Forty-four student teachers' existing understanding of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the way it changes as they learn to teach is examined. The cohort were taking a postgraduate certificate in education course at the University of Cambridge UK in 2000-2001. Data from assignments, questionnaires and interviews were analysed.…

This collaborative paper explores the process of creating a learning community as a complex learning system in an early childhood graduate course. Reflected here are the course instructor's experiences and those of various students who took the course at different times. This exploration was inspired by the students' (re)created and repeated…

Verbal and non-verbal communication interactions have a strong influence on the social construction of gender. Therefore understanding the classroom interaction structures and the subsequent socio-cultural context is a vital commitment for any teacher. Furthermore, since gender is constructed in the day-to-day interactions of children's lives,…

This paper describes part of a study (Kraus 1996) involving 25 school administrators who attended one of five administrator preparation programs at four New England universities. The study addressed research questions regarding perceptions of administrators' job preparedness and how components of formal training programs (i.e., internships,…

A growing body of research underlines the importance of successful relationships between and among teachers especially in teacher education programs that are often considered as a part of the larger administrative unit. Both in preservice and inservice professional development programs nature and quality of relationships matter simply because…

The idea that a white teacher working predominantly with children of color might have problems because of the inability to understand where the students are coming from or because of racial/ethnic biases is supported in various branches of educational literature. This study investigates a first-year white teacher working in a middle school where…

The American Psychological Association's "Learner-Centered Psychological Principles" comprise a knowledge base organized around certain cognitive, affective, developmental, personal, social, and individual-difference factors. Teachers need self- assessment and reflection tools to assess fundamental beliefs and assumptions about learning,…

Teachers cannot be members of learning communities without time for regular reflection, research, collaboration, and innovation. A private academy developed a formalized learning process dividing faculty into three groups. Each undergoes an evaluation year, a learning development year (with reduced teaching load), and a consolidation/practice…

Helps show the journey of a teacher finding the path to good teaching and the ways in which she helped her student. Presents insights into teacher learning as well as some useful assessments and instructional techniques used with a child who struggled in reading and writing. (SG)

Four lines of thought in philosophy that support the use of case studies and narratives to promote reflective teaching at the college level are examined. The four concepts include reflective practice or reflection in action; practical wisdom (contrasted with abstract wisdom); use of concrete cases for rational, practical decision making; and a…

Case studies designed by the National Institute for Science Education reveal various dilemmas and decision points faced by professional developers. Planners must decide whether to focus on philosophical or pragmatic issues; aim at a broad or narrow audience; and engage teachers in developing curriculum or in adopting existing curricula. (MLH)

This study is based on personal experiences. It adopts an auto ethnographic approach and action research perspective in an attempt to describe and reflect on my experience as a teacher in a University where I have worked for just over a year; the study also examines factors that have helped me in my role as a teacher to effect change in my praxis.…

This paper describes the findings of a qualitative research study examining the perceptions and practices of inservice teachers who blog. Open-ended interviews and electronic dialogues were conducted with 16 K-12 bloggers to identify emergent themes. A content analysis of each participant's Weblogs was conducted to confirm these findings. Findings…

This self-study was designed to explore problem-based learning (PBL) as an instructional approach in the context of a pre-service science education methods course. Through the development and implementation of PBL curriculum, the author's goals were to improve her classroom practice and her understanding of that practice, to contribute to the…

A collaborative research project between the Educational Research Department of the University of Liege (Belgium) and a pedagogical high school (primary pre-service teachers) was aimed at the literacy development of the future teachers before they are able to teach reading and writing in first, second, and third grade classrooms. In Belgium future…