This paper is a byproduct of research started in 1982, suggested to the author through reading "Students into Teachers" (Collins, 1969). No similar study had been carried out in Papua New Guinea (PNG) so this study was designed to find out more about the social background, motivations and conditions of new teachers there. In countries…

Peruvian education achieved notable successes in the late 20th century, with primary education reaching almost all children and secondary institutions enrolling about 80 percent of 12- to 16-year-olds. Public expenditure on education increased steadily in the 1990s but was still significantly less than the Latin American average. This report…

The 1998 General Assembly directed the Council of Higher Education to study policies regarding the use of adjunct faculty at Virginia's colleges and universities. The study aimed to examine course loads and benefits and how these issues relate to faculty with joint appointments at several public institutions. Virginia's public higher education…

This paper reports a review of journal articles listed in the British Education Index and the Cumulative Index of Journals of Education under the keywords of "inset" or "inservice" and either Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, or one of the 50 sub-Saharan African countries by name. Reports from Nigeria and South Africa form a…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Taking Care of Novice Teachers: Researchers Suggest How Administrators Can Keep Their Newer Teachers Teaching and Maintain a First-Rate Faculty (Reino Makkonen); (2) Assessing…

Essays argue that (1) unions can translate professional concerns into action; (2) unions need to concentrate more on the professional concern of improving education; and (3) only a national teachers union has the membership, staff, and strength to deal effectively with the multitude of concerns facing contemporary education. (MM)

Summarizes a survey of over 500 teachers throughout four regions of Russia. Discovers that most teachers feel their skills and development are lacking, particularly in the areas of innovative teaching methods. Outlines a system of steps and goals to be implemented throughout teacher education to rectify this deficiency. (MJP)

Account of one woman's climb to full professorship after over 20 years of teaching. Greeted with an icy reception at a midsize southern college, this Ivy League graduate was reluctantly hired in 1973. Recounts various specific instances of sex discrimination endured by the only full-time female professional in the music department. (LSR)

Maintains that reunification allowed teacher unions of the former West Germany to move into the former East Germany, filling a structural void left by the dissolution of the Communist Party. Specifically examines the reactions of newly elected teacher union leaders from the former East Germany to subsequent events in the education and political…

Defines inappropriate challenges as behaviors suggesting incompetence based solely on certain professor's social characteristics, especially gender and race. Discusses recent research on this problem concerning challenges from students, colleagues, and administrators. Lists suggested coping strategies, including changing the climate on campus and…

Explores the relationship among teachers' cognitive styles, their preference of leadership styles, and their susceptibility to stress. Data from the self-reports of elementary teachers suggest that nonanalytic teachers prefer principals who stress process rather than task and appear less susceptible to occupational stress than the more analytic…

Examines tensions and contradictions associated with proposals to restructure schools, empower teachers, and create a professional, collaborative work environment. A broad school democracy must include parents, community members, and students in structured decision-making processes. Teacher empowerment and school restructuring must coincide with…

This study examined three districts that redesigned teaching, two with career ladders and one with shared governance. The reforms, both professional and bureaucratic, had important consequences for the process and outcomes of the redesign of teaching. Discrete organizational and political factors were identified. (TJH)

Questions major participants in England's school system about the problem of increasing class size. Assesses several broad areas affected by class size, including children as learners, management of resources, decision making, and teachers' classroom practices. Discovers a general consensus of concern over increasing class size. (MJP)

A needs analysis was conducted into the issues facing the Technical and Vocational Education sector in Fiji. Vocational Centre teachers, Principals and an Education Officer were interviewed, and their responses analysed. The survey pointed to the difficulties currently experienced by the Vocational Centres in the face of poor facilities and…