Search

The narrative inquiry from which this paper comes examined the experiences of five student teachers as they negotiated the transition from student to teacher. The researcher was interested in looking at the ways in which student teachers' beliefs about teaching and knowledge of teaching evolved over the course of the student teaching practicum. Issues of identity, power, and voice quickly emerged as dominant storylines in the stories of all the participants involved. This paper specifically explores the underlying tensions and challenges associated with issues of identity, power, and voice that characterize the student teaching practicum. Such tensions and challenges were manifest in the participants' stories, and the purpose of this paper is to examine how they inhibited identity development in the student teacher participants. Although tension can often create powerful learning experiences, the tension associated with identity, power, and voice seemed to impede these student teachers as they sought to construct their own identity as teachers. The paper raises questions about the structure and purpose of the student teaching experience and challenges teacher educators to rethink field experiences, pedagogy, and program curriculum in ways that will enable preservice teachers to begin developing their teaching selves (Contains 63 references.) (Author/SM)

This self-study was designed to explore problem based learning (PBL) as an instructional approach in the context of a large preservice science education course. It addressed how the teacher educator would structure PBL to foster student engagement in learning, how she would enhance her own pedagogical content knowledge through the self-study, and how student feedback about PBL could be used to inform her own practice. Data came from field notes during and after class, student-generated documents, students' workshops and group products, student journals, student interviews, and student surveys. Overall, PBL was new to the students. Nearly all participating students liked the PBL experience. Those who disliked it did not like group work or were confused by the open-ended nature of the problem. Those who were ambivalent felt PBL was too time-consuming and believed the content could have been learned equally well individually. The main challenges the teacher faced were facilitation and problem design. She found that she designed PBL problems that were to large and felt it would have been better to start small. She considered student feedback essential to informing her practice. (Contains 32 references.) (SM)

This paper describes efforts to promote professional development among Brazilian elementary teachers via a 6-year public school-university partnership, presenting theoretical and methodological frameworks, general research characteristics, and results. Researchers investigated how a constructive-collaborative intervention that examined reflection on teachers' practice in the workplace could be used to improve teaching. Elementary school professionals, university researchers, and subject area specialists collaborated to study teachers' reflections on diverse aspects of education, the teaching profession, and pedagogy. They developed a strategy for promoting and investigating learning and professional development processes. The teaching and learning experiences developed early in the project were diverse and sought to encompass different aspects of teacher work. By the fourth year, the group collectively constructed professional development focused on the school itself. Data were collected via participant observation, interviews, reflective diaries, student materials, school board meeting minutes, oral and written reports, documents, and PTA meetings. Teachers' thinking usually referred more directly to events than conceptual explanations. Some teachers began to base their individual analyses on situations as a whole instead of focusing on details and specifics of each event. The study highlighted the need for time and effective learning opportunities so that teachers could rethink not only their classroom roles, but also their pedagogical practice. (Contains 47 references.) (SM)

The present study is part of a systematic program evaluation effort. Student teachers at a southern rural public university were asked to generate classroom management strategies in response to hypothetical vignettes depicting underachieving/alienated behavior. The extended responses were coded to identify strategies that student teachers would and would not use to manage students' underachieving/alienated behavior in the classroom. A majority of student teachers' responses focused on talking to the students, involving parents, reinforcing appropriate behavior, and rearranging the classroom. Strategies considered ineffective included confronting the student in front of the class, yelling at the student, lecturing the student, or punishing the student. (Contains 21 references.) (Author/SM)

