The success of Finland in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) highlights the quality of Finnish teacher education underpinning its consistently high performance in the survey. In 2010 the UK government initiated a masters in teaching and learning (MTL) in order to raise the education level of teachers, following Finland's…

Recent education reform has emphasized the importance of teacher learning in improving classroom instruction and raising student achievement. This article focuses on teachers' learning opportunities, including formal professional development and on-the-job learning that occurs through interactions with colleagues. Using data from 30 elementary…

Teachers are generally recognized as the schooling factor accounting for the highest proportion of student learning outcomes (Aaronson et al., 2007; Hanushek, 1986). This implies the quick and dramatic improvement in school performance observed in turnaround (TA) schools was associated with a major change in the performance of its teachers. This…

Background/Context: Concerns about instructional quality have unleashed a frenzy of reform efforts, including changes in school governance, teacher recruitment, and curriculum, modification of teaching philosophies and procedures, stricter accountability management, and increased quests for scientific research information and guidance. These…

Ongoing developments in educational technology, including web-based instruction, streaming video, podcasting, video-conferencing, and the use of wikis and blogs to create learning communities, have substantial impact on distance education and preparation of special educators in rural communities. These developments can be overwhelming, however,…

Scholars have proposed that "the path to change in the classroom lies within and through" more collaborative professional communities among teachers (McLaughlin and Talbert, 1993: 18). How do different approaches to developing collaborative professional communities impact experienced teachers and their ability to change? This article identifies…

The combination of the recent push for reform-based teaching and federal legislation has placed a renewed emphasis on professional development across all content areas. The development of content standards and the No Child Left Behind Act have created new expectations for students to achieve, as well as for teachers to utilize better teaching…

Math coaches play a vital role in strengthening math instruction and learning in schools. However, without a collegial relationship with the teachers they are trying to help, it is difficult to foster productive collaborations that lead to better teaching practice and increased student achievement. This resource helps coaches confidently clarify,…

Resistance to change is a major obstacle in developing and implementing effective instructional programs, yet it is rarely considered, discussed, or addressed. The school leaders who are responsible for improvement frequently feel that their efforts are being blocked or thwarted. For the most part, they are correct, but they may not realize that…

A prerequisite for AfL to be successfully implemented in the classroom is the teachers' assessment practice. In many contexts, including the Norwegian, AfL has not been successfully dealt with during initial teacher education, and there is a need for qualified teachers to engage in professional development in AfL. This article first discusses…

Educational reform represents a long-term focus of Australian governments. National policy documents have emphasised quality education for all and improved teacher quality for over 30 years. The gaps in achievement among various groups of learners represent a problem for an education system seeking to achieve national quality benchmarks,…

This study reports on Egyptian science teachers' experiences in collective action research projects with a focus on education for sustainable development (ESD). Science teachers were enrolled in a study course "Teaching Strategies" that had been revised with a focus on sustainability. The course was introduced in the spring semester of…

The editors of this issue of the "Journal for Teacher Education" invited experienced scholars working in different teacher education fields and research traditions to share their bold ideas drawn from personal understandings of their fields and research. The new editorial team for the "Journal of Teacher Education" has published these scholars'…

The teaching profession has long been structured around full-time classroom responsibilities that are defined by the location, timing, and schedule of the school day and a ubiquitous one-teacher-per-classroom model. In most districts, the only option for highly successful teachers to advance in the profession or serve more students is to leave the…

The improvement of teacher education in Russia to make it more appropriate to current conditions must involve changes in both techniques and the presentation-of-self of the teacher. The development of the schoolteacher as the carrier of socially and professionally significant abilities is a key task of pedagogical education today, one that is…