As part of a longitudinal study into identity development in upper-level physics students a phenomenographic research method is employed to assess the stages of identity development of a group of upper-level students. Three categories of description were discovered which indicate the three different stages of identity development for this group…

This paper explores how a small group of associate teachers (i.e., the classroom teachers who host, supervise, and mentor teacher candidates during practicum placements) accessed and interacted with the Associate Teacher Learning Tool (ATLT), a web-based learning tool created specifically for this new group of users. The ATLT is grounded in…

This article discusses some key components of implementing innovations in schools and presents a guide for quality implementation of school programs. While it is more of a broad overview than a detailed toolkit, this information will help introduce more systemic thinking into schools and improve implementation so as to increase the chance of…

This study examined the effects of professional development on strengthening the efficacy and civic engagement of college students tutoring diverse K-5th grade English Language Learners in an urban community. A mixed methods approach including pre-and post-surveys, focus groups, weekly reflections, and supervisor observations revealed tutors'…

In this study we investigated the perceptions and interpretations of 14 various stakeholders in the field of teacher preparation and early childhood education regarding what and how Jewish education should be learned and taught, in general, and to preschool children in contemporary Israel, in particular. The present study, carried out in the…

This paper arises from a two-year project: "Teachers as writers: Transforming professional identity and classroom practice'" and draws on self-efficacy questionnaire data collected at the beginning and end of the project and interview data from five participating high-school teachers who were also co-researchers in the project.…

This article explores the barriers to and opportunities for supporting the development of inclusive teachers, based on a case study describing two schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Data were collected between 2003 and 2009 using an ethnographic approach whereby the author positioned as a consultant-researcher visited and worked alongside teachers in…

Profile analyses were used to investigate differences in the self-efficacy growth of teachers with more and less mathematics background as the teachers participated in professional development across two summers. Professional development activities were associated with increases in teachers' self-efficacy; however, without considering mathematics…

Validating and generalizing from holistic observation protocols of classroom practice have proven difficult. These tools miss crucial classroom characteristics, like the type of instruction, the organization of learners, and the level of cognitive engagement that occur differentially in the time span of a lesson. As a result, this study examined…

This study focuses on two main issues concerning changes in student attitudes toward science study and their perceptions of its usefulness in their lives. Information has been gathered concerning how student attitudes toward science have changed for teachers and schools not involved with any funded professional development project. Pretesting and…

The purpose of the authors in this qualitative research is to explore cultural connections and disconnections between non-Hmong principals and Hmong parents. The results show that cultural disconnections occur because of the lack of culturally sensitive professional development for teachers and principals, and the lack of understanding of Hmong…

This article focuses on a virtual research environment (VRE) and how it facilitated the networking of teacher educators participating in an Economic and Social Research Council-funded research capacity-building project. Using the theoretical lenses of situated learning and socio-cultural approaches to literacy, participants' ways of engaging with…

The mixed methods correlational study examined the problem that AYP of Pennsylvania gifted middle school students who have met state-mandated proficiency requirements under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has been reliant upon minimum proficiency tests. The purpose of the mixed methods study was to examine the correlations between the current measure…

For this qualitative study, I explored and described how superintendents and principals interpreted and experienced a sustained professional development process focusing on instruction and student learning, a form of Elmore's Superintendents in the Classroom (SITC) Network. Specifically, I examined how the addition of principals in the SITC…

In standards-based education the importance of interpreting standards and effectively embedding them into instructional design is critical in connecting curriculum and instruction. Finding the link between standards and instruction while striving to engage students has proven difficult. Too often instructional design does not meet the cognitive…