Teacher learning is crucial in terms of good quality education in early years and, respectively teachers' professional communities are crucial for teacher learning. The meaning of engagement in collaborative learning and resources available in professional community are emphasized in educational reforms. In this study, we explored teachers'…

Building and sustaining an organizational culture and climate where productive and positive leader-follower relationships can thrive is perhaps the single most important responsibility of those who aspire to lead. The attributes of benevolence, honesty, openness, reliability, and competence form a framework that individuals use in determining a…

This study documented in detail teachers' voices about their working conditions, professional development needs and opportunities to cater to these needs. The study reported in this paper was conducted as part of a large-scale study that used mixed methods to assess teachers' professional development needs. The qualitative data reported in this…

Occupational stress is an important issue for most occupations and often arises when the demands of the workplace become excessive or aspects of work are unpleasant. If left unmanaged occupational stress can lead to a range of outcomes that can cost organisations dearly, including burnout, physical sickness, absenteeism and turnover. Some aspects…

Observation is examined as a method of gathering information about the behavior of school administrators. Relevant literature on the methodology of observation in terms of the process of observation, recording and coding, and the role of the observer are considered. (MLW)

A practicum project was undertaken to develop and implement a career education program that would introduce third graders to career opportunities. The setting for the project was an industrial city in the Midwest. The goals addressed in the set of structured activities developed were to: (1) increase third graders' awareness of career…

Discusses the comments by headteachers in Oxfordshire (England) on various aspects of their professional work-life in order to determine the difficulties and challenges confronting rural headteachers in a contemporary school system. Focuses on the internal and external issues, staff and staffing issues, and the serious difficulties headteachers…

Examines the construction of art knowledge and criticizes curriculum reform proposals that ignore constraints of the work place. Suggests that reform efforts should be defined locally and that teachers should be afforded the opportunity to develop their decision making abilities as a means of helping this local control. (KO)

This paper discusses the value of using children's books to enhance career education and presents sample learning activities for use in presenting career education concepts through children's literature. Career education for first and second graders, which focuses on teaching about jobs, work, the self, and life, is discussed first. Eleven ways in…

In this article, the author pays tribute to Cecilia Braslavsky by reviewing writings, interviews, and articles authored exclusively by her. Cecilia was a source of inexhaustible inspiration, not only because of her ideas and writings, but because of the force of her convictions and passion with which she tackled the work of researching, teaching,…

Describes a four-stage unit of study on the world of adult work that was used in a class of kindergartners and first graders. Students first focused on the school employees' jobs and then on parents' occupations. (BB)

Designed for infusing career development concepts into existing courses or curricula at grades K-3, these learning activities developed by teachers and staff members in the Toledo Public School System cover the following seven developmental areas identified in the Ohio Career Development Continuum: individual and environment; world of work; self;…

Noting that the growing crisis in the quality of early childhood programs is fueled partly by the lack of well-trained, knowledgeable, reflective teachers, this book details teaching cases that reflect typical challenges in teaching to be used as a tool for professional development. The cases provide a basis for discussing teacher decisions and…