Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the research literature on continuing professional development and School Improvement demonstrate that teachers who have the opportunity to develop "knowledge of practice" by integrating theory and practice have a positive impact on student attainment. It is argued in this article that we have…

The Expert in Teaching study pays special attention to the objective of connecting coursework more directly to practice in pre-service teacher education. The study was focused on developing better solutions to the problematic, weak, or even sometimes totally missing, link between theory (teaching at college) and practice (teaching internship) in…

Background: Future teachers need to observe, interpret and analyse teaching during the initial teacher education period. The use of videoed teaching and learning in teacher education promotes reflection, and analysing videos of teaching is helpful in learning effective classroom practices that prospective teachers mostly do not have the chance to…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2010) as the latest initiative in the ongoing effort of educational reform in the United States reinforces the need to build the capacity of teachers as leaders and change agents. As such, graduate teacher leadership programs function to support and develop teacher leadership praxis. Although studies of…

Commonsense reasoning says that quality teacher education relies on quality teacher educators. Yet, there is minimal attention to what teacher educators should know and be able to do. Unquestionably, teacher educators cannot teach what they do not know; but what "should" they know, and should they be prepared? This study of 293 teacher…

This paper presents and analyses data gathered from a survey of teachers in a range of secondary school English departments. It seeks to establish the ways in which teachers perceive their subject knowledge Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs and the ways in which they would like to engage with Higher Education (HE) English as part of…

A major dilemma facing higher educational institutions around the world is how to achieve quality outcomes for students in an increasingly internationalised and competitive environment. To effect change in teaching and learning, we advocate a teacher-as-learner approach to the implementation of teaching and learning policy. Our approach has been…

The specialist knowledge and skills of science teachers is far too easily overlooked and undervalued, due, in part, to the tacit nature of the knowledge that underpins expert science teachers' practice. For science teachers to better recognize, describe, and share their professional knowledge there is a need to develop new and meaningful ways…

There is a strong international interest in the enhancement of teaching quality. Enhancement is a big job because teaching is an extensive activity. It is a complex job because learning to teach is not, mainly, a formal process: non-formal, practice-based learning is more significant. These two points, extensiveness and practice-based learning,…

Explains the lack of connection between the knowledge base that exists to improve the education of children with disabilities, and the practices of districts and professionals. Discusses the lack of teacher preparation and the difficulties that veteran teachers have in finding the time and energy to implement best practices. (CR)

Professional development is a crucial component in nearly every modern proposal for educational improvement. This book contains a collection of essays by individuals well known for their work in the professional development of educators. Each essay is a systematic effort to illustrate the conceptual grounds from which each professional-development…

Learning to teach is a complex and multidimensional process. Many teacher educators agree that learning to teach occurs when theory connects with practice, general propositions and abstract concepts are instantiated in clinical contexts, and field experiences are interpreted in light of a coherent knowledge base. The recently redesigned curriculum…

Background: Many scholars have called for physical education to be part of interdisciplinary units at the elementary level. The study of Native American cultures is required in most North American elementary schools. Folk dance, however, has traditionally included Western European folk dances, square dance, and, more recently, line dancing. In our…

This publication reports on a study exploring how prospective English teachers view literature and how they think literature is taught and learned. The study is based on an extensive interview protocol, the "Understanding Literature for Teaching Interview." The protocol consists principally of a series of tasks, such as developing sample…

Reports a study that investigated the effects of professional coursework and clinical experience on the development of preservice teachers' knowledge. Surveys supported the contribution of professional coursework to the development of pedagogical knowledge but showed limited support for the contribution of student teaching. (SM)