This study examined the interplay between individual and organizational learning in school, noting factors that motivated and constrained the dissemination of teachers' learning. Information came from a larger qualitative study that explored how individual teachers' learning in a middle school instructional technology project was disseminated to other organizational members. Ten participating teachers completed a survey about their backgrounds, technological skills, technology use in instruction after participating in the Educators' Electronic Learning Community, and sharing of knowledge with colleagues. Next, participants completed interviews on knowledge, skills, and insights gained through participation in the project; methods used to share learning with colleagues; and factors affecting their ability to share information. Finally, they completed surveys that had them rate the strength of motivating and restraining factors. Results highlighted the power of the "practicality ethic" and the impact of longstanding school norms on teachers' decisions to learn and disseminate their learning to colleagues. The most influential factors included collegial relationships and reactions, time, beliefs and attitudes about learning and sharing, classroom benefits to teachers and students, and teachers' individual levels of technology competence. Motivating factors related to teachers' professional judgments, attitudes, and relationships. Constraining factors were external and related to the structure of the school day and year. (Contains 42 references.) (SM)

This paper reports on a study of the implementation of a new mathematics curriculum and its effect on the teachers implementing it. The study focused on understanding the barriers teachers faced with implementing new curriculum that relies on a different theoretical base than the teachers had previously experienced. Participants in the study were six middle-school teachers and six high-school teachers in a small rural district. Data for the study were gathered from direct observation of the teachers in the classroom and from interviews completed at the beginning of the teachers' second semester using the new curriculum. The study identified the following barriers to the teachers' successful implementation of the new curriculum: (1) concern over the teachers' vision about their roles and beliefs about what their job as a math teacher should be; (2) an assumed student success rate built in by curriculum designers; (3) parents' reactions to their children's test scores; (4) a lack of materials needed to enact the new curriculum; (5) a lack of teacher's technical skills and content knowledge; and (6) factors inherent in the newness of any change. (Contains 26 references.) (WFA)

This paper focuses on the development and validation of survey tools that help teachers engage in a guided reflection process. The guided reflection process assists teachers at all levels, kindergarten through college, to reflect on (1) their own beliefs and practices; (2) how these practices are perceived by their students; and (3) the impact of both teacher and student learner-centered variables on student motivation and achievement. Building on the "Learner-Centered Psychological Principles" (APA, 1993, 1997), the Assessment of Learner-Centered Practices (ALCP) surveys (McCombs, 1999) have been validated with more than 5,000 K-20 teachers and their more than 25,000 students. Implications of the ALCP survey and guided reflection tools for providing a research-validated source of information on not only teacher dispositions (beliefs and knowledge), but also instructional skills and practices that meet new educational requirements for teacher accountability and quality are briefly described. The presentation concludes with a discussion of how the ALCP reflection tools can be used at various educational system levels to promote a positive cycle of shared responsibility for teacher development and learning. (Contains 36 references.) (Author/SM)

During "lesson study" teachers formulate long-term goals for student learning and development, collaboratively work on "research lessons" to bring these goals to life, document and discuss student responses to these lessons, and revise the lessons in response to student learning. This document summarizes the content of a symposium to discuss the relationship of lesson study and teachers' knowledge development. Panelists presented models, methods, and examples of lesson study and discussed capacity development through lesson study. Three examples of lesson study in action are described. One involved a third-grade lesson study group. The second example contains meeting notes, transcripts, teacher interview results, and student mathematics interviews from a kindergarten lesson study group with an outside mathematics specialist. The third example describes videotapes and transcripts from an ad hoc lesson study group that planned, taught, and revised a research lesson during a 2-week summer workshop. (SLD)

Professional knowledge of teachers has been the topic of many research papers in the field of teacher education published in recent years. Less attention, however, is given to professional knowledge of teacher educators, the focus of this paper. The paper examines the issue by discussing some of the literature on the subject and by asking novice teachers and teacher educators about the characteristics of good teacher educators, the professional knowledge of teacher educators, and the difference between the professional knowledge of teacher educators and teachers. Furthermore, experienced teacher educators were asked to choose artifacts as evidence to be included in a presentation portfolio of their professional competence. Findings indicate that even though there is much overlapping in the professional knowledge of the two groups of professionals, there are also distinct differences of importance to the current discussion on education for and standards of teacher educators. (Contains 42 references.) (Author/SM)

