Researchers investigating the improvement of teaching have given little attention to the nature of teaching--the sort of work it is, how it is learned, and its essential skills and knowledge. Research incorporating the teacher's perspective and experience would be useful in any research analysis with the goal of improving teaching. Reported in…

Describes a study of job satisfaction among 373 elementary teachers in Bedouin schools in southern Israel. Finds that the two most significant job satisfaction factors were teachers' satisfaction with work itself and teachers' satisfaction with social needs. Also finds that female teachers and teachers with higher educational levels were more…

Maintains that the field of social studies defines its central purpose through endorsements of citizenship education. Reports on three case studies of elementary teachers using Catherine Cornbleth's three types of citizenship education: the illusory, the technical, and the constructive. (CFR)

There has been increasing interest in the role of teacher and other staff behaviour in the development and maintenance of problem behaviours in individuals with special needs. Research and theoretical developments have tended to focus on one of three domains: staff as assessment and behavioural change agents, staff wellbeing as determined by…

This is the second of 12 research reports on the phenomenon of language instruction within a large class environment. The report is written in five sections. The second section (following the introductory first section) discusses the reasons for studying large classes in language instruction, including the facts that teachers find large classes…

This report examines the participation of teacher unions in the education reform process. It analyzes the many roles that these organizations are playing at the national, state, and local levels through collective bargaining and political action. The focus is upon three major issues: (1) the extent to which teacher unions have attained more…

Reports on a study of teacher burnout among 160 Swiss secondary teachers. Finds that teacher-student relationships are the most frequently mentioned reason for burnout, followed by feelings of being trapped in school routine and personal difficulties. Discusses the impact of burnout episodes on a teacher's career. (CFR)

This study explores issues of importance to gay and lesbian teachers. It seeks to answer questions and to dramatize the damaging effects of homophobia on the lives of gay teachers, as well as all teachers and students. The project was narrative and qualitative, consisting of informal and open ended interviews of 10 self-identifies gay or lesbian…

This paper suggests the importance of considering factors outside of the classroom in accounting for the presence of inquiry, and identifies some of these factors. The conclusions are based upon a study of staff developers and teachers who took part in the Bank Street College Mathematics, Science and Technology Teacher Education project.…

Reports on a study of 11 preservice teachers' beliefs and practices about secondary social studies education. Finds that the preservice teachers held positive conceptions about social studies, stressing active learning techniques and knowledge construction. (ACM)

Scholars working from various perspectives are beginning to define teaching as a decision-making process. Research shows that teachers are reflective and connect knowledge to situations through observation, understanding, analysis, interpretation, and decision-making. This paper provides empirical evidence to show the relationship of…

A case study of teacher attrition in one southeastern metropolitan school system that employs approximately 4,000 teachers was undertaken to determine which teachers left, why, and where they went. Of the 210 teachers in the system who resigned during the 1983-84 academic year, 16 percent were K-6, 13 percent were special education/speech, 13…

A stratified random sample of 339 rural teachers and 245 urban teachers took the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and the Purdue Teacher Opinionnaire. Significant differences between the groups occurred on seven subtest scores related to curriculum issues, rapport among teachers, salary, teaching load, moral-ethical self, self-criticism, and social…

Presents results of empirical research examining job satisfaction among proprietary school teachers in the new Laender in Germany. Identifies three main areas of concern; academic freedom, professional satisfaction, and job-related stress. Suggests significant differences between these findings and those of earlier studies. (MJP)

This study was designed to compare the psychosocial environments of different types of schools (primary, high schools, district schools, and secondary colleges). The Moos's Work Environment Scale (WES) was administered to teachers from government and non-government schools in Tasmania. The WES focused on the dimensions of involvement, work…