Explores newly created opportunities for teachers in California charter schools, based on textual analysis of 86 charter proposal documents and followup interviews with selected directors and teachers. Most charter-school teachers have primary responsibility for governance, participate in hiring and peer evaluation, experience fewer bureaucratic…

Reviews research by June Gordon, appearing in the June issue of "Teachers College Record," that explored why Asian Americans were underrepresented in the teaching profession. Major reasons that Asian Americans avoided the teaching profession were parent pressure, lack of self-confidence, fear of working in an unfamiliar environment, and…

This study examined the effects of teacher characteristics, school conditions, teacher efficacy, external support, and remuneration on music educators' risk for attrition and migration. Data from the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey--a comprehensive, nationally representative survey of teachers, principals, and schools conducted by the…

This essay explores the importance of the classroom environment on teaching and learning, and suggests a framework for conducting further research in the field. (LH)

To begin to conceptualize teaching, one must focus on the teaching setting. Five general qualities for effective teaching are identified: active engagement, decentralized management, orderly instructional practice, setting evolution, and summative evaluation. (Author/MLW)

Points made in favor of year-round education include: improved attendance; better coordination of students, vacations, and facilities; fewer discipline problems; less stressful teaching conditions; and continuity benefits for special needs students. (CB)

Explores the reasons why it appears that there is no one best method for teaching language, focusing on different teaching contexts, the validity of various methods, and the notion of good and bad methods and teachers' sense of plausibility. (Author/CB)

Immigrants form an important and growing part of the Canadian population. Governments recognize the need to help new immigrants integrate into Canadian society by learning to speak either English or French, and therefore offer or support Language training programs. The federal Government, through the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, runs…

In keeping with repeated calls to investigate high early career turnover within the teaching profession, the present study investigated the hypothesis that a significant positive association between burnout and turnover intention would be observed in teachers at the beginning of their careers. A sample of 112 Australian teachers working in their…

Forced teaching reassignment combined with curriculum implementation may have detrimental results. This negative effect is due mostly to the reassigned teachers' views of themselves. For instance, it is held that teachers are less motivated by the teaching act because their new work is unfamiliar; their damaged self-esteem makes curricular change…

Recent research offers strong evidence that reduced class size has positive effects on improved student achievement, teachers' work conditions, and the quality of the classroom environment. This report presents a brief historical perspective on the research into the effects of class size; summarizes studies that discuss the relationship between…

This paper reviews the various recommendations for improving teacher education in the United States and compares them to educational conditions in Oregon. Recommendations are made to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission in four areas: supply of new teachers, assurance of quality of teacher candidates, induction of new teachers…

Brief abstracts are presented of recent articles dealing with teacher stress and burnout. The first section of this bibliography includes writings on the causes of stress and burnout. The second section concentrates on the symptoms and effects of teacher burnout upon the teacher, students, and schools. In the last section, methods of stress…

This paper discusses competing norms for justifying teacher decisions, their effects on productivity and legitimacy in teaching, and the teaching profession as a moral and learning community. Drawing on philosophical analyses and studies of elementary and secondary schools, teacher preparation, staff development, and the adoption of innovations,…

This study consisted of the development of the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ), designed to assess teacher job satisfaction in elementary and secondary schools. A thorough review was conducted of concepts, theories, and approaches related to job satisfaction in order to develop a clear definition of job satisfaction. A list of…