There is strong evidence that professional learning in schools can positively impact learner experience and outcomes. This conceptual paper draws on key literature focused on understandings of high-quality professional learning and what makes an excellent environment in which to learn. This literature informed and spoke to the sense-making of our…

Providing engaging, rigorous social studies education at the elementary level is a challenge faced by school districts across the country. In K-12 schools nationwide, social studies education is often neglected so that more time can be devoted to ELA and math, both of which have annual standardized tests associated with them that often carry high…

This study examined the lived experiences of New York City educators who are teaching and learning in a high-stakes testing environment to improve students' learning outcomes. The research questions were: (1) What are New York City elementary school educators' experiences teaching in a high-stakes testing environment? (2) What are New York City…

School leaders play an important role in creating a caring and supportive environment in which teachers can be successful. In this dissertation in practice (DiP), the scholar-practitioner examined an active learning environment that demonstrated how school leadership took strategic measures for improving student participation in a national…

This study explored how the interdisciplinary nature of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) promoted the professional development of participants' teaching. Participants reported gaining new insights into implementing active learning and mitigating student resistance to learning (the FLC topic). FLC members experienced a connection and affinity…

We share a case study on our use of three reflective questions to demonstrate ways in which simple questions can be coded to reveal rich evidence of impact and engagement. At the end of a three-hour inclusive teaching practices workshop for 23 faculty and administrators from a single science department, 22 participants completed an anonymous…

Is there a viable pedagogical method to prepare people, as they engage together in their practice, for the assumption of collective leadership? In this article the author makes the case that such a method is already available via action learning but for its adoption as a collective leadership development approach. The author's agenda is twofold:…

This study identifies the best online teaching practices to benefit first-year visual arts students, notably to include instructor-created videos. Such instructor-created videos provide a firm foundation for these students to succeed in their first year of college. The introduction of Web 2.0, focusing on user-generated content, has shown…

Technology is a critical component of the American economy. Analysts have claimed it is imperative that the United States maintain its status as a worldwide leader in technology or its economy, standard of living, and security are in jeopardy. Yet every year, more technology jobs are created than can be filled by qualified college graduates. A…

This study aims to address how practitioners successfully implement action learning in organizations with different cultural values. To effectively adopt action learning, Japanese learners need to learn questioning skills, as they have been brought up in an atmosphere that negates questioning. Using Kolb's learning model, this study aims to…

Inquiry-based working contributes to teacher professionalization and educational improvements. This article presents the key findings of a qualitative case study carried out in three primary schools in the Netherlands. That study focused on the inquiry-based working of school boards, school leaders and teachers, with the goal of better…

Building upon existing experiential learning processes, this paper presents an extended experimental learning framework for creating Corporate Engagement Programs (CEPs). The research answers the AACSB call for "engagement programs" which leverage passive and active pedagogies to connect in-class-lessons to engagement activities with…

Educational practitioners in the 21st century must respond to the availability of a wide array of data relating to student outcomes and student achievement. To make effective use of this data as well as be able to respond to the growing needs of the field, educational practitioners must be able to apply the knowledge they gain in the graduate…

Given the common problem of incoherence in district reform efforts, this qualitative study sought to understand what conditions enable (and/or constrain) the efforts of Technical Assistance Organizations (TAOs) to align their products and services with each other and with the specific goals of a district. This paper explores the complexity of TAOs…

This article presents a case study that details the successes and lessons learned by faculty and administrators at San Diego State University (SDSU) who are in the process of implementing a substantial improvement to the Precalculus to Calculus 2 sequence. Improvement efforts have been informed by national studies of successful programs and center…