In describing the professional development journey of science teachers, the National Science Standards (NRC 1996) provides a useful cartography. Inquiry, those standards suggest, is the central strategy for the teaching of science. By illustrating the parallels between inquiry as a form of scientific investigation and inquiry as a classroom…

In recent years, a growing interest has developed in lesson study, a Japanese form of professional development that centers on teachers coming together to examine their practice by planning and trying out lessons. This article examines the lesson study work of a group of elementary mathematics teachers to speculate about the educative value of…

This paper examines how emerging materials and associated methods became inscribed within and have shaped developing patterns of practice in environmental education. In so doing, it gives attention to how materials and methods have informed methodological narratives and shaped abstracted propositions used in professional development activities.…

This study explores how twenty-eight women graduates of a liberal arts college renegotiate personal and professional identities over a ten year period. Approximately half of these women entered college planning to pursue a career in medicine; the other half indicated some interest in the field of education. Each participant was interviewed six…

In this article I will discuss the route by which I came to work with Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). The brief tracing of my own biography will highlight theoretical and methodological milestones. I will then discuss my current work, with colleagues, on approaches to investigating and improving the learning of professionals who are…

Further education colleges in England offer a wide range of post-school education and training provision. Recently they have undergone major transformations that have resulted in considerable changes to the work of those teaching in them. In this paper we examine how cultures of learning and teaching in colleges are affected and how the nature of…

Drawing on a research project which focused on the role reflective learning tools have in bringing about change to practice, this paper describes how nine practitioners from four different professions enhanced their professional practice by contributing to a collaborative journal. An analysis of the journal revealed four key themes:…

This article reports on a study of alumni who completed their doctorates 2, 5 and 10 years ago at a Graduate School of Education in the University of London (n=162). It investigates the circumstances within which these research students started and completed their research and how they have subsequently used their studies, showing the particular…

This paper outlines the contemporary research evidence concerning school improvement in challenging contexts. Drawing upon findings from recent studies in the UK funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) the paper outlines some of the improvement strategies that have been…

This paper reflects on the collaborative learning experiences of two 'student teachers' who have recently completed a Masters in Higher Education. Its purpose is to enhance our general understanding, and to encourage debate on how the professional expertise and confidence of new academics may be supported. Specifically, the article examines the…

Adult and continuing education requires continuing education of educators, a highly self-referential issue. In this article the authors focus on "urban educators," a very extensive group of those involved in urban educational programmes (school, parental education, living environment, vocational preparation, and the like). Due to an increase in…

In the spring of 2002, a rural school district in the Midwest implemented an online staff development program. As a part of this program, every educator at the middle and secondary education level was required to complete one online course of his or her choice. A survey was conducted to analyze the positive outcomes and considerations for further…

An Academic Practice Unit needs to work strategically and interact with other departments to place research-based teaching on the institutional agenda and support staff adequately for their roles.

More than a decade ago, community colleges across the nation mobilized legions of faculty to craft critical thinking initiatives on their campus. Were these initiatives simply the latest educational fad, or did the implementation provoke substantive, lasting changes not only in what we teach but in how we teach?

Critical thinking is foundational to the effective teaching of any subject, and it must be at the heart of any professional development program. This chapter presents a long-term professional development model based on a substantive concept of critical thinking, and ties critical thinking to the concept of the Learning College.