Addressing systemic inequities in schools requires preparation of leaders who are bold, adaptive, and well-versed in addressing problems of practice so they can be effective leaders. This article offers a theory-to-practice resource for educational leadership faculty who are committed to developing such leadership. Drawing upon learning theories,…

The meaning of a certain policy is not given. It is shaped by the interaction among written policy, people, and contexts in which people do the policy (Honig, 2006). From this perspective, pedagogical reform is a complex social practice in which various actors construct and reconstruct the meaning of teaching and learning. In the case of…

A unique partnership among six museums and Loyola University Chicago's "Teaching Learning and Leading with Schools and Communities" teacher preparation program provided cross-disciplinary field sites for understanding and witnessing developmental and learning theories. Pre-service teacher candidates were able to identify constructs and…

Background: Despite the accumulating evidence highlighting the significant roles of an effective facilitator and appropriate pedagogies that a facilitator employs in shaping the professional learning environment, there is a paucity of research that explores how facilitators learn to facilitate. Purpose: The overall purpose of this study was to…

Concerns regarding students' learning and reasoning in chemistry classrooms are well documented. Students' reasoning in chemistry should be characterized by conscious consideration of chemical phenomenon from laboratory work at macroscopic, molecular/sub-micro and symbolic levels. Further, students should develop metacognition in relation to such…

Schools in New York City have made attempts to embrace and support the strand of "making connections", which is laid out in the New York City Department of Dance blueprint for teaching and learning in dance for grades PreK-12. Accordingly, some schools have integrated Ugandan traditional dances into the dance curriculum, and dance…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the impact of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in Georgia K-12 on the professional development needs of educators. Across the United States the enactment of a Common Core State Standards went into effect. The primary goal of the Common Core State Standards movement was to…

Engagement in game design tasks can help preservice teachers develop pedagogical and technical skills for teaching and promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Through the design process, preservice teachers not only exercise critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, but also learn about an instructional method to support their…

If practicing teachers are expected to be reflective practitioners, as teacher standards require, they must understand what reflection means. The problem addressed in this research study concerns the confusion about the meaning of the term reflection in education. The purpose of the study was to develop substantive theory about the relationship…

"Literacy Achievement and Diversity" is the indispensable collection to the wisdom of respected literacy researcher Kathy Au. In this timely book, Au addresses the question of what educators can do to close the literacy achievement gap. She begins by outlining theory and research and then provides practical strategies to help teachers improve the…

Although teachers often report that they subscribe to cooperative learning (CL) to help students attain social and academic goals, research indicates that they often have difficulties implementing and sustaining their commitment. The purpose of this study is to report on the reflections of seven middle-year teachers who had embedded CL in their…

This study examines academic trends in learning and assessment theories based on the OPPA (One Page Portfolio Assessment), which was developed in 2002. The study also clarifies the theoretical framework, teaching practices, application, and effectiveness of the OPPA. The OPPA was developed to solve three teaching and learning challenges: (1) how…

Constructivism is an important theory of learning that is used to guide the development of new teaching methods, particularly in science education. However, because it is a theory of learning and not of teaching, constructivism is often either misused or misunderstood. Here we describe the four essential features of constructivism: eliciting prior…

Applied theatre often draws upon critical pedagogy and constructivist methodology as a way to bring participants into direct engagement with their own learning experiences. As learners, adults bring a wealth of perspectives that further affect how they interact with an applied theatre experience. "Drama for Schools" (DFS) is a…

In an age of increasing global and multicultural forces, the social studies is usually the subject charged with promoting a deeper level of understanding in regards to cultural diversity. To achieve this mission, many social studies teachers have turned to the use of world fairs. However, these activities often end up promoting surface level…