This study, an evaluation component of the Mathematics English Technology Education Resources (METER) project, examined student teachers' and cooperating teachers' perceptions of the Secondary Teacher Education Program redesign at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. METER was part of the Illinois Professional Learners' Partnership (IPLP) a federally funded 5-year program to improve the quality of teacher education programs. This study examined four of nine key focus areas of IPLP: teaching diverse student populations, content area knowledge, clinical experience, and technology integration. It focused on students' satisfaction with program components, cooperating teachers' perceptions of the program, and how the program responded to students' needs. Data were collected via program feedback forms, and results were organized by content area, student cohort, semester of enrollment, and common themes. Data analysis indicated that students' and cooperating teachers' perceptions of the program were inconsistent across content areas. There was evidence that the program responded to student needs. Students perceived program improvement in some areas but program decline in other areas. An appendix presents data on the percentage of students whose comments were significant themes. (SM)

This research project examined the training of foreign language teachers in Europe. Data were collected from 32 European countries from February to June 2002. Information was also gathered from published documents, ministries of education, higher education institutions, cultural organizations, UNESCO, and teacher associations. Data were fed into a template, which was constructed to tabulate contextual details and examples of good practice. This information was used to develop case studies. Most case sites were visited personally to gather information on specific innovations and examples of good practice. Results indicated that across the 32 countries, there was great diversity in context, needs, and approaches to meeting them. There was an emerging consensus on salient issues of organization, content, and structure. In regard to language teaching methodology, the communicative imperative was becoming accepted. Results noted the need for agreement on recognition of qualifications. The paper recommends the development of: a Common European Framework of Reference for Language Teacher Training, an accreditation system to provide a basis for comparability and to recognize flexible routes to teacher certification, a voluntary program of quality assurance, and a support network for language teacher training. Two appendixes describe the case studies and offer a professional of the European language teacher. (Contains 21 references.) (SM)

This paper describes a collaborative approach to using general education rubrics as an additional assessment strategy to American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education members who are revising and sustaining their institutional and teacher education assessment programs. Faculty members from a rural, comprehensive private college in Nebraska have developed and are using ten rubrics: writing; critical thinking; heritage studies; cultural perspectives; mathematics reasoning; communication; community and leadership; health and wellbeing; liberal learning; and natural sciences. The paper presents information on: ways to use rubrics; the process for rubric development; rubric development criteria; strategies to build faculty commitment; collaboration between general education and teacher education; basic skills competence; and content knowledge. The paper concludes that using general education rubrics to document teacher candidate accomplishments of basic skills and content knowledge is collaborative, efficient, and effective, noting that the process of gathering assessment data, completing data analysis, and using findings to improve programs is both intensive and extensive. The rubrics are attached. (SM)

This paper explains that today's teacher preparation programs must meet the needs of tomorrow's teachers. They must be practical, experiential, and effective, and must produce educators who practice personal reflection, ongoing professional development, and lifelong learning. The Professional Development School (PDS) model addresses these needs. The PDS paradigm incorporates the most positive and realistic aspects of teacher preparation into a semester-long, full-day experience. Student teachers are placed in classrooms of real K-12 students. They learn methods and strategies of teaching along with specific ideas for classroom management. The Teacher Preparation Academy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has designed and implemented a PDS model which incorporates the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind mandate as well as the NCATE standards in the areas of candidate knowledge, skills, and dispositions; assessment system and unit evaluation; field experiences and clinical practices; and diversity. University faculty have adapted their courses and presented them to students in an integrated format which resembles the educational setting in which they will work after graduation. This close alignment between universities and school systems guarantees that the end product will be well-trained, knowledgeable educators prepared for the realities of the classroom. (SM)

This study investigated student teachers' views on their best and worst teachers' characteristics. Students in four sections of a sophomore-level teacher education program prerequisite course were required to write half-page descriptions of their best and worst teachers from elementary and high school, focusing on the behaviors and attitudes that made these teachers the best or worst. These descriptions were coded for six themes of teacher effectiveness: student centeredness, enthusiasm for teaching, ethicalness, classroom and behavior management, teaching methodology, and knowledge of subject. Data analysis indicated that the predominant theme in descriptions of good teachers was student-centeredness, followed by teaching methodology. The same two major themes were present (at a lower rate and in reverse order) in descriptions of the worst teachers. Students' views differed by gender in regard to teaching methodology and ethical behavior. (Contains 14 references and 3 tables.) (SM)

