The new 21st century global economy favors highly skilled, highly educated workers. School districts across the country are looking for ways to teach and assess competencies as outlined in the 21st century framework (Wagner, 2014). Forward thinking school districts are choosing to implement the effective instructional approach of project-based…

Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) has made a massive entry in science education classes. Students work with their competence development through inquiry. Such an approach calls for new strategies from the teachers to help students learn through inquiry. This study takes a descriptive approach to teachers' understanding and usage of such…

The emergence of Educational Robotics (ER) and its rapid spread across all levels of education in recent years has drawn attention to the need for further training in this discipline. In this study we discuss the panorama of teacher training research in ER and make recommendations for institutions that intend to implement ER teacher training…

Professional development (PD) programs for science and agriculture teachers designed around the inquiry-based learning (IBL) teaching strategy could help to improve science proficiency amongst our high school students. PD that continues over a longer period of time is more effective than short-term workshops. The purpose of this study was to…

This report defines student-centred learning and teaching (hereafter also referred to as SCLT) as an overarching approach to designing higher education processes, which is founded on the concept of student agency. SCLT primarily concerns the capabilities of students to participate in, influence and take responsibility for their learning pathways…

In 2015 WakeEd Partnership and Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina's largest school system, designed an engaging, results-oriented professional development opportunity for elementary and secondary educators -- SummerSTEM. SummerSTEM is a hands-on professional development experience that addresses the needs of educators --…

In response to policy initiatives calling for the implementation of evidence-based classroom practice, instructional coaches are frequently utilized as providers of professional development (PD). Despite the demand for instructional coaches, there is little empirical evidence that coaching improves teacher practice. We address this limitation by…

Retaining students, particularly in the 16- to- 24-year-old category, is a constant challenge for adult basic education programs nationwide. Educators need to understand factors that affect adult learners' experiences, have a better understanding of ways to motivate adult students in a nontraditional school setting to enhance their engagement, and…

This report is based on several evaluations of NSF-funded geoscience projects at Stony Brook University on Long Island, NY. The report reviews the status of K-12 geoscience education, identifying challenges posed by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the experiences of university faculty engaged in teacher preparation, state…

Today more than ever, educational institutions need educational leaders who are able to promote profound, substantive and sustainable change. This paper is based on the efforts and results of the first stage of a European project implemented in universities and primary and secondary schools in Spain, Finland and the Czech Republic. The project…

Research Goes to School (RGS) is a professional development program that focuses on high school teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. This collective case study examines RGS participants and their use of project-based learning (PBL) as they implemented curricular units that they developed at the RGS summer…

Currently, the majority of students with disabilities are educated in a general education classroom, which led to a paradigm shift and pedagogies used to meet the needs of all students. The research problem was that general education teachers use of highly effective evidence-based interventions that improve academic achievement for students with…

The spread of globalization means an accompanying growth in the importance of English as a lingua franca. Efforts to increase English proficiency are especially pronounced in Southeast Asia with the opening of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. A common strategy to enhance English learning in Asian countries is to begin instruction at the…

Recent global educational initiatives and reforms have focused on increasing the number of students pursuing STEM subjects, and ensuring students are well-prepared, and suitably qualified to engage in STEM careers. This paper examines the contributions of the four disciplines--Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics--to the field of STEM…

A review of the research on teacher professional development identified an emerging consensus on important contextual and implementation characteristics that can promote or inhibit teachers' use of new knowledge and skills in their classroom practice. Findings suggest that professional development is best viewed as one component in an overall…