Conferences are principal mechanisms for professional organizations to advance their missions. Conference evaluations can measure mission-related outcomes in order to gauge an organization's impact on the professional growth and development of its community and other stakeholders. Using data from two recent conference evaluations, this article…

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce, explain and illustrate the concept of "sites of emergent learning" (SEL), which pinpoints particular instances of learning in everyday practice. This concept is located within contemporary practice-oriented and sociomaterial approaches to understanding workplace learning.…

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Specialist for 4-H Youth Development conducted a comprehensive needs assessment of the professional development system of Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Agents. A qualitative research design was used to give nine 4-H Agents the opportunity to identify the strengths and challenges of the current…

If you are a grants or research administrator working at a small predominantly undergraduate institution, have you ever wondered where you stand in relation to other similar institutions? Have you thought about what you need to do to get yourself, your office, and your institution to the "next level" of outreach to or support for the…

The education industry has produced volumes of research describing what professional learning should look like, and, for the most part, researchers agree about many of the critical components. In 2011, Learning Forward updated--and most states since have adopted--Standards for Professional Learning that align with this research. The standards call…

One of the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP) key initiatives is to "develop leadership skills and qualities of school psychologists." This is a major task of the NASP Leadership Development Committee (LDC), which has the responsibility of providing ongoing training in leadership skills for NASP leaders, orienting new…

This paper explores one implementation of an extended, structured, collaborative professional experience program. Its context is a new partnership between a university and a professional experience school. The program draws on elements of Instructional Rounds and Lesson Study, framed around a learning community model of professional experience for…

Purpose: Continual professional development is essential to foster and enhance professionals' abilities. A wide variety of methods have been adopted to support professional learning for healthcare professions but many still focus upon a need to update knowledge and the learning of isolated competencies for practice. The purpose of this paper is to…

The NSU Write from the Start Writing and Communication Center (WCC) has recognized the importance of developing a social media presence to highlight the achievements and services of the Center while providing professional development opportunities to staff members. This article is aimed at educating communication center directors and staff on how…

Early career teachers (ECTs) are situated in a dynamic contextual landscape that both influences their development and practice and dictates professional expectations for instruction and professional learning. This systematic review of international research literature sought to establish the understanding of teacher induction and mentoring…

More than ever, mathematics coaches are being called on to support teachers in developing effective classroom practices. Coaching that influences professional growth of teachers is best accomplished when mathematics coaches are supported to develop knowledge related to the work of coaching. This article details the implementation of the…

Context: Athletic trainers pursue higher education to obtain positions in academia, which often include scholarship and/or teaching responsibilities. Previous research has investigated the preparation and transition phases for doctoral students moving from student to junior faculty member as well as their professional socialization. However, the…

More than a decade of research suggests that improving the quality of instruction and student learning requires leaders to set a vision for instruction, promote teacher learning around that vision, and foster organizational conditions for teacher collaboration and growth (Louis, Dretzke, & Wahlstrom, 2010). Yet designing professional learning…

A "defining moment experience" is a pinnacle moment or critical incident that occurs within a therapeutic context and contributes significantly to the professional development and personal growth of counselors. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate how experienced counselors make sense and meaning of their defining moment…

Many U.S. colleges and universities have emphasized the value of student-driven undergraduate research as one way to augment the traditional classroom experience. For undergraduate students, human subjects-based research, which typically requires review by an institutional review board (IRB), can have a particularly profound impact on their…