Teacher change and the staff development process : a case in reading instruction /

Change is inevitable; no one or nothing stays the same forever. Therefore, the content of this book is timely and inclusive. It contains ten chapters, each by a different contributor, that examine teacher changes through staff development programs with major emphasis on the improvement of reading instruction. The backgrounds of the contributors are wide, varied, and comprehensively rich, many individuals were involved so that the reader would be more knowledgeable and informed about the theory of change and the effect it has on both teacher and student when launching a new form of staff development. The book aptly guides readers to examine the place of practical argument in the education of teachers, the consideration of their beliefs, the teaching of reading and observing such beliefs, the effects of school context and how complex this relationship is, and finally the observance that teachers' beliefs and understanding can change, when provided with a staff development program that employs research-based practices. Especially well done are the style and format, as well as the print. The headings and subheadings are easily discernible. Upper-division undergraduate through faculty. V. K. Lester Tuskegee University