Argues that the concept of best practice is an illegitimate importation from an inappropriate paradigm, and its use threatens to undermine the very values that its proponents espouse. After explaining best practice, the paper presents an alternative vision, suggesting that the future of educational practice and theory lies in the development of…

Evaluated achievement data on low- and high-performing urban elementary and middle school students and data on teacher characteristics, investigating relationships between teacher quality and student achievement. While poverty and minority status may have negatively influenced school achievement, they were exacerbated by stresses created by the…

Effective teachers must be able to competently address issues related to student diversity. However, many teachers are not prepared for multicultural teaching. In order to achieve competence and accountability, future teachers need exposure to and training in multiculturalism and diversity. Poorly trained teachers cannot effectively teach children…

Surveyed experienced Dutch secondary school teachers regarding their professional identities, examining ways that they saw themselves as subject matter experts, didactical experts, and pedagogical experts. Surveys indicated that most teachers saw their professional identity as consisting of a combination of the distinct aspects of expertise.…

Reviews the history of research and policy developments that resulted in the adoption of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). Since their adoption, the CSTP have become the cornerstone for teaching policy in California. The article focuses on issues, concerns, and dilemmas that shaped the standards in each of their…

Analyzes the differential skills and competencies required of faculty teaching distance education courses via the World Wide Web. The faculty perceptions of needed skills and competencies varied greatly and were found to be primarily influenced by their prior knowledge of instructional design strategies and distance education theories. Survey…

A survey was conducted with 45 instructors from teacher training programs for teaching students with visual impairments. Respondents evidenced a strong commitment to Braille literacy and teacher preparation, however, findings indicate a lack of consistency in Braille courses with respect to standards and criteria for competence in Braille…

Outlines an emerging system for teacher professional-development based on profession-defined teaching standards and values. The paper describes the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as a good example of such a system and notes the potential of such an emerging system for overcoming major limitations in the traditional systems of…

Surveys of elementary and secondary educators identified competencies needed by teachers and administrators working in inclusive settings. The most important competency for both groups was collaboration. Notable teacher competencies were flexibility, classroom practices, and student knowledge. Significant administrator competencies included staff…

A survey asked 205 teachers of students with visual impairments to rate their perceived competency in transcribing math materials into the Nemeth code (the Braille code for math) and their need to do so. Results indicated a significant difference between mean rating on competency and need for 23 of the 55 listed math skills. (Contains references.)…

Identifies and estimates the influence of educational, psychological, and social factors on learning, using evidence from 61 research experts, 91 meta-analyses, and 179 handbook chapters and narrative reviews. Results suggest an emergent base for school learning, with proximal (psychological, instructional, and home environment) variables exerting…

Asserts that the reductionistic methodology used by M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg in their study does not do justice to the educational phenomena they wish to illuminate. In addition, these authors have too simple a view of the relationship between educational research and educational practice. (SLD)

M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg have produced a summary of the bivariate relationships that influence learning. The problem is how to convert such evidence into knowledge, and the knowledge into policy. Discusses how health science provides a guide for making the conversion from evidence to policy. (SLD)

Discusses the wave of retiring faculty--and the new recruits who will replace them--that is due to hit community colleges. Suggests that new teachers familiarize themselves with their "political environment," such as who wields the most influence within the department and who seems accessible for help and advice. (NB)

Outlines the implications of education for inclusion in the United Kingdom, noting the complexities of providing inclusion in the school context, critically evaluating the approach to teacher development espoused by the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), and highlighting inadequacies in this approach regarding inclusion and ramifications for the TTA…