The aim of this research was to identify the teaching practices and student support services that facilitate the successful online delivery of vocational education and training (VET), including in blended delivery. To achieve this, the research examined the characteristics of teaching approaches and student support services across eight…

Open Badges are digital representations of achievements or skills which describe the framework, significance, and outcomes of a learning procedure based on specific criteria. The "Open Badges' collection" can be used by its holder as a virtual CV of skills and qualifications. The practice of development, issue, and use of badges is…

High rates of attrition make it challenging for schools to provide qualified special education teachers for students with disabilities, especially given chronic teacher shortages. We synthesize 30 studies from 2002 to 2017, examining factors associated with special educator attrition and retention, including (a) teacher preparation and…

Research has found differences in students' abilities, attitudes, and family and community background to be the largest source of variation in student learning, but these are difficult for policymakers to influence, at least in the short run. However, the single most significant school variable affecting student achievement is "teacher…

Traditionally, states have required individuals complete a program of study in a university-based teacher preparation program in order to be licensed to teach. In recent years, however, various "alternative certification" programs have been developed and the number of teachers obtaining teaching certificates through routes other than…

Teacher quality has been the focus for much of the past decade as scholars and practitioners debate the differences between teacher quality and teacher effectiveness. What is a highly qualified teacher? Is it a person that possesses a degree in the subject area they teach or one with a set of skills and knowledge to engage learners to think and…

Studies have found substantial sorting of teachers across schools, with the schools with the highest proportions of poor, non-white, and low-scoring students having the least qualified teachers as measured by certification, exam performance, and inexperience (Lankford, Loeb and Wyckoff, 2002). Yet, there have been substantial changes in the…

The fields of Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Information Technology (IT) are experiencing rapid change. In 2003, an analysis of IT degree programs and those of competing disciplines at 10 post-secondary institutions concluded that an information technology program is perceived differently from information systems and computer science. In…

A procedure for testing teachers anonymously in a rural county in the Southeast aims at improving the quality of instruction and the teachers' scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, ITBS Subtests, and the Otis Lennon Mental Ability Test. Training sessions held afterwards to help teachers focus on outcomes of instruction, their measurement, and…

Discussed is a comptency-based program (CBP) for certifying teachers of gifted and talented students in North Carolina by 1977. It is explained that the CBP offers an alternative to required graduate study and involves a visiting team's evaluation of the teacher's knowledge of the gifted and ability to develop and implement a comprehensive…

Biology is an important growth area in postsecondary education in Great Britain, although confined to a small number of institutions. Papers presented on this topic include: trends and developments (E. Norris); biological manpower (B. Gregson-Allcott); laboratory design (A.J. Branton, F. Drake); the place of research (K. Wilson); Degree and…

A "Qualified Teacher in Every Classroom?" lays out new approaches for ensuring high-quality teacher preparation while offering a candid assessment of the obstacles that may impede the implementation of such new models. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, states will have to ensure that every public school classroom is staffed by a highly…