Teacher learning, whether in-service, continued education, or experience based, is a key component of school reform. Specific research on the use of teacher learning to improve student achievement and instructional practices in and across schools is limited. The research questions addressed in this study were: (a) the degree to which teacher…

More than twenty years of research have been devoted to the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process, much of it focused on the effects of National Board certified teachers (NBCTs) on student achievement. Less attention has been paid to the effects of the process on teachers' skills and practices, while…

This study was designed to determine whether significant differences existed in the level of implementation of a professional development strategy, the attitude of teachers toward this professional development strategy, and the knowledge of teachers regarding this professional development strategy. After teachers were trained on the professional…

National achievement data show that elementary school students in the United States, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, have weak math skills (National Center for Education Statistics 2009). In fact, data show that, even before they enter elementary school, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are behind their more…

National achievement data show that elementary school students in the United States, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, have weak math skills (National Center for Education Statistics 2009). In fact, data show that, even before they enter elementary school, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are behind their more…

Differentiated instruction should be evident in every classroom; however, it is particularly critical in Professional Development Schools (PDS) that have the dual focus of instruction for both Pre-K-12 students and university students completing their final internship experience. In this article, the author illustrates a university and school…

This article reports a study intended to develop a scale that measures attitudes of PreK-12 in-service educators toward educational research. A major part of the study was an exploratory factor analysis of the educators' attitudes toward educational research scale. The scale was given to 193 PreK-12 in-service educators (teachers, school…

This paper summarises the results of a three-day workshop conducted between October and December of 2007 as part of a larger project dedicated to improving teacher quality at the pre-service and in-service levels. Both pre- and post-test measures were administered before and after workshop completion in order to capture changes in knowledge,…

Monthly meetings and a peer-observation program help novice teachers overcome isolation and practice new skills that support improved student learning. Peer observation is not without its difficulties. Above all else, the point of the program is to make teachers more comfortable observing, sharing instructional ideas, and learning from one…

There is international concern about falling enrollments in higher education, particularly the sciences, by gifted students. In this mixed methods study, the top-performing 200 students (approximately 2%) within a particular education jurisdiction at the beginning of their first year at university were surveyed, and 20 interviewed about their…

In studies of L2 writing, much more attention has been paid to the needs of students learning to write than to teachers learning to teach. In EFL contexts, while much research is geared towards helping learners cope with the challenges of writing in a foreign language, studies on EFL writing teacher education are few and far between. We have…

Background/Context: How students develop a capacity to examine and imagine the past impacts how they think about the present and imagine the future. This study contributes to research about teachers' beliefs and practices about teaching United States history through cultural encounters and nontraditional historical narratives. Although there is a…

This description of a teaching self-study focuses on a graduate research course for classroom teachers in which two issues central to improving teaching practice were addressed. First, it details the process of examining course design and curriculum in search of the most effective strategies for training classroom teachers to do research. Second,…

The purpose was to evaluate teachers' perceptions of teaching social skills to Fifth grade students using social studies lessons. The survey model has been used as a research method. The 5th grade teachers working in elementary schools in Canakkale province included in the scope of the study have been interviewed and a questionnaire has been…

An evaluation of the staff development program at College of the Canyons (California) was conducted in 1991 to provide information applicable to program improvement. Questionnaires were distributed to all faculty, classified staff, and flexible calendar program committee and staff development advisory committee members, resulting in response rates…