This article describes a research project carried out in a secondary school that switched from a traditional to full-credit semester system. (PB)

Summarizes results of an inservice activity designed to increase the variety and use of feedback. District consultants (usually teachers) told stories about their professional experiences; obtained feedback from peers, principals, and researchers; and responded to the feedback received. Suggestions from peers were well received; advice from…

To examine the impact that personal characteristics and institutional variables have on what school district consultants learn during an inservice program that addresses the specific skills required by their role, 35 consultants from Ontario, Canada who were engaged in an 8-month professional program were administered a pre- and post-interview.…

This study examined the effects of peer coaching on mathematics teaching practices and teacher beliefs about their capacity to have an impact on student learning. Twelve teachers in grades 3 and 6 participated in a brief but intensive professional development program over six months. The program focused on effective mathematics teaching strategies…

Reports on in-service program for enhancing educational consultant effectiveness. In first year of the study, performance of 18 treatment consultants was compared with 18 matched controls. In second year, program was revised and delivered to 35 consultants. First year treatment group modestly outperformed controls, but, in second year, treatment…

Previous research (e.g., Woodward & Baxter, 1997) found that Standards-based mathematics teaching provides marginal or no benefits for low achievers, in contrast with positive effects for middle and high ability students. A randomized quasi-experiment in 52 Canadian schools found that low achieving grade 7 and 8 students who received support…

Examines how students with weak computer-mediated communication (CMC) skills fare in CMC courses that require high levels of peer interaction. Subjects were 11 male and 4 female inservice teachers. Findings indicate that students' CMC skills had only a modest impact on their participation in the course; students with less developed skills…

Described is the key teacher strategy for inservice compared to an all teacher strategy, in which inservice is given directly to all the target teachers. Student achievement in both situations is considered. (KR)

An instructional program based on expert-novice differences in experimental problem-solving performance was taught to grade six students (N=265). Performance was assessed with multiple-choice and open-ended measures of specific transfer. Between-group comparisons using pretest scores as covariate showed treatment condition students consistently…

Compared the effects on teachers of two common teacher-development methods (skills training and action research) for teaching students how to self-evaluate in cooperative-learning groups. Teachers received training and implemented their strategies. Pretests and posttests of students in both groups indicated that action research made a more…

Self-assessment is a powerful technique for improving achievement. In this article we outline a theory of teacher change that links self-assessment by teachers to their professional growth. This theory provides avenues for peers and change agents to influence teacher practice. We apply the theory to change in mathematics teaching and report an…

Examined effects of a change in teacher efficacy on primary school students' computer cognitions and skills when students moved to a new grade. Found that teacher efficacy explained 7 to 9 percent of student outcome variance. Effects were stronger when district inservice training was differentiated, distributed throughout the information period,…

Reports an effort to stimulate teacher efficacy by providing a teacher inservice to increase knowledge and skill in cooperative-learning techniques. Researchers measured teacher efficacy three times over eight months. Results indicated use of inservice knowledge, not exposure to it, contributed to changes in efficacy; and general, not personal,…

This research investigated the impact of combining two approaches to inservice teacher education (action research and train the trainer) on teacher attitudes and practices. The inservice developed assessment approaches aligned with cooperative learning instructional approaches. Teachers were introduced to a model of collaborative assessment aimed…

Reviews research on teacher efficacy, concluding that teachers who believe they are effective set more challenging goals for themselves and their students, take responsibility for student outcomes, and persist when faced with obstacles to learning. The article suggests that efforts to improve schools should include attention to teacher efficacy.…