The assumption that as teacher empowerment increases in restructuring schools teacher job satisfaction will increase was explored in a study using a large sample of classroom teachers working in schools initiating self-designed restructuring efforts. Study participants were 10,544 classroom teachers working in 307 Venture Capital Schools funded to…

This paper presents the results of a factor analysis that identified five emerging constructs of power from surveys administered in two southeastern states of residence: Florida and Alabama. The five constructs were named the "Five Dimensions of Power" and are: autonomy, resources, responsibility, political efficacy and expertise, and…

If contemporary plans for devolved decision making to schools in Australia are to be realized, the role of all teachers in curriculum decision-making processes will need to be acknowledged. This paper presents findings of a study that sought to build a theory of curriculum leadership from the teachers' own perspectives--a theory of curriculum…

This paper presents findings of a study that compared the school environment in Australian Catholic and government schools. A total of 208 teachers from 32 Queensland secondary schools completed the "Catholic School Environment Questionnaire." The sample included 80 teachers of religion at the Catholic nonorder (coeducational) and the…

This paper investigates the impact of the BOUNCE BACK! Resiliency Program on teachers and students. The program teaches coping skills to students, 11-12 years old, to help them resist the use of substances and other risk-taking behaviors. The program contains five elements: (1) the core component of coping skills; (2) a supportive social skills…

The 307 schools funded by the Ohio Venture Capital program were the focus of a study on teacher empowerment. This paper focuses on the method used to maximize survey responses, rather than on the study findings. Data were sought from the building principals and 10,544 classroom teachers to create a "total picture" of the individual…

This review of the literature defines the concept of student empowerment, discusses the implications of student empowerment in educational settings, and outlines strategies for facilitating increased empowerment. A definition of "empowerment" as "bringing into a state of belief one's ability to act effectively," is offered and the critical…

Today's schools are being affected by changes in educational technology and increasing student diversity. In the new education paradigm, schools must prepare all students to think critically, solve problems quickly, and learn continuously. Schools therefore need leaders who can mobilize entire communities to accept and lead change. This paper…

The authors examined a narrative approach that may lead to improvements as faculty develop their skills to use the internet for delivery of instruction. The design of this study relied on an interview process that empowered both researchers to create their own narratives as they constructed their concerns and motivations about online pedagogy. The…

This paper describes a university German teacher's experience using the file transfer capabilities of the Blackboard Internet tool. The introduction highlights some of the features and advantages of Blackboard. The first section discusses teacher empowerment, noting that the Internet empowers the teacher by providing the wealth of the worlds…

This position paper presents the STAIRS model for overcoming barriers to teachers as they implement and integrate instructional technology in science classrooms. There are many barriers for teachers in the integration of this technology which include time to learn how to use the technology, adequate hands-on staff development opportunities,…

Preparing educators for the challenges of an empowered school community demands collaboration among teacher educators, practitioners, and the community. This paper proposes a theoretical model of empowerment which supports university-school-community ventures. The model, which embraces intra-university collaboration and university-school-community…

In some educational systems, legislative action mandates teacher participation in decision making through the formation of policymaking bodies such as school councils. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated high school teachers' perceptions of empowerment in schools with and without school councils. The study investigated…

The paper develops a conceptual framework for teacher leadership and empirically verifies the existence of teacher leadership skills through a survey of 170 teachers. The model of transformational leadership, based on several leadership theories, is presented to advance increased teacher participation in instructional leadership. The model…

High quality education for all students is promoted nationwide. University teacher educators must deal with reality as they provide instruction for prospective teachers. If schools and teachers are to improve, then college faculty must also improve. This must be a unified effort in which higher education institutions work with existing and new…