teaching and student learning through structured teacher collaboration, and have been featured prominently in Singapore and Shanghai--both considered top-performing Asian societies in the Program for International Student…

While the literature on professional learning communities (PLCs) has proliferated, much of it derived from and contextualised in Anglo-American settings, the concept and practice of PLCs in Asian contexts of strong hierarchies have largely been ignored. Based on literature and documentary analysis, this paper investigates the systemic…

During the 1980s Canadian teachers' associations became deeply immersed in the reform movement that called for the inclusion of students with special needs into general classrooms. Associations raised issues surrounding inclusive schooling, particularly in regard to the conditions of teaching and learning. As inclusion evolved into a dominant…

The purpose of the study was to empirically investigate the institutional approach to distance education, and examine whether the factors of concerns for program cost and faculty participation could statistically predict adoption of technology-mediated distance education (TMDE) among higher-education institutions. It is elusive to base the…

Workforce Remodelling in England has been presented as a means to enhance the development of teachers and promote rising educational attainment. Through a re-examination of roles, schools are presented with an opportunity to review their ways of working to improve the quality of their practices. This paper looks at the ways in which the…

Findings of a study that identified time management strategies used by schools involved in restructuring to address the problem of time are presented in this paper, which is based on the assertion that school faculties need time to restructure while implementing new programs. Methodology involved a survey of 31 schools and 14 school districts that…

Sustaining reform requires district leaders to develop a supportive infrastructure, nurture professional communities, reduce turnover, and use facilitators to build capacity. Bringing educators up to speed means providing abundant staff development, balancing pressure with support, providing adult learning time, and reducing fragmentation and…

Discusses the implementation and use of computer-assisted learning in a traditional university physics course at Keele University (England), its effect on traditional course structure, and the effective use of academic staff time. Highlights SToMP (Software Teaching of Modular Physics), based on distance learning principles that permit self-paced…

New arrangements for the induction of teachers in Scottish schools were introduced for school session 2002/03. Those completing initial teacher education (ITE) are now entitled to a one-year training post with a 70% workload, 30% of working time for professional development and 10% of an experienced teacher's time for support. Such inductees must…

This examination of individual transition plans (ITPs) for students with disabilities in New South Wales, Australia, looked at effectiveness of the system and procedures, and involvement of teachers in the development of the ITPs. It found that the numbers of written ITPs grew from 156 (56 percent of potential) in 1989 to 340 (74 percent) by June…

The College of Business at San Diego State University embarked on a pilot project to introduce an online version of its MBA program in the spring of 2000. The College of Business at SDSU is one of the largest in the nation, with over 6,000 enrolled students. The online MBA program was intended to complement the wide variety of on-campus programs…