Teacher educators understand that a "highly qualified" teacher must have more than knowledge and skills. Having the disposition or "teacher's heart" is also important. One teachers' college in Arkansas identified dispositions that were valued by its faculty, supported by research, and already existed in its program. Then…

Purpose: To fill the gap in theoretical and empirical knowledge on the patterns of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in school, the aim of this study was to explore the components of teacher OCB as well as its personal and contextual determinants. Research Design: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 50 schoolteachers, 10…

Using Nicholl's (1989) and Dweck's (1999, 2002) theories on ability as conceptual frameworks, this study explored teachers' and students' conceptions of ability in elementary physical education. Participants were 8 physical education specialists from five public schools and 160 students from their second- and fourth-grade classes. Teacher and…

Project Aspire was created to identify poor rural students with academic potential and to provide them with academic and counseling support in advanced placement courses and prerequisites. This article describes Project Aspire and its foundations; the relevant lessons learned from the literature on poverty, small schools, rural schools, and gifted…

How can higher education inspire and reinforce greater faculty involvement in the life of the "whole student" given current constraints on and expectations for faculty work? Research from two recent national surveys of chief academic officers on faculty work sheds light on this question by highlighting current faculty employment conditions and…

Single-sex public schools are seen as a vehicle for improving the educational experiences of low-income and minority students. Our two-year ethnographic study of low-income and minority students who attended experimental single-sex academies in California indicates that improving achievement involves more than separating students by gender. Using…

The present study examined the influence of professor and student characteristics on students' preconceptions of college professors. Course syllabi for a politically charged social science course were constructed with versions varying by teaching style, professor gender, and professor ethnicity. A total of 633 (44% Latino; 34% African American;…

Drawing on published feminist literature, this essay deconstructs developmentalism as a metanarrative that contributes to the oppression and exploitation of women and underpins educational practice. First, I examine feminist critiques of developmentalism, distinguishing between "insider critiques" formulated by feminist psychologists evaluating…

An on-line education administration course was evaluated using Seven Lessons Learned by Graham, Cagiltay, Lim, Craner, and Duffy (2001 ) as the framework. The framework was found to be useful in revealing areas of strengths and weaknesses in offering virtual education administration courses. The evaluation provided information that clear…

Research suggests positive interaction between students and teachers is a hallmark of a safe and effective school. Yet to date there is no literature presenting findings or case examples of what constitutes positive engagement or how to measure its frequency. This paper shares observations of a "model" rural middle school in an attempt…

This paper explores democratic learning and global citizenship through a study of one university's implementation of one-unit seminars. Specifically, the authors examine qualitative outcomes from faculty and students participating in one-unit seminars focused on the events of September 11. The authors conclude that such seminars have the potential…

Twelve instructors' reflections lead to engagement and proactivity in pedagogical knowledge, thus building an analytical approach which is fundamental to the development of university professional practice. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Efforts to increase senior secondary retention rates and improve schooling for marginalized students have been influenced by the school effectiveness perspective. This paper outlines several problematic aspects of this perspective and proposes an alternative orientation centred around "care". Drawing on research with students and…

The authors examine the developmental process by which a reclaiming environment was created in an alternative program for students designated emotionally disturbed. Efforts to identify the impetus for change, specific actions, and the ongoing evolution of the program's philosophy are discussed. The current environment is examined in the following…

This study examined the use of science professors acting as mentors to enhance the science competency of early childhood educators. Findings indicate that mentor-mentee dyad interactions varied; however, mentors were able to assist with curriculum, science content, and resources. Although standards-based units were developed, there was little…