This paper describes the rationale for and progress in a substantial research project that aims to develop an understanding of science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. The background to and purposes for the project are explained. Related projects that study pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) are also described. Approaches to identifying…

Cites five conditions that enable new teachers to succeed that relate to scheduling, district environment, and support. (DDR)

Explains tenants of quality professional development using a beginning teacher's experiences for illustration. Suggests that professional development should: focus on single subject; focus on participants' needs; be ongoing and sustained; engage participants in pursuit of answers to genuine questions, problems, and curiosities; provide…

Surveyed experienced Dutch secondary school teachers regarding their professional identities, examining ways that they saw themselves as subject matter experts, didactical experts, and pedagogical experts. Surveys indicated that most teachers saw their professional identity as consisting of a combination of the distinct aspects of expertise.…

Reviews the history of research and policy developments that resulted in the adoption of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). Since their adoption, the CSTP have become the cornerstone for teaching policy in California. The article focuses on issues, concerns, and dilemmas that shaped the standards in each of their…

Identifies and estimates the influence of educational, psychological, and social factors on learning, using evidence from 61 research experts, 91 meta-analyses, and 179 handbook chapters and narrative reviews. Results suggest an emergent base for school learning, with proximal (psychological, instructional, and home environment) variables exerting…

Effective management is the foundation from which learning can occur. In addition to its impact on student learning, the ability to manage effectively is an important factor in teacher job satisfaction. Management struggles have been linked to teacher stress and burnout and to an inability to care about students. In this study, the authors…

One of the most hotly contested issues in mathematics education today is the use of calculators in elementary schools. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has gone on record recommending the use of calculators in the earliest grades. NCTM's recommendation that calculators be introduced under the guidance of skilled teachers is…

This policy brief focuses on teacher competence in using technologies in the Pacific region, identifying key policy issues that must be addressed if teachers are to be prepared to capitalize on the investments being made in technology at the local and entity level. Section 1 focuses on what teachers must know and do in order to effectively use…

This research project examined the training of foreign language teachers in Europe. Data were collected from 32 European countries from February to June 2002. Information was also gathered from published documents, ministries of education, higher education institutions, cultural organizations, UNESCO, and teacher associations. Data were fed into a…

Since the inception of "GOALS 2000: Educate America Act" (1994), the nation at large has been implementing standards for systematic reform. Teachers and teacher candidates must become "techno-savvy" overnight in order to comply with these reform initiatives as their level of expertise in educational technology will ostensibly affect their lesson…

In coming to better value teachers' knowledge and practice, there is a need to be able to articulate and document what teachers know and are able to do. This is central in coming to understand pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This paper presents a working understanding of PCK as it has emerged through a research project and describes the…

Presents a seasonal checklist for first year science teachers that focuses on establishing policies and procedures, organization, and thoughtful lesson planning. (DDR)

Beginning teachers do not enter the classroom as finished products. Many school administrators say that new teachers are often exuberant and optimistic but ill-equipped for the classroom. There are some administrators who are openly exasperated with the low quality of teacher applicants who are available. A personnel director, after interviewing…

The purpose of this article is to report on a collaborative project among members of colleges of education, colleges of arts and sciences, and high school foreign language departments. The project involved conducting an online survey of 341 current foreign language teachers in Georgia in order to determine how these K?12 teachers perceived and…