We are now accumulating the knowledge base necessary for teaching to become a true profession, and we have the possibility within reach to work together to attain that stature. This editorial essay previews the articles that focus on this theme in this issue of "Educational Leadership." (TE)

Lists 10 premises affecting the future of teaching, including trends toward teacher shortages, declining entry standards, unattractive salaries and working conditions, and standardized curricula. Presents three scenarios: business-as-usual, two-tiered (permanent senior teacher cadres instructing temporary teachers), and a professional scenario…

A review of studies in which it was possible to compare results of health profession trainees' self-evaluations with assessment of performance by experts or objective tests found that self-assessment has potential but is poorly used. Effective training to improve validity and accuracy is available. (Author/MSE)

This paper is a book review of William M. Phillips, Jr.'s "The School Sociologist: A Need and an Emergent Profession" (Washington, DC: University Press of America, Inc., 1981; 216p. ISBN-0-8191-1946-6. $12.95). Dr. Phillips defines a new professional field and expounds upon the role of the professionals within it. He seeks to combine factual…

Describes a study of job satisfaction among 373 elementary teachers in Bedouin schools in southern Israel. Finds that the two most significant job satisfaction factors were teachers' satisfaction with work itself and teachers' satisfaction with social needs. Also finds that female teachers and teachers with higher educational levels were more…

This book is a guide to the many roles of an academic dean who has jurisdiction over academic departments and programs that include faculty members, budget, and curricula in colleges and universities. The work advises on ways to recognize and solve the problems that confront academic deans. The topics treated include the following: the allocation…

A study investigated the relationship of certain teacher characteristics (gender, teaching experience) and current work situation (K-6, secondary, or administrative) on perceptions of what teaching involves, actions taken during a work-to-rule campaign, and attitudes toward work-to-rule. Results are discussed in terms of the social and…

Research-based reform continues to strike a balance between the academic theories and classroom realities. This handbook provides a set of guidelines for the preparation of skilled instructors at all levels and career stages of teaching; establishes a curriculum for teacher education; and offers a forum for discussion in the field among teachers,…

This publication analyzes teacher education policy and practice with respect to teacher recruitment, induction, and continuing professional development with the intention of stimulating dialogue, debate, and collaboration among state agencies, state boards of education, teacher training institutions, legislators, and those involved in teacher…

Reviews developmental stages in older adults, particularly disillusionment and individuation, and their effects on career and family. Knowledge of these changes is useful in developing motivational tools for adults who work in schools. (BJV)

The purpose of this paper was to determine faculty perceptions about the role a department chair does and should play in a faculty member's movement toward tenure. A group of 485 full-time, tenured, and tenure-track faculty from 13 U.S. doctorate-granting universities participated in the study. Answers to the following questions were solicited:…

Review of 11 studies of health professions curricula incorporating training in professional self-assessment found initial student disorientation and distrust to be common. However, among successful programs both noncognitive and cognitive benefits appeared. Results suggest that self-assessment training promotes more mature, collegial, productive…

Recent studies at the Center for Educational Policy and Management provide insight into how collective bargaining affects the teaching profession, educational policy, and student achievement. Charles Kerchner's report links a three-stage labor relations model with an analysis of teaching as work. His case studies, besides revealing wide variations…

A review of the literature reveals that a profession: (1) possesses a unique set of abilities, (2) is based on a systematic body of knowledge, (3) is client-centered, (4) bonds its members together in associations, (5) is accorded a monopoly of licensure to protect standards, (6) possesses a regulatory code of ethical conduct, (7) assumes…

This paper reports on a longitudinal study of four urban schools that sought to develop professional community as part of a restructuring process. The study focuses on how restructuring affected teachers' work over a 3-year period. It reports that the absence of structural conditions can impede the growth of professional community; however, their…