Children develop within a context, and the nature or dynamics of a child's context can change the trajectory of their development. According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), children are affected and are impacted by individuals within various systems or environments. One of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems is the microsystem, in which children…

Although global higher education partnerships can promote greater intercultural understanding, establish unique environments for student and faculty development, and generate opportunities for innovative and entrepreneurial ventures, they can be beset with problems that negate their potential effectiveness. This paper proposes that open systems…

A growing body of research demonstrates the benefits of engaging students as partners to improve tertiary education. Yet, more research is needed to understand how students can support critical transformations outside of the classroom context. In this qualitative study, we explored how a networked improvement community (NIC) engaged students as…

Background: Over the past decade, research-based and evidence-informed decision-making have played increasingly important roles in influencing educational policy and impacting practices in education. The dissemination, implementation and sustainability of research-to-practice are thus fruitful topics for discussion. Even though, as Oliver and…

Purpose: This study aims to illustrate Mitchell's (2008) theory of critical service-learning within elementary and middle school classrooms, looking specifically at classroom events, in which community partners visit classrooms to discuss student-selected social issues. Design/methodology/approach: Data from teacher interviews, classroom…

The climate crisis presents an unprecedented global challenge, which can also be an opportunity for Commonwealth ministers of education to demonstrate what science-driven, justice-centred, and civic-minded climate leadership can do to help put small island developing states and climate-vulnerable countries on a path to climate resilience and…

At the turn of the current century, Sheridan and Gutkin shared perspectives on the status and future of school psychology. Limitations of then-standard school psychological practices focusing on a medical model of service-delivery were raised, and approaches to realize a new paradigm, including advances in conceptual, empirical, and practical…

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), schools have a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in addressing mental health needs in their communities (Sawyer et al., 2021). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the impact that the utilization of a system approach has on the success and sustainability of teacher…

Community college students are an untapped reservoir of talent and including them in social work education aligns with the values of the profession. Yet these students encounter formidable obstacles on the path from a 2-year degree to an affordable social work degree. In this article, we describe the systems thinking underlying a newly instituted…

NSF's Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Initiative has released the Special Report to the Nation III -- Accelerating Collaborative, Systemic Change to Broaden Participation in STEM. The INCLUDES Initiative is catalyzing collaborative, systemic efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)…

Although US teenage birth rates substantially decreased over the past two decades, it still remains the highest in the developed world. More innovative, community-wide initiatives are needed to combat the issue. In Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, the Central Oklahoma Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaboration is utilizing the collective impact model to…

One of the enduring problems in the education system is the gap between theory and practice, where the research to improve teaching and learning is not fully realised in the classroom. This has impacted the effectiveness of education reform. We take a systems thinking approach to better understand the complexity of an education system, which…

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is strongly committed to ensuring quality education for children living in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. GPE convenes partners and mobilizes funds to help governments in 90 lower-income countries build and finance strong and sustainable education systems that deliver quality learning to more…

Many children in GPE partner countries remain out of school or are unable to complete even primary education. This working paper aims to bring attention to the ongoing challenges of reaching universal access to education and completion of at least primary education in many GPE partner countries. [This working paper was written with support and…

In their study of the educational ecosystems that surround schools, the authors recognized a growing global trend that has positioned "intermediary organizations," and particularly non-system intermediary organizations, or those not involved in the formal governmental education system, in an oversized ecosystem role. Through their direct…