The question "what is good teaching" is answered variously by those that have a stake in the quality of undergraduate teaching. Students define good teaching in terms of the quality of their learning experience. Faculty define it in terms of learning outcomes. Administrators focus on efficiency, while members of the community focus on…

FUNCTIONS OF PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED, OBJECTIVE, STANDARDIZED TESTS FOR TEACHERS AND PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS, FOR NATIONWIDE USE, ARE DESCRIBED. THESE ARE (1) ADVANCING THE PRESERVICE PREPARATION OF TEACHERS BY DEMONSTRATING SIGNIFICANT TEST-SCORE DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS, (2) IMPROVING CERTIFICATION OR LICENSING POLICIES…

The objectives of this study were (1) to determine parents' levels of satisfaction with the care and nurturing their children receive in family day care homes; (2) to determine predictors of parent satisfaction with the homes; and (3) to determine the impact parent feedback has upon reinforcing strengths and correcting deficiencies in these homes.…

The process of initial teacher selection must take into account the changing role of the teacher. The selection process must place more emphasis on change orientation, specialization and cooperation, learning-teaching strategy, experimentation, and professional preparation. Partnerships should be developed between school districts and training…

This study sought to identify and elaborate significant strategic elements in the process of assisting science teachers in the application of philosophical analysis to their teaching, and in the modification of their teaching according to the results of analysis. The research is based on case studies of work with teachers, individually and in…

This is a report of the development of a Faculty-Course Questionnaire (FCQ) evaluation instrument at the University of Colorado. The evaluation process is computer based and is similar in several ways to that used for processing and reporting the results of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank at the University of Colorado. A computerized feedback…

In mid-1973, the Educational Research Service found that nearly one out of four districts surveyed had some form of student evaluation of teachers. Research indicates that informational feedback from students is an effective means of influencing teacher behavior--sometimes more effective than supervisory feedback. In considering student evaluation…

The purpose of this three-part publication is to enable junior and senior high school social studies teachers to assess and compare their professional goals and strategies with those of their colleagues and with current objectives and teaching behaviors recommended by education specialists and social studies researchers. The "Sampler" contains…

Instructional supervision is regarded as a resource to be managed by teachers for the improvement of instruction. Major problems in research on teaching effectiveness--operational definition of teaching effectiveness; systematic description and observation of teaching behavior; and systematic modification of teaching behavior in specified…

Looks beyond the threatening and remunerative aspects of teacher appraisal in the United Kingdom to the contribution that evaluation can make to professional and school development. Considers five sound reasons for appraisal, the roles and behaviors to be appraised, and some workable approaches and techniques. Effective leadership is the key.…

The National Education Association questions the effectiveness and presents the negative aspects of state programs to test the minimum competency of practicing teachers. Teacher competency should be ensured through high standards for entering teachers and annual evaluation and professional development opportunities at the district level for…

A union leader relates his experience with the Toledo, Ohio, plan for identifying and dismissing incompetent teachers. Principals and supervisors resisted the peer review system at first, but later changed their minds because of its success. (TE)

Presented is a brief review of the literature concerned with student evaluation of teaching. The interpretation of the results of these evaluations as well as suggestions for designing a useful instrument are discussed. (CW)

An alternative to the consumptive approach to reform is a productive model which utilizes practitioners' knowledge and seeks ways to enhance this knowledge. A dialogical evaluation method, such as horizontal evaluation, is one way to encourage teachers to recover what they know and to articulate and assess this knowledge. (IAH)

Teachers can improve their teaching if their knowledge base about teaching increases. Eight research-based areas, relevant to effective teaching, are discussed: goals and objectives, planning, lesson presentation, student engagement, management, student activity, feedback, and teacher assessment. (IAH)