This qualitative study explored the impact of teacher collaboration in a professional learning communities (PLC) school on teacher self-efficacy. Through the collection and analysis of personal interview data from 20 teachers in a large, suburban Midwestern high school, the impact of structured teacher collaboration was evaluated for its impact on…

What motivates more than 800 people from 101 countries around the world to meet at a World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC)? And how does one make the most of such an incredible gathering of people, cultures, thoughts and minds? What did people learn and was it worthwhile? These are just some of the questions that have been chasing through…

The contributors to this article reflect on the process and value of participating together in a monthly reflective supervision group for supervisors in a child abuse prevention program. Some of them joined the group with considerable interest in and experience with reflective supervision. For others this was an entirely new experience that they…

High quality induction for novice teachers has reduced the attrition rates for many states. The methods of implementation, components of the induction, and quality of the induction vary from district to district. The purpose of this research was to examine the components of novice teacher induction which may have a positive impact on novice…

The project described created a stimulating and professionally relevant way for preservice teacher education to build student teachers' skills in critical reflection, collaboration and communication. Using a constructivist approach throughout, the project's key objectives were: to help students overcome resistance to using technology; to bridge…

This article examines how service-learning was integrated effectively into two teacher education courses at a Mercy university in New Jersey to raise awareness regarding the needs of diverse learners, particularly those with disabilities. Specific goals of the service-learning requirement, description of the service-learning activities, and…

The study is to examine if preservice teachers improve their social studies teaching and learning when they follow a structured and guided methods course based on the four-step social studies teaching cycle. The four steps are 1) preinstructional exploration, 2) assessment development, 3) instructional development, and 4) reflective extension. The…

Impacting the academic performance of high school students in core academic content areas is important because of the high-stakes nature of secondary school course grades relative to their vocational and post-secondary pursuits. Getting students to become more active, strategic participants in their learning by teaching them empirically supported…

This article describes two consecutive enactments of technology-oriented teacher professional development designs, aimed at helping teachers find high-quality online learning resources and use them in designing effective problem-based learning (PBL) activities for their students. To align with current professional development prescriptions, in the…

The purpose of this research was to explore the use of ICT to support leadership learning within an education context. Leadership development opportunities that encourage reflection, the development of self-awareness, the sharing of practice, and that support the transfer of learning back to the workplace are challenging to fit into the life of…

Background/Context: Portfolio assessment is a popular form of authentic assessment, but often portfolios become simply folders full of papers rather than student reflections on their work. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: The author conducted a study aiming to help the ninth-grade students in his English language arts classroom…

The purpose of this original quasi-experimental research was to investigate the potential for using case-based instruction during the student teaching seminar as a means for promoting practicum student teachers' critical reflection about facilitating children's learning. In addition, the study explored the impact of varied modes for delivering…

Girls and women continue to be underrepresented in high school Advanced Placement computer science courses, undergraduate and graduate computer science programs at colleges and universities, and engineering programs and related careers. This is not to suggest that public schools train students to fulfill specific job needs, yet it is evident that…

The objectives of this study are to explore the use of asynchronous discussion groups during medical students' clinical rotation in paediatrics. In particular, the impact of role assignment on the level of knowledge construction through social negotiation is studied. Case-based asynchronous discussion groups were introduced to enhance reflection…

The article compares three replication studies that explore potential differences between teacher candidates trained in professional development schools and those trained in a traditional program. Data sources included student teaching evaluations (analyzed quantitatively) and portfolio reflections, oral and written (analyzed qualitatively). The…