Professional learning (PL) in education is thought to be a key mechanism for improving classroom instruction and student achievement. Yet despite decades of research into PL, the impact of this investment is not well understood, with reports of limited change in both research and practice. As part of a large-scale investigation focusing on…

Scientific literacy is decreasing in the Czech Republic and inquiry-based science education (IBSE), believed to enhance it, is used rarely. Meanwhile, outdoor teaching is on the rise, but it is unclear if it could help promote inquiry. This study examines the frequencies of outdoor teaching and IBSE and their relationship in self-reported practice…

Purpose: Many K-12 teachers teach difficult topics as part of their curricula, and discussions of difficult topics are common across grade levels and content areas. As teachers increasingly engage with difficult topics in their classrooms, the need for high-quality professional learning experiences has also grown. In response, the purpose of this…

To encourage the creative design, hands-on, and problem-solving abilities of K-12 students, many countries have begun to set up makerspaces and promote maker education in schools. To help primary and secondary schools better implement maker education, this study explored the core competencies of teachers striving to engage or better practice maker…

Project Tomorrow's Speak Up® Research reports have advocated for a broader definition of the digital divide to include access challenges at home and the obstacles K-12 students face in gaining access to high quality digital tools and resources to support classroom learning. Project Tomorrow, in collaboration with Spectrum Business, is creating a…

The purpose of this report is to provide findings from the Abt Global independent evaluation of the PreK-12 STEM Pathway program. The Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC), a nonprofit organization focused on supporting educational innovation and community change, received an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Early Phase grant from…

In this paper, we investigate the learning experiences, beliefs and motivations of students in classes where the mathematics teachers have received support for using inquiry-based learning activities. Data were collected from 248 students in the age-range 11-16 using electronic questionnaires. Our results show that key features of inquiry-based…

Active learning has been a growing trend in education for decades based on its impact on student learning and success. As such, schools, colleges, and universities have invested resources into expanding this teaching approach, including active learning classrooms. But why have some schools been successful at rapidly growing their active learning…

Take a selection of balls and marbles along to a nearby playground slide and let students investigate factors that may influence how balls accelerate down an inclined plane. Students can make hypotheses in small groups, plan investigations to test multiple possible explanations and draw conclusions about the importance of different variables. The…

Tier 1 Instruction provides the essential foundation for all students to succeed, alleviating the need for more intensive support later. This Spotlight will help readers learn from schools implementing multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS); analyze new laws on math supports for struggling students; evaluate the long-term benefits of early…

This investigation explored a learning community approach to professional development (PD) specifically catered to science teacher educators. It was designed to bolster faculty collaboration, help participants learn about new research relevant to teacher development, and share effective teaching strategies. Forty-four science teacher educators…

This review study includes 19 articles from 2016 to 2021 focusing on in-service science teachers' professional development targeted to promote student conceptual understanding. The present study is guided by the following research question: "What characterizes high-quality in-service science teachers' professional development targeted to…

Using a learning management system (LMS) to deliver robust content for K-12 students became an essential part of the discussion of technology's place in K-12 education when teachers were forced to teach online at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers used an LMS to deliver content in various ways and as part of different instructional…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate music teacher professional development (PD) practice and policy in the United States between 1993 and 2012. Using data from the nationally representative Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) spanning these 20 years, I examined music teacher PD participation by topic, intensity, relevance, and format; music…

Since 1996, hundreds of teacher preparation programs and thousands of schools, school districts, and government agencies have turned to the Framework for Teaching for a better understanding of excellent instruction. The Framework's four domains, 22 components, and 78 key elements provide an expansive, holistic definition of what teachers across…