This qualitative case study responds to calls for research on the ways critical reflection develops in preservice and novice teachers. While evaluating capacity to reflect is a dominant practice in teacher education, few studies explore empirically how different factors impact teachers' reflection. Building from earlier research that…

Class sizes are vital to the conducive learning of students. As this study aimed to identify the difference in robotics teachers' evaluations depending on the class size number. Also, this research is focused on the evaluation of the teachers teaching Robotics at St. Dominic College of Asia. The instrument used is the standard teacher evaluation…

A core motivation for the widespread teacher evaluation reforms of the past decade was the belief that these new systems would promote teacher development through high-quality feedback. We examine this theory by studying teachers' perceptions of evaluation feedback in Boston Public Schools and evaluating the district's efforts to improve feedback…

While fully understanding the multi-faceted role of universities and other higher education institutions, Professor Edwards advocates for the status and value of teaching, particularly in times of emphasis on research outputs and league tables. He draws on his reflections from more than four decades of experience of teaching at university level…

Assessment is a central function of the teaching-learning cycle and a key performance standard for beginning and experienced teachers. Especially in today's school climate of high-stakes teacher evaluation, physical education will continue to be at risk unless programs can begin to provide evidence of student learning. The Systematic Observation…

The dynamic model of educational effectiveness refers to eight factors that describe teachers' instructional role. A multidimensional framework for measuring both quantitative and qualitative characteristics of teaching factors is also proposed. Empirical support for the validity of the model has been provided, which revealed that the teaching…

We build on research connecting teaching assignments to teacher effectiveness by examining the characteristics of secondary grades mathematics teachers with more course preparations--both the unique number of courses taught and courses never taught before--and by assessing whether additional course preparations predict teacher value-added.…

Student achievement on standardized testing is a core component of accountability measures for teachers, schools, and districts nationwide, but extant research on this practice is inconclusive about its validity and differs depending on various state-level policies. This study examines how accountability outcomes vary for teachers and school…

Faculty mentoring is a central component of teaching and learning in the basic and laboratory sciences as well as the clinical and professional disciplines. In this study faculty (1) rated the importance of six core mentoring competencies based on their experience and (2) self-assessed their mentoring competencies. Our goals are to describe and…

Observing peers for professional development is a familiar and valuable practice but not always favoured in many educational institutions. This small-scale action research (AR) was conducted in an institution where teachers are accustomed to regular peer observation, requiring each teacher to conduct peer observation and to reflect in their…

Due to low student academic achievement, state and federal governments continue to implement educational mandates in the hopes of improving American schools and education. This trend continued in the state of Maine in which Governor LePage and the 125th Maine State Legislature in 2012 passed Public Law, Chapter 635, legislative document, (LD)…

The notion that teacher quality impacts student achievement is widely accepted. How to best define, measure, and improve teacher quality continues to be debated by teacher unions and state legislators. Teacher evaluation studies have focused on isolated elements of the system. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the current…

It is well established that teachers are the most important in-school factor in determining student outcomes. However, to date there is scant robust quantitative research demonstrating that teacher training programs can have lasting impacts on student test scores. To address this gap, we conduct and evaluate a teacher peer-to-peer observation and…

This mixed methods study explores how principals are managing and leading their school sites in ways that retain effective teachers, in the context of the value-added approach to teacher evaluation. There is a great deal of research that identifies reasons for teachers leaving the profession. However, there is little research that reviews…

To mitigate the effects of transactional distance, it is incumbent upon online instructors to intentionally and thoughtfully incorporate and implement strategies that will create a successful learning environment, keep learners motivated, and provide a rewarding learning experience where learners feel supported, valued and connected. The authors,…