This paper focuses on the application of total quality management (TQM) in human resources development. It analyzes writings of five leading total quality authors from which four basic principles, or pillars, are derived as the basis for the application of total quality within the instructional setting. The pillars are: (1) customer satisfaction;…

This action research study investigated a model of professional development designed to encourage elementary language arts teachers to adopt a more reflective approach to literacy instruction. The model consisted of monthly negotiated-topic study group sessions, theoretically-based reading, and dialogue journal writing. This paper focuses on the…

This publication reports on a study designed to discover the nature and extent of staff induction and initial training available to new members of academic staff in Scottish higher education institutions, and to measure how a sample of these new staff perceived the training they had received and what other training needs, if any, they had. The…

This document reports on an evaluation of physical education programs in grades K-12 in Des Moines (Iowa). The document is divided into seven parts. Part 1, "Introduction," reviews the mission and philosophies regarding teaching physical education. Part 2, "Context Evaluation," summarizes Iowa state policies, standards, and…

Using findings from qualitative research with teachers in one urban, public high school, the study argues that teachers need to be teacher centered in order to change their practices and work toward improvement for the benefit of themselves and their students. Teachers (N=9) in this study recognized that, in order to do their best for students,…

Changes in the demographics of the student population, the political climate, the economic health of California and the nation, and the availability of public support services have contributed to an emerging climate of violence as a means of problem solving or as a consequence of frustration. Community college faculty and staff may protect their…

Many English departments employ world literature instructors with no obvious training in world literature. Ideally, all subjects should be taught by specialists. In practice, world literature courses are routinely rotated among an unenthusiastic faculty with generally no effort to remedy the situation by recruiting experts. Although world…

This report presents a collection of teaching models to help college faculty improve their teaching. Six categories of teaching models are presented: (1) assessment and feedback models, including the Classroom Assessment model created by Angelo and Cross and already widely used among community college faculty; (2) discussion and sharing models,…

Growing out of the need for better instruction for classroom teachers in the use of educational software, the Teachers Software Institute (TSI) was designed to provide intensive software training to teachers who could serve as mentors in the use of computer technology and specific software. The paper examines the background of the program and the…

Working conditions play an important role in a school's ability to attract, develop, and retain effective teachers. Data presented here describe a number of aspects of teachers' working conditions, including workload, compensation, school and district support for teachers' professional development, school decision making, school safety, student…

In an effort to improve instruction and give greater attention to teaching techniques that accommodate different learning styles, Nevada's Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) implemented the 4MAT System Fundamental Training for faculty. The 4MAT System identifies four major learning styles (i.e., learners who are primarily interested in…

This study looked at the experience of four high school teachers as they worked to develop a collegial community by implementing the "Connections" program. The teachers were on the faculty at Cedar City High School in southern Ohio where their subjects were, respectively, English, Social Studies, and Physical Science; one teacher was in…

The paper describes how Concordia College (Minnesota) restructured its teacher education programs, beginning with secondary education, to develop a knowledge base for teacher education. Data from a survey of employers of first year graduates, from a survey of the graduates themselves, and from comments collected from students and the teachers…

Computers have become an integral part of most college and high school programs; however, the utilization of computers at the elementary level has lagged behind. This paper focuses on the efforts of a New Jersey public school district to expand computer education into the elementary school environment. It describes the second year of a 3-year plan…

This paper reports the results of 4 years of a mentoring program at the University of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) that has been directed to developing the research aspirations and performance of ex-Melbourne College of Advanced Education staff who are coping with increased research demands following the 1989 amalgamation with the University of…