A national survey of more than 800 teachers found that these teachers' top reason for participating in professional development is to bolster their ability to help students learn; almost 3 in 4 said they engage in professional growth to improve student achievement; and a majority (55 percent) said they participate in professional development to…

This study was conducted to determine whether the educational degree of mathematics instructors at New York City Technical College was a significant factor in students' perceptions of teacher effectiveness. A 10-item student opinion survey was distributed to 738 students enrolled in 44 mathematics classes. Instructors with doctoral degrees taught…

This book presents a guide for setting up a new teacher mentoring program. Chapter 1, "Relating," stresses the important part a relationship plays in the mentoring process. A set of introspective exercises teaches ways to establish trust and pay attention to nonverbal communication. Chapter 2, "Assessing," provides ways to gather and diagnose data…

This document describes an evaluation of the competencies of faculty who deliver contracted workforce training at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC). A self-assessment questionnaire was administered to FVTC's 150 full-time and adjunct faculty who conduct workforce training; in addition, 157 employers who were clients of the college in the…

Teaching children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be the most challenging to preschool teachers because of the complexity of this brain disorder. A child s life is affected, whether its communication and language, social and play skills, activities of daily living, self-regulation behaviors, and sensory impairments. Therefore, a teacher…

The important issue of special education services is the special education teachers who have been trained on instruction strategies for children with special needs. Special education teachers have been trained in short term in-service education programs and certificate programs in Turkey until 1983, after 1983 special education teachers are being…

This special issue of "Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education" focused on intercultural education and the role of technology to facilitate such education in formal courses of teacher education and in the lifelong reflective practice of educators. Invited articles arrived from a variety of perspectives, including those…

For teaching to improve, three factors must be in place. First, the college must use a valid and reliable student evaluation instrument in combination with other feedback mechanisms. Second, there must be an accompanying norming report that provides comparative and diagnostic information to departmental chairs and teachers. Raw data from even a…

In this article, the author questions the role of technology teacher preparation programs that are based on an "industrial tool use" model to develop technology education teachers. It is the position of the authors that the manner by which technology education teachers are prepared may need revision and that technology teacher educators…

The Mid-Continent Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) provides an assessment of the technical assistance needs of educators in our region in response to a directive from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. This RAC is one of ten such committees appointed by the Secretary to conduct the assessment over the period of December 2004…

Since 1982, the "MetLife Survey of the American Teacher" has examined issues related to education from a variety of perspectives. Surveys in 2001 and 2002 revealed that feelings of alienation from school are prevalent among students, teachers, and parents at the secondary level, resulting in breakdown of the educational process. People do not feel…

This report provides the latest available data and analysis of California's teaching workforce and the challenges confronting the state's educators and policy-makers. While the report finds progress toward reducing the shortage of teachers, it raises concerns about low student achievement and the implications for the state's ability to meet the…

This four-page issue brief summarizes findings from Mathematica's evaluation of Teach For America. The researchers found that TFA teachers outperformed non-TFA teachers in the same schools in math and achieved the same results in reading. However, TFA teachers also reported greater challenges in managing their classrooms. TFA and non-TFA teachers…

Previous studies of the qualifications of elementary and secondary school teachers have focused on whether teachers have educational backgrounds (a postsecondary major/minor or equivalent) and state certification that match the subjects they teach. If not, they are commonly considered "out-of-field." This Issue Brief reports the…

"R&D Alert" covers issues affecting schools in the Western Regional Educational Laboratory's four-state region--Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah--and throughout the United States. This issue of "R&D Alert" shares what WestEd is learning from a sample of their latest work, focusing on three points in the process:…