Analyzes the content of conversations between student teachers and their mentors in the United Kingdom. Indicates that both sets of participants used the conversations to limit possibilities for students to fail. Shows that students presented themselves less as learners in their mentors' classrooms and more as fellow teachers or guests. (DSK)

Provides a case study of how school effectiveness policy is mediated by teachers and Local Education Authority (LEA) advisors. Uses qualitative data of a "failing" junior school in the United Kingdom to highlight (1) an LEA response to an evaluation by the Office for Standards in Education and (2) staff mediation of the LEA intervention.…

A research project to investigate various developments in school self-evaluation was initiated in the United Kingdom. Three major studies were involved. The first examined the operation of local education-agency-initiated school evaluation schemes. The second explored initiatives in self-evaluation. The final study investigated the In-Service…

This booklet is the second in a series of publications written for the United Kingdom adult and community learning (ACL) sector to assist it in improving quality. An introduction covers the rationale for observing teaching and learning in a self-assessment context. Chapter 1 concentrates on the practicalities and processes of observing teaching…

A qualitative evaluation of the system for appraisal of headteachers in the United Kingdom identifies strengths and weaknesses of the approach taken and directions for future policy development. Data came from interviews with 15 headteachers. Inadequate resources, appraisal criteria, and performance standards hamper the evaluation system. (SLD)

The article examines issues of concern to the introduction of required teacher appraisals in British special schools. A survey of 32 headteachers in special schools suggests some guidelines for an effective and fair system, including integrating appraisal with staff development, encouraging self evaluation, and improving inservice education. (DB)

This publication offers practical support to those in British higher education implementing the Observation of Teaching governmental directives. It provides discussion of key issues as well as a range of materials on how to carry out teaching observation including 23 checklists. The materials are grouped in four main areas: general issues, self…

Purpose: To provide a best practice framework for peer review via teaching observation as a method of appraising teaching performance within UK higher education (HE) institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses secondary data analysis via the current literature on peer review and peer appraisal, as well as use of primary data obtained…

Schools and universities in the United Kingdom are coming to accept performance appraisal as a fact of life. The first part of this paper discusses appraisal policies as "negotiated ambiguities." Ambiguous criteria concerning wording subject to misinterpretation has created reservations on the side of the National Union of Teachers. This…

In the context of the movement in the United Kingdom toward competency-based certification for teachers, it is argued that the qualification of postsecondary teachers be based on an interactive model of competence, and that teacher trainers be involved in development of competency statements that reflect occupational roles without prescribing them…

Discusses assessment of student learning and teacher autonomy in the United Kingdom, describing two projects in which collaborating teachers developed criteria for assessing student performance. These criteria, compared to those devised by examination boards, indicated a need for better, quicker feedback, pupil self-assessment, and teacher…

A study of the efficiency of faculty of the six schools of the Open University of the United Kingdom was conducted through informal interviews. To review methods of developing new packages of course materials, 20 topics were focused upon, and the interviewee was encouraged to talk freely and fully. The interviews may have given the opportunity for…

Curriculum reformers in the United Kingdom who have expressed concern with the failure of the research, development, and diffusion model to implement inquiry/discovery learning have tended to offer a problem-solving approach to foster innovation at the classroom level. This approach is illustrated in the Ford Teaching Project, sponsored by the…

This research report presents 10 papers offering views of Finnish, Swedish, British, Danish, and United States educators on teaching and teacher education. The essays are as follows: (1) "The Missing Content in Teaching: Focus on What Teachers Reflect Upon While They Are Teaching" (Mikael Alexandersson); (2) "What Is Reflection? On…

This journal issue, which is intended for individuals engaged in planning, providing, and evaluating learning opportunities in British further education (FE) colleges, provides a framework for selecting and evaluating teaching strategies for different learning situations. Among the topics discussed in section 1 are the following: key elements of…