Those growing up in the 1950s, 60s or 70s are familiar with how physically active children were before computers and video games were introduced. Each neighborhood had its own version of the various games that were played. Many of these games involved a pink rubber ball called a Spaldeen. They were everywhere and almost everyone had one. These…

The findings reported in this article form part of a wider comparative research project investigating the active learning of teachers and of pupils in the educational practices of eight countries. This article aims to describe what a small rural school in Finland understands by active learning. Data is presented from a qualitative research case…

The article reports on an action research project, informed by transformative learning theory. Transformative learning involves individuals gaining an awareness of their current habits of mind, and resulting points of views accompanied by a critique of their assumptions and premises, an assessment of alternative views, a decision to negate an old…

Purpose: This paper describes and analyses an attempt to engage in transformational learning, oriented to the development of a culture of innovation, at a medium-size software development organization in Australia. Design/methodology/approach: An action research methodology was used whereby continuous cycles of strategic social learning were…

In this article, we consider the efficacy of criticality in cultural context for transformative teacher education. We present data about how a small purposive sample of educators who participated in a culturally based university course found the experience to be pivotal in their personal and professional development. For this article we ask: (a)…

We are thesis examiners within the Australian academic system who formed a community of practice to try to resolve some of the issues we were facing. Stories of examiners reflecting on and examining their own practice are a notable silence in the higher degree research literature. In this study we have adopted a storytelling inquiry method that…

An in-depth, 2-year instrumental case study considered the degree to which ongoing reflection, within the context of mentoring relationships and administrative portfolio writing, supported the development of administrative leadership practice within an Administrative Leadership Academy: Entry Year Program. By observing the ways in which entry-year…

Purpose: To provide a history of the emergence of quality systems from the mid-1980s. To show how quality became a primary policy concern in higher education policy. To map the development of quality processes and raise questions about dominant approaches and express concerns for the future. Design/methodology/approach: Historical document…

Opportunities for future teachers to reflect on their own learning helps them be more thoughtful about their students' learning. Putting theory into action, Montclair State University developed a required course entitled "Program Planning in Early Childhood Education." The course, taken by all preservice teachers before their student teaching…

The purpose of this narrative inquiry is to share a story of self-reflection and deliberations about issues of ethics, values, social justice, and educational leadership. It begins as a story of reflections about one College of Education team's struggle for authenticity in the development of a new educational leadership program. However, the story…

The Developing E-learning for Teachers (DEfT) project, a collaborative venture between UK and Chinese universities, has produced e-learning modules for master's level programmes for in-service high school teachers in China. E-learning offers Chinese teachers new and innovative forms of professional development and provides for transformative…

This practice article explores the relationship between practice and professional learning. Are these two distinctly separate activities, competing for the time of a staff member, or are practice and learning linked? If so, what is the nature of this link and how can we best align professional learning with practice outcomes? Using an example from…

Examining the vital relation between immigrants' race or ethnicity, language, documented or undocumented legal status, and multicultural citizenship education is essential in the reconceptualization of current curricula and practice. The analysis provides relevant critiques of the traditional American History and citizenship curricula that are…

Educational practice has focused primarily upon a transmission model of education dealing with dominant, mainstream, western ideology. This model often alienates student learners due to the absence of cultural relevance. This article focuses on a theoretical framework teachers in Hawaii are using to become transformative practitioners who promote…

In contemporary life and education, the local is marginalized in favor of large-scale economies of consumption that are indifferent to ecological concerns. The consequences of neglecting local human and natural communities include a degraded habitat, loss of wilderness, alienation, rootlessness, and lack of connection to communities. Critical…