This report examines pay systems for teachers, focusing on knowledge and skill-based systems. Such systems reward teachers with base increases or bonuses for acquiring and demonstrating specific knowledge and skills needed to meet educational goals such as improving student achievement. The report examines a study of 6 school districts and one charter school, all of which had adopted some form of knowledge and skill-based pay system. Descriptions and comparisons are based on the programs' operation or design in the 1999-2000 school year. Data were gathered from interviews with administrators, union officials, and teachers; onsite visits; documents describing programs; and research done by districts to evaluate programs. The similarities and differences among the seven programs are structured according to seven comparison dimensions: (1) motivation for developing the knowledge and skill-based pay program; (2) process used to design the program; (3) knowledge and skills rewarded and their organization into a structure; (4) how knowledge and skill acquisition was assessed; (5) size and structure of knowledge and skill incentives; (6) how the acquisition of the knowledge and skills is supported; and (7) additional costs of the program and methods of funding. (Contains 7 tables and 43 references.) (WFA)

This paper covers three interrelated study projects that were launched in order to explore teachers' pedagogical knowing. Within the study projects, teachers' pedagogical knowing was treated as a broad concept and practice. "Pedagogical" was not simply what happened in schools and classrooms; it was also found inside teachers and outside of institutions. Many of these personal features and cultural aspects collapsed into one another in teachers' pedagogical knowledge. They were involved in their action and reflection and made combinations of such features as intellectual skills, virtues, habits of mind, and appropriate social behavior. In addition, it was found important to treat a wide array of issues that were, at least in part, ethical by their nature. Teachers' pedagogical knowing was considered an activity that cut across many areas. According to the results, five areas stood out: constant relationships with students, the compelling power of teachers' personal justifications, the absence of a shared code of practice, the struggles to balance teachers' public and private roles, and the basic uncertainty within the profession. (Contains 51 references.) (Author/SM)

This report describes challenges facing the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana, highlighting teacher turnover and teacher preparation and support. Findings are based on national, state, and local studies that investigated the status of teachers and teaching in the community (preparation, recruitment, retention, certification, satisfaction, and support). Data collection involved surveys of new teachers and teachers who had left the system and discussions with teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community members. Overall, stakeholders believed that teachers should: display strong subject matter knowledge; use creative approaches to teaching; adapt instructional strategies to meet diverse students' needs; possess high expectations of students; and show respect for and enthusiasm to work with students. There was a high teacher turnover rate in the district. A low number of former teachers considered their professional development effective. Results highlighted three areas that should be addressed promptly: develop and implement and effective data system linking student information to teacher information; provide comprehensive professional development that responds to teacher needs and is aligned with school system goals for improving achievement; and make education a responsibility shared by all. (SM)

The first step in assessing physical education student teachers' content-related knowledge base is to establish current levels of subdisciplinary knowledge in students and prospective teachers alike. Researchers developed seven multiple-choice tests, based on the National Physical Education Standards Education text, "Concepts of Physical Education: What Every Student Needs to Know," in order to assess subdisciplinary concept knowledge in the areas of aesthetic experience, biomechanics, exercise physiology historical perspectives, motor development, motor learning, and social psychology. These tests, the Assessment of Subdisciplinary Knowledge in Physical Education (ASK-PE), were used to assess high school students' conceptual physical education knowledge. On all tests, females significantly outscored males. Preservice physical educators enrolled in an introductory major's course (PRE) and in the final semester of student teaching (POST) also completed the ASK-PE. In the PRE group, females outscored males on all but one test. In the POST group, males outscored females on five of the seven tests. In all three groups, participants had the most difficulty with the historical test. High school students' and PRE teachers' best scores were on the motor development test. POST teachers' highest scores were on the exercise physiology test. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)

