This paper reports on the results of three different investigations into pre-service teachers' understanding of the mathematical concepts of area and perimeter. Different test instruments were used with three cohorts from two universities in order to identify pre-service teachers' understandings and common misconceptions. The results indicated…

This study used a mixed methods design to examine the characteristics--including competencies (i.e., knowledge and skills), and personal attributes--of successful teachers of students with E/BD. The characteristics were examined through the perceptions of teachers of students with E/BD (teachers who are expert in E/BD, n = 14, MEd Graduates…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) recognizes the importance of special education teachers in the education of all children and youth. Special educators have always believed that children's individual learning needs should drive instruction; indeed, pedagogy is the heart of special education practice. One way to judge a special education…

Teachers draw from many personal and professional experiences when organising and leading field trips. In order to identify the influences on teachers' field trip practices, I used surveys, interviews, artifacts and observations gathered from teachers who led trips to an aquarium. Findings clarified the types of influence and the impact that these…

Over the last few decades, developments have taken place at international, national and local levels that have encouraged more inclusive forms of educational provision. However, many practising teachers remain concerned that they lack the knowledge, skills and expertise necessary to support an increasingly diverse range of learners in their…

Communication skills are central to teacher effectiveness and instructional expertise. A teacher's communication behaviors can also serve motivational purposes that facilitate a number of important instructional outcomes. This article highlights six skills that every physical education teacher should master. Three of the skills are rhetorical in…

The current study had two purposes: to explore further revisions to the Three-Part Schedule D Additional Qualification (AQ) courses in special education and to determine if a virtual knowledge network would be a viable and welcome tool in building teacher capacity for classroom inclusion of students with exceptionalities. Educational stakeholders…

State and federal accountability continues to be a major part of public education. The impact that federal legislation has had when working with special needs students adds another facet to public education. Both state and federal accountability play a part in how teachers perceive their attitudes when working with students with disabilities This…

Commonsense reasoning says that quality teacher education relies on quality teacher educators. Yet, there is minimal attention to what teacher educators should know and be able to do. Unquestionably, teacher educators cannot teach what they do not know; but what "should" they know, and should they be prepared? This study of 293 teacher…

Practical work has a long history in science education in the UK. This article explores how the influences of curriculum and assessment policy have shaped practical work over recent years. We argue that, together with changes in teacher training programmes, these influences have weakened science teachers' capacity to meet the challenge of calls…

This qualitative case study describes how one beginning primary grade teacher benefited from collaborative lesson-planning meetings with her grade-level colleagues. The teacher accumulated knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, and professional contexts as she participated in planning meetings each week during her first year of teaching. Furthermore,…

Literature concerning teacher quality indicates that there is a core body of knowledge and skills that a teacher must be equipped with to develop competencies of effective teaching. Beginning teachers (n = 3,353; 1-3 teaching years) participated in an online quality evaluation project at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. Factors…

In the continuing global call for educational reforms and change, the contributors in this edited collection address the critical issue of teacher learning from diverse national contexts and perspectives. They define "teacher learning that matters" as it shapes and directs pedagogical practices with the goal of improving student learning. Student…

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all students. Through the National Science Education Standards, NSTA calls attention to the importance of science standards for all students and the need for a scientifically literate populace. NSTA is also…

In Turkey, professional standards for teachers have recently been developed by the Turkish Ministry of Education in collaboration with universities, and these standards have begun to be taken into account in preservice and in-service training programs. The study reported in this article sought to determine the degree to which the professional…