Teachers' implicit understandings of creativity may not align with current research-based understanding of creativity and characteristics associated with creative students. Even teachers who say they value creativity may actually find creative characteristics undesirable. Participating teachers (n = 371) rated student characteristics on a scale of…

This study aimed to investigate teachers' perspectives on the practical implementation of the standards agenda and its impact on their professional identities. Q-methodology was used alongside semi-structured interviews with UK primary school teachers. The study explored the views of 25 teachers in six schools, selected through purposive sampling…

Goal structures reflect the motivational beliefs promoted by the prevailing instructional policies and procedures within an academic setting. Teachers' sense of efficacy refers to individuals' judgments or beliefs regarding their ability to accomplish critical instructional tasks. The relation between these constructs and differences on the basis…

Fundamental prerequisites for successful cross-cultural instruction in language programs are outlined in this paper. Attainment of instructional objectives is seen to be dependent on teacher attitudes and educational preparation. Problems confronting language teachers attempting to attain a measure of sophistication in the theory of cross-cultural…

The often conflicting roles of the foreign language teacher and the guidance counselor are explored in this paper. Teachers are advised to foster improved communication in the classroom and thereby help students improve communication skills. A list of commonly held attitudes of language teachers and guidance personnel toward each other are…

The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources. A total of 7,752 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United…

This study examined the opinions of more than 300 primary teachers. The first purpose of the study was to investigate the reported frequency with which teachers used various beginning reading materials (e.g., literature, basals, workbooks, predictable text, leveled text, decodable text, and vocabulary-controlled text). The second purpose of the…

A brief description of the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Outdoor Primary Education project in Bangladesh is presented in this booklet. A description of the development of the current primary education system in Bangladesh along with a description of the reasons that led to the development of the project are briefly provided in…

Pedagogical and psychological implications of group instruction in the foreign language classroom are explored in this article. Discussion of Lorraine E. Heard's study, "Foreign Language and the Group Context: Expanded Student Roles," contrasts the classical objectives of language instruction ("purposive,""cognitive," and "concerned with input and…

The nature and function of a body of educators in Hawaii known as the Traveling Teachers Teams are examined in this article. Emulating the business practice of sending sales representatives into the field to inform prospective clients of pertinent information vital to business success, the teachers attempt to inform the general public of the value…

This paper probes for reasons of student discontent with current language instruction and suggests general educational objectives for all levels of instruction. The author comments on these areas of concern: educational relevance, foreign language requirements, educational objectives, native speakers, individualizing instruction, utilization of…

This newsletter contains a series of brief reports concerning methods of individualizing language learning and describes several ongoing experiments. The first article illustrates how individualized achievement charts aid in determining students' instructional needs. Group work and oral testing are discussed as a means of individualizing a course…

This address examines the personal experiences and attitudes of a language teacher during the 1960's, exploring the then commonly held notions of "creativity" with a view toward stimulating professional reappraisal of the term and its pedagogical implications. The author suggests that the notion of the teacher "guiding creativity" must yield to a…

Sociological implications suggested by the growing national trend of individualized foreign language instruction in American schools are explored in the introductory remarks of this final report of a workshop held at West Chester State College, Pennsylvania. The rationale, structure, and daily schedule of the workshop, and a paper by Valerie M.…