A Commitment to Teaching: Toward More Efficacious Teacher Preparation introduces the reader to a collection of thoughtful works by authors that represent current research and thinking about teacher self-efficacy and teacher preparation. It is the intent of the book to provide the reader with current and relevant knowledge concerning preparation of committed and efficacious teachers. Teacher self-efficacy, and the presence of teacher efficacy, in teacher preparation and practice, is fundamental to preparing teachers for the public school classroom. As a construct, teacher self-efficacy beliefs are an integral aspect of the teaching process. While many authors refer to teachers’ sense of self-efficacy for teaching, meaning their beliefs about their ability to perform the actions necessary to teach, many others have identified a specific form of self-efficacy pertaining to teaching. These have been called teaching or teacher efficacy. Chapter One opens the book with a focus on the teacher commitment and self-efficacy, providing the reader with an introduction. The authors of Chapters Two-Seven present field-based research that examines the complexities efficacy and commitment in the preparation of teachers. Each chapter offers the reader an examination of teacher self-efficacy and teacher preparation and based on formal research that provides the reader with insight into how the research study was conducted as well as equally important, the findings and conclusions drawn with respect teacher self-efficacy and teacher preparation. Finally, Chapter Nine presents an epilogue that focuses on the for more efficacious teacher preparation.

Elmer Thiessen provides a comprehensive critical survey of the debate concerning indoctrination, especially in the context of confessional religious education. His central aim is to establish that indoctrination as a result of religious instruction is neither inevitable nor as probable as is often assumed by advocates of liberal education. Thiessen recognizes that indoctrination can occur in Christian homes and schools. He believes, however, that before the charge of indoctrination can be correctly evaluated, we need to develop a more coherent concept of the term. He provides a critical examination of the four criteria traditionally associated with indoctrination - content, method, intention, and consequences - and of the institutional context of indoctrination.

Most evaluations of teacher performance are brief, superficial, pro forma affairs involving a few moments of classroom observation every year or two followed by the completion of required evaluation forms. Not surprisingly, much of what has been written about teacher evaluation over the past decade reflects the dissatisfaction of teachers, the frustration of administrators, and the confusion of all parties as to the proper purposes for and methods of teacher evaluation. In this long-awaited book, Richard J. Stiggins and Daniel L. Duke approach teacher evaluation from a positive perspective. They present the results of three unique studies from over a three-year period, designed to uncover the inherent problems in current evaluation practices and find potential solutions to those problems. Relying on ethnographic case study methodology, Study One focuses on the procedures and concerns in the teacher evaluation systems of four school districts, uncovering barriers to teacher growth. Study Two also relies on case study methodology to highlight the keys to success for a few teachers who experienced significant professional growth as a result of a good-quality evaluation event. Study Three uses an instrument—the Teacher Evaluation Profile—to explore and analyze the evaluation experiences of over 400 teachers. The result is a book that gives a clear insight into the important attributes of positive growth-producing evaluation events. Implications of these studies for future teacher evaluation programs in terms of research, policy, and practice are also included in this valuable resource book. The topic is very timely. The significance if this work is that the effort begins linking staff development participation to teacher evaluation.

A Commitment to Growth: Essays on Education is an edited collection of materials that Geoff Masters has published over the last seven years, including the ground-breaking Australian Education Review 57 Reforming Educational Assessment . It is mostly comprised of shorter pieces such as the influential Five challenges in Australian school education

Increasing demands on institutions to deliver set targets and value for money has led to an erosion of the notion of staff development. The authors explore the tensions between the personal needs of the individual and the demands of managers.

Hillier is a friendly guide for those new to the world of further and adult education or for those... finding themselves required for the first time to work towards a formal teaching qualification.' Richard Sykes, Studies in the Education of Adults 'This is a useful book... [It] systematically covers the FENTO standards for teaching and supporting learning in further education...' Ron Kirby, Youth & Policy This second edition of the best-selling textbook Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education has been extensively revised and updated throughout. The book has: - An updated chapter on new government policy in lifelong learning. - Details of the changing qualifications framework, foundation degrees and e-learning - An expanded chapter on professional practice - New sections on disability awareness, working with young people, and new technologies. - Checklists, examples, scenarios and figures to aid learning - Chapter summaries to aid navigation of the text - A guide to the FENTO standards at the end of each chapter - Guides for further reading and websites - A glossary of unfamiliar terms This comprehensive, accessibly-written textbook is a practical resource which will be invaluable to teachers in further and adult education, whether in-training or in-service.

The International Handbook of Research in Professional and Practice-based Learning discusses what constitutes professionalism, examines the concepts and practices of professional and practice-based learning, including associated research traditions and educational provisions. It also explores professional learning in institutions of higher and vocational education as well the practice settings where professionals work and learn, focusing on both initial and ongoing development and how that learning is assessed. The Handbook features research from expert contributors in education, studies of the professions, and accounts of research methodologies from a range of informing disciplines. It is organized in two parts. The first part sets out conceptions of professionalism at work, how professions, work and learning can be understood, and examines the kinds of institutional practices organized for developing occupational capacities. The second part focuses on procedural issues associated with learning for and through professional practice, and how assessment of professional capacities might progress. The key premise of this Handbook is that during both initial and ongoing professional development, individual learning processes are influenced and shaped through their professional environment and practices. Moreover, in turn, the practice and processes of learning through practice are shaped by their development, all of which are required to be understood through a range of research orientations, methods and findings. This Handbook will appeal to academics working in fields of professional practice, including those who are concerned about developing these capacities in their students. In addition, students and research students will also find this Handbook a key reference resource to the field.

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession. The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.

Packed with advice, vignettes and case studies, as well as useful tips and checklists for improving teaching, the second edition of Developing Your Teaching is the ideal toolkit to support the development of teaching practice. Providing a blend of ideas, interactive review points and case study examples from university teachers, this accessible handbook for professional practice provides ideas on a range of topics including: learning from student feedback and peer review students as consumers and their expectations building effective partnerships with students and colleagues developing a teaching portfolio choosing effective teaching practices the challenges and benefits of securing an initial teacher qualification A must-read for all those new to teaching in higher education, as well as more experienced lecturers looking to refresh and advance the quality of their teaching, this fully updated new edition is the ideal toolkit to support the development of teaching practice.

Examines the relationships between a number of different kinds and examples of teacher professionalization on elementary and secondary teachers in the U.S. and the commitment of teachers to their teaching careers. Summarizes the following characteristics of professions and professionals: credentials, induction, professional development, authority, and compensation. Describes what effect education reformers have expected these traditional characteristics to have on teachers' attitudes, performance, quality, and specifically, their commitment to their careers. Includes both private and public schools. Charts and tables.