This book argues that teachers' active participation in policy advocacy is crucial to creating a K-12 educational system that honors the needs of students, families, and communities. The authors examine obstacles to teacher involvement in policy, analyze preservice and practicing teachers' experiences, and present a model for collaborative…

By asking three first-grade teachers to respond to actions taking place in their classrooms, researchers made an attempt to identify the beliefs or constructs that underlie teacher decisions. The following research questions were addressed: Is there a system of professional constructs that can be identified in early childhood teachers? and, To…

A study of public school teachers in Iowa assessed their interest and involvement in participatory decision making at the classroom, building, and district levels. The strongest correlations found linked the teacher's sex and the educational level at which they taught with the types of participation in which they were involved. (PGD)

The factors that influence the formation and development of teacher perspectives among preservice social studies teachers were studied. Answers were sought to two questions: (1) what linkages exist between the development of teacher perspectives and the experiences provided by university teacher education?; and (2) what role does the individual…

This study examined the professional role interests and satisfactions of tenure track women and minority faculty (N=146) at a Research I university from three schools on campus: Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education. The sample was comprised of 42 white male faculty, 47 minority faculty, and 57 white female faculty. Subjects were interviewed…

Reports on a study of factors perceived by faculty from 15 Massachusetts community colleges as having the most effect on college image and of faculty roles in image-enhancing activities. Finds faculty in agreement that high-quality, well-designed academic programs, plus good student-faculty relationships, enhance the external image of the college.…

Discusses results of research on the introduction of microcomputers into a secondary school which focused on teachers' views and opinions toward computers in general and in teaching. The analysis utilized to determine teachers' attitudes is described, and the spectrum of teachers' views is discussed. Two specific teachers' opinions are reviewed.…

A questionnaire to find out to what degree graduate schools of social work and their designated leaders support the legal regulation of social work practice was mailed to all directors/deans of accredited schools of social work offering a master's degree program in the United States. The return rate was 81%. Findings show that relatively few…

This study analyzed and compared the perceptions of elementary-level learning disabilities resource teachers (n=83) and general education teachers (n=64) regarding actual and ideal performance of collaborative roles. Results indicated significant differences in teacher perceptions of actual and ideal performance of collaborative roles. Constraints…

The goals of this study were to understand the expectations of both designers and teachers for the design and use of packages that integrate computer and television technologies, and to investigate the implementation of these packages in the classroom. Interviews were conducted with eight designers of "The Voyage of the Mimi" (MIMI), a…

This study investigated the instructional beliefs of 182 elementary classroom teachers to determine the degree to which teachers' assumptions about instructional practices influence their teaching behavior and the classroom perceptions of their students. It used data collected from a national research project, Goodlad's "A Study of…

A research program was undertaken to study the functional learning environment (FLE) in which computers operate, i.e., those environments in which learning activities have a function or purpose from the child's viewpoint. Results of three projects illustrate the importance of teachers in creating and interpreting children's learning environments.…

This study examined the relationship between formal program statements and actual practices in one sophomore class in a preservice teacher education program. Specifically, the study evaluated: possible inconsistencies between what is explicitly stated and what is actually done; whether such inconsistencies are intentional or unintentional,…

This paper reviews significant literature on teachers' beliefs, offers support for the contention that current research is moving in a more utilitarian direction than in the past, and argues that continuing research into teachers' beliefs could be useful in improving teaching practice. The review focuses on five areas: (1) the different ways that…

After summarizing research into the sources and correlates of teacher stress, this article defines and proposes a model of work-related stress in school, incorporating current concepts and research findings. Strategies for coping with the buildup of environmental stressors are developed for application at various administrative levels within the…