This paper reports on a study of the practices of a cohort of traditionally appointed teacher educators with the responsibility for facilitating teacher learning and learning teaching. The approach used in this investigation involved a practice-to-theory field experience (PTE), a reflective paper analyzing the PTE, and a shared set of readings on…

A growing body of research in recent years has supported the value of emotional intelligence in both effective teaching and student achievement. This paper presents a pre-post, quasi-experimental design study conducted to evaluate the contributions of a 56-h "Emotional Intelligence" training model. The model has been developed and…

Teaching quality impacts classroom instruction. Teaching is difficult, demanding and draining work; teaching in urban environs exacerbates the difficulties, the demands and the complexities of teaching. Through the eyes of an assistant superintendent, charged with implementing a new vision for literacy teaching and learning, this manuscript…

The burgeoning body of empirical research in the area of positive psychology points to the beneficial effect of gratitude on factors that could be relevant to some of the challenges faced by pre-service teachers. Although the topic of gratitude has also long been discussed in other fields, there has been a noticeable absence of mention in teacher…

This study examined pre-service teachers' efficacy in relation to the utilisation of microteaching as an assessment tool for postgraduate education students in Australia. Three hundred and fifteen pre-service teachers completed the teacher efficacy survey and additional qualitative questions at Time 1 and 208 completed the survey and questions at…

Preparing quality teachers has become a global concern as all nations strive for excellence at all levels. Yet, there is little consensus around what constitutes quality and how quality teachers might best be attained. This article takes up the issue of quality teacher preparation by exploring several pivotal questions: What might quality teaching…

This article examines research on the impacts of high-stakes accountability policies in the USA--in particular, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001--on Native American learners. NCLB's goals are laudable: close the achievement gap by making schools accountable for learning among all student groups, and by ensuring that all students are…

This study investigated the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy among 156 elementary pre-service teachers from a university in the southeastern United States. Data sources included the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS), Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, and pre-service teacher interviews.…

Three teachers, who held extreme preferences for the ways they learn, participated in a year-long professional development course, designed to sensitize teachers to their own and colleagues' individual learning differences (ILDs). The case study focuses on their extreme learning preferences and discusses the impact of these preferences on their…

Reflection is widely embraced in teacher education as a necessary process in becoming a good teacher. While there is broad acceptance of this idea, the nature of reflection has been challenged, particularly by those seeking reflection that is socially situated and critical, implicating teaching in its broader social context. This paper examines…

The specialist knowledge and skills of science teachers is far too easily overlooked and undervalued, due, in part, to the tacit nature of the knowledge that underpins expert science teachers' practice. For science teachers to better recognize, describe, and share their professional knowledge there is a need to develop new and meaningful ways…

New teachers who enter Australian educational systems must acquire suitable knowledge that enables them to function effectively as a teacher in this country. For immigrant professionals new to the system mere transfer of knowledge does not suffice and does not satisfy their professional perception of self. Teachers who are born and trained…

Many factors play a role in the successful transition of students from secondary to university education: one of them is the (university) teacher. In this study the similarities and differences in the perspectives on teaching and learning of secondary and university teachers were investigated. A survey was performed among 675 teachers. Three…

Students' emotions can significantly enhance or distract from learning. This paper details a case study of innovative pedagogy in which an "emotional curriculum" was central to my teaching. The analysis of student journals, on-line discussions, and metaphorical exercises revealed a vicissitude of emotions that stemmed from challenging course…

This article examines the possibility of a "Teaching Assessment Exercise" and attempts to quantify teaching quality as part of performance management schemes for academics. The primary sources of data are identified as student evaluation of teaching (SET) and peer observation of teaching (POT). The conceptual and empirical issues in developing…