This paper reports on a study of the relationship between teacher evaluation scores in a school implementing knowledge- and skills-based pay and classroom student achievement. The study occurred in a California charter elementary school that was 100 percent Title I, 100 percent free/reduced lunch, and had predominantly limited English speaking students. The school had historically low achievement, and for 4 years, it had been implementing a performance evaluation and pay plan under which teachers were evaluated, rated, and paid accordingly. For the study, data were collected on 34 teachers and all of their students for whom 2 years of achievement data were available. Researchers estimated classroom effects, analyzed their relationship to teacher evaluation scores, and examined teacher evaluation scores as level 2 explanatory variables in hierarchical linear models of student achievement. Results indicated that there was a clear difference in the strength of the relationship between teacher evaluation scores and classroom achievement in reading compared with mathematics or language arts. An appendix presents descriptive statistics. (Contains 37 bibliographic references.) (SM)

This study investigated the influence of accountability on teacher learning and the capacity of districts and schools to support instructional practices that bolster student performance, examining: state policy regarding incentives, sanctions, rewards, recognition, and assessment required for high stakes accountability, and professional development of educators and organizational capacity of schools; the status of professional and organizational development activities and how teachers, principals, and district leaders responded in light of state accountability; and intended and unintended consequences of high stakes accountability on professional development. Analysis of data from policy inventories, school case studies, and teacher surveys indicated that accountability models varied considerably. Teachers described their most positive learning experiences in ways that aligned with notions of high quality professional development, though they did not feel connected to wider school performance issues. District and school organizational capacity to support teacher learning depended on several factors (e.g., type and quality of support available from the state). Accountability pressures focused teacher learning opportunities on the tested subjects. There was increased attention to analysis of test results. Variation in state accountability systems provided different incentives for teachers to respond as reform agents. School districts and schools, as organizational units, mediated the responses of teachers, and therefore, the ultimate effect on student learning. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)

This paper explores relationships among grade point average (GPA), SAT scores, and Praxis I and II scores for traditional undergraduate preservice teachers, describing the development of an instrument to assess teaching skills. Participants were students from eight graduating classes at Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania, from 1994-2001 (elementary and early childhood education majors). Data collected on these students included SAT scores, GPA after 1 year, final GPA, and scores for seven Praxis tests (e.g., general knowledge, communication skills, professional knowledge, and principles of learning and teaching). Three subgroups were formed using final GPA, total SAT, and the Praxis general knowledge score-students who scored between +1 and -1 standard deviation from the mean, students who scored one standard deviation or more above the mean, and students who scored one standard deviation or more below the mean. Overall, there were moderate to high correlations between total SAT scores and final GPAs, total SAT scores and Praxis test scores, and final GPAs and Praxis scores. In many relationships investigated, the correlation coefficients for the high and low groups were quite different. The low group maintained its identity on all variables tested even as the overall group went off in a different direction. (SM)

The study investigated linguistic, cultural, and attitudinal changes in public school teachers during time spent in a study abroad setting in Spain, noting the effect of their conducting ethnographic interviews while in Spain on those changes. The study also looked at problems teachers experienced while studying abroad. Data from pretests and posttests indicated that the majority of participants made marked gains in speaking ability and listening comprehension in Spanish, and most participants made gains in the other language modalities as well. Statistically significant gains in cultural knowledge were evident. The heterogeneity of the group in relation to experience with the language, teaching, age, and previous time spent abroad made it difficult to find significant results. In the post-study abroad survey, participants found that the ethnographic interviews were very beneficial to their acquisition of cultural knowledge and linguistic skills and to their improved attitudes toward the target culture. Suggestions on how to improve the study abroad experience for teachers are included. (Contains 36 references.) (SM)

This case study explores the student teaching experience of a Spanish language teacher candidate through her own eyes. It sheds light on how the participants' prior learning experience and beliefs inform her initial practice, how she develops her teaching skills, what contextual factors affect her learning-to-teach process, and the sources from which she draws her knowledge. Multiple data collection instruments were used to generate relevant and rich data to illuminate the research questions. They included open-ended interviews, participant observation, class videotaping, stimulus recall procedures, and lesson plans. Analysis of data revealed that the interplay of factors, such as the background the participant brought with her, added to her level of commitment, An effective mentoring relationship contributed to a productive learning-to-teach experience. A sample of the participant's interview protocol is appended. (Contains 35 references.) (Author/SM)

