The paper reports the results of a research study which sought to identify the process of teachers’ planning and their perspectives on some aspects of teaching. The nineteen teachers who formed the sample were interviewed over a period of ten months. It was found that in their planning, teachers’ thoughts were dominated by the search for novel “activities”. The factors which influenced planning were pupils’ ability levels and their preferences for certain activities.

The following are excerpts from two interviews with Professor Errol Miller by Hyacinth L. Evans on June 6 and 14, 2005. These interviews are part of a series Professor Evans, chairperson of the Caribbean Journal of Education Editorial Advisory Board, is conducting with Jamaican educators whose progressive ideas on education have made an impact on education in Jamaica.

Deriving criteria of teaching in a systematic fashion contributes to the validity of any procedure for evaluating teaching. This article examines the various sources that can provide such criteria. The research on teacher effectiveness, one important source, is reviewed and discussed. The task of translating those research results to education and more specifically to the Caribbean, is examined. Finally, additional sources for criteria of good teaching are explored.

Reflective or inquiry-oriented programmes represent one model of teacher education, emphasizing the goal of preparing thoughtful, self-monitoring teachers with a critical attitude to what they do. This contrasts with alternative programmes which stress the development of specific technical skills, or the teacher's personal and psychological development, or the gaining of traditional craft knowledge (Tom (18]).

Though children go to school to learn, the lesson they often take home is that they are not very smart. As these students progress through school, their self-confidence and the satisfaction they gain from school work appear to decline. This paradox has vexed many teachers and parents. Why is the cumulative effect of schooling so negative for some students? Researchers who are interested in motivation and learning have examined how goals for learning (achievement goals) influence not only behaviour but thinking process and learning outcomes.