A new emphasis on "non-technical competence" in veterinary medical education has drawn attention to the reality that veterinarians are not solely technicians, but instead take on a wide variety of roles in their daily practice. This article discusses one largely overlooked role that veterinarians engage in on a regular basis--that of…

For the past decade, I have been observing, researching and reporting on a group of Scottish further education lecturers and schoolteachers, who, through their trade union activities, have had a significant impact on their colleagues' engagement with post-compulsory education and professional development. They are members of the Educational…

Much work addresses coaches' contributions to younger athletes; however, the psycho-social coaching needs of adult Masters athletes remain unexamined. This study explored the lived experiences of 10 Masters swimmers (5 male, 5 female; age range = 45-65 years) through interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis delved into benefits that…

Accreditation is an essential component in the history of education in the United States and is a central catalyst for quality education, continuous improvement, and positive growth in student achievement. Although previous researchers identified teachers as an essential component in meeting accreditation outcomes, additional information was…

Mental health professionals are faced with increasingly complex ethical decisions that are impacted by culture, personal and professional values, and the contexts in which they and their clients inhabit. This article presents the reasons for developing and implementing multiple ethical decision making models and reviews four models that address…

Research establishes that a positive relationship exists between principal instructional leadership and student achievement (Brewer, 1993; Eberts and Stone, 1988; Hallinger and Heck, 1998; Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson, and Wahlstrom, 2004). Likewise, research indicates that a principal's ability to influence the purpose and goals of a…

President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, on December 10, 2015. "Learning Forward's focus in this new law is its improved definition of professional learning," said Stephanie Hirsh, executive director of Learning Forward. "We've long advocated…

Douglas and Ellis (2011, p. 175) suggest that institutionally universities and schools are required to work with different conceptual tool-kits. Seeking to minimise the potential standoff between academic and practitioner knowledge, and, therefore, to enhance the learning of student teachers, means, they suggest, rethinking both the social…

This paper discusses the characteristics of women discipline supervisors in the Arab education system in Israel, through their professional development to their attainment of senior supervisory posts. It examines how they attain supervision posts and perform various managerial functions in what is considered a male role, in a patriarchal society,…

Fiscal resources are becoming tighter, and school districts are asked to do more with less funding. This is occurring at the same time that school psychologists require increased professional development around effective practices and advocacy for bilingual students. Communities of practice (CoPs) are one potential solution as they aim to bring…

Background: The importance of professional development training for individuals tasked with providing quality early child care is widely accepted. However, research assessing the impact of specific, long-term professional development programs on changes in caregiver behavior is largely absent, as is research about the processes and mechanisms of…

This paper outlines new educational policy initiatives that have been recently introduced to Australian schooling contexts and describes the challenges of providing rich and empowering professional development opportunities for classroom teachers and educational leaders in an era of heightened accountability and change. A framework for large-scale…

The chapter discusses learning that has resulted from selected international professional development experiences.

Research has made it clear, the effectiveness of teachers vary greatly (Nye, Konstantopoulos, & Hedges, 2004), and teacher differences account for some of the variation in student achievement (Rowan, Correnti, & Miller, 2002). The federal act of mandating teachers to be "Highly Qualified" will not single-handedly improve student…

This action research study was the creation, implementation, and evaluation of an orientation for adjunct faculty members. The study included an adjunct orientation implemented as a form of professional development and inclusion for adjunct faculty members. The adjunct orientation took place at the research site, a large community technical…