How Nations Invest in Teachers.

The article discusses a study examining professional development for teachers in high-achieving nations. The authors note that high-achieving nations focus on teacher development and encourage teacher participation in curriculum development and professional development decisions. Nations such as Denmark and Finland allocate time in teacher schedules for professional development activities while South Korean schools encourage teacher cooperation through the use of common office space. Japanese and Chinese schools encourage research lessons in which teachers observe each other's classroom practices to adapt lessons. Teacher induction and national training programs are also noted. The authors suggest these practices should be adopted in regard to U.S. teachers.