This study aims to increase understanding of the values and outcomes of teacher action research in conservatoire education. Teacher action research has been found to stimulate both professional development and improvement of teaching practice. A multiple-case study design was employed to examine teachers' activities and their perceptions of the…

Teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) have the potential to result in teacher professional development, provided that effective communication takes place during PLC meetings. Building on the perspective of collaborative knowledge building, this study examined teachers' interaction patterns during these meetings. Connections were…

Since facilitators are considered to be crucial actors in teacher teams, the aim of this study is therefore to explore, observe and characterise actions of facilitators by means of detailed video-observations of facilitators during teacher-team meetings. Results show that facilitators' actions vary from passive-absent and passive-waiting to…

Lesson Study is a rapidly growing and increasingly popular teacher professional development approach and is valued for its cyclical, classroom-based and collaborative nature. Mostly used in primary and secondary education, Lesson Study has only recently been applied to the context of initial teacher education focussing on pre-service teachers'…

Brokers are individuals who facilitate transfer of knowledge and resources, and coordinate efforts across boundaries of organizations. They are defined by their role rather than their organizational position. Brokers might be imperative for the formation and maintenance of inter-institutional relationship as they have the responsibility and the…

Purpose: Despite their pivotal role in classroom social dynamics, teachers are not always aware of, and/or do not know how to respond to, bottlenecks in these dynamics. This study investigated the effectiveness of the Social Classroom Dynamics Intervention with Lesson Study (SKILS, acronym of the Dutch program name) in supporting teachers with…

Purpose: The authors investigate the use and potential of a theoretical combination of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) and the Theory of Didactic Situation (TDS) to support Lesson Study (LS) in upper secondary mathematics. Design/methodology/approach: Case study performed by university researchers, based on theoretical analysis and case…

Background: The continual improvement of teaching and learning is vital for schools in order to meet the rapid changes in the world around us. Lesson study is considered a valuable professional development approach in that regard. It is focused on teachers collaboratively studying live classroom lessons. Sustaining lesson study, by making its core…

Integrated language arts and science & technology (ILS&T) instruction can make learning more meaningful and improve student learning outcomes for both subjects. Although the literature has stressed that such integrated instruction presents pedagogical challenges for elementary school teachers, little is yet known about the specific…

Purpose: This exploratory study investigates the extent to which lesson study (LS) in initial teacher education (ITE) teams address subject-pedagogical aspects during their conversations and what subject-pedagogical aspects are addressed. Design/methodology/approach: The two-case design of the study--one LS team in ITE comprised of an ST and…

With the rise of network governance, and its concomitant fragmentation of public education systems across Europe, international studies have recommended teacher collaboration as a means to bring educational stakeholders together. Yet, despite some agreement over the potential benefits to student, professional and organisational learning, there is…

Purpose: In professional learning communities (PLCs), teachers collaborate and learn with the aim of improving students' learning. The aim of this study is to gain insight into teachers' perceptions of their schools' changing toward PLCs and conditions which support or hamper this change. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were completed…

This preregistered study examined how a collaborative school culture and schools' collective efficacy are related to educational professionals' attitudes, personal self-efficacy, and classroom practices concerning education for high-ability students based on survey data from 875 educational professionals (teachers, counselors, and school leaders).…

The evidence-based parenting program Video-Feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) may have potential to also support teachers in primary schools in their interaction with children with behavior problems. We therefore adapted the intervention for use with primary school teachers (VIPP-School). Here we…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how lesson study (LS) can be transitioned to an online mode, with the purpose to derive recommendations for performing online LS while being loyal to the defining elements of a face-to-face LS. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical analysis into the core components and procedures of LS resulted…