This article centres upon experiences of supervising practitioner-researchers engaged in the first year of a Customised Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programme of study. This pathway resides within a larger collaboration between the University of Sunderland's Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (SUNCETT) and the Education and Training…

In the current context, effectively including children and young people with additional needs is a challenge for school staff. Conflicting demands placed on teachers, support staff and those who lead them often derail strategic planning for the successful inclusion of all learners. School leaders have to work with complexity and 'mess', whilst…

Teachers in various contexts worldwide are sometimes unfairly criticized for not putting teaching methods developed for the well-resourced classrooms of Western countries into practice. Factors such as the teachers' "misconceptualizations" of "imported" methods, including Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), are often blamed,…

A systematic exploration of the nature of teacher evaluation is presented. After a critique of the widespread impositional (or "dominant") mode of teacher evaluation, two alternative forms of teacher evaluation, referred to as "educative," are proposed. These educative teacher evaluation approaches, "horizontal"…

This article considers some of the major trends and factors influencing the role of Local Education Authority (LEA) advisers. Included are: studies of advisers' role perceptions, discussion of the dichotomy between their two major roles (inspector and teacher adviser), and issues in the size and structure of advisory teams. (SJL)

Reports a study of new teachers employed in English primary schools. Case studies of inductees and interviews with all people involved in the management of the teachers' probation and induction indicated the linked importance of appropriate placement, affective human relationships, and inductees' attitudes in achieving success in the induction…

Three patterns of induction for probationary teachers are described and some of their effects compared. Two experimental groups had some release-time from teaching duties, with only one group subject to supervision during the release-time; a control group had no release time. Generally, giving practitioners 20 per cent release time is supported.…

A study examined the teacher preparation programs in England and attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of existing supervision arrangements as perceived by student teachers, cooperating teachers, and college supervisors. Results identify the need for schools and teacher training institutions to work as partners in supervision. (JN)

Headteachers in the United Kingdom face the challenge of acting as both the main strategic planner for the whole school and as the leading professional practitioner within it. This paper describes how general changes in the occupational characteristics of school headteachers have been contingently interpreted in a large urban primary school in…

The challenges facing urban elementary and secondary schools are like those facing suburban and rural schools, but there are complex circumstances that complicate efforts by urban school systems to carry out their mission. Schools in the cities have more students from impoverished homes, more foreign-born or minority group students, and more…

Discovers that female high school teachers, regardless of seniority levels, experience higher levels of stress during school inspection than male teachers. Both male and female teachers felt more nervous when dealing with inspectors of a different gender. Includes statistical tables and possible explanations. (MJP)

Nine conference papers examine educational administration in Canada and England. Three papers present the results of survey research on rural principals' reactions to decentralized budgeting in Saskatchewan (Canada), the impact of local government reforms on local educational services in England, and the effects of principals' leadership styles on…

Presents the findings of a six-year staff development program for multigrade teachers. Discovers a significant increase in the time on task levels of the pupils and the instructional and classroom management skills of the teachers. Discusses the implications of, and problems with, the study. (MJP)