The research described in this study sought to understand how teacher agency was influenced by engaging teachers in action research-based professional development. Teacher agency is a critical component of teacher professionalism and nurturing teachers to recognize and enact greater agency has the potential to elevate the profession of teaching. A…

Describes the social attitudes and interaction of a group of nonnative teachers adjusting to life in a rural Alaskan village. Focuses on how they construct their opinions about the reality of everyday village life and considers how teachers' cultural attitudes derive from their background experiences. (KH)

Principles of the Reggio Emilia approach are a catalyst for thinking about practices in early childhood education. Teachers in the child care system of Reggio Emilia encourage us to think about our image of childhood and the ways we interact with children, plan curriculum, and design environments. This article examines experiences in a rural…

Over 300 randomly selected teachers in rural Alaskan schools responded to a mail survey including questions regarding their background, community relationships, school social climate, roles in school governance, and evaluations of school conditions. Their average age was 33. Over half were women and 91% were Caucasian, markedly contrasting the…

Compares survey responses of rural special education administrators and teachers in Alaska and compares results with previous national studies. Finds issues identified by administrators and teachers differ from those of national studies. Recommends that models designed for one rural environment not be generalized without considering uniqueness of…

The objective of this study of teachers located in the Northwestern United States was to examine their reasons for considering leaving the teaching ranks. The research analyzed teacher perceptions in order to achieve a clearer understanding of the realities of the work place and how they affect a teacher's decision to leave. The findings reported…

Because rural Alaska educators were skeptical of the applicability to their teaching situations of various educational research results, researchers randomly surveyed rural Alaskan teachers to provide background information for the Rural Effective Schools Project and for educators who want to help rural schools increase their effectiveness. Three…

A survey was conducted of 484 Alaska teachers who hold an endorsement in special education, to determine their movement patterns, incentives to continue teaching, deterrents to teaching in special education, and future career plans. Findings included: (1) the mean average number of years of teaching in special education was 10; (2) the majority of…