The purpose of the study reported in this article was to investigate conversations involving dialogue and negotiation of meaning, through which children will learn to talk and talk to learn. In kindergarten children will learn both to listen to language and to use language, but we have few studies of what characterises the qualities of their…

A new team-taught course focused on interdisciplinary teaching and integrative learning was offered at Grand Valley State University during the Summer of 2008 at a regional campus in Holland, Michigan. Faculty from Engineering and Business developed this community-based, alternative-format course to engage students in the question: "What will…

Increasing numbers of "teaching-only" staff are being appointed in higher education institutions in the UK. At one research-intensive university, a new category of academic staff was recently introduced: University Teachers, who are required to engage in scholarly activity as part of their conditions of employment. For many this…

The main goal of the current study is to capture differential frequencies of mentor teachers' reflective moments, as indicators of different levels of consciousness in mentor teachers' use and acquisition of supervisory skills during mentoring dialogues. For each of the 30 participants, two mentoring dialogues were analyzed: one before and one…

This article reports the findings of an empirical study of the effectiveness of portfolios as learning tools in a sample of MBAs. The results showed that portfolio use was positively related to reflection, defined here as the conscious awareness and questioning of personal experience, a search for alternative explanations and interpretations, and…

At a time when learning and teaching in higher education have become the focus of increasing attention and high priority is being accorded to the attainment of excellence in teaching there is a growing concern that teaching is being reduced to the acquisition of a set of competencies. This paper will draw on the work of Alasdair MacIntyre to…

Teaching a required introductory Bible course to non-majors at a church-related college presents a number of pedagogical challenges. When considering how to teach such a course in the context of concerns common to the liberal arts, I find myself reflecting on authority. My thoughts on the teaching of this course in my own context are organized…

There has been much discussion in this journal of the development of the scholarship of teaching and learning. Indeed the effective enhancement of teaching and learning is more likely to take place when generic lessons are contextualized within the language of the discipline, and adapted to the needs of the students. We describe here a study of…

The importance of reflection in supporting the continued professional learning of preservice practitioners is well recognised. This study examines one aspect of the outcomes of preservice teachers' reflection: the development of their own self-image as a teacher. In making the transition from student to teacher, preservice teachers create their…

The aim of this study is to contribute to the innovation of pre-vocational education, in particular, students' orientation at possible future occupations. From our theoretical understanding, vocational orientation that makes sense to students requires them to be part of a "community of learners for vocational orientation". In such a…

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to revisit the practical worth of different systems thinking tools applied to three different business clients, which may be dismissed by academic researchers as theoretically old fashioned. Design/methodology/approach: The methodologies used are systems-based (SSM, VSM and causal loop diagrams), culminating in…

Through support of the National Science Foundation's Department Level Reform program, "Engineering Students for the 21st Century" (ES21C) has implemented a ten-course sequence designed to help students develop into engineers. Spread across the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) curriculum at Oklahoma State University, these…

Teachers, more than any other person in the school, have the greatest potential to get students engaged in school and in learning. Creating student-directed learning experiences that challenge, stimulate, and engage kids not only raises test scores, it also fosters life-long learners prepared for success in today's globally connected world. This…

The use of ICTs (information and communication technologies) in Zimbabwe's teacher education colleges is of paramount importance. The teacher trainees have a dual role to play: learning through ICTs and also learning how to teach through them. Interestingly, the rate at which schools have embraced the use of ICTs is unprecedented, but this has not…

The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine how one principal of an urban elementary school and selected members of the school community perceived the sustainability of the principal's leadership. One goal of this study was to enhance the understanding of how principals and members of the school community may perceive the ability…