This article outlines the place of vocational education within the upper-secondary structure in Norway and identifies general principles underpinning this structure. Recent changes in this structure which have implications for teacher education are described, and a number of strategies are proposed to upgrade the content and structure of teacher…

This article reports on a research and innovation-based approach to inservice training for special education in Norway, with particular focus on vocational education. A school innovation project on adapted education is described, with particular attention given to the role of evaluation in this project. (IAH)

Findings are presented from a study of the effectiveness of a training program designed to increase nonverbal expressiveness, during expository teaching/lecturing, in the nonverbal channels: voice delivery, eye expression, gaze, facial expression, gesturing, posture, and movement. The program includes laboratory practice sessions, characterized by…

This article illustrates some problems faced by student teachers of biology when they try to realize the process of "didactic transformation" while planning their classes. To address these problems, a method of subject-matter analysis, utilizing hierarchical concept-maps, was introduced into the teacher training component at the Free University in…

Findings from a study involving 141 Israeli student teachers suggest that a group assessment procedure is a better alternative for predicting success in a teacher training program than individual interviews, because group assessment more effectively assesses the personality factors most related to teacher success. (IAH)

The convergence of computer technology with telecommunications may transform our concept of classroom and school. The PLUTO Network Project, which links several countries in Europe in a collaborative distance learning network, is described. Three phases in the growth of educational uses of computer technologies are outlined. (IAH)

Analyzes the complex background of debates on quality teacher education, highlighting sociological perspectives and arguments of the educational sciences, defining problem areas of teacher education, and discussing ways to handle perceived problems by considering experiences in various European countries discussed at a seminar of experts on the…

Describes recent developments in Sweden's teacher education and schooling, emphasizing issues pertaining to quality in recent government and other documents and noting that present discussions of the issue have specific political origins. The issue of teacher education in Sweden is embedded within and an expression of contemporary Swedish…

This paper discusses quality as a theme for teacher education in the Netherlands, focusing on definitions of quality, national policies for quality control and quality assessment, the state of the art in educational quality, the future of teaching, and measures to maintain and increase quality. (SM)

Discusses quality in American preservice teacher education and training, the political and academic context in which to examine it, and promising practices in teacher education (for example, practice what you teach, use professional development centers, personalize programs, use cohort groups, and use school personnel to recruit promising…

Describes teacher education in the United Kingdom, emphasizing the importance of college-school partnerships so teachers can gain in-depth understanding of what they are doing in context. Essential ingredients for effective teacher education include personality, ideals, perspective, and imagination. Quality teacher education via unity and…

This paper analyzes developments in teacher education and training in Barbados, providing a historical perspective and discussing conceptions of and steps toward ensuring quality. The collegial work of the University of the West Indies and the Erdiston Teachers' Training College is examined. (SM)

Over the past few years, Finnish teacher education has undergone major evaluation, including evaluation by an international review team. The process has included self-evaluation, site visits, external evaluation, and increased interaction and cooperation in teacher education departments. (SM)

Close links are perceived between considerable growth and internationally high levels of productivity in the economy, a massive destruction of jobs, and the current educational system in Germany. From this perspective, the paper examines quality improvement and assessment in German teacher education, focusing on political influences. (SM)

A discussion of quality in preservice and inservice teacher education in Greece focuses on the political and social issues that have given it form, differences between preservice training for primary and secondary teachers, changes in inservice education, quality control and assessment, and related research on quality. (SM)