Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners are encouraged to implement play pedagogies and their views of play as a pedagogy in rural settings have not been captured widely. They are the main role players in implementing play pedagogies for learners' learning and development. The commitment to play can be traced through theory and…

"Working Well with Babies" describes the comprehensive competencies (including the knowledge, dispositions, and skills) that educators of infants and toddlers must have to provide optimal support for infants and toddlers. Designed as a learning resource for both in-service and pre-service infant/toddler practitioners, this text details…

Twenty years ago, Weinstein and associates' (2003) Culturally Responsive Classroom Management (CRCM) framework began a conversation regarding the lack of cultural neutrality within traditional classroom management practices. Despite the framework's growing attention throughout previous literature, there has yet to be substantive changes in U.S.…

Key competences are important for personal development, employment, integration into society and lifelong learning. They are transversal and form the basis for all other competences. Acquiring key competences is possible through various learning pathways, including vocational education and training (VET). However, little is known at the European…

Forest School's innovative outdoor approach offers specific benefits to learners with autism, including increased social skills, raised self-esteem and improved sensory function. This guide raises autism awareness amongst practitioners by providing practical and easy-to-follow advice for adapting Forest School activities for those with autism. For…

Highly qualified and competent teachers are fundamental for equitable and effective education systems. Teachers today are facing higher and more complex expectations to help students reach their full potential and become valuable members of 21st century society. The nature and variety of these demands imply that teachers, more than ever before,…

As increasing numbers of students with disabilities enter higher education, the need for college faculty to adopt inclusive teaching practices intensifies. Professional development (PD) opportunities involving inclusive teaching strategies are a useful way to help instructors develop these skills; unfortunately, many colleges and universities do…

How can we approach professional development in a thoughtful way, keep teachers motivated, and make the process worthwhile? It's a truth that school leaders can't deny: teachers tend to think of PD as a distraction from the "real work" of the classroom--as something to get through instead of an opportunity to engage, learn, and grow as…

Grounded in current research and theory, this practical book guides program leaders and staff developers to design and implement engaging professional development and coaching approaches. It focuses on early educator competencies essential for high-quality learning and teaching--executive functions, emotion regulation, relationship skills, and…

The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States in spring 2020 forced nearly all U.S. schools to transition rapidly to remote learning. However, a minority of U.S. public schools were prepared for a crisis on the level of COVID-19. Using responses to the American Educator Panels, RAND researchers investigate how schools' pre-pandemic planning…

The current climate in education environments necessitates the collaboration on and sharing of research done by teacher educators and professional developers. In an era of high-stakes assessment driven by international tests, professionals are looking for research-based or evidence-based initiatives and approaches to enhance teacher learning,…

The aim of this book is to address teachers' perspectives, practices and challenges in multilingual education. The book that brings together perspectives and practices in multilingual contexts could be of great interest for researchers, practitioners and stakeholders because it also provides ideas for pedagogical practice and new language…

More than ever, schools across the United States and around the globe are embracing social and emotional learning (SEL) to assist students in adopting these skills and many other interpersonal (e.g., teamwork, leadership) and intrapersonal (e.g., self-regulation, resilience) capabilities. This dedication to SEL is well supported by research.…

This practitioner brief is the first in a series highlighting concrete strategies that educational leaders can use to increase equity in education, by building supportive learning environments that meet all students' social and emotional needs. This introductory brief starts by laying out the aspects of a student's social and emotional well-being…

Across the United States, state education agencies and school districts face daunting challenges and difficult decisions for restarting schools as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As state and district leaders prepare for what schooling will look like in 2020 and beyond, there is an opportunity to identify evidence-based policies and practices…