Community-engaged research (CEnR) occurs when university and community resources are partnered to enrich knowledge, address social issues, and contribute to the public good. The benefits of CEnR include the translation of scientific findings into public initiatives that can improve practice and provide invaluable learning experiences for students.…

A recent independent evaluation by WestEd of Learning Forward's What Matters Now Network looked at the ways in which a structured, facilitated network provided support for state-level coalitions working with districts, schools, and educators to improve instruction and make progress toward achieving content standards. The network was facilitated by…

Purpose: Despite the continuous growth of empirical studies exploring professional learning communities (PLCs) across different education systems, little is known about PLC instruments developed and used in existing research. This article aims to capture a full picture of existing PLC instruments developed since 1990. In so doing, the authors also…

HM Inspectors evaluate and report on the quality of community learning and development (CLD) in line with "The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013: Guidance for Local Authorities." The guidance refers to the legislative and policy areas for local authorities that impact on the planning and…

Teaching-focused professional development (PD) programs offered at institutions of higher education (IHEs) are uniquely positioned to be levers of change that improve the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in ways that broaden participation in STEM education, workforce development, and…

There has been little quantitative research on the impact of specialized teacher preparation for working with multilingual students. Yet districts, states, and the U.S. Department of Education are investing to increase the number of teachers with this specialized preparation. This article explores challenges in conducting research on this topic…

"Lesson study" has garnered considerable attention from educational researchers and practitioners as a promising method for improving instruction. At its core, lesson study reflects a collaborative inquiry process, grounded in cycles of planning, enacting, and reflecting, that promotes teacher learning through active engagement in lesson…

In this article, we present the evaluation of a kindergarten teachers' professional development programme, 'Upgrading the quality of the pre-school environment' conducted by the participating teacher--thee programme is aimed at the improvement of the quality of Early Childhood Education and Care. The evaluation, which followed a mixed-method…

This study tests the hypothesis that teacher-led collaborative inquiry cycles, guided by instructional standards, lead to improved teacher performance and effectiveness. We examine the impact of teachers' self-selection into teacher peer excellence groups (TPEGs), which involves lesson co-planning, peer observation and feedback, and collaborative…

The purpose of this applied research study was to strengthen Tier I instruction within seventh and eighth-grade mathematics classrooms. This applied research study uses three elements; professional learning communities, consistent content-specific professional development, and increased student achievement to strengthen Tier I instruction in…

This design case describes an online synchronous teacher training on computational thinking (CT) skills for a community of practice (CoP) of in-service teachers in India. The training used gamification, reflection, and localization as instructional strategies. The purpose of this training was to help in-service K-12 teachers identify…

Background & Context: Many efforts have been dedicated to building computer science (CS) teacher capacity through offering professional development (PD) programs. Previous reviews indicated the need to offer more continual support for teachers. Recent research has shifted its focus to scaling up PD and sustaining teaching capacity by…

Colorblind ideology--grounded in the belief that race is not a determinant factor for economic or academic outcomes in the U.S.--can thwart teachers' learning in PD focused on equity and anti-racist education. Colorblind ideology deflects conversation from race and suppresses a group's ability to address racial issues. Mayfield spells out how to…

Effective, engaging teacher collaboration contributes to continuous school improvement and overall student success. This formative, internal program evaluation used a combination of objectives-based and improvement-focused models to determine what worked well in mandated PLCs at MHS, what aspects of these PLCs needed improvement, and what…

Active learning pedagogical practices are more effective than instructor-centered teaching in building students' knowledge, skills, and understanding of engineering content and concepts. As such, a large-scale professional development (PD) program was created to move faculty toward the use of active learning. The project aimed to engage faculty in…