Teacher professional development is assumed to be enhanced through reflective, collective, collaborative professional communities (Little, 2003). Universities in these teacher community developments play a big role by providing teachers with pedagogical helps and professional developments. By not only encouraging teachers to go to conferences, do…

In this paper we document the importance of institutional context in both constraining and enabling the work of mathematics teachers. We build from our current and ongoing collaborative efforts with middle-grades mathematics teachers to provide an analytic approach and resulting analysis that clarifies the critical role of institutional context in…

In professional development, attention to both collaboration and critical thinking in the various interactive socialization processes of teaching practices should be essential strategic elements in a formative environment. This study presents contributions from the teleinteractive dynamic established in a virtual environment for the critical…

This report provides baseline data on professional development and training needs for teachers of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs). Surveys administered to LCTL teachers working in higher education addressed a range of issues relating to the following: the teaching context; the teacher's professional background and qualifications; the…

Staff development in cooperative learning must focus on three stages of staff development (pre-training, training, and post-training) to achieve at least five purposes. The five purposes are: creating conditions for successful staff development prior to training; conducting high-quality training sessions that result in mastery of the conceptual…

This book joins instructional design as the axis of school reform with collaborative observation as the proven method to sustain teacher growth and renewal. The acronym COMPASS (Collaborative Observation for Monitoring Practices to Achieve Sustained School reform) is used. The book details a four-part observation process, each component of which…

To improve American education, there must be improved ongoing professional development for teachers and a national plan for helping teachers fulfill their untapped potential. Research shows that quality professional development can improve student achievement. Teachers report that professional development improves their teaching. Despite this, the…

This paper discusses dynamics of educational systems that can influence professional development. It begins by suggesting that adjusting education systems to support sustained, high-quality professional development for all teachers can be compared to developing dynamic, passionate orchestras whose productions touch their audiences and bring joy…

A small group of teachers at one Illinois high school is helping to effect and promote change. Through the Action Research Laboratory (ARL), teams of teachers conduct collaborative action research to improve classroom practices. Data from the first two years of the ARL indicate that teachers are eager to participate in, and have thrived in, their…

Explored the journey and progress of elementary teachers conducting action research within science and mathematics, examining their perspectives of teaching, empowerment, research, and professional development through team planning. Data from journals, activities, observations, surveys, and interviews indicated that an initial stumbling block to…

Describes the experiences of a group of university colleagues working with middle schools in an Australian collaborative research project on authentic assessment, focusing on the tensions that arose from the diverse expectations of the schools, the particular project, the university, and the academics, and describing how the project supported and…

Examines limitations and possibilities of reflection in teacher learning and change, discussing choices regarding its purposes and processes and arguing that if it is to succeed, teachers must engage in partnerships with colleagues from inside or outside the school in order to confront thinking and practice; a necessary process if the outcome of…

Uses data from American, British, and Chinese mentor teachers to explore the relationship between mentoring contexts and mentoring practice. Three instructional contexts shaped differences across programs and countries: structure of school curriculum and assessment, organization of teaching and mentoring, and student population. Mentors'…

Investigates mentoring in the new millennium, linking approaches to mentoring with an evolutionary model of professionalism in teachers (the four ages of professionalism); examining key areas of change that should lead to a new way of looking at mentoring; and drawing conclusions for redesigning teacher preparation, developing continuous learning…

Describes one elementary school's success in improving student achievement, focusing on three critical elements of its Professional Development School: teacher collaboration, partnerships between the home and school, and an emphasis on improved academic achievement. This PDS constantly uses reflection and analysis to look at the future, viewing…