This article tells the story of a group of teachers who experienced change in the face of a newly formed professional development school--one that loosely implemented many of the principles associated with the Holmes Group model. Specifically, these teachers became active participants on the Steering Committee, a group formed within the context of…

A statewide survey of 536 randomly selected Virginia secondary school teachers of academic subjects explored practices and opinions concerning various aspects of classroom testing and grading. The main focus was on the use of preestablished percentage scales as a basis for evaluating students. The responses suggested that large proportions of…

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to identify beginning teachers' perceptions of the role parents play in their children's education; and (2) to investigate the congruency of beginning teachers' perceptions with information presented in teacher education courses. A survey, completed by 178 second- and third-year teachers in Missouri,…

This book, written as an extended letter to teachers, addresses the concerns teachers have for their work with students and reflects on the art of teaching. The letter is developed around 12 chapters: (1) "Toward Large Purposes" places teachers' work in a philosophical as well as a pedagogical and curricular perspective; (2)…

A study investigated the nature, dynamics, and scope of the induction process for beginning vocational teachers. Ten purposefully selected groups of beginning vocational teachers from eight different states participated in nominal group technique sessions. Two groups were selected for intensive follow-up for case study. A mail survey of a…

Research findings on teachers' perspectives on teaching tend to indicate that institutional pressures are not strong enough to control what teachers think and how they act within their classrooms. While teachers will conform to organizational demands, their basic teaching styles are likely to remain unchanged. This study explored the socializing…

THIS STUDY COMPARES SELECTED PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND TEACHING PERFORMANCES OF PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS (WITH SPECIFIED EDUCATION COURSES) AND PROVISIONAL TEACHERS (WITHOUT THE EDUCATION SEQUENCE) IN GEORGIA. THE STUDY CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS--(1) A LONGITUDINAL STUDY WHICH FOLLOWED A 1964-65 GEORGIA BEGINNING-TEACHER POPULATION FOR THREE YEARS,…

This report is the third in a series devoted specifically to compiling comprehensive and timely information about public school teachers. The material in the document reflects data gathered from a nationwide questionnaire survey of samples of teachers in both elementary and secondary schools. The object of this report is to provide an account of…

As long as students with limited English language skills have attended California schools a debate has raged among educators and policy-makers regarding how best to educate these children. A major focal point of this debate is bilingual education. That is, the viability, advisability, and effectiveness of using students' primary language in…

This report presents the results of the 2000-01 Status of the American Public School Teacher survey. This survey has been conducted every 5 years since 1956. In 2000-01, surveys were sent to 2,826 of the nation's approximately 2,953,000 public school teachers, with a 67.4-percent response rate. The resulting data are presented in the areas of: (1)…

The experiences of six vocational education teachers from several high schools in Chesapeake County, Maryland, who "lived under" the educational reforms of the past 2 decades were examined in a phenomenological study. The study, which used the approach designed by Van Manen in "Researching Lived Experience," included consideration of the…

Three retired teachers reflect on their teaching careers, which began in one-room schools in Wisconsin, and discuss their reactions to changes involving the educational level and credentials of teachers, curriculum and technology, teacher expectations of students, and community expectations of teachers. Their positive attitudes challenge…

In an extensive review of research on teacher preparation, Wilson, Floden, and Ferrini-Mundy (2001) pointed out that "study after study show that experienced and newly certified teachers alike see clinical experiences (including student teaching) as a powerful--sometimes the single most powerful--component of teacher preparation". They go on to…

This article reports on teaching information and communication technology (ICT) as a subject. It arises out of research carried out with ICT trainee teachers during their initial training and their first years of teaching. The backgrounds of four cohorts of new ICT teachers are described along with levels of retention in teaching. The associations…

This paper explores the use of ethnographic biography as a source of information and reflection for student teachers. Ethnographic methods combine observation of a subject's teaching environment or context, examining the present rather than the past. Information can then be made available to student teachers in need of a personal viewpoint on…