Eastern education may be perceived by Western-oriented educators as something quite different from the latters' "advanced" and "developed" way of educating. Cultural difference in pedagogical practice may be experienced by Western English language educators not as difference but as deficit. Eastern teachers of EFL are sometimes…

The purpose of this article is to show teacher competence is due to not only experience but also knowledge of the subject matter. Many schools in Lebanon are suffering from teacher incompetence in general and English language teachers' incompetence in particular. Twenty pre-service and eighteen in-service Lebanese English teachers teaching in…

This article reports on research on secondary-school teachers and dilemmas they encounter in their work in multi-ethnic schools in the Netherlands. The results of a recent study based on interviews are compared with a survey conducted in 1996. This showed that in a changing societal context, that can be characterized by mounting selection and…

This study is based on personal experiences. It adopts an auto ethnographic approach and action research perspective in an attempt to describe and reflect on my experience as a teacher in a University where I have worked for just over a year; the study also examines factors that have helped me in my role as a teacher to effect change in my praxis.…

This paper seeks to obtain the views of student teachers in Northern Ireland as to the benefits and challenges of inclusive education and the key issues that may need to be addressed to ensure they become effective teachers in an inclusive classroom. Because of the system of academic selection that has prevailed in Northern Ireland, issues…

This paper reports on the second phase of the Froebel Research Fellowship project "Ownership and Autonomy in Early Childhood" (2003-5). Based on the first phase of the project (Robson and Hargreaves, 2005), a questionnaire survey of 80 professionals working in the Foundation Stage (age 3-5) in England was conducted to obtain an overview…

Preservice teachers come to any teacher education course with prior experiences, knowledge and beliefs about learning and teaching. Additionally, the belief systems of preservice teachers often serve as a lens through which they view the content of the teacher education program. Consequently, it is essential that teacher educators take these prior…

There is a large literature on leadership mentoring and coaching. However, in education in England, mentoring is the term that has dominated policy and discussion until recently, with the application of this concept as a core element in teacher training and in the induction of new headteachers. Coaching has emerged more recently as a significant…

A two year study investigating the state of pre-service teachers' (PTs') (n=224), teachers' (n=18) and students' knowledge (n=123) of Grade 7 geometry (using the van Hiele theory (1986) and acquisition scales of Gutierrez, Jaime & Fortuny (1991)) is reported. Results indicate that both teachers and PTs fail to reach the expected level of…

This document reports on the use of personal narratives about teaching in early childhood preservice teacher education programs. The first part of the paper outlines a study which examined staff and student perceptions of the use of stories about teaching practice in a teacher education program in Brisbane, Australia. The second part of the paper…

This study examined the enculturation process experienced by two beginning teachers during their first year of teaching in Queensland (Australia) secondary schools, focusing on teacher socialization and teacher development. Data were gathered using participant observation, verbalized thinking, and in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed by…

The main aim of this project was to understand teachers' professional development by reconstructing their career experiences. The study examined the ways in which 10 experienced primary school teachers from 4 different Flemish schools experienced their careers, focusing on the personal perception and the subjective meaning of these experiences.…

The project group, "Preparedness for Peace," at the Malmo School of Education in Sweden studies ways of helping children and young people to deal constructively with questions of war and peace. As part of this work, experts with special interests and competence in areas related to peace education are interviewed. This interview explores…

The project groups "Preparedness for Peace" at the Malmo School of Education in Sweden studies ways of helping children and young people to deal constructively with questions of peace and war. As part of this work, experts with special interest and competence in areas related to peace education are interviewed. These interviews explore…

During the past ten years, a series of small studies have been conducted at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) to examine the influence of varying the length of the student teaching practicum on the self-concept of teachers and their motivation towards the profession. Measures of self-concept and motivation have been taken by student…