Teachers who work at small schools often do not have colleagues at their workplace who teach the same content area and therefore cannot benefit from the professional growth that comes with having same-subject colleagues in one's workplace. The purpose of this study was to see if participating in a teacher Facebook group as a Virtual Community of…

Inclusion has become the focus of a significant body of research, advocacy, and committed action in communities, businesses, and schools across the United States and beyond. Professional development focused on inclusion is part of a program called "Joyful Inclusion." Evaluating the impact a professional development program has on…

Teachers often have a negative perception regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classroom settings. Students with special education needs are often placed in classrooms where teachers believe they are unprepared to teach and manage classrooms in an inclusive environment. The purpose of this qualitative case…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that millions of special education students in the United States receive the support and services they need for academic and personal development. Despite legal mandates, conflicting perspectives and inconsistent inclusion policies exist nationwide. The problem addressed in this study…

Curriculum materials are not a fixed object; they are an active partner in a teacher's practice. Teachers and curriculum materials interact in a participatory relationship where both the characteristics of the teacher and the characteristics of the curriculum material affect the instruction. Teachers interpret and tailor these materials to create…

The purpose of the case study was to understand the use of technology, particularly AI, for public middle school teachers in Michigan for critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students. The theory that guided this study was the constructivist theory. The constructivist learning theory involves people learning from their experiences…

The problem addressed in this study is the disproportionality in office discipline referrals (ODRs) for Black students at a Northeast Florida Middle School despite the implementation of School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand middle school teachers'…

Culturally and linguistically relevant citizenship education (CLRCE) seeks to address and challenge the limitations of traditional, normative notions of citizenship for Latinx, newcomer, K-12 youth. This paper uses a comparative case study approach to examine the questions: To what extent does the CLRCE framework apply to multi-ethnic and…

Although assistive technology has been an essential component of the academic success of students with disabilities, it is inconsistently implemented. Educators' perceptions of assistive technology training substantially impact the learning results of students with disabilities. The problem addressed by this study was that special education…

Since at least 2001, an emphasis has been placed on the use of evidence-based practices in schools to close achievement gaps. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) emerged during this time as a framework of evidence-based practices adopted by nearly all U.S. states including Georgia. When implemented with fidelity, MTSS has the potential to close…

The Framework for K-12 Science Education details new goals to guide improvement of US science education. Among the new goals, the inclusion of engineering core ideas and practices stand out. We report a case study of four 8th-grade science teachers who chose to integrate engineering core ideas and practices into their science classes by teaching…

While the sociopolitical policy of inclusion is the norm in public education, some teachers still struggle with knowing how to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to investigate general and special education middle school teachers'…

This qualitative case study identifies perspectives that have not yet been explored and documented concerning the difference in attention across school levels when it comes to offering professional development opportunities for music teachers. The majority of previous studies have focused on STEM programming, not the arts. In this study, the…

This case study illustrates the perspectives of leaders and teachers regarding professional development and learning transfer as they relate to school improvement. The case study is set in a Midwestern middle school that is representative of many other American schools. It encourages future administrators to participate in meaningful conversations…

Learning to teach is a culturally situated activity. As teachers learn, it is important to understand not only what teachers learn, but how they learn. This article describes a qualitative case study of a subset of four teachers' learning during a professional development surrounding a plate tectonics curriculum. Using qualitative methods, this…