This executive summary describes the implementation and effects of Project Transition, a program designed to help high school freshmen succeed by combining three strategies: student-teacher clusters with shared schedules, extra time for teachers to work together, and teacher coaching to support instructional change. Project Transition was…

This study investigated middle school organizational patterns and their impact on teachers' efficacy and perceptions of the working environment. Analysis of survey responses by 81 eighth grade teachers indicated that teachers on interdisciplinary teams with common planning time were significantly more positive than were teachers on…

In this article, a black feminist teacher educator shares personal reflections on learning and teaching about "difference," a political, dangerous, and "unsafe" terrain. She discusses her experiences within the context of misogyny and racism and contrasts her students' struggles against her black female authority in the…

This case study documents the experiences of a first-year teacher in a small Aboriginal community in Canada, describing the ways in which she developed and modified her beliefs about teaching in order to create a sense of self-efficacy in the cross-cultural classroom. (IAH)

The Teacher Assessment Scheme (TAS) is a form of school-based assessment that has recently replaced the external practical examination in AL Biology of Hong Kong. This study aimed at understanding the problems encountered by teachers in implementing this innovation. Over 300 teachers expressed their concern about different aspects of the TAS in a…

The qualitative study described in this document presents Virginia teachers' perceptions on 10 factors that influence their work environment: resources/instructional materials; physical facilities/class size; professional development; teacher-teacher interactions; teacher-administrator interactions; teacher-student interactions;…

This survey measured the experiences of new public school teachers who began their first year of teaching in the 1990-91 school year. It is the third of three surveys of this cohort of new teachers. The current survey focuses on teachers' experiences and attitudes 2 years into their teaching career, and includes questions which allow for…

This study expands on research conducted by Bobbitt and Weaver (1992) that assessed the experience of beginning teachers in the context of the "crucible versus cradle" paradigm. Using nationally representative data on teachers from the National Center for Education Statistics' Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) of 1990-91, the analysis…

This book is about teachers, teaching, and learners in poor environments in four Latin American countries: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela. Using ethnographic research methods, the study observed rural and urban schools at different periods during the school year. What emerged from the investigation is a vivid picture of teaching styles,…

Following a description of how the political climate in the 1960s through the 1980s influenced education, this document discusses the effects of districtwide curriculum standardization on Burr Oaks Elementary School in the midwestern village of Burr Oaks. The school's community setting, use of curriculum guides, and initial use of curriculum…

Working together, communities and small school districts can combat teacher shortages affected by negative attitudes towards teaching, working conditions, and general economic conditions by providing sufficient resources for successful teacher recruitment and retention programs. Specific strategies for recruitment, interviewing, induction, and…

This National Education Association research survey forms a profile of the American public school teacher and provides information covering a 25-year period from 1961-86. The survey offers insights about trends in the composition of the teaching profession, the characteristics of teaching service, and the changing position of teachers in society.…

A conceptual framework for the study of teachers' sense of efficacy was used to determine the extent to which teachers believed they could influence student learning. The framework was based on an extensive review of research literature on teaching, an ethnographic comparison of 2 organizationally different middle schools, and a process-product…

This document reports on the Teacher Efficacy Study, an investigation of teachers' sense of efficacy and the extent to which teachers believe that they can have a positive effect on student learning and achievement. Chapters discuss: (1) overview of the Teacher Efficacy Study; (2) the conceptual framework used for the investigation; (3) the…

Focusing on the 1980 strike of public secondary school teachers in Sudbury, Ontario, this study examined attitudes of those involved; ascertained feelings toward the school system that may have emerged since the strike; and examined events, influences, and developments leading to the strike and prolonging the strike. The field study represented…