Since 1986, the Teacher Assessment Project (TAP) at Stanford University (California) has been exploring performance-based modes of assessment that capture the complexity of the practice of teaching. After a brief description of the rating procedures, the raters, and the situated-performances designed by the TAP for assessment, this paper describes…

The Science Teacher Inventory of Need (STIN) was developed specifically to assess the perceived needs of science teachers in developing nations. The purpose of this reported study was to apply factor analysis to the perceived needs data collected from a sample of Malaysian secondary science teachers in order to clarify further the factorial…

Four successful mathematics and science teacher retraining programs are described. The programs were based on identified local teacher shortages and continued as long as the need existed. Trainers had a thorough mastery of context and method and were able to relate to the adult learner. Trainees were experienced and successful teachers from other…

A survey of Alabama and Mississippi high school science teachers was conducted in the spring of 1979 as an initial step in the Man and the Gulf of Mexico (MGM) marine education project. Most teachers surveyed had little or no formal coursework pertaining to the marine sciences. The teachers felt they did not have adequate knowledge for teaching…

This study explores the use of Valsiner's zone theory as a way to interpret the zones of proximal development of three secondary school teachers in mathematics and science. Specifically, researchers used classroom discourse to identify what the participating teachers promoted (zone of promoted action) or allowed (zone of free movement) in the…

Discusses ideas, pro and con, about performance-based teacher education and certification and the procedures used in New Jersey to develop teacher performance criteria. Indicates that the involvement of the teaching profession is desirable in the teacher preparation and certification process. (CC)

Describes two studies conducted with selected groups of elementary and secondary science teachers, which established levels of cognitive functioning, cognitive style, nonverbal intelligence, verbal ability and abstract reasoning. Constructs models of the relationship between variables from intercorrelations and partial correlations among tests.…

The research of the Biology component of the Teacher Assessment Project (BioTAP) of Stanford (California) University is described. BioTAP uses portfolio development as an important aspect of teacher assessment. Advantages and drawbacks of teacher portfolios are discussed, including issues of validity and reliability. (SLD)

Reports a survey of practicing biology teachers in the State of Maine and their use of conservation magazines, in particular, "Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine," in their classrooms. Results indicate that 30% of the responding teachers use conservation magazines. Common uses include reporting research, discussing ethical issues, and…

Investigated access to didactic and constructivist instruction in U.S. high school science classrooms. Data from a national sample of 3,660 students and their science teachers (from the National Educational Longitudinal Study) indicated that access to the two types of instruction varied by gender, socioeconomic status, academic ability, and course…

Teachers can easily identify what subjects their students have trouble with, whether it is transcription and translation, glycolysis and fermentation, balancing chemical equations, or vector analysis of forces acting on an object. Yet, no matter how teachers try to make these complex issues more accessible to students, or how new editions of…

This study investigated prospective secondary science teachers' understandings of and intentions to teach about scientific modelling in the context of a model-based instructional module. Qualitative methods were used to explore the influence of instruction using dynamic computer modelling. Participants included 14 secondary science prospective…

The implementation of new content and pedagogical standards in science education necessitates intensive, long-term professional development of science teachers. In this paper, we describe the rationale and structure of a comprehensive and intensive professional development program of school-based leaders, namely school chemistry coordinators. The…

The competencies of a sample of teachers of integrated science (ISC) in the induction of future scientists were investigated. Thirty teachers of integrated science in the junior secondary schools in Rivers State of Nigeria were observed by five science teacher educationists. The teachers were in general only fair in their demonstrated ISC teaching…

Over the past decade, the high number of teachers leaving the profession has been a growing concern among parents, teacher educators, administrators, and policy-makers. While most argue the problem is due to a burgeoning demand and increased numbers of retirements, some researchers propose that the problem of teacher shortages is far more complex.…