Maintains that professional development based on competency-based education and training is growing. Reviews postsecondary inservice teacher education programs. Argues that democratic traditions in teaching and learning should be included in professional development programs. (CFR)

Maintains that courses in curriculum studies should be evaluated on "why" they should be part of teacher education and "how" they should be taught. Asserts that curriculum studies occupies a more tenuous position in teacher education than do established disciplines such as sociology, philosophy, and psychology. (CFR)

Describes policies and practices found in each of the participant countries in the Second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Science Study that could foster development of practical laboratory process skills. Topics include (1) science curriculum; (2) science teacher; (3) science facilities; and (4) learning by…

Information is presented about the educational systems of countries participating in the practical skills testing portions of the Second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Science Study, drawing on accounts submitted by the participant nations Hungary, Israel, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the United States.…

Eighth-grade teachers (n=23) and students (approximately 690) were interviewed for this evaluation of the History of Science and Technology Project, which used correlation theory of curriculum organization as framework for training teachers to link science and history instruction. Project goals, activities, accomplishments, and staff development…

Examines the rationale for critical, rather than didactic, instructional approaches. Delineates activities of the Center for Critical Thinking and Moral Critique at Sonoma State University (California), a leading institute in the critical thinking movement. These activities include preparing teaching guides, conducting annual international…

A study of predominantly white teachers participating in a multicultural education staff development program illustrated how social class and gender experiences informed their understanding of the social order they used to understand race. Following the staff development, few teachers substantially restructured their perspectives about racial…

Reports a sample of Houston's middle school science teachers (n=227) perceived level of need for and acceptance of (1) science-technology-society (STS) goal levels; (2) STS curricular materials, (3) inservice related to STS instructional methods; and (4) inservice focused on STS-related content. (23 references) (MDH)

Dickinson College (Pennsylvania) has established an immersion language program for high school foreign language teachers at its French, Spanish, and German overseas sites. The program focuses on political and cultural life, history, art, industry, and preparation of a new curriculum to implement at home. Greater self-confidence and more classroom…

This study examined 23 classroom teachers' perceptions of collaborative training meetings they engaged in with remedial reading or resource room teachers. Teachers engaged in "pull-in" teaching (in which specialists taught in general classrooms) reported more frequent collaborative meetings and greater learning of specific techniques…

A framework for developing teachers' reflective decision making ability is provided along with specific staff development activities that promote teacher reflection. Strategies include conducting personal histories, video/audio self-assessment, journal writing, cognitive coaching, cases, role playing, and problem framing/action research. (SM)

Development of precollegiate teachers of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) differs from that of teachers of commonly taught languages. The article examines characteristics that LCTL preservice teachers bring to teacher preparation and outlines aspects of preservice and inservice development that help teachers effectively make LCTLs more…

Examines the educational trends and quality of special education in Japan through discussions of its curriculum, the employment trends of special education teachers, and issues concerning internship, sabbaticals, and enrollment in graduate programs. Through amendments in Japan's Teacher Certification Law, qualitative improvements have been…

Examined changes in teachers' beliefs and practices after using video to enhance self-evaluation and guided reflection within a field-based course. Data from a teaching-belief survey, videotapes of teaching episodes, videotapes of post-teaching episodes, and a videotaped portfolio presentation indicated that participants came to view teaching as a…

One hundred sixteen rural general educators participated in an innovative 10-week training to learn instructional and behavioral strategies for working with students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Pre/post self-assessments of teaching skills showed significant improvements after training; elementary educators self-rated their skills…