When school systems and administrations provide educators with opportunities to engage in transformative learning through reflective practice and provide opportunities to challenge their beliefs, educator pedagogy for inclusive education can be enhanced (Evans, 1997; Pyha¨lto¨ et al., 2012; Richardson, 1998). Our research examined the experiences…

An emerging body of self-study of teacher education practices research considers whether classroom teaching experience and doctoral study constitute sufficient preparation for engaging in the work of teacher education. As new academics who explored this issue as graduate students, we turned to one another in this collaborative self-study to…

This case study analyses a professional development (PD) program in global citizenship education (GCE) that seeks to develop teacher education candidates' knowledge and capacities as global citizens during a one-year Bachelor of Education program. In particular, we explore how pre-service teachers perceived and experienced PD in GCE as a component…

Similar to faculty development offerings at other North American post-secondary institutions, the University of Alberta has delivered orientations and short programs that primarily focus on teaching techniques. While this type of professional development is an important element of enhancing teaching, the literature stresses the need for learning…

This empirical study, conducted in a Canadian university, argues that the objective knowledge growth framework (OKGF), a self-directed reflective approach, can contribute to the professional development of pre-service teachers in dealing with the complexities of teaching. The paper seeks to answer the following research question: How do…

This paper reports on a case study of a "lead literacy teacher" initiative in one Canadian province. This initiative is related to a ''minority world'' trend in teacher in-service that seeks to develop "experts" in a field with the intent that such experts can help other teachers to raise student achievement for the betterment…

Examines a model of professional development including preprofessional, autonomous, collegial, and postprofessional phases. Addresses the importance of reflective practice in moving from autonomous to collegial. Suggests the potential for computer-mediated communication to promote reflective dialogue. (Contains 30 references.) (SK)

This study explored the applicability of Schon's notion of reflective practice for student teachers in practicum settings. Case studies of student teachers in a practicum found 15 reflective themes and up to 4 precipitants per theme, with 47 factors that enhanced or constrained reflection. Four strategies for promoting student teacher reflection…

Describes how a group of teachers sought to overcome the difficulties of major innovation by working with a change agent to critique their current practice, devise a more authentic science for school science, and implement their ideas. Contains 36 references. (DDR)

In the context of a professional-development reform movement in Quebec, the Ministry of Education asked universities to participate in the training of school principals so that they could implement a culture of continuous learning in their own schools. The university researchers used a bottom-up approach to initiate collaborative inquiry with 37…

Fear of censure and political pressures for standardization compel teachers to act in ways they know will not further their students' learning. Changing teachers requires more than offering them information about method, organization, and content. To change, teachers need to examine their own learning and discover what engages students in genuine…

This paper describes how Clive School, a small rural K-9 school in Alberta (Canada), used a team teaching approach and the best practices of staff development to facilitate the inclusion of special needs students into general education classrooms. Since September 1989, the staff at Clive School have been involved in developing their school into a…

We reflect on methodological issues arising in two of our own research projects as a form of practice, as a way of engaging in a praxis of project research. The projects chosen for this purpose are themselves concerned with teacher education and curriculum development in environmental education: they include participatory "reflective…

This document contains 35 papers and 4 symposia/poster sessions presented at a Canadian conference on the study of adult education. The following papers are among those included: "Adult Education on the Internet: New Dawn Breaking or Sky Falling?" (Archer); "'Shapeshifting': Negotiating Identity in First Nations Adult…