Describes curriculum planning processes for environmental education programs employed by secondary school teachers in Australia. Explains the phases involved with a school based curriculum project and provides a case study report to illustrate the approach. Offers suggestions for initiating and sustaining curriculum planning in environmental…

Accompanying curriculum renewal efforts in Australia is the need of teachers to increase their repertoire of skills. Strategies supporting the process of change are discussed, including developing a bank of exemplary lessons and a structured environment for testing such lessons. Three examples of school projects are described. (MNS)

This paper reports stage 3 of a research project conducted in 40 preschools in Victoria, Australia. During the first stage of this project, preschool teachers were asked about their concerns relating to young children's literacy development. Their responses revealed little access to recent thinking concerning emergent literacy, either through…

Science faculty at one Australian school initiated a school-based professional development program that accommodated their needs through a collaborative approach to observation and discussion of their classroom teaching. Interviews indicated that they considered the program valuable and adapted it to their changing needs. The impetus for change…

The Classroom Practices Survey was conducted with 606 teachers of grades 3 and 4 in government, Catholic, and independent schools in New South Wales (Australia). Results indicated that teachers made only minor modifications in the regular curriculum for gifted students. Among recommendations are increased training for teachers in gifted education…

Evaluates the Early Literacy Inservice Course (ELIC) supported by the Australian Basic Learning in Primary Schools (BLIPS) program. Assesses ELIC and identifies a number of general issues about literacy programs. Focuses on improving standards of literacy and teacher quality through inservice activities. (KO)

This paper discusses roles of early childhood teachers in the context of a perspective which views the changes that have occurred in the education profession as surface changes only, and which suggests that teachers should not lose connections with the roots of their profession. The value of many past beliefs and practices has been confirmed by…

The purpose of the conference reported in this document was to provide for the interchange of ideas with a view to the development of effective cooperation and collaboration among interest groups in the field of inservice teacher education. The proceedings are organized into nine sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Conference Opening; (3) Keynote…

Whole language approaches to the teaching of reading and writing have received broad support by United States advocates of "critical pedagogy." This paper outlines a case study of the Australian implementation of whole language inservice courses for the teaching of literacy in elementary schools. Drawing from post-structuralist theory…

This paper describes an inservice education program for teachers entitled "Participation and Planning: The Classroom Teacher and the Curriculum Process." Fourteen teachers with varying backgrounds attended the course. The objectives of the course were to (1) provide participants with experiences in the design, implementation, and…

The Mathematics Curriculum and Teaching Program (MCTP) is a joint initiative of the Curriculum Development Centre and the Directors of Curriculum of the States and Territories of Australia. The program seeks to improve the teaching of mathematics in grades K-10. This manual contains guidelines for people who have a responsibility for the…

Examines classroom research as a means of professional renewal for language teachers, drawing on experiences in an Australian program to train teachers as action researchers with the support of a research community. Concludes that incorporation of professional renewal processes in formal classroom research projects is a way to maintain teacher…

Argues that Australian inservice education policies have unintentionally controlled and deskilled teachers. Focuses on Queensland, Australia, from 1973 to 1986. Claims teacher managerial skills are emphasized over curricular and instructional skills. Contends that teachers' professional development consequently suffers. Premises arguments on…

Discusses the increasing need for professional development and retraining in Australia, especially for inservice teacher education, and describes new methods that may be more effective than traditional methods. Highlights include open learning; the modularization of courses and programs; the adaptation of instructional materials; and distance…

This paper outlines the types of verbal interactions teachers engage in to challenge children's thinking and problem-solving during cooperative learning. The paper also provides examples of how children model many of the verbal interactions they have seen demonstrated in their discourse with each other. It appears that when teachers are explicit…