This study sought to identify variables related to higher levels of elementary and secondary school teacher use of wait-time I and whether knowledge and skill can be increased by focused staff development. Wait-time I is the time a teacher pauses after asking a question before acknowledging a student's response. The study used research on QUILT…

This book draws on recent scholarship in adult education to provide practical ideas for adult educators on how to stimulate and support their own development as educators and better understand the process of professional development as adult learning. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the diverse contexts within which educators work and the nature…

One of a series of educational packages designed for implementation either in a workshop atmosphere or through individual study, this Hot Topic guide presents a variety of materials to assist educators in designing and implementing classroom projects and activities centering on the topic of computers and writing. The Hot Topic guide contains…

This document provides a research study of a 10-year elementary school teacher science staff development project, "The Science in Rural California Teacher Enhancement Project." The study investigated the long term effects on teacher participants 3 to 5 years after project contact: beliefs about science, confidence levels about teaching…

This document contains five essays designed to help teachers and administrators improve tech prep and vocational education programs. The first essay, "Application of Psychology of Learning to Tech Prep Education and Instruction," posits that technical education instructors need to be cognizant of the following: meaningful learning; sequential…

This study examined Texas school district spending on staff development and analyzes characteristics of district staff development programs. The study reviewed two statewide programs that provide extended staff development opportunities to participating schools to see if gains in student learning could be documented. The report also looked at both…

A national consensus has been developing in recent years on the crisis of values faced by the United States. A measure that has recently reemerged and captured a measure of public attention is character education. This paper examines the degree to which state governments and their educational establishments have attempted to use character…

A study investigated instructors' responses to learners' needs from the perspective of Feuerstein's Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theory. Participants were 53 adult educators enrolled in an adult education course at Auburn University. Four scenarios were constructed, each based on one of the five MLE criteria (intentionality, meaning,…

This study is part of a larger project on teacher research and professional development in the Teacher Enhancement Program (TEP), a master's degree mid-career collaborative program for inservice teachers. Research was initially planned and implemented as a new course which required teachers to do a Systematic Inquiry Project (SIP) in their…

This study illustrates how elementary teachers interpret and understand three curriculum models: integrated, thematic, and interdisciplinary. Prior to staff development on these models, inservice elementary teachers (n=22) completed a questionnaire in which open-ended items asked them to reflect upon their understanding of integrated, thematic,…

This paper describes collegial coaching as a means of providing general and special educators with the collaboration, materials exchange, and emotional support needed to teach all children in an inclusive setting. A brief review of the literature precedes a discussion of prerequisites for collegial coaching (such as self-confidence and respect for…

This paper reports on a study to explore the perspectives of authorities, pre-service and in-service teachers regarding appropriate music course content for non-specialists. Data were obtained from conducting a content analysis of 20 textbooks and course outlines, surveying 250 education students labeled "early years" or…

This document describes a project conducted in Pennsylvania to develop a model for exemplary cross-training among various community agencies and service providers in order to serve educationally disadvantaged adult students. Training was provided to adult educators in five areas: social issues, families and legal issues, education issues, health…

Although for over 22 years the National Writing Project has been providing methodology for composition instructors, unfortunately pre-service teachers are seldom participants in the Writing Project experience. The need is great for writing pedagogy that truly prepares future teachers to evaluate and respond to writing. Writing partnerships can…

This manual provides information on a follow-up study that investigated the transition outcomes of 90 students with disabilities who have exited Wisconsin's high schools, and provides materials to be used in training educators working with students with disabilities who are transitioning from school to work. The first part of the manual contains…