The population of students labeled as English learners (ELs), referred to here as emergent bilingual learners (EBLs), continues to grow in schools across the United States. In this article, we share one urban university's collaborative approach to building professional capacity for cultural and linguistic diversity, considering both vertical and…

Previous research indicates that many children have difficulty transitioning from preschool to kindergarten, which may be attributed to differences between the two settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate preschool and elementary school educators' perceptions of the similarities of and differences between the two types of settings…

This longitudinal qualitative study investigated the impact on teacher participants of using a unique laboratory approach to professional development: the Team Teaching and Learning (TTL) framework, which integrates five traits from Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, and Yoon's (2001) empirical research on teacher professional learning, including…

This article describes findings from a qualitative, practically-focused study of how novice teachers perceive the relevance and effectiveness of their teacher preparation coursework. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with fourteen teachers at two highly diverse elementary schools in an urban area. Participating teachers were in their…

This qualitative case study explored the perspectives of two high school teachers who approach their work as reflective practitioners, capable of thinking deeply about systemic issues and teachers' work lives. Our research questions included: 1) how do the conditions of schooling influence an intellectual approach to teachers' work?; 2) how do…

The growing cultural and linguistic diversity found in P-12 public schools requires focused attention from advanced-level educator preparation program providers. Practicing teachers earning an advanced degree at the specialist or master's level benefit from theory and research to support diverse learners, but praxis--where theory and research…

Annual teacher attrition hovers around 8% and causes of teacher attrition have been studied widely. However, more needs to be known about specific aspects of teacher preparation that can foster retention. The goal of this study was to understand the perspectives of veteran teachers regarding retention. This investigation employed semi-structured…

In this qualitative inquiry, we explore administrator experiences and perspectives concerning art teacher candidate portfolios, specifically in their use for hiring. In an effort to inform teacher education curriculum and professional practices, we address the portfolio purpose, structure, and contents and attempt to gain insight into the digital…

This study addresses the need for research pertaining to the use of self-directed learning in educators' professional development (Merriam et al., 2007; Wagner, 2011; Zepeda et al., 2014). In satisfying this need, this study examined the experiences of educators within the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) program with a form of…

Our paper, "Relationship between self-efficacy measured by the TSES scale and teacher participation in PDS activity," focuses on the collaboration between 19 professional development schools [PDSs] with whom Notre Dame of Maryland University has a partnership. The researchers surveyed in-service teachers in those 19 schools to determine…

In this three-year longitudinal qualitative case study, the authors investigate a) the emergence of the professional supervisor identity, and b) the dynamics of evolving supervision practices by analyzing the case of two female supervisors from international backgrounds working within an early childhood education (P-3) program in a large…

This study used qualitative case study methods to investigate how a particular community of practice located in a Midwest university influenced the M.Ed./PDS graduates' perceptions of working with diverse students. We use the term multicultural education to refer to the orientations and practices of the M.Ed. program and how the graduates thought…

This manuscript focuses on practical questions in a study that describes the perceptions of four teachers at the beginning stages of Common Core Mathematics implementation in a historically underperforming school district. The overarching goal was to understand the collaborative inquiry experience in a lesson study that focused on teaching the…

Engaging students in valuable undergraduate research can be an arduous task to craft outside of the regular schedule of both staff and students. This paper describes a successful research experience that was part of an ongoing methods class for undergraduate pre-service education students. Participants simultaneously engaged in community service…

This quantitative study examined the change in Master in Teaching students' attitudes toward civic action and service self-efficacy after participating in academic service-learning with K-2 youth at school-university partnership sites. Study participants completed the Civic Attitudes and Skills Questionnaire (CASQ) and the Community Service…