Article on Teacher Training

When dropping off a child at the first day of school, every parents hopes that the teacher
will be highly qualified. Teacher training, teacher quality, and student achievement is an
article written by Douglas N. Harris and Tim R. Sass and is found in Journal of Public
Economics. This specific article is found in Volume 95, issues 7-8 and was published August
2011. It covers many aspects of education styles and training that teachers may or may not get.
The article covers previous literature on the effects of teacher training, data from a set of school
administrative records from a school in Florida, and an econometric model and estimation
strategies.
It is not exactly known what effects teacher quality in the classroom. Through the many
tests and studies talked about in the article, it was found that previous coursework taken by a
teacher did not affect them as much as on the spot experience. It is suggested that for future
teacher coursework to be less formal and will allow for people without teaching degrees to enter
the system. One beneficial course that was found was classroom management. It is discussed that
a lot of teacher in-service and other trainings may not be sufficient in helping to increase teacher
productivity because it is so broad and cannot reach each specific teacher and his or her needs in
the classroom. Many factors play into whether or not a teacher is effective, but this article shows
that previous coursework and training may not be the factors.
http://0-dx.doi.org.library.uark.edu/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.11.009

Article on Elementary Education

Hopes and Goals Survey for use in STEM elementary education, is an article found in
the International Journal of Technology and Design Education. It was published in May 2015
and written by Anna K. Douglas and Johannes Strobel. The article focusses on children from
urban elementary schools and speaks about the Hopes and Goals Survey. This survey helped to
better show the hope that children in these urban areas have for their futures in school and as
adults. There is a high need for STEM, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,
because of the job potential that comes with having skills in these areas.
The Hopes and Goals Survey focused on three things: what should be in the survey,
what are the factor structure and psychometric properties of the survey, and whether or not
there were differences in the scores of racial groups in the districts. There were three different
surveys conducted to find a mean. It was found that although students might be of a different
race, they all had similar levels of hope for their futures. This study helps researchers and
educators see what will be useful tools in classrooms to better pursue hopes and goals through
STEM. Finding a way for students to be successful in school and in their futures has begun with
the Hopes and Goals Survey, research, and use of the findings.

DOI 10.1007/s10798-014-9277-9
http://0-dx.doi.org.library.uark.edu/10.1007/s10798-014-9277-9