Changing educational priorities are reflected both in the literature and the models that seek to describe initial teachers' professional formation and learning. However, do new teachers' experiences conform to these models? A sampling of Hong Kong secondary school teachers over their first year as full-time teachers provides data from…

This study aims to report how Hong Kong teachers handle a seemingly conventional, orderly schooling phenomenon--the teaching of the newly arrived children (NAC) migrated from mainland China. Semi-structured interviews with ten teachers from nine primary schools were conducted. The principal findings are that the teachers are not prepared for the…

This article examines teaching concerns at successive life stages among teachers with up to twenty years' or more teaching experience. Three concern stages are discerned. Nine common concern factors were found from factor-analysing thirty-three concern items. Results show that student discipline, relations with students, and students' learning and…

Reflecting on past experiences is an important problem-solving technique when teachers face new situations. In fact, teachers' attitudes and practices are highly influenced by their prior experiences as both learners and teachers. This paper is based on the premise that growth as an effective teacher is enhanced when one reflects more deeply about…

Pay for performance (PFP) is once again gaining popularity within education. This study examines teacher attitudes toward PFP policies, and how these views vary by teacher experience, subject area specialization, grade level(s) taught, educational background, personality characteristics, risk and time preferences, and feelings of efficacy. Data…

A focus group of 5 general education schoolteachers from one rural middle school in Hawaii was conducted to investigate their perspectives on the unintended effects of including students with learning disabilities. The general education teachers were asked how the inclusion of students with learning disabilities had impacted (a) their professional…

Beliefs regarding classroom management vary among teachers and play an important role in effective instruction. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the differences between the beliefs of experienced teachers and novice teachers regarding classroom management styles. Within this study, classroom management is defined as a…

This study outlines and evaluates an urban school district's mentoring program in which 18 veteran teachers are selected to serve as full-time mentors for up to 10 beginning teachers or 4 persons participating in an alternative certification program. Methods of data collection included surveys and focus group interviews with mentor teachers,…

This study sought to identify and compare the concerns of teaching interns (N=56) with cooperating teachers' (N=37) perceptions of intern concerns before and after a 10-week internship period. To provide insight into the differences, the Johari Window framework, a technique used in group process programs to depict how individuals give and receive…

This paper examines the results of a cross-sectional study focusing on teacher beliefs and opinions about teaching. Orientations to teaching of students in undergraduate teacher preparation programs at Michigan State University (MSU) and experienced classroom teachers are described. Two central questions were addressed: (1) How do the opinions and…

This study collected and analyzed data appropriate for documenting the implementation of two programs in teacher education at Memphis State University--the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, and the Lyndhurst Fellowships, a one-year program for certifying teachers for secondary schools. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured…

This monograph presents the findings of a research project that sought to analyze the relationship between teachers' work experiences over the course of their careers within specific institutional structures and their perceptions of the meanings of these work experiences to their self-esteem, sense of job satisfaction, and sense of efficacy. The…

A study examined the degree to which certain school phenomena are reported by participants as concerns or activities during their student teaching experience. Particular concerns dealt with included student teachers' problems with curriculum planning, instructional decision making, instructional materials, student assessment and evaluation,…

A study was conducted to determine the educational needs of elementary and secondary school physical education teachers in Ohio in mainstreaming handicapped children in their classes. A validated questionnaire was sent to teachers in 35 school districts, and 241 teachers responded. The survey sought information on the experiences of teachers with…

The most suitable vehicle for preparing preservice teachers for work with exceptional children is clinical experience, which include practica, field experiences, internships, and student teaching. Besides giving preservice teachers practical work experience, a well-planned and action-oriented clinical experience develops and modifies attitudes,…