Participating in effective professional development (PD) is beneficial in many ways for teachers themselves, but also for improving school systems. "Effective" PD differs from "traditional" PD in that it employs elements known to support changes in teaching practices and in student learning. Characteristics of effective PD…

While inclusion has generally been accepted as orthodoxy, a knowledge-practice gap remains which indicates a need to focus on inclusive pedagogy. This paper explores how teachers in the Republic of Ireland primary school were supported to develop inclusive pedagogy to meet the needs of learners with special educational needs (SEN). It is…

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are considered ideal contexts for teachers' professional development and school improvement. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the interplay between PLC characteristics (i.e. collective responsibility, reflective dialogue, and deprivatized practice) in secondary school departments, and understand what…

This article describes how lesson study creates a process of teacher learning whilst developing student learning through collaborative planning, guided observation and reflection. It presents a framework for conducting lesson study in a teacher development programme in Lower Austria. The role of knowledgeable others in the development of ownership…

Student-driven "deep learning", teachers as "coaches" and "activators of learning" and positive student-teacher relationships are all part of the changing and significantly innovative educational landscape which requires considerable pedagogical change in teaching and learning processes. Teacher professional learning…

This article presents findings of a longitudinal case study conducted at a Taiwanese high school from 2006 to 2010. This school participated in the 'High Scope Programme' (HSP), which was sponsored by the Taiwanese National Science Council to promote curricular innovation in science education. Utilising interview data with 11 participating…

Purpose: Scholarly studies on mentoring have mostly focused on traditional mentor-mentee relationships, with little or no emphasis on how institutionalized mentoring activities that include different pedagogical approaches could be used to enhance the professional development of academics. To address this knowledge gap, this article examines how…

This case study presents the struggles faced by a school administration in implementing a professional learning community (PLC) initiative without additional funds earmarked for implementation. In this case, Emily, the principal of Bayside Public School, creates a Buddy Day system for students that provides teachers with time during the school day…

In schools the participation of students, parents and paraprofessionals is important because it increases ownership and improves performance. Here the focus is on students' and paraprofessionals' learning and a sense of community when leaders try to develop a professional learning community in a new school in Iceland. An action research project…

New science curricula in Ontario position science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) objectives at the fore of all science courses. A professional learning community (PLC) consisting of 24 elementary teachers and a facilitation team was established to assist teachers in meeting the challenges of STSE education. Specifically, we examine…

Communal learning is a common paradigm for professional learning among teachers and teacher educators (TE). In this article, TE refers to faculty in institutions of higher education who train teachers. While the professional learning of teachers has been extensively studied, little is known about TEs' professional learning. This study contributes…

The study aim was examining the effect of a program based on Cloud-computing platform on developing assessment strategies for EFL primary school teachers. The study reviewed the literature and previous studies dealing with assessment strategies (self-assessment, peer-assessment, strategic use of Questioning and reflection), professional learning…

Factors leading to successful professional learning communities (PLCs) have been widely discussed in the West, but little is known about how/whether teachers' beliefs contribute to PLCs in the Chinese context. This qualitative case study aimed to investigate teachers' beliefs about teacher learning in PLCs and their influence on collegial learning…

This article presents a STEAM education model based on the use of meaningful contexts for the integrated acquisition of key learning outcomes related to different subjects. The model combines inquiry and the use of socio-scientific issues to promote mathematics and science learning along with the development of critical thinking and the…

This article presents the evaluation of a two-year action research project in biology and mathematics teaching involving a primary school and a university in Sweden. The aim of the study was to contribute knowledge about a school-university intersection as a professional learning arena. The teachers' conceptions about the project implementation,…