Describes the effects of a professional development institute to promote critical self-reflection on preservice teachers' attitudes and knowledge about diversity. Data analysis of 18 usable surveys indicated increased postinstitute confidence in abilities to plan for multicultural instruction and recognize student's learning needs. The confidence…

This study investigated relationships among teacher experience, efficacy, and attitude toward implementation of instructional innovation. Surveys immediately following a staff development program on cooperative learning indicated that experience was negatively correlated, personal teaching efficacy positively correlated, and general teaching…

Reports on a study of 128 first-year teachers. The data suggest that beginning teachers are selective in whom they ask for help. Most sought help from experienced teachers they perceived as friendly or caring, whether they were mentors or not. (SM)

Identifies factors, both helpful and obstructive, influencing teachers' transition from basal to a whole-language curriculum. Observations from two first-grade classrooms and interviews with school principals and two classroom teachers (one whole-language veteran and the other in transition into whole language) are evaluated. (GLR)

Used case studies to examine teachers' motivation and instructional style in relationship to their progress in Professional Development School staff development. Field observations of teachers examined the effectiveness of the Teacher Instructional Orientation and Motivation model in predicting teachers' responses to staff development. Data…

Examined the reflections of a non-native English speaker who taught English as a foreign language in Korea, discussing her preferred modes of reflection during group meetings, individual meetings, and journal writing and describing her level of reflection in each activity (descriptive or critical). Overall, she clearly preferred group discussion…

Surveys of K-12 teachers and principals in New Jersey examined the effect of incentives on faculty development. Results suggest that, despite evidence that they recognize practice in teacher development, teachers continue to be attracted by incentives and rewards for more traditional and outdated forms of professional growth and development. (SM)

Finland's Reformative In-Service Education for Teachers was a one-year program that joined experienced and novice teachers in promoting change. Research on the resulting development of teachers' cognitions and on factors crucial to that development highlighted changes in beginners' craft knowledge concerning students, learning, knowledge, and…

This paper presents a model of a teacher needs-based (TNB) professional development program. The TNB model formed the foundation of three externally funded professional development programs. The objectives of this model are to maximize the effects of a professional development program, and to help participants sustain their learning over the long…

The purpose of this study was to identify what and how preservice teachers observe when peer coaching during an early field experience. Twenty-three male and 14 female preservice teachers trained in peer coaching participated in the study. Coaches observed a peer partner teach five 40-min lessons to small groups of elementary or junior high school…

A constructivist practitioner's masters program in professional development (PDMA) was designed and piloted at the University of Northern Iowa. The program provides an option for pursuing a master's in education structured upon the following constructivism-focused framework of components: (1) the program is designed for experienced educators, and…

This paper presents a detailed analysis of a teaching evaluation conversation between Michael Darwin, high school principal, and teacher, Joseph Wolenko, in order to explore how both attended to issues of "face" during the evaluation process. The analysis draws on data from a larger study in an ethnomethodology/conversation analysis…

To determine the effects of teacher training on day caregivers' instructional methods and to examine children's learning behaviors during training, a study was conducted of 5 African-American caregivers and 60 children from low income families in an urban day care center. The caregivers participated over a 2-year period in the W. E. Think training…

This study examined the efficacy of Techniques of Responsive Intervention to Validate Effective Teaching (TRIVET) as a model for training administrators and teachers to provide instructional leadership through effective classroom appraisal. The study dealt with the first of a multi-step process to have principals and teachers impact what happens…

Questionnaires were developed to get demographic, administrative, and pedagogical information from both rural and urban districts. Replies were received from 89.9 percent of the superintendents or directors of education, 83 percent of the principals of schools with multigraded classrooms, and 80 percent of the teachers of multigraded classes. An…