This collection of readings is intended to provide a source book on best practices in staff development in higher education within a British context. The 13 papers are grouped into three parts: part 1 presents the educational development tradition which has focused on development of staff as teachers; part 2 considers development of staff in…

An experiment with reflective teaching methods was conducted with six undergraduate and seven graduate student teachers majoring in applied linguistics and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teaching and minoring in education. The student teachers were placed in urban elementary, middle, and high schools in a variety of ESL program types and with…

This paper documents one university's use of action research to encourage preservice teachers' ongoing critical reflection as they negotiated diversity and community in their classrooms. Several supervisors developed a self-study research plan, meeting over 1 year to study several strategies for engaging preservice teachers in critical reflection.…

This document provides the framework for six other related documents in a series that focuses on diversity in the classroom. Section 1, "Introduction," explains that children in any Canadian classroom are not homogeneous, and such diversity presents teachers with challenges and obligations. The chapter reviews the subjects addressed in…

This study examined the Model Education Center (MEC) Professional Development School (PDS), formed by San Diego State University and a nearby school district in 1984. The study investigated whether core beliefs embedded in the PDS had a lasting effect on the teachers it graduated. Participants included teachers at three target schools; teachers…

An action research project emphasized the centrality of teachers' values in teaching decisions. After identifying grading papers as a source of tension, a teacher opened decisions about grading to democratic decision making, resulting in more positive professor-student relationships, more emphasis on learning, and improved student evaluations of…

This teacher-researcher case study examines the use of digital storytelling in a teacher assisting seminar. During the field placement, students composed a digital story of a teaching hour. Combining reflection with classroom footage, students exhibited their work for their colleagues. Digital stories added to the written narratives from the…

Reflection and professional development are two key practices that characterize an effective teacher and that are frequently overlooked in preservice training (Bowles, 2003; Halen-Faber, 1997; Patrick & Reinhartz, 1999). Reflection can be defined as the type of thinking that serves to challenge notions of prior learning (Halen-Faber, 1997), and…

This paper presents an overview of the inservice model used by the National Science Foundation supported Project INLAB (Integrating Laboratory Instruction and Assessment) to challenge and change science teachers' laboratory instruction and assessment practice. The framework that guides the instructional strategies and activities of INLAB is based…

A teacher education conceptual model, Teachers Reflecting, Engaging, and Collaborating (TREC), is presented that guides an innovative teacher education program's goals, processes, outcomes, and evaluation. The model, which presents the teacher as a reflective practitioner, is not an instructional sequence model, but rather a conceptual model that…

This study focused on the experiences of cooperating teachers beyond their immediate work with student teachers. The study was a major part of a collaborative action research project in which 172 cooperating teachers experienced the new role of "University Associate" as part of the University of California-Irvine Professional Development…

This paper describes a professional development program for teachers. The Certificate of Teaching and Learning (CTL), developed in Australia for Kindergarten through Year 12 teachers across all subject areas. It outlines the process of conceptualization, the dilemmas faced by the development team, and the final implementation across Australia.…

The use of collaborative case studies is an important tool for promoting teacher development, providing preservice teachers with opportunities to apply what they have learned in a real life context. This paper describes the design and evolution of a unique application of case study methodology by two early childhood/elementary education professors…

This paper describes a collaborative action research project conducted by a university researcher and a group of elementary school teachers. It examines the role the researcher plays when educational change is initiated by practitioners and the nature of the relationship that develops between researcher and practitioners throughout the change…

This study was designed to explore an experienced teacher's thinking and teaching within the social and cultural environment of the classroom. It investigated the thinking, planning, subsequent action and reflection processes and relationships in a real situation of learning. A naturalistic approach was used to investigate the socio-cultural…