This study gathered information from 94 first-year teachers (graduates of Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada) regarding their attitudes towards teaching, methodological and technical competencies, and the adequacy of their teacher preparation. The teachers were asked to give background information that included degree received, type of…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect classroom space had on teacher behavior. It was hypothesized that Head Start teachers in classrooms with inadequate space (less than 30 square feet per child) would exhibit more controlling behavior toward children than would Head Start teachers in classrooms with an adequate amount of space…

A study of 97 new college geography teachers revealed several problems in their preparation, situation, and performance. The teachers' recommendations at the end of their first teaching year are combined with the study's findings to suggest helpful actions by new teachers, their departments, graduate students, and graduate departments preparing…

This study, which comprises part of a larger Western Australian research project on the relationships among teacher stress, perceptions of the school organizational climate, and beliefs in teacher efficacy, involves interviews with six secondary school teachers. The study focuses upon four major variables which may impact upon teachers' ability to…

In this paper, a psychologist comments on "Philosophy and Education: Eightieth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education." Criticisms of the yearbook's essays concern failure to appreciate the importance of how to teach (as well as content), the need for evaluation, the significance of real teaching conditions, and the…

Examined prospective Tanzanian teachers' reasons for choosing teaching as a career, perceptions of the job, and future aspirations. Data from student surveys indicated that few respondents considered teaching their chosen career. However, although many of the respondents initially regarded teaching as a last resort, low-status, low-paying job, the…

Because teachers teach who they are, teacher formation should encourage them to become whole by developing into wise, mature, competent, and humane adults. Training programs that focus on "teaching" teachers and the isolation and constraints of the teaching experience itself inhibit teachers from becoming whole human beings. (LP)

Asserts that we need a greater shift toward the personal and an active recognition for interpretation of authentic curriculum texts as art in our teaching practices. Argues that educational authoritarianism can only lead to the eventual and diminishing returns in our schools and institutions. Contains 23 references. (VWC)

Stress seems to be a way of life for teachers. Many teachers describe themselves as over-whelmed. They admit to feeling anxious and apprehensive, especially about meeting the mounting needs of troubled students, doing justice to an all-consuming curriculum, and getting kids ready for a relentless series of tests. According to a study of Midwestern…

The Task Force on Teaching was asked to gather research, review literature, and collect testimony on improving teaching. Two papers are presented: (1) "Attracting and Retaining Talented Teachers" (Cindy K. Currence); and (2) "Building State Strategies to Attract and to Retain Talented Teachers" (Robert Palaich). This report…

Examines ways principals can make more effective use of their central place in the professionalizing of teaching. Suggests that principals ought to create environments that enable teachers to discover their own skills and talents. Principals' support groups and centers can be helpful in facilitating this process. (DR)

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…

Research about the American experience with school reform has underscored time as the major obstacle to change. This book presents a psychosocial perspective of time and the problems it presents for teachers and administrators in an era of time scarcity. Specifically, it explores the effects of five major concepts (time investment portfolios,…

Discusses the roots and wider educational consequences of an alleged technocratic narrowness in teacher thinking and behavior. Concludes that sociopolitical forces external to the school constrict the pedagogical conduct of teachers (e.g., the tendency to treat curriculum knowledge apart from teaching knowledge and the development of reductionist…

Argues that the secret to producing quality child care in the 1990s will be clear, innovative thinking by the center or program director, good center design, and an ability to articulate and sell a vision of quality. (BB)