Rural teaching is a phenomenon often characterised by transitions: transitions from urban or regional universities to rural communities, between rural teaching posts and others, and from classroom teaching to leadership responsibilities. In the last century many Australian teachers have begun their careers, that is, they have undertaken the…

This paper aims to provide a critical review and comparison of the following sets of standards of practice for teachers: (1) The Victorian Interim Teacher Class Standards (ITCS), especially Interim Teacher Class Standards for Beginning Teachers; (2) Professional Standards for Teachers; (3) The National Competencies for Beginning Teaching; (4) The…

Describes an Australian study designed to promote professional growth of beginning elementary teachers through participatory action research. Beginning teachers collaborated with university faculty, forming action research groups which focused on specific aspects of teaching. Data from teacher journals, reports, and meetings indicated that…

This paper is an exposition and comparison of the objectives, methodology, and findings of two research projects entitled "An Occupational Analysis of Training in Industry" and "An Occupational Analysis of the Work of Beginning Teachers." The relevance of these studies to the design and evaluation of teacher education…

This collection of papers focuses on community building within teacher education programs in Canada, Israel, Australia, and the United States, suggesting that teacher educators must go beyond localized experiences and reach out to each other in a global discussion. There are 12 chapters in 4 parts. Part 1, "Opening the Conversation,"…

A three-stage testing program was used to assess the validity of arguments concerning the relationship emanating from teacher attitudes/achievement leading to pupil attitudes/achievement. Findings indicated that high achievement/attitudes in teachers were related to high pupil achievement but less favorable. (Author/GK)

Describes a project that developed a coordinated strategy for integrating information and communication technology materials into the core curriculum of an Australian preservice teacher education program. The project is designed so that students can acquire requisite knowledge, skills, and commitment to information and communications technologies…

Events in the development of competency standards for the teaching profession in Australia are documented, including publishing articles and reports, conducting conferences, commissioning sets of standards, validating support for the competency framework, and promoting of standards by government and professional organizations. Competency-based…

This study investigated the impact that holding a second university degree has on levels of burnout that is reported by beginning teachers during their first year of employment. This research formed part of an ongoing investigation that aims to identify important elements relating to teacher well-being during the transition from university to a…

Beginning health and physical education (HPE) teachers in rural and urban secondary schools in Australia shared concerns surrounding the status of HPE, HPE teachers' responsibilities, the routine nature of HPE teaching, sexual harassment, and public scrutiny of HPE teachers' lives. Suggests that teacher education programs address the problematic…

Interviews with 55 new lecturers at an Australian university focused upon early experiences in the institution and attitudes regarding teaching and student evaluations. Among findings were that help in learning about the institution and special consideration in workload favored the more academically qualified while help in solving problems favored…

Focuses on the behaviors and experiences of beginning teachers as they face the task of teaching science on a regular and extended basis for the first time. Finds that experiencing success appeared to be a major contribution to effective science teaching by beginning teachers. (Contains 31 references.) (WRM)

Beginning teachers face enormous challenges in their first year of teaching. High attrition rates of teachers within the first five years attest to the difficulties inherent in commencing professional life as a teacher. This paper describes the design of a Web site developed to overcome many of the problems of professional isolation encountered by…

During the next decade, the teaching profession in Australia will be transformed. Due mainly to age related retirements there will be a massive turnover and a huge influx of new entrants. At the same time, it can be expected that there will be more exacting requirements and expectations of teachers as new professional standards are set to meet the…

In this paper the development of science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in elementary teachers is considered, with a particular focus on beginning teachers. Explored is a conceptualization of the development of science pedagogical content knowledge in elementary teachers which emerged from two studies. The first examined the science teaching…