This study explores how early childhood education and basic education teachers develop and develop innovations within the decentralised educational system of Finland. The comprehensive dataset of 20 field interviews provides a range of insights into teachers' goals, principles, inspirations and experiences when working with a variety of…

Capacity-building has been promoted by the central level in Chile, through a reform that resembles school districts, where the intermediate level is intended to provide pedagogical support for schools. However, this has proven to be challenging due to different visions about what capacity-building looks like and how it relates to school…

This conceptual article presents a challenge to the dominant view and practice of teacher professional learning and its focus on preparing "experts in teaching" and proposes instead an emphasis on preparing "experts in learning." Drawing on contemporary knowledge on the nature of human learning and development, and in…

Praxis development remains invisible in many discussions of professional learning because professional educators take praxis development for granted as an indissoluble part of education and educational work. This special issue provides new insights into professional learning for praxis development, and about the conditions that enable and…

In this article, we analyse teacher professional development in five European countries (Italy, Germany, France, England and Finland), comparing their approaches to teacher professional learning and development (PLD). We performed this task using a general framework based on what several studies highlighted so far as key-features in educational…

For educators, identifying and characterising problems in their teaching practice is essential for triggering inquiries into their practice. Knowing what educators consider problematic is essential for generating strategies for situated approaches to help teacher educators manage their problems and promote professional learning. In this study, we…

This article investigates how knowledge, competence and actions develop among teachers enrolled in a Master's degree programme in action research who have an interest in changing practices in the schools in which they teach. We draw upon the insights of seven teachers who completed the programme (part-time over four years) to examine how the…

This article is empirically embedded in data collected from a professional development programme titled "Jika iMfundo," aimed at changing teacher's classroom practice. "Jika iMfundo" means 'to turn education around' in isiZulu, a South African language that is widely spoken in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The programme was…

Scholars have called for considering professional learning (PL) through the lens of complexity. One lens for operating amidst complexity is design. Designers thrive in complexity because of the responsive nature of their work; a designer develops their practice in response to a particular situation, adapting as it changes. Thus, a design lens is…

This study investigates teachers' understanding of how conversations between colleagues can promote the development of knowledge. Its purpose is to supplement previous research in the field of knowledge processes in respect of conversation as an integral part of teachers' everyday work. On the basis of interview data obtained from teachers in a…

Central to criticisms of teacher professional development is an insufficient focus on its impact including minimal evidence of changes to practice coupled with inadequate emphasis on student outcomes. This year-long study of one case study school investigates the impact of a seven-month professional development initiative designed to support…

Professional learning is increasingly understood as vital for the development of educators, and for the development of a strong educational system. We argue that the most essential purpose of professional learning is for the development of critical praxis. Critical praxis is related to action that is morally, socially and politically informed.…

Fostering the development of Professional Learning communities (PLCs) should be a priority for education because of their capacity to enhance teachers' professional development. However, in everyday educational (school) contexts studying and supporting the growth of PLCs is a complex endeavour. As a consequence, there is a lack of instruments for…

This study analysed elementary mathematics specialists' stories of work to examine how these disciplinary-specific teacher leaders engage in their practice. This paper examines the ways in which elementary mathematics specialists conceptualise their leadership roles and the impact of their work on other school stakeholders. Using narrative…

This article examines the significance of professional development (PD) in shaping the beliefs undergirding teachers' classroom practices specifically learner-centred and teacher-centred beliefs, ICT beliefs and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It highlights key considerations for designing and implementing PD grounded in…