This paper reports on a longitudinal ethnographic study of beginning primary school teachers in rural and regional Victoria, Australia. The study uses a conceptual framework of "place" and "workplace learning" to ask: How do new teachers learn to do their work and how do they learn about the places and communities in which they…

Developed in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund, "Taking Action" inspires ideas and provides models for conducting effective environmental projects--projects that dynamically engage students from start to finish. From adopting species to protecting habitats to saving energy and creating publications, this guide will help educators plan,…

This study identifies practices of effective teachers of writing. Three schools with significantly higher achievement in an area that underperforms nationally were identified and within them teachers whose students exhibited superior progress were selected. Multiple data collection methods included lesson observation, analysis of the classroom…

Why has the large income gap between blacks and whites persisted for decades after the passage of civil rights legislation? More specifically, why do African Americans remain substantially underrepresented in the highest-paying professions, such as science, engineering, information technology, and finance? A sophisticated study of racial…

Adult support of 12 specific friendship dyads involving 3- to 5-year-old children with and without developmental delays was investigated through semi-structured interviews with the children's parents and teachers. Most respondents described these friendships as harmonious and important for the emotional benefits that these relationships provided…

Researchers, educators, professional organizations, administrators, parents, and policy makers have increased their involvement in the assessment and evaluation of early childhood education programs. This interest has developed swiftly during the last decades. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National…

Today's youth are in a social environment where being the brunt of jokes and harassment of their peers is an accepted and encouraged norm. It is not exactly clear what teachers do to deal with bullying in their classrooms. Much of the research on bullying has focused on elementary and middle school level students. Little is known about bullying at…

Positive psychology is a rapidly expanding area of study that is of great interest to students at the graduate, undergraduate, and high school levels. But the field is so broad that teachers who want to cover all the bases when designing a positive psychology course may have difficulty locating and selecting materials. "Activities for Teaching…

Over the last decade, teaching assistants (TAs) have become an established part of everyday classroom life. TAs are often used by schools to help low-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. Yet despite the huge rise in the number of TAs working in UK classrooms, very little is known about their impact on pupils. This key and…

This article shares thoughts about motivating young adolescents from the perspective of middle level students. The most compelling thread to emerge from the interviews with students was the fact that teachers matter. Teachers have a direct and significant impact on students' motivation to achieve. This article identifies three ways in which…

In the growing school choice research literature little, if any, attention has been given to the choices made by the providers of educational services. Yet the workplace preferences shown by teachers and school administrators influences educational practice in important ways and helps illuminate some of the important issues raised in the school…

This study focuses on a specific Chinese immigrant subgroup, immigrants from the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Arizona, and details the impact of different immigrant experiences and settlement patterns on parents' attitudes toward Mandarin maintenance. Data were collected through an eight-month-long ethnographic research in Arizona. The…

This paper explores the way students learn theology through a small qualitative research project. It is undertaken in conversation with current higher education learning theory. This learning theory suggests that it is important to discover how a student conceptualizes learning and how they perceive the teaching environment. Students interviewed…

The purpose of this study was to explore the professional learning process that teachers reported enhanced their use of technology in their classrooms. The framework for this qualitative, theory-building study was guided by research from the field of adult learning. Data were obtained from interviews of six teachers who worked in an urban science…

This study introduces students' perspectives into the knowledge base on community college teacher education and transfer to the four-year college. There is currently widespread agreement that community colleges are an essential resource for diversifying the teaching force and improving teacher retention. While data on enrollment, alignment, and…