An in-depth examination of an elementary beginning teacher's successes and struggles was conducted to provide insight into the demands placed upon her from teacher responsibilities, her school, the students in her classroom and their parents, as well as the pressures from personal goals and setbacks. Monthly open-ended interviews and a…

To ensure their teaching quality, it is important for student teachers to undertake self reflection on their teaching performance after supervised teaching sessions. With the goal of sharpening the teaching competence of student teachers, a dual function system that uses web based and video based technologies is being developed to facilitate self…

The article explores the issue of teacher autonomy in relation to its potential for freedom or control. It examines the concept of empowerment as applied to education, arguing that, although it is traditionally cast as a means of achieving autonomy, an alternative approach sees empowerment as part of the disciplinary apparatus of late modern…

Key characteristics of an efficient and effective English language teacher are fundamental pedagogical knowledge and understanding, awareness of meaningful classroom practices, linguistic capabilities, and positive attitudes and skills. Nurturing these traits among preservice teachers is difficult, especially when preservice teachers are working…

Summarizes themes in this issue on effective teaching of adults: acknowledging multiple valid teaching perspectives, reflecting on beliefs and practices, teaching responsively, and challenging the status quo. (Contains 28 references.) (SK)

The research objectives were to identify the middle level mathematics teachers' conceptions of mathematics teaching and learning and ascertain changes in their conceptions and instructional behavior at the end of a three-year professional development (PD) project. These changes were studied through the qualitative analysis of their reflective…

Background: Examined or unexamined, all teacher candidates (TCs) bring to their teacher education programs their prior school experience as well as the socio-cultural history of education. This study was one of a series done by this researcher (1994, 2004, 2005, 2006) to find ways to promote reflective practice in teacher education. Purpose: The…

Teacher-learner relationships are founded on the fundamental human need of knowing that another person genuinely cares. Students know when they are recognized, understood, and respected for their unique abilities and interests by their teachers. Teachers who believe in their students' abilities demonstrate that they care by placing the learners at…

Teacher's function as a researcher has been the subject of heated debates during the last two decades.The advocates argue that education can not be conceived as a scientific domain within the positivistic paradigm. They put emphasis on the intricacies and uncertainties associated with teaching circumstances and invite teachers to participate in…

Describes and discusses the term "reflective practice," discussing John Dewey's and Donald Schon's statements on the term and levels or stages of reflective practice as understood by M. Van Mannen and by P. King and K. Kitchener. Discusses a teacher's reflective practices. (SR)

Examines effects of teacher knowledge about learning on school effectiveness, based on experiences of 32 secondary teachers engaged in a reflectively oriented professional-development program. Involvement in a systematic exploration of the learning process, with teachers explicating their knowledge about learning, directly affects display of…

Develops a model to examine teachers' instructional practice in secondary school mathematics in relationship to their underlying cognitions. Indicates that the value of the model lies in its usefulness as a guide for enabling teachers to reflect on their practice and underlying cognitions in a structured, comprehensive manner. (Contains 54…

Reports an account of an experienced science teacher's self-initiated change in praxis within an inquiry community. Uses classroom observations and interviews to evaluate the discursive practices of the teacher and his colleagues. Attributes the teacher's change in praxis to his dissatisfaction with previous practice and the realization that…

Suggests that rather than establish normative criteria, it may be more fruitful to find ways to engage teachers in critical reflection on their own practice and teaching. Constructs a series of questions to create conditions for such reflection. (Author/CCM)

Calls for the crucial need to incorporate alternative approaches into everything teachers do and the mistakes teachers make in the classroom. Discusses three specific instructional trouble areas of every teacher's reality and common mistakes. (ASK)