Embedded hierarchical relationships between children and adults constrain children's voice. For adults to support children's participation in decisions they need to learn new ways of working; to enable children to communicate their views, develop their ideas, make group decisions and take joint action. This article explores the different roles…

This paper reports on how prospective users may be involved in the design of entertaining educational computer games. The paper illustrates an approach, which combines traditional Participatory Design methods in an applicable way for this type of design. Results illuminate the users' important contribution during game development, especially when…

The article synthesizes research findings from studies examining how principals and teachers contribute to shared instructional leadership and the relationship of shared instructional leadership to teacher and student learning. Principals and teachers contribute to the leadership equation in each school in different ways, according to school…

Group co-leaders' descriptions of their experiences and perceptions of each other as they led groups together illuminated competency concerns as a factor that strongly influenced their relationships and performance. Based on their narratives, group co-leaders' perceptions of their ability to form intimate relationships and beliefs regarding their…

This article examines social justice as a vehicle for equity for all children. It focuses on the training of school leaders who can promote democratic schools and address inequality in K-12 schools. It outlines the needs assessment, consensus building, curriculum, and faculty voice in establishing a doctorate in educational justice. (Contains 1…

Over the last four decades, research in environmental education (EE) has offered valuable theoretical insights spanning a number of pedagogical and philosophical arenas. EE literature offers expansive accounts of projects looking at a multiplicity of factors involved in bringing EE to the forefront of educational endeavour. Within all this…

Contract learning is an approach to classroom instruction that emphasizes teacher-student collaboration in the teaching-learning process. Participation in instructional decision-making encourages students to take responsibility for what happens to them, and it engenders a greater sense of commitment to the outcomes of the music program. In music…

At Brown Mackie College, a private junior college in Kansas, faculty members are immersed in student learning on a daily basis and are doing an excellent job of incorporating assessment techniques in their classrooms. However, they depend mostly on administrative staff to help them provide a conducive environment to learning for the students. The…

In this article, the authors present a philosophical exploration of the import of a democratic ethic in making decisions concerning curricula. Specifically, the authors offer a guide for ethical decision making that is concerned with promoting fairness and acting on social justice principles. The ethical responsibilities of educators are explored,…

In this article the authors examine characterizations of faculty-administrator relationships, in particular as related to shared governance. Two primary perspectives guided the study. The first perspective focused on the fragile nature of shared governance, characterized by a lack of harmony and mistrust. The second perspective focused on the root…

This article analyzes South Africa's efforts to promote broader participation in educational decision-making through local school governance structures in which parents serve as majority members. We utilize the "theory of action" framework to understand both government policy and school-level actors' meanings of two dimensions of…

Purpose: To discuss the considerable impact of video gaming on young players' decision-making and teamworking skills, and the belief that video games provide an invaluable "training camp" for business. Design/methodology/approach: An interview with John Beck, the author of the book Got Game: How a New Generation of Gamers Is Reshaping Business…

A district-level change in staff development helped renew teachers' interest in professional learning--and improve student learning. The Rockwood School District in Eureka, Mo., found a districtwide plan, rather than personal goals, set the tone for change, but involved teachers in planning.

This article examines the concept of distributed leadership, drawing from a systematic review of relevant literature commissioned by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) and jointly funded by NCSL and the Open University's Centre for Educational Policy, Leadership and Lifelong Learning (CEPoLL). The concept attracts a range of…

A recent survey found that 67% of principals believe that school of education leadership programs are out of touch with what it takes to run a school district. Only 4% praise their graduate studies, and a majority say that mentoring and guidance from people they work with has the greatest benefit for them. In this article, the author asked three…