This paper describes the outcomes of two study groups, one for teachers and one for principals that provide an interactive and innovative approach to curriculum change. The study groups were implemented as an alternative form of professional development in the Tucson (Arizona) Unified School District when it changed from a basal reader approach to…

This book explains how to use whole-faculty study groups to get the entire teaching staff working together on one set of organizational goals. Chapter 1 discusses the school reform environment and the potential of whole-faculty study groups to serve as a major change process for improving schools and student learning. Chapter 2 describes the…

A study explored whether recipients of graduate fellowships through the Family and Consumer Sciences Education Graduate Fellowship Fund become leaders in family and consumer sciences education. The usable sample consisted of 51 of 64 recipients from 1969-97; 29 responded to a mailed 2-part survey, Impact of the Fellowship Questionnaire and The…

Barbara Neureither is a high school science teacher at Holt High School in Holt, Michigan. The philosophy of her science department is "more is less," which means that the most important concepts are identified and taught in greater depth. Science is taught using a constructivist approach that allows students to construct their own…

Approaches that schools can use to create a high-quality, professional, working community are provided in this journal issue. The report uses a case study to illustrate the process. A review of research reveals at least five major dimensions of the professional learning community: supportive and shared leadership, collective learning and…

This paper describes the teaching skills workshops at Purdue University (Indiana), which were originally developed in 1980 to train graduate assistants to teach college classes but are now being used by the faculty--instructors through full professors--to improve their teaching. It is noted that the workshops have been successfully modified for…

This paper presents a preliminary human resource development plan for the radiography program sponsored by Lincoln Land Community College (Illinois). The plan is based on the "Essentials and Guidelines of an Accredited Program for the Radiographer," initially adopted in 1944, and most recently revised in 1990, it involves the integration…

Parent involvement begins with teachers and principals. They initiate the contact with the parents. How parents respond depends on how they are regarded--whether they feel respected and needed. The teacher has to model openness, so that the parent develops trust and becomes more willing to disclose and resolve. If teachers concern themselves with…

Findings of a study that examined how differences among education faculty's organizational perspectives and behaviors influence leadership are presented in this paper. Bolman and Deal's (1984) model of organizational frames, or ways in which individuals relate to organizations, was used to identify political, symbolic, human resource, and…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the extent to which professional development techniques for teachers existed within a sample of elementary and secondary schools. Data were obtained from a survey of a random sample of 47 classroom teachers and 15 principals in one region of a large northeastern state. A majority of both…

In 1991, a study was conducted to determine what community college presidents have done to promote and reward faculty scholarship. The 117 presidents surveyed were asked to respond to questions concerning faculty activities that demonstrate their involvement in scholarly activities; whether and in what ways the presidents encouraged, recognized,…

This book reports the results of an investigation into the internationalization of U.S. higher education through the experience of faculty, using impressions and data from extensive campus visits and interviews at 37 institutions nationwide, and data from 4 previous studies. Chapter 1 reviews historical trends in higher education…

This instructor's manual is a practical guide to a faculty development training program on substance abuse within family medicine emphasizing a meshing of individual curriculum projects by participants with group instruction and support. Organized into two parts the manual describes the training program in detail in Part 1 and provides 10 actual…

With the goal of providing professional development resources for enhancing faculty research productivity, Washburn University (Kansas), which employs about 250 full-time faculty, developed a program that allocates institutional funds through a peer review process. The fund's peer review process has involved two committees, a Faculty Research…

The effect of a highly-structured faculty development program that focused on improving teaching skills and writing productivity through weekly individual sessions was studied with 16 social sciences faculty. Participants were alternatively assigned to one of four groups that emphasized development in teaching skills, writing productivity, or a…