Advocates that, if the preferred time for developing skills in indirect teaching is when the teacher is motivated to implement those skills, the emphasis upon indirect teaching should be shifted from preservice to inservice teacher education. Offers guidelines for development of listening skills to permit more effective interaction with learners.…

Described is a study which replicates one conducted four years before in which data were collected on junior- and senior-high science teacher perceptions of their teaching skills and their school conditions. Results show that teachers' perceptions have become more favorable since the original study. (CS)

Citing young people's seemingly extensive--but actually superficial--knowledge about drugs, the author suggests that students need drug education which stresses self-awareness and decision making. He outlines the type of teacher training and community involvement needed for such a program. (SJL)

A survey questionnnaire was administered to 139 educators to determine the professional education teacher competencies needed by postsecondary agriculture technology teachers. Of the 100 competencies listed on the questionnaire, 99 were perceived by the surveyed group as being above 3.0 (instrument scale average) in importance to the job. (LRA)

This article outlines a program for developing effective inservice training for teachers based on using specific teaching competencies. (JD)

In the first of an occasional series of articles by directors of education author urges the new Secretary of State to give immediate attention to the questions of induction and in-service training. (Editor/RK)

Discusses current theme in education, finding methodology for inservice courses through which skills and attitudes of teachers can be appropriately developed. Attempts to help teachers develop awareness of process by which learning takes place on an INSET course, to make process explicit to themselves and, in doing so, make this awareness…

Discusses four challenges in providing staff development in rural schools. Distance education links using audiographics, sharing responsibilities between the university and local schools to promote ownership of training, and using school-based teams or grade-level units for increasing collaboration among staff are described. (Contains seven…

Teachers described organizing for instruction, using instructional strategies, evaluating instruction, and encouraging students' personal growth. They perceived preservice study as more important than graduate in gaining basic understanding of 15 of the 18 selected teaching skills and competency as being developed primarily on the job. (SM)

Background: Over the past 20 years, a number of researchers have expressed concern over the lack of confidence and qualifications of primary school teachers to teach PE. Evidently, the influence of personal school PE experiences may play an important role in the development of teachers' confidence to appropriately teach PE. Most research that has…

A project to improve higher level thinking skills of elementary students in Hillsborough County, Florida is reported as a feature article (66p). An introductory overview chapter reviews the literature on teaching thinking skills. Chapter 1 provides background information on the community and the two schools selected for the practicum. The second…

A chart is presented grouping teacher competencies into five categories, in an effort to clarify specific activities and training objectives in performance-based teacher education, both preservice and inservice, for elementary school teachers. The chart may be used by program developers, project directors, and others (1) as a means of developing…

A review of research literature on the effective teaching of basic skills in secondary education and a description of a model staff development program provide guidelines for school administrators in improving teachers' skills. The literature identifies both classroom- and school-level factors influencing teacher effectiveness. Classroom factors…