This study looked at teachers in their 2nd-4th years of teaching to compare their professional activities with what current studies indicate are teacher leadership behaviors and characteristics. The study sought to determine whether the University of Southern California's teacher preparation program taught the professional skills that elementary…

The first phase of this research used focus groups of current students to identify characteristics of effective and ineffective teachers. The second phase used q-methodology to have students holistically describe effective and ineffective teachers in small and large classes. Results suggest that there are different types of effective and…

This report describes a program designed to improve students' expressive writing in a midwestern elementary school classroom. The targeted third and fourth grade students demonstrated inconsistencies in the quality of their writing which interfered with their success in the classroom. Evidence for the existence of the problem included district…

This report makes policy implementers and educators aware of the importance of work attendance and its relation to student outcomes. It also encourages policymakers to better implement and supplement existing policies through different strategy options. The focus is on the Pacific region. Rather than recommending a punitive approach, the report…

Science education reform literature is dominated by calls to improve the teaching and learning of science in order to meet the demands of diverse students in a highly technological society. This paper discusses the relationship between teacher beliefs and instructional practices, particularly with regard to science-technology-society (STS)…

Adult educator role descriptions found in the literature include the following: teacher, instructor, helper, facilitator, consultant, broker, change agent, and mentor. The literature that speaks directly to the adult educator's role is scanty. A larger body of literature exists, however, that either alludes to adult educators' roles or contains…

Whether students of varying ethnic backgrounds overtly behave differently or are treated differently by teachers in classrooms was investigated in nine inner-suburban classrooms in Sydney, Australia. Differences in learning outcomes that may be attributable to differences in classroom interaction were examined. (MLW)

Lack of women participating in physics programs/study from introductory high school courses through doctoral programs is addressed. Attitudes developed by perceiving science as masculine and lack of female role models are cited as two causative factors. Recommendations for improvement at classroom, science department, secondary, primary, and…

Data were collected on attitude changes, perceptions of problems, and instructional behavior of elementary and secondary school teachers as they gained teaching experience. Subjects were chosen when they were student teachers at Western Kentucky University and sampling was continued over six years. Needs of beginning teachers are noted. (PP)

A sociolinguistic analysis of language use among eight preschool children in a bilingual English/Hebrew classroom was conducted to examine the effects of teacher background (U.S. or Israeli born/educated) while interacting with children from bilingual or monolingual backgrounds and teacher's participation (presence or absence) in classroom…

Reported the development of a set of scales to measure three factors in teacher communication concern: self, task, and impact. In addition, examined the potential relationship between teacher communication concern, teacher anxiety, and attitude toward teaching as a career. Found positive correlations between communication concern and attitude…

Sixty-eight teachers (39 English and 29 mathematics) were observed in two of their class sections. Relationships among teaching behaviors and student outcomes in mathematics classes suggest that elements of both the direct instruction model and indirect influence model are supported. Results in English classes are less clear. (Author/CTM)

Teachers in this high school "shadowed" selected students to see the school through students' eyes. The teachers noted both strengths and weaknesses. The latter included class interruptions, low expectations of low achievers, and inadequate learning time. (JM)

Investigated affective changes in elementary preservice teachers (N=30) during a formative period and related these changes to the development of specific classroom science teaching behaviors. (JN)

Various views of clinical supervision are analyzed and examined. The "process" definition of clinical supervision emphasizes an eight-step cycle of supervision. Clinical supervision as "concept" is also considered and seven conceptual elements are examined. (JN)