Explored the journey and progress of elementary teachers conducting action research within science and mathematics, examining their perspectives of teaching, empowerment, research, and professional development through team planning. Data from journals, activities, observations, surveys, and interviews indicated that an initial stumbling block to…

A study investigated the ways that six general and special education teachers and five school staff worked to identify and solve their concerns about children with disabilities in their classrooms. Educators collaborated to resolve concerns about children with disabilities by following problem-solving steps somewhat similar to traditional…

A study examined the incidence of collaboration and assumptions among 95 classroom teachers, 105 enrichment specialists, and 88 administrators entering collaborative alliances. Results indicated more than 80% engaged in collaboration and that teachers and specialists enter the collaborative relationship with different, and sometimes conflicting,…

A study investigated the perceptions on inclusion of 102 special education teachers of whom 5 had administrative certification, 578 regular education teachers of whom 53 had administrative certification, and 10 unspecified others. Results indicated the educators favored inclusion. Administrative support and collaboration were predictors of…

Uses data from American, British, and Chinese mentor teachers to explore the relationship between mentoring contexts and mentoring practice. Three instructional contexts shaped differences across programs and countries: structure of school curriculum and assessment, organization of teaching and mentoring, and student population. Mentors'…

A case study investigated the use of a decision-making model, characterized by partnerships between professionals and learners, in the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students with learning difficulties in Scotland. The student (age 13) and the teachers agreed that the development of an IEP collectively had been useful.…

Collaboration as a cornerstone of effective school inclusion is an idea that has high theoretical currency among many scholars in the areas of special education and educational leadership. The challenge for educational practitioners is to find ways to implement high-quality special education programs collaboratively amid the public call for school…

While an expansive body of literature exists on the performance and retention of first-year students, there is a paucity of research examining the persistence and attrition of faculty who teach these seminars and colloquia. The present survey of 18 full-time, first-year seminar faculty members at Northern Michigan University identifies marked…

This paper reports the results of a study that examined an online discussion group established for a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) course and investigated patterns of interactions generated through the online discussion and participants' attitudes toward the computer-mediated communication (CMC) activity. The participants in the study…

The rapport among teachers can be a significant determinant of educational quality and workplace atmosphere. A practicum project sought to improve professional communication among staff at an urban, public elementary school where teachers did not have opportunities to meaningfully interact with one another. The staff in this school consisted of a…

A team of graduate students and educational administration professors, as part of a field-based doctoral program, discovered the "split and fit" culture during an evaluation of the school's Continuous Progress Primary Program (CPPP). According to Pascale (1990), "split and fit" can work to an organization's benefit. Fit…

Under the leadership of State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, with the support of the South Carolina Department of Education's Division of Teaching Quality (DTQ) and the South Carolina Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA), South Carolina became only the second state in the nation to study teacher…

This paper describes the experiences of three middle school teachers following a two-week summer workshop in which they were introduced to a technology-enhanced problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy. Based on their collaborative experiences during the school year developing and implementing a PBL unit, the three teachers increased their confidence…

Suggestions are offered for teachers in moving schools toward collaboration: reflect on values and teaching; become risk takers; learn to trust processes and people; appreciate colleagues; commit to ongoing improvement; seek variety; redefine roles; balance work and life; include administrators; and acknowledge benefits of collaboration to…

Questionnaire and interview results from 24 teachers of preschool children enrolled in both an early childhood special education program and another early childhood program, such as day care, indicated recognition of the need for staff communication across programs but great variation in the actual intensity and nature of such communication in…