Academic institutions that prepare personnel to work in the field of special education face considerable challenges in finding and retaining qualified faculty. At the same time, a growing number of special education teachers and administrators choose academia as a second career. Few studies have sought to capture their lived experiences as shift…

Historically, reform efforts to address poor student achievement have focused on a variety of issues other than teacher quality. Movements such as TQM (Total Quality Management), class size reduction (CSR), school leadership, parental involvement, and multicultural curriculum have not directly addressed the power or influence of the individual…

Two teachers participating in an online study group provided the foci for in-depth case studies. Transcripts of conversations they had with colleagues about issues related to reform-oriented pedagogy were analyzed from both acquisition and participation perspectives on learning. Both teachers exhibited mainly marginal changes to their pedagogical…

This paper explores high school teachers' professional collegial relationships, exploring teachers' perceptions of collegiality and contextual features that affect collegial relationships. The study involved 36 volunteer teachers from two urban midwestern high schools who completed a semi-structured interview. The interview focused on teachers'…

This study examined advantages and disadvantages of team teaching and elements of successful teams from the perspective of eight teachers and a principal at one elementary school. The teachers were all participants in several types of school teams. During individual interviews, they discussed their thoughts and feelings about team teaching. Their…

This study examined the perceptions of general (N=92) and special (N=114) educators on preassessment teams concerning team effectiveness, including perceived productivity, utility of intervention suggestions, and impact of the team on numbers of students found eligible for special education services. Special and general education teachers had…

Ascertains attitudes toward inclusion of K-12 reading teachers involved in meeting the needs of exceptional students. Finds enthusiasm and positive attitudes toward working collaboratively with special education teachers to meet the needs of all children. (RS)

This study examined the frequency of use of several instructional strategies by 59 general educators at the middle school level, with time spent collaborating with special educators and course work taken in specialized techniques. Also examined attitudes toward the inclusion of students with mild disabilities were. Number of instructional…

Describes the experiences of a successful high school English department that illustrate how teacher collaboration and interdependence can support teacher-driven growth and new instructional behaviors. Some of the department's guiding principals include destratifying, empowering, collaborating, unfettering, and recognizing. Important elements that…

Examined how high school teachers made meaning of a change process involving teamwork, interdisciplinary teaching, and block scheduling. Document analysis, observation, and interview data indicated that uncertainty and doubt were the pervading themes and had a critical effect on the teaching team's ability to move to interdisciplinary teaching.…

In this study I explored the reported effects of Literacy Collaborative, a whole-school literacy reform model, on teacher turnover through in-depth telephone interviews with 16 randomly sampled teachers. Although 8 of the teachers said Literacy Collaborative would have no effect on whether they stayed at or left their respective schools, the…

There is a growing interest in collaboration amongst teachers at all levels. One of the most intensive collaborative experiences is "team teaching," a course with one or more colleagues. The authors have been involved in team teaching for a combined total of 25 years. This study investigates the question of how colleagues from different…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards[R] (NBPTS) has always welcomed scrutiny of the National Board Certification[R] process and the impact that National Board Certified Teachers[R] (NBCTs) have on teaching and learning. As a result, in the 20 years since NBPTS was founded, National Board Certification has become one of the most…

A lesson study initiative was implemented in 25 high schools/learning centers in the Jefferson County, Kentucky, school district. The lesson study initiative is a professional development process in which teachers collaborate to systematically examine their practice and to improve the effectiveness of the experiences they provide to their…

This study examined the influence of participation in school-based professional study group activities on both general and personal teaching efficacy. It also examined teachers' perceptions of changes that occurred in their teaching performance as a result of participation in the study group sessions. Participants were elementary teachers who…