Describes the "Teachers + Occidental = Partnerships in Science" (TOPS) program whose goal is to improve high school biology and chemistry students' laboratory instruction by enhancing their teachers' knowledge and classroom application of modern instruments, technology, and experiments. Includes 13 classroom-tested experiments that employ a…

Examines two questions about science education faculty's knowledge and use of technology: (1) are science teacher education faculty using technology in their classrooms; and (2) do they desire to learn more about integrating technology into their efforts to prepare future science teachers? (Author/SAH)

Surveyed public secondary science teachers before and after participating in professional development courses taught by university faculty and designed to integrate science content with pedagogy and collected data from participants' journals and electronic portfolios. Results confirmed that the courses not only augmented teachers' content…

Provides strategies to help teachers develop their self awareness and voice about what they know in the following knowledge areas: (1) self knowledge; (2) child development knowledge; and (3) knowledge about individual children and families. Suggests that these strategies help teachers consolidate their knowledge and develop professionally. (SD)

Responds to common charges against formal teacher education programs, arguing that contextual knowledge of classrooms and schools is crucial for novice teachers; raw intelligence is insufficient for accomplished teaching; accomplished performance will develop only over many years of effortful, deliberate practice; and high quality teacher…

Presents a research project on the development of pre-service teachers' skills and understanding of themselves as pedagogical problem solvers. Argues that by adopting a problem-solving approach to teaching, teachers would be better able to view themselves as competent problem solvers who are able to develop various strategies to deal with change.…

A study involving 129 secondary general education math and special education teachers found a majority of special education teachers had not heard of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. Teachers identified lack of adequate materials as a considerable barrier to implementation of activities based on the Standards.…

This article discusses survey results indicating teachers are not reading books for pleasure. The benefits of having teachers who know a vast repertoire of literature are discussed, along with strategies for encouraging reading in teacher education programs, including mentioning authors in class discussions and asking students about their favorite…

Defining teachers as professionals in the same way that doctors or engineers are professionals is reductionist because such definition generally distorts the moral dimensions of teaching by using the wrong language (clients, customers), focusing on limited forms of knowledge, and ignoring the fundamental democratic character of education.…

Reflects on the future directions of primary education and initial teacher training. Asserts that the process of educating children continues without much change in basic beliefs, notes a cyclic pattern in education, and warns that technology in classrooms may be overrated. Suggests that inquiry, not research, may better answer educators'…

Considers the potential impact of the study by M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg. Their analysis is the first step in understanding and explaining the factors that really do make a positive difference in quality of school learning, rather than simply describing associations between school-related input and output measures. (SLD)

Explores what the "knowledge base for school learning" described by M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg might mean for education by describing some cases of school learning from fieldwork in elementary schools. The focus is on psychological dimensions of school learning. (SLD)

West Virginia University's five-year preservice teacher education program prepares general education teachers for students with special needs. Using a strand approach, special education learning outcomes and competencies have been incorporated into core education courses. A survey of 72 program participants and 11 faculty members indicates…

This article highlights major points of each of the articles in this special issue on the research to practice gap in special education. It then considers some broader implications, especially the need to foster and establish collegial networks to counter the isolation in which many teachers currently work. (Contains references.) (DB)

This interview examines teacher craft knowledge and educational quality, noting that schools cannot improve themselves and suggesting that in order to be taken seriously, the teaching profession must take seriously its heroes and the important work teachers do. The paper discusses the role of school-based reformers and the need for professional…