More and more educational institutions have been moving towards delivering courses and programs at a distance. Although asynchronous online courses overcome the constraints of time, students feel isolated due to the lack of real-time communications. One possible solution to overcome this isolation been suggested that learner's online behavior and…

Background: Developing collective professional capacities in schools is important for school improvement, and principals can initiate such developments. That is, by initiating and leading professional group discussions on teaching and learning, principals can influence teaching practices and, thereby, indirectly affect student outcomes and school…

Researchers have been investigating social presence in online learning for decades. However, despite this continued research, questions remain about the nature and development of social presence. The purpose of this mixed method exploratory case study was to investigate how social presence is established in online discussion forums in an…

In this article, we assume that discursive language aspects of science education are highly intertwined with students' knowledge-building and meaning-making in science. In an empirical case study, we investigate secondary students' (ages 15 to 16) discursive language use during group interactions. The focus is on how students define and explain…

This study explores the impact extended participation in literature circles had on the reading attitudes of university-age preservice teachers following their involvement in literature circles for one academic year, as part of their training. The participants of the study consisted of 21 pre-service teachers with a low or moderate level of reading…

Developing collective professional capacity in schools is viewed as important for improving schools. Furthermore, principals are seen as being in a key position to promote the development of collective capacity. Although an array of studies report on what principals can do to support capacity development, such as by facilitating collective…

The mentor-preservice teacher hierarchy, that privileges mentor teacher talk and experience, often dominates mentor-preservice conversations. To realize the full potential of teacher education approaches designed to engage preservice and mentor teachers together in shared learning and teaching tasks, attention is needed to better understand the…

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) has become an essential component of today's knowledge-based, innovation-centred economy and society. As such, communication and CPS are now considered critical 21st century skills and incorporated into educational practice, policy, and research. Despite general agreement that these are important skills, there…

This article argues that fiction can operate as a critical feminist curriculum and discusses how this manifests itself in terms of content and teaching methodologies. It uses a close reading of Naomi Alderman's dystopian fiction "The Power" (2016) to explore this, complemented by an analysis of a discussion between Alderman and readers…

"Questioning" is a process that sparks discussion and encourages deeper thinking. Effective questioning builds on students' natural curiosity, moving them out of their comfort zone and into the learning zone in a purposeful, accessible way. It also models the process of good thinking and fosters a culture of high expectations. Like any…

This paper reports on an intervention study conducted with the A level students whom I teach at a sixth form college in the north-west of England. The study aimed to survey the students' perceptions of the purposes of history education, and to broaden their understanding of the debate. The study drew upon data from 82 online forum posts from 41…

The teaching strategies of Francis and Edith Schaeffer helped young adults construct meaning in their lives. During several seasons of tumultuous social unrest, the Schaeffers consistently gave shelter to many confused, searching, and hurting adults. Their educational motto was "honest answers to honest questions." For nearly thirty…

This paper is a case study of student discussions of rights and responsibilities, which contributes to filling the existing knowledge gap on the topic. Tenth grade majority students who participated in three group discussions on inclusive citizenship spoke of rights as belonging to the majority or to the minoritised Other. In line with earlier…

This article investigates how group speaking test candidates manage group talk during assessed, time-limited tasks. Drawing on recorded and transcribed data, it explores how higher-scoring learners manage spoken assessment tasks through their talk, moving conversations on or slowing them down in order to perform and complete the tasks'…

Purpose: This paper results from an intervention study focusing on the relationship between visual representation used in teaching about pricing in economics and teaching-learning practices established in the classroom, with a focus on the affordance offered through the representations used. Method: Lessons were conducted with four upper secondary…