The following study examined the perceived developmental influence of the university supervisor-student teacher relationship during the student teaching phase of teacher preparation. Since the supervisor is viewed as the gatekeeper to eventual teacher certification and acts as an evaluator, mentor, and instructor (Borko & Mayfield, 1995;…

Within the United States, publicly funded pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) is a borderland of teacher practice--somewhere between early childhood and Elementary approaches to pedagogy. For pre-K teachers, this can mean negotiating many different, and oft-competing conceptions of what curriculum and practice should look like in order to support the…

Sports coaching education and research in higher education have received increased attention lately, especially in English-speaking countries such as the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK (Potrac, Gilbert, & Denison, 2013). Although research on sports coaching education is on the rise, very few studies have explored formal…

As we approach the second quarter of the twenty-first century, one may predict that the environment will be among the dominant themes in the political and educational discourse. Over the past three decades, particular perspectives regarding the environment have begun to emerge: (i) realization by human beings that we not only live on earth and use…

The Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program approach has been suggested to provide students with additional opportunities for physical activity (PA) outside of traditional physical education (PE). Although research suggests that this program is successful at increasing children's levels of PA, research on implementing pedagogical models to…

Using case study method, this study examines the impact of an inquiry-based learning program among a cohort of first-semester undergraduates (n = 104) at a large public university in the southeastern United States who are aspiring to become teachers. The Boyer Commission (1999) asserted that inquiry-based learning should be the foundation of…

This article reports on a doctoral case study of how an English integrated nursery school and children's centre fulfils its legal duty to promote community cohesion. The provocation for the enquiry derives from the author's growing unease over the perceived limitations of a target-driven culture currently pervading English schools. A case is made…

Studies of high school literacy intervention classes have measured reading gains through standardized assessments, but few have considered the impact on students' identities. In this embedded case study, I used theories of identity and positioning to answer two research questions: How did institutional and interpersonal acts of positioning in two…

In post-conflict Liberia, more students are returning to schools and moving to urban areas resulting in overcrowding and class sizes that surpassed recommended and legally-sanctioned limits. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore educational stakeholders' perceptions of the factors (e.g., organizational leadership, social, and…

Although the NCATE Blue Ribbon Panel Report challenges those responsible for teacher preparation to design clinically rich programs, there is little discussion about preparing teacher educators to actualize these innovations. This study explored how practitioner inquiry could serve as a mechanism to facilitate the development of the next…

Argumentation has been a prominent concern in science education research and a common goal in science curriculum in many countries over the past decade. With reference to this goal, policy documents burden responsibilities on science teachers, such as involving students in dialogues and being guides in students' spoken or written argumentation.…

Play has been globally recognized as valuable to children's learning and development (Frost et al., 2012). The value of play is acknowledged as a developmentally appropriate practice in part because it fosters cognitive, physical, emotional, and social benefits to children. Play is also known as a human right that should be protected. However, in…

The current wave of educational reform is complex and situated in market-based initiatives coupled with a renewed emphasis on local autonomy, deliberation, and community--middle-of-the-road reforms. In practice, schools are challenged to develop organizational forms that can support collaboration and community engagement, alongside the…

This qualitative case study explored the operational curricula of an art teacher's responsive pedagogy that focused on the differentiation aspects for artistically talented students in an elementary school in Taiwan. Findings indicate that cultivating a "Jian Zi" is the heart of the value system embedded in the art teacher's responsive…

Daily experiences of isolation and invalidation create adverse campus climates that often lead to men of color dropping out of higher education. Student leadership positions can increase feelings of belonging, provide greater access to campus resources and increase retention for men of color, particularly when they centralize identity exploration.…