Peer coaching, or peer assisting, was established in 1970s by Joyce and Showers. Initially used in teachers' professional development, it refers to a process that two or more teacher peers evaluate current practice mutually; expand skills, extract and build new skills; share ideas, and review & solve problems of classroom teaching in a way of…

What elements are critical in fostering the engagement of two individuals in a mentoring relationship? Based on this phenomenological research on the mentoring experiences of women faculty, a feeling of connection emerged as an essential attribute of these relationships. The findings suggest that HRD professionals should be engaged in providing…

The purpose of this paper was to examine the cross-national performance of fourth- and eighth-grade students in mathematics on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003. The TIMSS assessment data were used to identify nations that have a competitive edge in the critical area of mathematics. The Trends in International…

This paper reports on an ongoing 3-year study of the current status of instructional supervision within New York City public schools. Under the influence of a centralized and bureaucratically managed system (i.e., top down initiatives), educational reform in New York City has had serious consequences for both the theory and practice of…

This study sought to explore what sort of relationships exist between students' number sense and their problem solving ability, and the contribution of the teacher's teaching style and the students' learning style towards students' performance in these two respective areas. The problem solving ability and number sense proficiency of three classes…

This paper tries to present a careful analysis of current trends and challenges to importing Japanese model of teachers' professional development. The objective is to examine what "we" can learn from Japanese approach to improving instruction, especially "Jugyou Kenkyu" (Lesson Study) as a collaborative research on the…

This qualitative study examined the growth of Chris, a novice teacher who, after two years of near-failing evaluations, successfully received tenure following his third year of teaching. His progress seemed related to the quality of his relationships with different mentors; those who invested time in observation and non-judgmental discussion…

Many people feel mathematics education in the U.S. is in need of improvement. Fennema and Franke (1992) note that teachers' knowledge (or lack thereof) is often associated with poor instruction and thus, low student achievement on instruments which measure mathematical aptitude. For this reason, universities across the country have become…

In this paper, we examine how journal and ethnography field notes in Jugyou Kenkyu (lesson study) help teachers to understand the diverse range of talents and abilities of their students. Especially, we focus on how ethnography field note and reflective papers (karate) help teachers to change their assumptions about student learning. The data…

I clarify in this chapter what Iran can learn from Japan's experience of jugyou kenkyuu(lesson study) model, and what we can apply to the Iranian educational context. The chapter also discusses the process, progress and challenges of incorporating jugyou kenkyuu into Iranian teacher training. I examine how Iranian teachers and school…

This article applies theories of alternative thinking and problem solving to the teaching context. Teachers working in static situations are prone to stagnation leading to a paradigm crisis where they are forced to question the status quo. Techniques for confronting such situations are examined, along with personal management strategies and the…

Supervision as a field, in the main, remains susceptible and thus vulnerable to various forces, ideological and otherwise, that constrain its ability to play a significant role in instructional improvement and thus in educational leadership. Adherence to inspectional and fault finding supervision under the guise of standards-based and other…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to obtain a better understanding of the obstacles and possible solutions for improving science education in Southern Mexico. It provides information about the challenges faced by teachers and school administrators, and possible alternatives for improving the quality of teaching after ten years of a…

The background of teaching science in secondary schools in Papua New Guinea is described in order to familiarize readers with the situation at Goroka Teachers' College (GTC) in the early 1980s where it was necessary to attempt to increase educational standards in science. Goroka Teachers' College was the main source of science teachers for…

This Northern Illinois University College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) initiative represents the authors' first attempt to prepare engineering and technology professors for teaching to improve student learning and the Scholarship of Teaching. This college portfolio is nontraditional in that it combines a learning paper approach…