Traditionally, states have required individuals complete a program of study in a university-based teacher preparation program in order to be licensed to teach. In recent years, however, various "alternative certification" programs have been developed and the number of teachers obtaining teaching certificates through routes other than…

In 1973, a major national report on education called for a more active role for the teaching profession in developing standards for practice and in exercising responsibility for professional development. While it would not be accurate to say that the teaching profession has become "the point of reference for standards and thus the source of…

The author's concern for how teachers nationwide are coping with unrelenting levels of stress is the topic of current research. A national sample of 1,200 teachers was asked to complete a survey addressing three areas: the sources of teacher stress; the manifestations of stress; and coping strategies they found most successful. Knowing the areas…

This article focuses specifically on teacher candidates' preconceptions about poetry and poetry teaching and how these preconceptions shift as they work through various tasks on a wiki. Through an analysis of their definitions of poetry and ideas about poetry pedagogy captured in online discussion, survey, and interview responses, the authors…

Administrators in early care and education programs often turn to training initiatives to bolster staff competence in supporting children with emotional and behavioral challenges. However, training alone rarely results in the wide-ranging changes these administrators seek. This article presents a flexible approach to training, consultation and…

Society has become more complex in recent decades, and this has increased the demands placed on the educational system and the teaching profession. This study focuses on the development and validation of an instrument that measures the basic skills of beginning teachers. The instrument was developed according to scientific knowledge on teacher…

The professional development schools (PDS) effort, which grew out of the groundbreaking work of the Holmes Group (1986), was deliberately focused on the support and advancement of teachers as professionals and the professionalization of teaching, so the author argues that it is ironic that a volume about PDS might be seen as voicing an opinion…

This paper examines teachers' stories of children's coping with changing family situations such as divorce or family separation which can induce discontinuities in their lives. Using the case of Hong Kong, a place where "East meets West" in cultures and family relationships, this paper argues for the use of the concept of hybridities in…

The impact of a professional development programme on primary school teachers' perceptions of physical education was investigated. Primary school teachers from five local education authorities in England provided data for the study via pre-course audits, course evaluations immediately following the programme, and focus groups and individual…

Although it is difficult to determine the precise number of homeless children, the National Coalition for the Homeless reports that there are more than 1.3 million children lacking a permanent residence on any given night. Further, 39 percent of the homeless population was comprised of children under the age of 18 in July 2009, the most recent…

In this paper some key practice and policy implications emerging from a review of literature on effective teacher strategies for social, emotional and behavioural difficulties are set out. Particular attention is given to implications in relation to the development of teachers' skills.

Historically, physical education (PE) has been designed to do one thing--teach sport skills. However, it is now being asked to deal with lifestyle issues such as obesity and inactivity. Since the target and purposes of PE have changed, a fundamental shift in the way it is delivered is essential to its survival. This article highlights some…

The article provides a theoretical extension of the goal orientation approach for teaching by proposing three different competence facets of learning goals and four types of addressees for performance approach and avoidance goals. On the basis of responses from 495 teacher trainees and 224 in-service teachers, the development and validation of an…

Across the globe, governments of different countries have recognized the importance and value of digital technologies in language learning. This article is based on the pilot project of Save the Children using information and communication technology (ICT) in education. Through this initiative, interactive multimedia software based on national…

This article describes the development, implementation, and second-year evaluation of Project Autism Competencies for Endorsement (ACE), a web-based professional development (PD) program that is designed to train teachers currently working in the field to meet the unique and diverse needs of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). A…