This paper describes a professional development (PD) programme design integrating just-in-time learning (JITL) to support teachers to learn about and enact inquiry teaching. Through JITL, teachers are provided with support that is responsive and applicable to their needs. This case study reports on the professional journeys of three teachers who…

Open innovation (OI) has become an essential business model for big tech companies and innovation ecosystems. However, most STEM high schools in the United States do not have appropriate OI programs for students. This paper explores how various perspectives on open innovation as an emerging trend in the entrepreneurial ecosystem can link with STEM…

Catholic higher education aims to educate students about the Catholic Social Tradition, yet few resources exist to articulate specific learning goals and assess such learning. This article presents the process used by a multi-university team to validate a rubric intended to strengthen curricular and co-curricular student learning about the…

Librarians recognize the importance of professional learning as their roles and responsibilities evolve in the shifting teaching and learning environments of the twenty-first century. However, the literature on meaningful, job-embedded learning opportunities for academic librarians is scant, and opportunities are especially scarce in the fields of…

Professional learning is crucial for the ongoing development of teachers and the improvement of student outcomes. Professional learning in mathematics and science education has the potential to address concerns about shortages in these areas and their impact on economic growth. However, attendance at face-to-face professional learning is…

Using data from a multi-method comparative case study of two matched schools, this paper adds to the growing body of applications of social network analysis to the study of distributed leadership and accountability. We contrast two approaches to instructional leadership, prescriptive and discretionary, to investigate how leaders design…

This paper addresses using social media to promote pre-service science teachers' practices of Socio-Scientific Issue (SSI) based teaching in a science classroom setting. We designed our research in two phases. The first phase examined pre-service science teachers' perceptions about using social media to promote their SSI-based teaching. The…

Purpose: The expansion of alternative education, globally, has coincided with a shift towards greater accountability for ensuring educational access and opportunity, high academic standards and increased graduation rates. While studies suggest the pervasive influence of accountability may be redefining how school leaders provide meaningful…

This study investigates the relationship between acculturation and language learning during a year-long study abroad program at the pre-collegiate level. The researcher presents the experiences of four U.S. American sojourners to Sweden as case studies. This mixed-methods study looks specifically at students with no prior knowledge of the target…

This final report presents findings from a multi-year evaluation of the Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers, a federally funded program that provides technical assistance to states in connection with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. With the redesign of the Center…

This first of two reports presents early findings from the National Evaluation of the Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers (Comprehensive Centers), a federally funded program that provides technical assistance to states in connection with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The law authorizing the Comprehensive Centers, the…

Discusses techniques for improving training program design and administration through effective evaluation. Describes three sample case studies that compare trainers, facility/location, and course content; trainee reactions are plotted on a graph. Presents trainee feedback forms that identify aspects of a session, rate effectiveness, and record…

This report documents the activities of the first year of a two-year project to design and conduct a data collection effort focused on postsecondary occupational education delivery. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 contains a description of the key issues that will be addressed by the data collection effort and justification for narrowing…

Alaska Natives have a high college dropout rate because of inadequate preparation for the learning and living requirements of college. This dissertation describes research used to develop Prelude, a 2-week advanced program for 11th grade rural Alaska students at Sheldon Jackson College (Alaska) that continues and expands the work begun by the…

As part of an evaluation of educational projects funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) during the 1990s, case studies were conducted at eight sites in four Appalachian states. The sites reflected a range of project types, including school programs, adult literacy, distance education, and dropout prevention. Site visits allowed for a…