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This study examines the extent to which lecturers demonstrate effective teaching behaviour. The results of 203 observations reveal substantial differences in detected teaching behaviour. Lecturers mostly demonstrated teaching behaviour in the domains classroom climate, efficient organisation, and instruction. Teaching behaviour relating to the domains activating teaching and teaching learning strategies was observed less frequently, with almost no evidence of behaviour associated with the domain differentiation. The quality of teaching in small classes was slightly higher than that in large classes. These findings can help tailor professional learning activities to lecturers' professional development needs.

A successful first year is of vital importance to academic achievement in higher education. How can we identify those students at risk at a very early stage, i.e. even before they have entered university? This study focuses on three pre-university factors, namely academic self-efficacy, self-regulated learning, in terms of autonomous motivation and time-management, and beyond classroom engagement. 2355 Dutch prospective first-year students in the fields of science, humanities and social sciences filled in our survey. Data on first year academic achievement in terms of grade point average (GPA) was obtained at the end of the first year. Prospective first-year students scored high on all of the variables; we found gender-related differences, favouring female students, as well as discipline-related differences. Time management and autonomous motivation were found to be positive predictors of achievement; beyond classroom engagement was a negative predictor of achievement. This paper contributes to the research on first-year academic achievement and emphasises the importance of providing students with personalised trajectories from the moment they enter university.

Our study focused on describing first-year university students' motivational profiles and examining differences in academic achievement based on these profiles. Data on academic motivation of 755 students in the field of mathematics and natural sciences were collected before the start of their bachelor's degree program; data on GPA were collected at the end of the first year. A two-step cluster analysis indicated a four-cluster solution: Students in cluster 1 scored high on intrinsic motivation (IM) and extrinsic motivation (EM), but low on amotivation (AM). Students in cluster 2 scored high on IM and low on EM and AM. Students in cluster 3 scored high on EM and AM. Students in cluster 4 scored lower on IM and EM and higher on AM. Students in cluster 2, who had the most self-determined motivational profile, obtained the highest GPA. Our study suggested that distinguishing students based on motivational profiles may be helpful in identifying students at risk for lower academic achievement or even dropping out.

Learning at the workplace is an important development in teacher education in secondary education. In this study we look at the school-linked models for teacher education that exist in England, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The characteristics of these models and their possible consequences for the quality of teachers are investigated. We observed among others a substantial variation between countries on matters of integration between the institution and the school, the emphasis on academic or practical training, embedding of teacher education and duration of teacher education. (Contains 2 tables, 3 notes and 1 footnote.)