Factors crucial in the development of media literacy in public schools are popular and school board support; teacher training and curriculum support from schools of education; inservice training; school district consultants; textbooks and audio-visual materials; professional organizations; evaluation instruments; and collaboration between…

Summarizes national studies relating staff education/training to child care quality. Finds that more training/education yields higher quality, but no study identifies the most effective dimensions of training/education for improving teacher behavior or child outcomes. Suggests that a common nomenclature for education/training is needed for…

Drawing on the experiences of a fictitious teacher, the paper illustrates where professional development has been and where it is going as it supports more learner-centered schools, discussing the nature of the paradigm shift in professional development that will support the building and continuity of learner-centered schools. (SM)

Discusses how to initiate good professional development options and how to evaluate existing professional development programs for appropriateness. Options noted are teacher networks, National Board certification, university collaborations, Professional Development Schools, and local staff development efforts. Some resource information is…

This article introduces two articles that address the history and funding of personnel preparation for special education in general and the specific history of federal funding for general education teachers to work well with students with disabilities. It urges the incorporation of accountability in teacher education programs to justify funding.…

This study investigated relationships among teacher experience, efficacy, and attitude toward implementation of instructional innovation. Surveys immediately following a staff development program on cooperative learning indicated that experience was negatively correlated, personal teaching efficacy positively correlated, and general teaching…

This article describes the implementation and outcomes of a teacher-directed professional development program for 33 general and special education teachers that was designed to increase the awareness of culturally influenced learning and behavioral differences in the classroom. Results indicate an increase in teachers' depth of knowledge regarding…

A study examined teacher attitudes toward a new children's rights curriculum. Surveys of 31 eighth-grade Nova Scotia teachers and their 906 students found that the more teachers used the curriculum, the higher they rated it and the more they supported children's rights. Student support for adult rights reflected their teachers' support for…

To enable program leaders, teacher educators, and inservice directors to understand student behaviors that teachers perceive as problematic, a study was conducted on specific classroom discipline problems. Questionnaires were administered to 144 elementary and secondary teachers. Findings indicate that rebellion, insubordination, vandalism,…

Ten secondary teachers, enrolled in an induction program, participated in a year-long study to identify characteristics that can be viewed as important predictors of those teachers who will succeed and those who will not. Findings suggest that intellectual/academic achievement alone is not a sufficient primary predictor of teacher success. (IAH)

This article reports on teacher education participation in the programs of the ERASMUS Bureau. The ERASMUS Bureau and its Inter-university Co-operation Programme is a vehicle designed to promote European awareness among European higher education institutions. Promotion of European awareness through education is considered vital to development of…

Describes the Intercultural Training Resource Center, which trains K-12 teachers to support the self-worth and cultural identity of culturally diverse students through instructional approaches and learning environments. Highlights the center's emphasis on dialogical education, listening skills, self-disclosure, intercultural education, and teacher…

Employs panel-data techniques, using data from the national norming of the Test of Economic Literacy, to measure instructor characteristics in effective teaching of high school economics. Measures the effect of prior training on economics instruction and school district characteristics. Suggests teachers as a key link in the educational process…

Implications of building codes upon design and construction of recreation facilities are investigated (national building codes, recreation facility standards, and misperceptions of design requirements). Recreation professionals can influence architectural designers to correct past deficiencies, but they must understand architectural and…

Describes summer institutes funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and offered by the University of Florida and designed for Florida teachers whose courses include topics about religion. Notes that the Supreme Court has endorsed teaching about religion where appropriate. (DB)