Implementing organizational change related to student achievement is a daunting task that requires buy-in, planning and support structures to ensure fidelity of implementation in the classroom over many years. Brockton High School's Literacy Model demonstrated such a change is possible and sustainable. Elementary schools in Jackson County, West…

The present study focuses on views of Finnish basic education students on open and flexible learning environments and the extent to which these views are associated with students' liking of school. The data were based on an online questionnaire containing both structured ratings and open-ended questions filled out by primary school students (n =…

Background: Early exposure to Computer Science (CS) and Computational Thinking (CT) for all is critical to broaden participation and promote equity in the field. But how does the introduction of CS and CT into primary school curricula impact learning, perception, and gaps between groups of students? Methodology: We investigate a CS-curricular…

Although lesson study has been shown to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics, little research has focused on reasons for engaging in it from a teacher's perspective, particularly after sustained engagement with lesson study. This qualitative study reports on thirty-three teachers from the United States who were involved in twelve…

Background/Context: Science is in the midst of reform, shifting away from teaching science and mathematics in isolation from one another, toward a model that prioritizes integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning environments. Since teachers are the most important factor in determining the success and…

This celebrated narrative shows how a teacher, alongside his 5th-grade students, co-created a curriculum based on the students' needs, interests, and questions. Follow Brian Schultz and his students from a Chicago housing project as they work together to develop an emergent and authentic curriculum based on what is most important to the…

This study analyses 10 Swedish music teachers' descriptions of how a new music syllabus and a new credit scale have influenced their practice. In the new curriculum, grading is introduced in year 6 and not, as previously, in year 8. We have therefore focused on the effects of this change on school years 5-7. The new syllabus is much more precise…

Professional Learning Community (PLC) has steadily grown in importance over the last decade. The growing importance of PLCs lies in its potential to act as a lever for school-based curriculum development and innovation so as to provide diverse learning experiences to satisfy broader learning outcomes beyond academic achievements (e.g., the…

School gardens are ideal places for students to ask and answer questions about science. This paper describes a case study of two 3rd grade teachers and two STEM coordinators who were recruited to implement and evaluate a horticultural-based curriculum developed for this study. Informed by the Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform model we conducted a…

This case study examines the experiences of two fifth grade teachers as they dealt with district mandates while trying to address their high-poverty urban children's learning needs. It reveals their personal struggles that led to both compliance and resistance. In this case, the act of finding the space to engage in the intellectual and…

Although controversial, perhaps no piece of legislation has the potential to transform India's future more than the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE). Upon the passage and enforcement of RTE in 2009, the Indian government instituted a series of wide-ranging reforms to India's education system. For example, the act…

This study investigated curriculum influences on student mathematics achievement by following two groups of students from fifth to sixth grade that were taught either the reformed curriculum or the conventional curriculum. Analyses with three-level modeling were conducted to examine learning outcomes of the students who were assessed three times…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in how high and low performing elementary school districts use and analyze data to differentiate instruction, make changes to district/grade level curriculum, determine professional development needs, determine teacher effectiveness, and determine the use of school district…

High literacy and numeracy demands in career and technical education (CTE) compared to low skill levels among many students prompted calls for academic infusion into training curricula. Research on CTE academic curriculum integration implicitly assumes that students' reading and math skills are like those described by models of typical academic…

This dissertation research adds to the literature base by exploring the attitudes of regular education teachers about the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Consistent with the framework of Pierre Bourdieu, the school was conceptualized as a field of struggle. The investigation focused on fifth grade…