Over the last 2 decades, Irish schooling and society have gone through a period of significant structural and policy-driven change. To meet the emerging needs of the knowledge/learning society, schools and teachers are challenged to develop their capacities as "active learning communities". This places greater demands on teachers and…

This study sought to understand which aspects of current school accountability measures cause high school principals the most concern and what specific actions they were taking to address their concerns. This study took place in Genesee County Michigan. The primary method of data collection was semi-structured interviews. Thirteen traditional high…

The paper outlines a practical six-hour workshop and assessment activity for students enrolled in a Graduate TESOL/Applied Linguistics program at La Trobe University, Australia. The program attracts teachers from preschool to university contexts from many different countries. The workshop draws explicit connections between in-service teachers'…

Universities need to work with teachers to dispel the belief that research is disconnected from practice and teachers must be open to the benefits of action inquiry. This study examined the process and impact of conducting action research on teachers' perceptions of practice and professionalism. Twelve teachers enrolled in a master's level course…

During the last quarter of a century, it became abundantly clear that the desired reforms in science teaching and learning could not be accomplished without significant professional development of in-service science teachers. Yet, there was a dearth of effective professional development models that could lead to the kind of instructional reforms…

This letter to the next president of the United States recommends the transformation of teacher in-service learning as a powerful means of education reform. Too often, professional development is perceived by teachers as being idiosyncratic and irrelevant. The authors recommend a reconceptualization of professional learning for practicing…

This report contains the proceedings of a seminar on "In-service Vocational Education Personnel Development for the 1980's," which consisted of two keynote addresses, a series of presentations, and group discussions. Chapter I, The Context of Inservice Education, includes three presentations: Philosophical Bases, Trends, and Issues for Inservice…

A school improvement effort that provided individually tailored reports on school effectiveness to 93 schools across the Commonwealth of Kentucky is analyzed. Dilemmas confronted by the individualized school reports explain why so little change was generated. The background for the research project from which the individual school reports were…

Describes the experiences of a college dean and a professor of educational administration who returned to the public schools as administrators in the Kansas City (Missouri) schools. From their experiences with implementing change within schools, they learned that professional staff development activities do not foster substantive change unless…

This article directed its attention to the study of actual attempts to implement innovations in the schools. Emphasis was given to a presentation of findings from one intensive study of attempts to develop major innovative programs. (Author/RK)

Student demands have brought significant innovation in the French educational system. The author comments upon the approaches which France is using in training its secondary school teachers. (Author/RK)

Article describes the activities of Region XII Education Service Center which is providing educational services, learning and teaching materials, and pertinent information and technology for flexible practices adaptable to local and regional conditions anywhere in the twelve-county Central Texas area. (Author/CB)

Permanent change in schools means finding effective ways to accomplish professional and personal growth in teachers and administrators. This article rewrites some cautionary tales to provide a sampler of strategies to aid real change. Basically, schools need substantive plans, accountable staff developers, broadened staff development definitions,…

Employs hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationship between professional development and the reformers' vision of teaching practice. Indicates that the quantity of professional development in which teachers participate is strongly linked with both inquiry-based teaching practice and investigative classroom culture. (Contains 39…