This book examines the personal, moral, cultural, and political dimensions of teaching in the context of rapid and far-reaching change within teachers' work and in the world beyond it. The chapters in Part One examine the powerful forces for change in society and how those forces are exerting pressure on existing institutions. Issues such as the…

In the area of language instruction, a network of ecological relationships exists among the teacher, the child, and the text--the sustaining and nurturing of these relationships is at the heart of whole language instruction. Moreover, this network of relationships falls prey to neither of the unsustainable extremities of "gericentrism"…

The Task Force on Teaching was asked to gather research, review literature, and collect testimony on improving teaching. Two papers are presented: (1) "Attracting and Retaining Talented Teachers" (Cindy K. Currence); and (2) "Building State Strategies to Attract and to Retain Talented Teachers" (Robert Palaich). This report…

In reviewing a study of elementary urban school teachers, the author points out how the bureaucracy of education stifles teachers' ability to develop an internalized locus of control and leads to disenchantment and alienation. Giving teachers authority to act in their areas of expertise while decentralizing the educational power structure will…

Teachers must play a central role in attempts to reform public education. Teachers are losing control over their work. They must organize, defend schools as institutions essential to maintaining a democracy, and portray themselves as transformative intellectuals who combine scholarly reflection and practice to train students to be responsible…

Research about the American experience with school reform has underscored time as the major obstacle to change. This book presents a psychosocial perspective of time and the problems it presents for teachers and administrators in an era of time scarcity. Specifically, it explores the effects of five major concepts (time investment portfolios,…

Suggests that the reform of English departments where overburdened composition teachers teach underprepared students must begin with a sense of historical perspective examining the genesis of the freshman writing course and the large numbers of college students who must enroll in it. (TB)

Teaching has endured largely as an assemblage of entrepreneurial individuals whose autonomy is grounded in norms of privacy and noninterference and is sustained by the very organization of teaching work. This article examines prominent forms of collegiality and discusses their prospects for altering the fundamental conditions of privacy in…

Reports on ways English primary teachers' work perspectives changed following the 1988 Education Reform Act, noting the significance of teacher professionalism as a mediating influence. Most teachers had changed their teaching approach, classroom practice, and role perceptions in ways they did not choose, resulting in pressure and loss of…

Teachers in six rural Saskatchewan schools were interviewed and observed over a four-month period during implementation of core curriculum policy. The least teacher resistance to change was found in schools with the most communication and teacher collaboration and the least direct control by principals. Contains 33 references. (SV)

Reports survey findings from 1000 Soviet secondary teachers on teachers' salaries, teacher morale, teaching resources, in-service education, and the national crisis in education. Compares the ongoing restructuring of Soviet education with U.K. reforms. Outlines 6 principles for needed reform, emphasizing decentralization and democratization of…

Used data from interviews, surveys, and document analysis to describe the methods and reform processes of the Saber Tooth Project, examining selection of sites; demographics (school sites, teachers, data sources, and project assumptions); and project phases (development, planning, implementation, and support). The project's method of reform was…

Explored how Chinese and American elementary mathematics teachers changed their conception and practice, examining the impact of instructional context. Observations and interviews with teachers who were reforming their instruction indicated that they were dissatisfied with their prior practice. Their conceptual change was shaped by specific images…

Offers an interview with Ivan Ivanovich Mel'nikov, who is the chair of the newly created Russian legal base called the State Duma's Committee for Science and Education. Explains that this legal base will assist in the further development of general and higher education institutions and will help improve the teaching conditions in Russia. (CMK)

What would a school look like if it were designed with teachers' needs in mind, a building created with the idea of fostering professional learning along with student learning? As more schools are being updated or replaced, the opportunity exists not only to ask the question, but also to make changes that foster teacher learning.