Describes a staff-development project that trains K-12 science teachers to use Interactive Multimedia Exercises (IMMEX) software, which expands teachers' content knowledge, teaching them about IMMEX and about how to create problem-solving exercises for diverse students. The paper examines project development and implementation, describes IMMEX…

Investigated the use of one mathematics-classroom situation, the decimal-point situation, in an inservice course for elementary teachers. Data from questionnaires, interviews, whole-class discussions, and elementary-student interviews supported the assertion that using specific problematic situations in teacher education has the potential to…

This case study follows an instructor and her students (33 elementary teachers) as they experience for the first time a graduate-level science course delivered via compressed-video technology. The focus is on teacher learning and coping strategies. Data were gathered from videotaped records of classes, informal interviews with students and site…

Despite dramatic evolution during the past decade, assessment of student performance still has issues to address which present important challenges for educators and may determine whether assessment ultimately succeeds or fails. The three issues are evaluating students, applying assessment innovations (holistic scoring and portfolio assessment),…

This article focuses on proposed reforms for the continuing professional development stage of the teacher preparation continuum. It includes information on performance standards practicing special educators will need to address, proposed changes in licensure and certification, and proposed reforms in continuing professional development…

Describes a professional development program using interactive multimedia workshops to develop teachers' understanding of a constructivist epistemology in science education. Discusses teachers' perceptions; how they changed their classroom practices; software and database development; and the development of a new survey to assess reactions to…

Five rural fifth- and sixth-grade students with learning disabilities moved from a separate special education program to an inclusive program. Parents and students reported increased self-confidence and self-esteem, camaraderie, support of the teachers, and higher expectations. Teachers reported increased student confidence, improved academic…

Describes summer experiences for teachers that provide new ideas and renewed excitement for teaching. Science teachers take part in the Teacher at Sea program and National Science Foundation field projects and expeditions. A Washington elementary school sends teachers to Mexico to increase their Spanish skills and understanding of their Hispanic…

This article reviews sociocultural, multicultural, and critical pedagogical theories and suggests that an adequate and sufficient theoretical framework for professional development in special education must explicitly and directly address issues of power, discrimination, and relative status that underlie dilemmas of practice. It offers vignettes…

Describes teacher professional groups being implemented in Chilean secondary schools to improve the quality and equity of public education, examining utilization of research and theory development on educational policy and changes in educational systems. Discusses implementation of the groups and examines what has been learned via case studies and…

Responds to an article on 10 dichotomies in teacher education (SP 527 128), emphasizing that public school teaching must become a stronger profession, with teachers having extended and rigorous preparation and meaningful opportunities for continued professional development (as well as proper remuneration and the respect of the public). The…

Four upper elementary teachers involved in Science, Technology and Society (STS) instruction through participation in a Leadership Institute in STS Education were examined for their views on teachers serving as models of responsible citizenship action. The teachers appeared to operate under the belief that teachers must practice what they preach…

Montana developed an alternative certification program for special educators in response to severe personnel shortages in rural schools. Program strengths include 2 years of mentoring and flexibility in delivery that allows participants to earn certification while working. Evaluation results are presented along with suggested improvements, which…

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation sponsors rigorous summer residential institutes in math and science that reinvigorate secondary teachers and encourage lifelong learning. Laboratory and field experiences that model student-centered approaches allow teachers to develop strong content knowledge and research skills. Participants…

Traces the lifecycle of the Primary Science Programme (PSP), 1983-99, a representative South African nongovernmental organization. Shows how the social and economic environment shaped PSP development and demise. Highlights tensions between quality versus quantity, subject versus holistic focus, and participatory versus authoritarian management…