When a school-university collaboration gave them the opportunity for school-based restructuring, inner-city elementary teachers pursued new teaching practices; assumed responsibility for professional development; examined their practice and supported it with documentation; developed direction and commitment to mutually determined school goals; and…

Focuses on how teacher participation in professional development activities impacts science instruction in middle school classrooms. Classroom observations and teacher interviews were employed to examine the use of equitable teaching strategies. Contains 30 references. (DDR)

Presents results from two separate studies, which focused on proteges' reports of ways in which mentoring was usually arranged--as well as typical mentor roles and mentor-protege activities. Mentors were often described as "career guides" or "information resources," and the greatest percentage of mentor-protege activities belonged to an…

A study investigated the effects of providing one type of gifted-education pedagogy, enrichment clusters, to the entire population of two urban elementary schools. The teaching practices of classroom teachers who participated as cluster facilitators were positively affected both in the enrichment clusters and in regular classrooms. (Author/CR)

Discusses the roles of children's effective learning experiences and teacher professional development on academic achievement. Explains TERC's role in enhancing education. (YDS)

Investigates teacher education methods for teacher development as constructivist science instructors. Explains a typical day in a classroom using the traditional teaching approach and makes recommendations for promoting scientific thinking and problem solving. (YDS)

Alternative routes to teacher certification have evolved over the last 20 years as a response to real and perceived shortages of qualified teachers. This study examined successful alternatively certified teachers' motivations to leave other successful careers in order to teach and how they approached learning how to teach in the absence of a…

The provision of a professional development programme for distance tutors can be problematic because of the need for flexibility to cater for a variety of working practices, or to overcome the hurdles imposed by geographical remoteness. At the UK Open University, online networks are widely in use for teaching and learning, and we are actively…

Technology is a tool that has the potential to empower educational leaders at all levels--whether they are superintendents, principals, teachers, board members or state officials--as well as to redefine what education means in the 21st century. Technology provides more accurate information and advanced communication capabilities. Technology can be…

The Digital Education Enhancement Project (DEEP) is investigating the ways in which new technologies can improve the teaching of literacy, numeracy and science in primary schools in Egypt and South Africa. Forty-eight primary teachers (24 in each country) have been carrying out a sequence of classroom-focused professional development activities,…

This article describes a yearlong, qualitative study that involved an action-inquiry group of 5 elementary school teachers who collaborated on the incorporation of a multiple perspectives approach to environmental issues into their teaching. The teachers used children's literature to discuss different perspectives on diverse viewpoints on…

Accountability for student learning and support of evidence-based instructional approaches are critical responsibilities for teachers. Both are particularly significant with the current reliance on state standards, assessment tests and the No Child Left Behind Act (Shanahan 2002). Every elementary teacher must have research-based resources to help…

As the authors write this on October 26, 2003, they are flying home to Hawaii after four days of educational excitement at the 2003 AECT International Student Media Festival in Anaheim. While there, they spent 16 hours a day meeting students and teachers from all over the country, attending meetings, teaching workshops, being amazed at the quality…

Soon after formal education became the norm, those in leadership talked about making improvements to the process. However, decades after, educators still use some practices that are contraindicated by research findings. As such, physical educators are required to play a more active role in educational reform. In this article, the author presents a…

After more than a decade of funding from the "National Geographic Society," questions have increasingly been raised about the effectiveness of geographic alliances as vehicles for professional development in geographic education. This study explores the impact of participation in a summer institute on teacher beliefs and practices in…