A study traces changes in teachers' views of inservice education during the first three years of a state-administered teacher development program in Australia. The findings are compared with those of another national study recommending increasing the availability of inservice education. Strengthening current information systems of professional…

A group of 26 nurses working with families from non-English-speaking backgrounds collaborated in the development and testing of problem-based learning packages. Their usefulness for graduate nursing programs and inservice education was demonstrated. (SK)

Presents a (Western Australian) case study of the link teacher model, a decentralized, "train the trainer" approach to inservice education. Discusses the model's perceived effectiveness, the link teachers' role, central authority support, and new experimentation opportunities. Combining centralized syllabus change with decentralized…

Literature on the goals, barriers, and trends in inservice education is reviewed here, and criteria for development of an inservice program as well as a checklist of possible activities are provided. Specific activities outlined are: courses; workshops; conferences; exchanges and secondments; comparative educational tours; study leave and study…

The influences that shape beginning teachers' professional identity have been described as part of a changing landscape (Connelly and Clandinin, 1999). When pre-service teachers transition into the role of beginning in-service teachers the landscape changes dramatically. Aspects or features of the landscape that were once familiar may be confirmed…

This group of six papers centers on the development of library schools and the training of library personnel. "The Status of Professional Groups in Libraries and Library Education in the GDR," by Hildegard Wagenbreth and Helmut Kubitschek, East Germany, describes the training programs, apprenticeships, courses, and admission criteria of…

This is the first part of a report of a large-scale national study of the induction of beginning teachers in Australia. The present research program was undertaken in the belief that this growing interest would be well-served by a better understanding of the nature of a person's transition from student in a teachers' college or university to…

Explains the responsibilities of the South Australian Health Education Project team. Describes the project's work in the areas of curriculum writing, resource development, inservice training, and program evaluation. (GS)

Over the last decade, interactive whiteboards have become popular teaching and learning tools, especially in primary school classrooms. Research studies from recent literature report on high levels of student motivation, teacher enthusiasm and whole-school support associated with these technological tools. Much research to date has reported on the…

How does one become an effective teacher? What can be done to stem high attrition rates among beginning teachers? While many teachers are left to "sink or swim" in their first year--learning by trial and error, there remain a number of outstanding examples of collaboration and collegiality in teacher induction programs. Analysis of the…

This paper reports on research into the professional development practice of principals in the Diocese of Parramatta, which administers a system of approximately 75 schools in the west of Sydney, Australia. A survey of 46 principals gathered data on respondents' qualifications, association membership, participation in Catholic Education Office…

Characteristics of a minicourse developed at Macquarie University in Australia, its application in Australia, and potential for countries in the Asia-Pacific region are discussed. A minicourse is defined as an entire course of studies for a group, similar to a conventional course but compressed into a few hours. The Australian minicourse is…

The masking of experience as the basis of learning and development is a major limitation of the school-based approach to inservice education. Neither case studies nor the teacher development literature supports the association of professional learning with a specific site, such as the school. On the contrary, locating the study and practice of…

This paper discusses the need, principles, types, and evaluation of professional development programs as a stimulus document for the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Council meeting. (YP)

This report summarizes a 1985 study during which 85 special library/information center managers from Melbourne, Australia, were interviewed to ascertain their continuing professional development activities, needs, and aspirations. Major areas of investigation included the extent and nature of organizational support for continuing professional…