Integrated science-and-literacy programs have proven to positively affect both language proficiency and science knowledge. Because making connections is important in both text comprehension and understanding the disciplinary core ideas taught in science, it seems worthwhile to explore the potential of integrating text structure instruction in…

The question of how to create a common framework for teaching (a science of the art of teaching) has often been a topic of discussion. As a result of Lesson Study, such a framework has emerged in Japan for science education. Outside Japan, however, creating a common framework for teaching has appeared to be far from easy. This article focuses on…

In secondary science education, students often do not feel engaged with the scientific concepts that are taught, which hinders conceptual learning. This lack of engagement can be overcome by fictional placemaking. Therefore, the purpose of our design-based research is to explore how the creation and use of fictional places lead to meaningful…

While Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is recognised as an effective approach worldwide, its implementation in foreign language (FL) classrooms remains difficult. Earlier studies have identified factors impeding CLT implementation, such as a lack of communicative lesson materials or teachers' more traditional views on language learning. In…

This study aims to characterise teachers' "integrated" content-language learning pedagogies teaching the skills-focused subject "Global Perspectives" (GP) in Dutch bilingual upper-secondary-schools. Eleven teachers from seven bilingual schools across the Netherlands participated in the study in the school-year 2016-2017. To…

This study combines the Japanese lesson study approach and mathematics teachers' professional development. The first year of a 4-year project in which 3 Dutch secondary school teachers worked cooperatively on introducing making sense of the calculus is reported. The analysis focusses on instrumental and relational student understanding of…

In a self-study the main author examines the difficulties and challenges his students experience in their literary development. The central question is: How can my teaching support students in their literary development? This self-study is supported by a research group, examining together one literature lesson given by the main author, striving…

Adapting support contingently to student needs by first diagnosing their current understanding, that is, scaffolding, is considered a key aspect of excellent teaching. The use of classroom scaffolding is rare, however. We therefore investigated the benefits to teachers of a professional development program that was based upon a model of contingent…

In the Netherlands, the "iceberg model," developed by the Freudenthal Institute, has been used to support teacher identification of informal and preformal representations that build students' understanding of formal mathematics. This article offers suggestions on how this model can be used to support professional development,…

The present study deals with a school-based professional development trajectory for secondary science teachers, aiming at scaffolding teachers in open-inquiry teaching for the topic of water quality. Its design was based on the leading principle of "guiding by scaffolding". Seven experienced teachers participated in institutional…

The definition of "English language classroom" is changing. When students have the opportunity to learn content and language at the same time, disciplinary boundaries overlap. Teachers are rethinking how they design courses, plan lessons, assess students, and collaborate with colleagues to support student learning and facilitate their…