This book examines how to generate successful professional development programs. There are 14 chapters in five parts. Part 1, "Set the Stage for Powerful Professional Learning," includes: (1) "The Case for Powerful Professional Learning"; (2) "Stretch Goals, Deep Change, and a Compelling Vision"; and (3) "A…

This paper examines the ambiguity in defining terms within the field of bilingual education, noting problems with poor professional development available to teachers selected to participate in bilingual education programs. The first section discusses terminology within bilingual education programs, focusing on the following: transitional bilingual…

This dissertation reports on faculty from the Virginia Community College System who had engaged in academic activities abroad within the last five years. Eighty-seven faculty members completed a three-page written survey that included demographic, attitudinal, and open-ended questions about their experiences abroad. Interviews were also conducted.…

This study explored the effects of professional development experiences, based on Morin's (1990, 1994) theoretical model, on teachers' abilities to implement planned educational change. It focused on one elementary school's initiative, Project Learn, which emphasized cooperative planning for change, preparing for planned change, and…

Postmethod condition refers to the qualities of the contemporary era in English language teaching in which previously well trusted methods are put under serious scrutiny and in which a body of methods and techniques collected from all previous methods and approaches are used pragmatically with a belief that such an eclectic practice leads to…

This is one of six innovative sessions organized by the AHRD Scholar-Practitioner Committee. It examines how research and theory can be applied to inform common practitioner questions on evaluation. By examining use of research and theory to inform evaluation practice, session attendees will consider how to improve their own evaluations and link…

This paper reviews the literature on college faculty sabbatical leave and sabbatical leave programs often described as 'paid vacations' with no accountability. The literature indicates that sabbatical leave was an important part of any faculty development program. Those who took sabbatical leaves overwhelmingly reported the experience as a…

Education reform efforts across the United States are dramatically raising expectations for student achievement. However, the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) found that teachers have not been adequately prepared for the changes in practice needed to meet new student learning goals. This publication briefly examines research…

Since 1989, professional growth seminars at St. Norbert College (Wisconsin) have brought cooperating teachers together to share their thoughts and emotions related to the experience of student teacher mentoring. In these seminars, the mentors gather for mutual instruction and support. Each seminar series consists of six 2-hour meetings during a…

This paper describes key aspects of a year-long study on the effectiveness of combining a professional development intervention in the form of a mentor teacher study group directed toward fostering educative mentoring with a research study to examine the study group's impact on professional learning about mentoring. The first section focuses on an…

Many school-based inservice teacher training programs are available to Japanese teachers, including observing classes in other schools, inviting parents to observe and provide feedback, and conducting collaborative research on the teaching-learning process (Jugyou Kenkyu). This article highlights Jugyou Kenkyu, which is based on three steps…

This paper takes the SUNY (State University of New York) Learning Network faculty development program, which helps faculty and their students incorporate technology in their courses, the perspective of one educator who decided to participate in the program because online teaching would help him adapt to the current changes in higher education. The…

The mission of an effective mentoring program for beginning teachers is critical to their successful professional development. In order to successfully prepare veteran teachers for the role of mentor to beginning teachers, a combination of cognitive coaching and Pathwise Performance Assessment (PPA) is suggested. Included in such a staff…

This paper explores the character of the teaching communities that have emerged in Michigan's charter and professional-development schools (PDS). It focuses on rhetorical constructions of what a teaching community is and how it is understood by those who are a part of it, with the assumption that teachers are subject to the cultural perceptions of…

This study investigated how and to what extent classroom teachers collaborated with museums in order to enrich their curriculum and student understanding. Researchers reviewed the literature, interviewed seven museum educators regarding their collaborations with Virginia schools, and interviewed four classroom teachers who had worked with two…