This report provides the perspectives of multiple respondent groups -- districts, principals, and math teachers -- on math-focused professional learning (PL) for teachers. The authors explore the factors that district and school leaders consider when selecting math-focused PL. These factors include principal autonomy to select PL; teachers'…

As the complex responsibilities of principals and teachers expand, the need for effective professional development (PD) is greater than ever. This quantitative study examines the PD needs of schools and the relationship between PK-12 and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), as perceived by principals, identifying areas for collaboration.…

This study explores faculty beliefs about teaching and learning in different institutional settings and over time. This study surveyed faculty at two Canadian universities, one research-intensive, the other teaching-intensive, using a conceptual replication of a survey originally administered in 1976. Some results differ from the original survey,…

Following trends across the developed world to devolve power and responsibility for public services to more local agencies, curriculum reforms in several countries have been characterised by policies designed to increase teacher agency and professionalism as a means of achieving successful change. In Wales, this approach has been promoted through…

Like K-12 mathematics teachers, for whom effective instruction requires a full suite of pedagogical and mathematical knowledge and skills, Mathematics Teacher Educators (MTEs) also need a professional knowledge base to facilitate the development of future educators capable of supporting K-12 students' mathematical learning. In this paper, we…

School principals' roles have evolved from mere managers to instructional leaders as a result of education reform policies. Today's school leaders must be capable of efficiently leading, motivating, and managing staff; managing the school's day-to-day operations; selecting and implementing rigorous curricula; and monitoring instruction and…

The project described here was aimed at developing and evaluating a novel curriculum with corresponding instructional materials for middle school students on an introduction to Newtonian mechanics, based on physics education research findings. A case study showed that teachers who attended a half-day workshop on the curriculum subsequently enacted…

Participation in curricular change and teacher professional development can be challenging for honorary clinical teachers, who juggle teaching alongside busy clinical practice. Following redevelopment of our traditional lecture programme, we conducted qualitative research, based on Vygotsky's Social Development Theory, to explore honorary clinical…

Drawing on qualitative case study research in four small schools, this paper explores the relationship between the professional contexts of schools--specifically supports for: (1) collaboration focused on improving instruction; (2) professional development and teacher learning opportunities; and (3) the degree to which teachers have authority and…

This dissertation takes a close look at how district-level instructional coaches support teachers in learning to shifting their instructional practice, related to the Next Generation Science Standards. This dissertation aims to address how re-structuring professional development to a job-embedded coaching model supports individual teacher learning…

More than half of U.S. children fail to meet proficiency standards in mathematics and science in fourth grade. Teacher professional development and curriculum improvement are two of the primary levers that school leaders and policymakers use to improve children's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning, yet until recently,…

The introduction of college- and career-ready standards (CCRS) profoundly raises the bar for teaching and learning in American schools--and for professional development. Some school systems are rising to the challenge and significantly improving instruction and seeing student learning growth. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates…

Teachers and school leaders have been pressed to use data over the last few decades, and that pressure is increasing. Yet while data use has become a popular term among educators and politicians, evidence demonstrates that teachers and school leaders still struggle with making sense of data in the service of improved learning outcomes. To do this…

We examine the distinction between teaching and teachers as it relates to instructional improvement. Drawing from work outside of education on improvement systems and from analyzing the Japanese system of lesson study, we contend that a focus on teaching can shape a coordinated system for improvement whereas a focus on teachers, common in the…

This guidebook provides an introduction to Instructional Improvement Systems (IIS) for State education agency (SEA) managers and program leads. Functional components of a theoretical IIS model are discussed and used as a reference point for the introduction a seven-step planning and implementation cycle designed to guide SEAs in the development of…