Action research is characterized by research that is done by teachers for themselves. It allows teachers to study their own classrooms in order to better understand them and to be able to improve their quality or effectiveness. Montessori modeled and laid the foundation for teachers to carefully observe, reflect on their observations, plan for…

In this article I describe and reflect on my evolving understandings of the study of mentoring since the publication of the 2005 article in the Journal of Teacher Education. My reflective journey suggests stressing two assertions to the study of mentoring. One, that there is a need to develop a more multidimensional and integrated conception of…

Inspired by Freire's principle of dialogue, in this article we present a series of dialogues and critical syntheses between a science teacher-researcher with 35 years of experience and an early-career science teacher-researcher. We explore being in-between academic research in science education and high school teaching. Following Anzaldúa's…

This semi-structured interview is an attempt to examine how an experienced scholar (Ian Westbury) of curriculum might interpret both recent developments and the current atmosphere of curriculum by paying attention to the history that has taken it to the present. During a career that spans more than five decades, Ian Westbury has established…

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) remains a mostly elusive notion. For universities to genuinely contribute to SoTL, they must delineate clear parameters of engagement. For example, while some engage SoTL at the academic level, others examine it from an institutional policy perspective. Others view it from national and international…

Research practice partnerships (RPP) intend to blur the lines of traditional teacher and researcher roles. Teachers who participate in RPPs gain experiences in research activities such as identifying problems of practice, designing research methods and data collection tools, collecting and analyzing data. They learn to be critical consumers of…

Likening education to the railway helped reconceptualise my understanding of social justice and contributed to my research on race-making in the classroom. Education and the railway are similar in how they underpin experiences, mobilities, opportunities and limitations in life. For example, boarding a train makes a range of destinations available,…

"Impressing Heaven" is the title of my collection of short stories about career decisions and experience interacting in English on the part of actual young adult learners of English as a foreign language in South Korea. (See "Impressing Heaven" by Barbara Waldern, July 2012 Smashwords ISBN: 9781476467023). While I was first…

This article initially provides a brief overview of virtue epistemology; it thereafter considers some possible ramifications of this branch of the theory of knowledge for the philosophy of education. The main features of three different manifestations of virtue epistemology are first explained. Importantly, it is then maintained that developments…

Educators addressing humanness helps bring into focus a concept that developing a broad, liberal, critical, cynical, skeptical, and tolerant mind leads to truth seeking, personal freedom and autonomy, improved pedagogy, and ultimately, higher-quality living. It is not enough for teacher and student to come together in dialogue to gain knowledge of…

This article calls for all educators (teachers, administrators, counselors, supervisors) to implement systematic reflection and action research in their day-to-day professional activities. Additionally, it invites readers to go one step beyond to publish-- thus making their findings public. Relevant resources and suggestions for further reading…

Higher education institutions are more diverse than ever before, as are the students they serve. Because of this great diversity, there is no silver bullet--one approach--that will work for teaching all students in all circumstances. This book offers a succinct description of several pedagogical paths available to faculty that can actively engage…

Participants in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest-Teagle Collegium on Student Learning examined recent work in the cognitive sciences, tested the theories through classroom interventions and experiments, and sought to improve student learning through the application of metacognitive practices. They focused especially on the importance of…

In recent years, policy documents, curricula and other educational initiatives have promoted a pedagogy founded on the concept of independent learning. This is broadly defined as "having the belief in yourself to think through learning activities, problems or challenges, make decisions about your learning and act upon those decisions".…

Educational Leadership in Teaching Excellence (EnLITE) is a one-year program (Sept to Aug) at the University of Guelph. It is designed to engage mid-career faculty in the theory, practice and scholarship of teaching and learning, and to establish and support a faculty community of practice which provides mentorship and leadership in teaching and…