This report describes the past 15 years of work by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to raise the standards for teacher quality. The NBPTS identified five core propositions that describe the knowledge, skills, and dispositions characterizing accomplished teaching. It created professional standards for K-12 teachers, establishing an assessment system and voluntary certification process in every area of teaching. There has been a dramatic increase in recent years in the number of states and districts offering incentives for NBPTS-certified teachers. NBPTS certification is now recognized as a symbol of professional teaching excellence. Some of the other accomplishments of the NBPTS have included commissioning new research about effectiveness and revising and updating standards and assessments. This report includes essays by an NBPTS board member, NBPTS certified teachers, a teacher educator, NBPTS teachers who became teachers of the year, and a businessman who builds partnerships between business and education leaders. (SM)

This paper describes a research project conducted by a Brazilian public university in partnership with an elementary school involved improving the quality of teaching and learning through an inservice teacher education program developed in the workplace. Project goals were to build a knowledge base of teachers' learning and professional development processes and to define when, where, and how participants would intervene in these processes. The project was characterized by the development, in collaboration with the school community, of intervention strategies allowing the construction and implementation of a pedagogical process shared by its members as well as the consolidation of professional autonomy among participating teachers. Data from teachers' oral and written reflections indicated that with time, teachers' narratives became more detailed, incorporating specific contents emphasized in the classroom. Teachers' thinking usually referred more directly to events than to conceptual explanations. Results highlighted the importance of developing pedagogical content knowledge to teachers' professional development, suggesting the need for time and effective learning opportunities so that teachers can rethink not only their role in the classroom but also their pedagogical practice, in order to overcome barriers related to construction of practices more compatible with student needs and principles supported by public policy. (Contains 27 references.) (SM)

There are two broad views about what determines language teacher effectiveness. One focuses on teachers' language and methodological knowledge/skills. The other concentrates on personality (intelligence, self-awareness, and rapport). This paper presents a framework that reconciles the two views, proposes a way to visualize their interrelations, and takes into account research findings that indicate that teachers' practices are mostly influenced by their interpretation of methodological frameworks. The framework includes three elements: personality, methodology, and language. Teacher effectiveness is depicted as the area of a triangle, with each side representing the extent to which each element is developed. The larger the area, the higher the effectiveness. Three categories include the following: all elements are equally developed, one element is far less developed than the others, and one element is far more developed than the others. Given the perimeter of a triangle, an equilateral triangle will have the largest area from any other triangle with the same perimeter. This points to the benefits of a balanced development of all three areas. (Contains 14 references.) (SM)

The teacher standards movement and effective schools research movement both proclaim that all students can learn, irrespective of family background, wealth, gender, or ethnicity. Effective schools research promotes seven correlates as core to schools where students learn and achieve: clear school mission, high expectations for success, instructional leadership, frequent monitoring of student progress, opportunity to learn and student time on task, safe and orderly environment, and home and school relations. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was formed to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. It is dedicated to promoting respect and recognition for quality teaching. The NBPTS' five propositions of accomplished teaching include the following: teachers are committed to students and learning; teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach them; teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning; teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; and teachers are members of learning communities. The NBPTS propositions link directly to the effective schools correlates. Attaining National Board certification is a professional honor. As teachers complete the certification process, they must continually connect their classroom practice and student learning to National Board standards. (Contains 13 references.) (SM)

Teacher study groups (TSGs) contribute to professional development when participants explore, articulate, and extend their personal professional knowledge in a supportive setting. In this study of cultural variables in the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classroom, tensions among aspects of professional accountability and responsibility surfaced repeatedly, reflecting varying degrees of satisfaction in participants' views of their success as teachers. It was thus possible to propose a theoretical model of personal practical knowledge indicating these tensions and the resulting zones of relative comfort and discomfort with respect to accountability and responsibility. This theoretical model has important implications for the content and ethos of language teacher education programs, particularly regarding the need for preparation in areas beyond the necessary foundation in linguistic and pedagogical theory. (Author/SM)

