Many schools across the country face persistent teacher working condition challenges that are closely related to high teacher turnover rates and chronic difficulties in recruiting and retaining teachers. Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) research examining working conditions survey results in both North Carolina and South Carolina demonstrates…

Descriptive data about teachers in America were analyzed in terms of the international dimension of education and the social context in which schools operate. Characteristics of teachers, such as age, gender, race, experience, education, and the conditions under which they work, provided a profile of the "typical" teacher. The model…

In response to education reform mandates, rewards and incentives such as career ladder and master teacher programs are being designed to break lock-step salary schedules and to retain competent teachers. While these "pay-for-performance" plans seem acceptable to taxpayers, few realize that such approaches have already been tried and…

This study explored the elements in the school environment which predict beginning teachers' burnout at the end of the first year of teaching. Two surveys were administered to 45 first-year teachers, one in the fall semester and the other several weeks before the end of the school year. The surveys queried the teachers about their current working…

Reprints of four articles from the journal "Phi Delta Kappan" provide discussions of initial findings from "A Study of Schooling," a study of contextual variables in 38 elementary, junior high/middle, and high schools. The project had two purposes: (1) to formulate hypotheses and provide insights about schooling through indepth…

Contemporary educational thought holds that one of the pivotal causes of inadequate school performance is the inability of schools to adequately staff classrooms with qualified teachers. It is widely believed that schools are plagued by shortages of teachers, primarily due to recent increases in teacher retirements and student enrollments. This…

Successful democracies and economies demand that all students acquire analytical thinking, adept communication, and complex problem-solving skills. This kind of authentic learning requires highly skilled, accomplished teachers working within a school climate that promotes powerful learning experiences. Recent research shows that the design,…

In discussing Donna Kerr's recommendations for improving teaching through better preservice training (Teachers College Record, Spring 1983), Sykes points out the need to enhance the quality of a teacher's work life in the schools as a requisite for reform. Specific changes at the school level are suggested. (PP)

Presents results from a survey of 703 full-time college faculty from 35 2-year colleges, regarding their backgrounds, interests, professional activities, and perceptions. Finds job satisfaction related to influence at the college, perceptions of students, adverse institutional finances, colleges' intellectual quality, and perception of department…

Examines the teaching and learning conditions in select developing countries. Expounds on teachers' levels of qualifications, working conditions, training, and teaching environment. Assesses pupil retention levels and achievement, curriculum, books, and materials. Compares urban and rural schools, suggests ways to improve teaching and learning…

Investigates the relationship between school environment and science classroom environment in secondary schools. Reports that the characteristics of the school environment are not transmitted automatically into the science classroom. Concludes that the effect the school-level environment has on student learning is mediated by classroom process…

Building teacher morale involves more than compliments, plaques, and one-time events. Teacher morale is higher in schools where principals create a positive school culture and climate. Sinking teacher morale generally accompanies sinking student achievement. Time constraints, excessive workloads, and insufficient classroom resources take their…

While politicians and the media have devoted a great deal of attention to the "problem" of school violence, classrooms teachers remain an underutilized source of information and inspiration about the frequency of school violence, its causes, its consequences, and appropriate interventions. In essence, teachers have been given little, if any,…

This mixed methods study gathered information about the experiences of beginning special education teachers, their systems of support, and their intent to continue their careers in the field. Individual open-ended interviews were conducted with 8 first and second year special education teachers to obtain their perceptions of their first year of…

Schools of choice are fast becoming part of the national debate on educational reform. This study, part of a larger study of schools and families, examined how the work context of teachers and opportunities for parent involvement differ under different choice arrangements, and investigated aspects of the sociobureaucratic context of teachers' work…