This study aimed at identifying the professional development requirements for biology teachers at the secondary stage in light of the Kingdom's vision 2030 and the degree of availability of these requirements from the viewpoint of biology teachers. The study also aimed at revealing the differences in the responses of biology teachers about the…

An educator working in a toddler-group (children aged 1-3) took part in an in-service program using a "Learning Study" design within the broader theoretical frame of the "Variation Theory of learning". The purpose of this study is, in qualitative terms and in the context of explorative play, to describe how the educator develops strategies where…

This paper reflects on the development of teacher continuing professional development (CPD) in Scotland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom that now has significant devolved powers within the United Kingdom--from a time when INSET was ill-coordinated and unvalued to the present reliance on CPD, with substantial investment, as the agent of…

This article explores the leadership of school principals with respect to faculty study group development as a key element of the professional learning community. Questions asked concern the approaches that principals use to facilitate study group processes that, in turn. foster teacher learning and student achievement, and ways in which…

There were 282 special education teachers enrolled in an alternative certification program in education at a university in southern California who were surveyed over the course of two years to determine the extent of their training in working with paraprofessionals and the professional development they received on how to successfully work with the…

Background: The implementation and integration of computer technologies in K-12 education has seen nearly constant growth since the early 1980s (Culp, Honey, Mandinach & Bailey, 2003), in part because this trend has become synonymous with skills that students will need as participants in a competitive global economy (Culp et al., 2003). It has…

Professional learning communities (PLC) have been identified as scaffolds that can facilitate, support, and sustain systemic change focused on improving student achievement. PLCs represent the application of the theoretical constructs of the learning organization within the framework of schools and school systems. Little is known about the change…

This digest highlights ways in which new and seasoned teachers are developing a repertoire of skills and knowledge that complement education reform efforts. For example, rather than seeing each stage of a teacher's professional life as distinct and separate, a more holistic view of the development of teacher from novice to advanced practitioner is…

Between 1999 and 2003, the Western Massachusetts Writing Project experienced a series of changes that made it question whether it could survive as a writing project site. The convergence of retirement, unexpected death, and withdrawal of long-term financial support forced the existing leadership to develop a process to look deeply into the work of…

Professional development for teachers is at a crucial period. In order to help students meet demanding new standards, teachers must have greater success than ever before. The concept of "teacher as learner" must be explored more deeply by educators. At the core of this concept is the idea that many reforms undertaken in the name of greater student…

The complexities of designing and operating inservice education programs are examined. This publication is organized into four major areas. Chapter one defines the interrelated series of current staff development activities as observed by the authors. Chapter two contains findings that have influenced thinking about the problems discussed in the…

Teachers' personal concerns related to the tension between a bureaucratic and a professional conception of teacher evaluation are seen as a major roadblock to school reform. Suggests strategies for using the Stages of Concern Model to address the concerns of teachers as they implement an educational innovation. (16 references) (MLF)

Discusses changes in the professional development opportunities available to Montessori practitioners. Contains brief descriptions of inservice programs of the North American Montessori Teachers' Association and the Montessori Teacher Education Collaborative, including a teacher induction program, the Montessori Academy, a program for developing…

Presents an evaluation of a multimedia training program, supported by a videoconference link, for senior secondary school staff in the use of a computer-based management information system and the subsequent impact on the school organization. Discusses change strategies, implementation, and implications for the design and delivery of professional…

This article describes the Effective Academic and Behavioral Intervention and Supports (EABIS) program, a comprehensive inservice professional development program that provides direct support to schools as they engage in a team-based problem solving process of self-evaluation, implementation of systems change, and selection of prevention-based…