This paper explores what, and how, student teachers may learn about theory and practice from writing cases, examining some of the features of the pedagogy that may contribute to these results. The paper draws upon data collected from a quarter-long teacher education course, "Principles of Learning for Teaching," that is offered in the Stanford Teacher Education Program. In this course, writing a case is designed to promote the application of learning theory to practical experiences in the classroom and serves as the central, culminating product of the class. The first section of the paper describes the design of the course, focusing upon how designers wove key concepts of the course along with work on cases throughout the quarter. The next section discusses what students learned from writing cases by examining data collected (e.g., students' cases, students' final self-assessment essays, interviews with instructors, and interviews with students). It also addresses the kinds of supports (e.g., instructor feedback, peer conferencing, and course design) that may have helped students in further developing and deepening the analytic and theoretical understandings in their cases. The last section addresses how to design and teach the class differently, noting implications for teacher education. (Contains 20 references.)(SM)

This paper states that a major challenge in preparing future educators is preparing them to teach their specific content areas while recognizing how curriculum, instruction, and assessment are aligned with the state standards. Some recommendations for accomplishing these ends are to have teachers in training: (1) recognize that the content standards, as developed by states in most major subject areas, describe what K-12 students should be able to accomplish; (2) communicate the importance of standards (which can be learned by examining model school districts and reading state standards); (3) experience ways to apply the standards; (4) become confident in the usage of standards (by participating in group discussions and required projects); and (5) recognize how to evaluate student progress in a standards-based approach (understanding the connections of curriculum, instruction, and assessment while incorporating standards). (Contains 17 references.) (SM)

Participants in a teacher workshop compared these two approaches to learning outcomes in adult numeracy: (1) teaching mathematical skills and (2) using and applying mathematics from real life. The first approach was illustrated by an Ontario, Canada, program based on traditional school math, whose outcomes are skill-based and are the following: perform basic operations with numbers, use measurements, solve geometric problems, manage data and probability, and use patterning and algebra. The second approach was illustrated by an Australian program that uses social purpose and meaningful context of mathematics and whose outcomes are organized in these four categories: (1) numeracy for practical purposes; (2) numeracy for interpreting society; (3) numeracy for personal organization and (4) numeracy for knowledge. The attendees participated in developing teaching ideas, using the learning outcomes, and a final discussion. The participants agreed that the Ontario outcomes are based on math and the Australia outcomes on context. Teachers who preferred traditional math curriculum preferred the Ontario program, while more holistic approach teachers preferred the Australia program. Teachers who are not math trained might find the Australia program easier to work with. If a balance between function and skill development is sought, the Australian program may better represent the aims and ideals of adult basic education. (SLR)

This paper examines district leaders' theories about teacher learning and change, identifying and elaborating three perspectives--quasi-behaviorist, situated, and quasi-cognitive--based on a study of nine school districts. The quasi-behaviorist perspective on teacher learning dominated among the district leaders in the study. To account for the prominence of the quasi-behaviorist perspective, the author considers how district leaders' work is structured in ways that support a quasi-behaviorist perspective. Specifically, the author considers the manner in which relations between district leaders and teachers are constituted in interaction with state and local policy environments to support a quasi-behaviorist view of teacher learning and instructional change. Based on the analyses of the data (collected through interviews) the author argues that changing the training paradigm that dominates school districts' approach to professional development will necessitate challenging district leaders' theories about teacher learning. Specifically, unless reformers create opportunities for district leaders to develop alternative conceptions of teacher learning and change (that is, conceptions that are different from the quasi-behaviorist perspective), the training paradigm is likely to persist. (Contains the interview instrument in an appendix, tables that describe characteristics of the school districts and district leaders' theories of teacher learning, and 43 references.) (Author)