In a technology and media dominated era of education the role of teacher and there by the skills required to be mastered by each teacher need redefinition. The paper attempts to identify the list of essential teaching skills for the present age by retaining the significant ones and including those inevitable for present context. The skills…

In "Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control" (1997), Albert Bandura writes, "Teachers operate collectively within an interactive social system rather than as isolates" (p. 243). Bandura's attention to the existence of the communal systems that exist in schools is an appreciation shared by many educational reformers, especially those who advocate…

With the enactment of the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," administrators have faced extreme pressure to provide professional development to teachers to enhance their skill and knowledge base, make school improvements, and increase student achievement. Research indicated that critical reflection leads to lasting school change and…

Educators today are concerned with how to effectively implement whole school e-learning strategies, encompassing technical support, digital resources and professional development. This paper reports the findings of a project, Technologies in Docklands Education (TIDE), in which we investigated the use of technology to support learning in 24…

Describes "lesson study," a Japanese professional development process for teachers that focuses on a systematic examination of their teaching practices. Includes a brief overview of the lesson-study process, advice for setting up lesson study, and strategies for working on study lessons. (PKP)

This case study presents a portrait of one English teacher within her school and in her professional contexts. It is part of a series of reports investigating methods of successful English instruction which reconciles professional trends with individual practice. The case study examines data collected during 1996-1998 from the classroom of Gail…

Illustrates the use of various means for facilitating and sustaining reflection at different levels and preparatory stages of professional practice. The following means are discussed: (1) writing; (2) journals; (3) case records; (4) contrived situations; (5) instrument feedback; (6) electronic feedback; (7) metaphor; (8) platforms; and (9)…

The Center for Teaching and Learning at Ball State University is described in this report. Designed to make continuing efforts to improve the teaching and learning process, it offers many unique programs aimed at disseminating knowledge on the subject and encouraging faculty to use the results of these activities to improve their teaching. Some of…

This paper proposed to apply the perspective of constructivism to the classroom setting. Secondary science teachers and university personnel jointly developed and experimented with a variety of constructivist teaching strategies. Data were collected in the form of teacher anecdotes, audio and videotapes of lessons and student interviews, teacher…

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching program was established in 1983 to recognize outstanding science and mathematics teachers in the United States. In 1993 a national probability sample was taken of approximately 6,000 elementary/secondary teachers asking about their backgrounds and preparation, classroom…

This book for experienced elementary and secondary school teachers was written by teachers and combines personal anecdotes and model program ideas with effective practical "how-tos." The first chapter asks the experienced teacher to assess how far he or she has come in years of teaching. The second chapter addresses learning and teaching…