This study examines how a mathematics professional learning (PL) program can contribute to building the capacity of local facilitators to implement PL designed to make high-quality instruction accessible to all students. Thirty-one local facilitators were trained in the use of the Math for All PL program and implemented it over one school year.…

In this contribution, we present a follow-up work-in-progress on an innovative system for facilitating small-group online discussions using an avatar during a video conference. A previous study has shown that the system had an effective, understandable, and more participatory interaction. Here, we examine long-term usage and its effects on…

Responses to the transition to online learning during the pandemic underscores the importance of faculty engagement in professional development (PD) to enhance their teaching practices. However, the creation and offering of PD opportunities does not always lead to faculty engagement. Using a change management perspective (the ADKAR framework),…

This proposal reports on the use of facilitators to help develop networked learning communities. The findings presented herein are derived from a five-year study (2013-2018) designed to ascertain how these collaborative networks function and evolve as well as to assess their possible impact on the educational contexts they are located in.…

We present a model that employs "cultural-historical activity theory" (CHAT) concepts to inform research with designated Educational Leaders in early years settings. We theorise practice change in early years mathematics education in terms of motive objects of activity and mediation by cultural tools. We show how CHAT can be used to lead…

UK higher education institutions strive to foster learner autonomy in their students to create more successful learners, yet due to its complex nature, educators and academics continue to search for effective ways to achieve this. This case study investigates how one virtual blogging space on the Independent Learning (IL) pre-sessional module at…

Problem-based Learning (PBL) has long been touted as an effective pedagogical approach in higher education to promote students' authentic learning. As a learner-centered pedagogy, PBL is characterized by students working collaboratively in small groups to solve messy, ill-structured problems that mirror real-world problems encountered by expert…

In this paper we examine how facilitators' prior experiences as mathematics teachers frame their work when facilitating a practice-based professional development (PD) for the first time. We focus on the experiences of a novice facilitator of StoryCircles, a professional learning process in which teachers collectively script and visualize a…

Research has demonstrated the importance of the learning support roles adults play to help youth navigate into areas of interest and career pathways. This study focuses on brokering which involves connecting youth to people, resources, programs, and other learning opportunities. We examined mentor practices in a 10-week out-of-school STEM program…

In many Western countries, there has been an emphasis on ways in which to support teachers to shift practice from traditional mathematics instruction to inquiry-based classrooms. As a form of professional learning and development, lesson study offers the potential for teachers to develop their ability to respond to students' thinking through…

This qualitative study explored asynchronous online discussions (AODs) in terms of: (1) whether students interacted effectively with each other, (2) how moderators facilitated discussions, (3) whether students achieved higher levels of thinking about discussion content, and (4) how students demonstrated engagement with provided learning resources.…

As teachers shift their practice from traditional student-to-teacher interaction patterns to collaborative discussions around rich mathematics, they often encounter instructional challenges. One such challenge is deciding when to pursue interesting and productive ideas that run contrary to the particular mathematical goal of the lesson. In this…

This study takes a social constructivist approach to examining how mathematics professional development facilitators and teachers enacted a professional development (PD) program in a large statewide network of collaboratives. Facilitators (29 in total, 11 we followed closely) attended an initial PD and then presented what they had learned to…

Studies of professional learning in collaborative settings emphasize the importance of facilitators. However, there is sparse literature analyzing this role and its functions for learning in communal contexts particularly among teacher-educators. This study examines characteristics of the facilitator-teacher educator interaction and its functions…

Leading whole-class discussion requires teachers to balance careful preparation with improvisation based on students' contributions. How do teachers learn to engage in the difficult work of orchestrating a rich and, by nature, improvised classroom discussion? How might training in improvisational theatre affect teachers' facilitation of…