Reports on a pilot investigation into the perceptions of graduate teachers (n=9) of their science teaching during their first 18 months as educators. Emergent themes relate to the teachers' perceived self-confidence in teaching science, and to school influences such as collegial support, resources, and the perceived importance of science in the…

Describes interviews with John Roueche, director of the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas, regarding factors that isolate part-time faculty, and with David Leslie, professor at the College of William and Mary, regarding factors that integrate part-time faculty. Compares use of part-time personnel in industry and…

Presents a study that verified the effects of the peer-assisted leadership program (PAL) on communication networks and professional isolation of 41 Quebec educational managers, using a one-group pretest posttest design. Results showed that PAL significantly reduced professional isolation without widening participants' communication networks. (34…

Australia has a long history of what has been pilloried as "cultural cringe", and of bemoaning its isolation from "overseas" developments. In recent years, the valuing of ideas and practices from elsewhere has been transformed under the rubric of "world best practice" within a global economy and culture, both in…

Introduction: Solo and nonurban practice, nonmembership of a professional group, and aging are all associated with underperformance and may be indicators of professional isolation. Although it may lead to underperformance in physicians, there are no clear measures to assess professional isolation. Methods: By mailed questionnaire, experienced…

This qualitative study investigated how 25 school leaders in the US understand the practices they use to support teacher learning in their schools. The primary question guiding this research includes: How do these schools leaders, who serve in diverse school contexts with different levels of resources, exercise their leadership in support of adult…

Contends that having the responsibility to develop and implement curriculum is crucial to teachers' professional identity. Proposes that teachers are currently marginalized in the curriculum development process. Describes the opportunity presented to English teachers in 1986 to develop a Study Design for the Victorian Certificate of Education.…

Built on 15 years of proven results, IMPACT II-The Teachers Network continues to trust classroom teachers, mobilize them to support school improvement, and refine and extend the teacher leadership agenda. Basically, the network finds good teachers with good ideas, awards them small grants, and connects them with other good teachers. Program…

Those who expect consultants to solve problems for schools operating under the traditional model of fragmentation and teacher isolation will be disappointed. The key to using consultants effectively is developing systematic processes that engage staff in the work of a professional learning community as they consider the ideas presented to them.…

Superintendents can protect themselves from the toxic effects of leadership seduction by monitoring their communication with colleagues and constituents; seeking balance in their personal, professional, and spiritual life; working on what matters; focusing on relationships; learning from adversity; and monitoring their effectiveness. (MLH)

Group discussions and interviews with counselors in small and rural schools in Maine and upstate New York focused on the advantages and disadvantages of working in small schools, role generalization and confusion experienced by school counselors, professional autonomy and accountability, and the need for relevant inservice training. (Contains 33…

Distance education is generally seen as a very isolating experience for students, but one often forgets that it can be an equally isolating experience for teaching staff who oftentimes work in isolation from colleagues. This study examines the experiences of nine tutors at the Reading and Writing Centres of one of the 10 biggest universities in…

This research is a narrative analysis based on an investigation into the professional lives of heads of English Departments (HODs) in three New Zealand secondary schools. The main data collection methods of interviews and observations used in this study fall within an interpretive paradigm. While HODs play a pivotal role in secondary schools,…

The purpose of this study is to examine how the diverse members of the mathematics education community (in-service secondary mathematics teachers, in-service secondary mathematics teachers, university mathematicians and university mathematics educators) talk about a multimedia case study on mathematics teaching and learning when they interact both…

Foreign language teachers in grades K through 8 are frequently quite isolated in their schools and have few opportunities for daily personal contact with their peers. Online technologies offer teachers a timely and convenient forum to access professional information and to engage in meaningful and sustained dialogue with colleagues who share their…