This article provides a conceptual clarification of the complementary relationship between teachers' research literacy and their role-based agency. In many countries, teachers are increasingly expected to actively use and develop research. However, without taking account of teachers' distinct conditions of agency, this expectation may weaken…

Department chairs are crucial in impacting departmental climate, conveying expectations, and providing merit assessments. Therefore, they have the most influence in retaining highly qualified faculty. Most department chairs come from the faculty ranks and lack formal training in key management, communication, and administrative skills, including…

In response to the need for graduates to tackle global, complex problems, higher education is increasing attention towards approaches that cross the boundaries of disciplinary thinking. However, while students can benefit from learning across disciplines, employability practitioners can also benefit. Transdisciplinary approaches can prompt…

This paper explores the relationship between workforce competence, migration, and quality improvement in the Asia-Pacific through analysis of Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy texts from three East Asia Summit countries. Content (word level) analysis of salient policy texts was undertaken to address two questions: How are culture and…

The collection of papers presented in this issue of Critical Studies in Education adds to the expansive body of work on teachers and teaching. Collectively, the papers draw our attention to new ways the field is problematising the emerging and evolving conditions that shape the work, lives and identities of teachers. With this editorial…

Do teachers spend more time on actual teaching and learning in a typical lesson compared to previous years? Do they feel prepared to teach when they start teaching? What sort of continuous professional development programmes do they participate in and how does it impact their practice? This report looks first at how teachers apply their knowledge…

Principals play a vital role in determining school culture. This culture sets the context within which staff and students work; therefore, it is important that school leaders strive to create a positive culture. This paper examines collaboration, development of staff, provision of resources, transparency of vision, management of workplace stress,…

This paper advances our understanding of how schools can become change agents capable of transforming local practice to address the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. It presents a novel application of cultural-historical activity theory to reinterpret evidence on widespread learning loss and increasing educational inequities resulting…

There has been a growing interest in and research on the construction of teachers' professional identity and parameters of practice among researchers worldwide. This piece examines the nature of teachers' perceptions about their professionalism and practice. It also explores teacher isolation stemming from assumptions related to…

The Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) AISD Survey gathers information about school conditions from the educators working in schools. TELL obtains perceptions on a variety of issues related to student achievement and staff retention. In 2016, 5,309 AISD teachers (91%) and 3,092 other campus employees completed the survey. This full…

Since 2005, the AISD Central Office Work Environment Survey has been conducted to gather information about working conditions. The following report presents the survey results for Spring 2012 through Spring 2016 for AISD central office employees in the Human Capital Office.

This article focuses on the presence and experiences of Latina academics in the U.S., especially those who serve in Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Following the theme of this special issue related to Women of Color Faculty's "Testimonios" and "Laberintos," the authors add to the notion of academia as a labyrinth…

The Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) AISD Survey is a unique opportunity to gather information about school conditions from those whose views matter most--practicing educators. This report is for the 2013-2014 school year.

In 2013, the Austin Independent School District began administering a voluntary online exit survey to all professional and administrative employees leaving the district. Responses and respondent characteristics are described for 2014. A separate research brief also was published. [For the research brief, see ED626496.]

The Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) AISD Survey provides information about school conditions from those whose views matter most--educators. The survey addresses a variety of issues related to student achievement and staff retention. This report summarizes results from the 2012-2013 school year.