This paper examines two activities in a weeklong Professional Development (PD) focused on implementing mathematical play in kindergarten classrooms. Though the weekly activities all had different goals, the two focal activities (Pattern Blocks and Create-a-Monster) were designed specifically to be both playful and mathematically engaging for the…

This report is about how a group of U.S. teachers (N = 98) and researchers used a boundary object in a collective study of grades 6-8 mathematics instruction. The focus is the teachers' engagement with a framework for effective instructional practices. Using qualitative content analysis of teachers' responses to use of the framework, we assessed…

Sex and relationships education has been a controversial area of the curriculum in England for many years. Despite changes to the content and the approach to this material, many teachers and parents remained unhappy about issues such as: the right of schools to teach material that some think should be done in a family situation only; the problem…

Framed by a queer theoretical perspective on the problem of heteronormativity in schools, this qualitative case study traces one teacher's journey of cultivating and enacting commitments to affirming gender and sexual diversity as she moved across contexts of teacher preparation and in-service teaching. Data informing analysis were collected over…

This paper details how a 7-month reading-focused professional development initiative, centered on the assessment-to-instruction cycle, supported teachers' growth by combining small group sessions with related individualized literacy coaching. Analysis of participants' experiences revealed the significance of differentiated professional learning in…

Describes the development, format, and content of a new faculty orientation and mentoring program. The orientation program targets immediate information concerning employment and getting started in the classroom, while the mentoring program provides peer support for the duration of the employee's first years of service. The initiative is divided…

The origins and development of one specific faculty development program are described with additional consideration given to problems encountered. The emergence of the overall faculty development issue is reviewed as well as the experiences of individual faculty members at East Texas State University. Workshops led to plans for: appointment of a…

Given the complexities of the higher education organizational structure, role conflict exists for all employed in this setting. However, it is particularly apparent with new faculty given the university setting and the expectations to meet performance specific standards. The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze how the development and…

A multi-perspective qualitative study was conducted during the spring 1996 semester to investigate the impact of a mentoring initiative on the performance of ten adjunct instructors, new to the faculty of Indian River Community College (Florida). The study found that all participants derived a significant value from the mentoring initiative, with…

This report describes a study on Arizona's beginning teacher induction, examining how induction program elements vary statewide. It also examines three induction models: the California Model, the Connecticut Model, and a model for science teachers in Arizona. In 2000, researchers surveyed 197 traditional public school districts regarding their…

This paper describes a faculty development and orientation program for new faculty at Montclair State University in New Jersey. The New Faculty Program (NFP) is designed to orient and introduce a diverse new faculty (more than half of whom are women and minorities) to the culture of the university, and to help them attain reappointment and tenure…

At Valencia Community College's Osceola Campus, adjunct instructors make up over 75% of the teaching force. Adjunct faculty are given several challenges: to contribute to every aspect of campus life; to affect major instructional instruction; and to be aware of the constraints created by college policy and a regard for instructional excellence.…

The state of Oklahoma sought to determine the effectiveness of its entry-year assistance committees which were designed to help beginning teachers. The study also assessed the contribution of the committees to the improvement of teacher education programs and their contribution to the induction of new teachers. The survey instrument consisted of:…

The effect of participation in interdisciplinary general education programs on personal and professional development of faculty was investigated at Denison University (Ohio), Earlham College (Indiana), and Kenyon College (Ohio). Faculty members teaching interdisciplinary general education courses in these private liberal arts colleges were…

To strengthen its traditional professional development, which relies on off-campus experts, McLennen Community College (MCC) in Waco, Texas, has developed a popular and effective in-house system. Faculty members who are experts in their own fields serve as resource leaders in faculty development opportunities for salary step-credit and in…