Since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 linked federal monies to student performance on standardized tests, schools have faced increased pressure to provide high quality writing instruction. As district administrators search for curricula to support that instruction, they increasingly turn to scripted curricula. Scripted curricula is designed…

Two research questions guided this study of teacher selection: (a) What characteristics do Chinese principals look for when hiring teachers? And (b) what is the effect of participants' gender, experience, or school location on perceived characteristics of effective teacher candidates in hiring? Both interviews and a questionnaire survey were used…

Enrollments in blended learning programs are growing, creating a challenge to find educators who understand blended learning pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the challenges and pedagogical transformations of elementary educators who recently adopted blended learning. The concerns-based adoption model provided a…

The purpose of this study was to explore secondary English teachers' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of professional learning communities (PLCs), with particular focus on what they considered to be characteristics of effective PLCs. Through a qualitative study in grounded theory using individual interviews among a subgroup of ten…

As classrooms become increasingly diverse and students need more complex skills for collaboratively addressing transnational issues, we need a better understanding of the factors that contribute to globally competent teaching. Education research has highlighted the benefits of study abroad and overseas teaching, as well as local cross-cultural…

A growing body of research examines the impact of recent teacher evaluation systems; however, we have limited knowledge on how these systems influence teacher retention. This study uses a mixed-methods design to examine teacher retention patterns during the pilot year of an evaluation system in an urban school district in Texas. We used…

A common path to becoming a teacher educator in the U.S. entails moving from a classroom teacher, to a graduate student, and then to a university-based teacher educator. Many believe that a good teacher educator would also make a good teacher upon his or her return to the classroom. These assumptions are increasingly being called into question via…

High teacher attrition rates adversely affect beginning special education teachers remaining on the job many of whom lack teaching experience. With high rates, replacements are needed, especially in the field of special education where new teachers leave at higher rates than general education teachers. The general problem is that limited…

Motivational strategies guarantee quality assurance in the educational system. Motivational strategies like staff training and development, promotion, salary, remuneration, working conditions, status and participatory decision making, acted as a barrier towards achieving quality assurance in the educational system. The study adopted the…

This study sought to identify preservice teachers' perceptions of their student teaching abroad experience and its effectiveness in preparing them to be globally competent educators upon completion of their student teaching as well as two years after. Findings indicate that they perceive their experience to have been both advantageous and…

The primary purpose of this study was to identify secondary computer science (CS) teachers' needs, related to knowledge, skills, and school setting, to create more effective CS education in the United States. In addition, this study examined how these needs change based on the participants' years of teaching experience as well as their background…

This article reports findings from a study of 14 beginning teachers in their first year of teaching in primary schools. By the end of the first year, half were reconsidering their long-term commitment to teaching. The study found they were considering leaving because they were struggling to be the teachers they had envisaged being. One reason for…

Preservice teachers must have opportunities in their university teaching programs to apply theories of second language learning. Courses in second language acquisition and English as a second language methodology are essential to prepare mainstream teachers for teaching culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Additionally, creating a…

Purpose: This paper presents the results of a study that sought to determine teacher conceptions of classroom management and control. The study explored classroom management knowledge of participants, and how the knowledge was gained. It also investigated the extent to which participants held various conceptions, including rule-based, dominance…

Australian higher education has adopted a widening participation agenda with a focus on the participation of disadvantaged students, particularly those from low socioeconomic status (LSES) backgrounds. As these students begin to enter university in greater number and proportion than ever before, there is increasing interest in how best to…