Test-based accountability (TBA) draws on a managerialist ideology that emphasises standards, constant measurement, and external motivation for improvement. It stands in sharp contrast to the idea of professional learning communities (PLCs) that aim to mobilise teachers' internal motivation and willingness to cooperate with peers to facilitate a…

Peer review of teaching (PRT) programs have the capacity to address the practice imperative of evaluating and enhancing teaching practice, and the ethical imperative of safeguarding and promoting educator wellbeing, which is intrinsically linked to student wellbeing. This article outlines the practice-led development of an institution-wide,…

This collaborative self-study explored the teaching experiences of five faculty members who focused on elevating student experiences in their online/hybrid courses. The researchers were interested in assessment and feedback mechanisms to center students' learning, de-emphasize grading, and engage in equitable practices. A basic qualitative…

This article describes a collaborative self-study of seven early career mathematics teacher educators. Our collective group sought to improve our practice in, and enhance transparency around, supporting prospective teachers as they engaged in equity-based mathematics pedagogies. The collaboration evolved into a critical friendship and provided a…

The wide range of learning needs in elementary and secondary general education classrooms presents both a challenge and an opportunity for general and special education teachers. It is critical for teacher self-efficacy and student success that teachers believe they are equipped with the knowledge and instructional strategies to plan and implement…

The teaching and learning of self-study research have received increased attention in recent years, although there is still limited research about the learning of self-study. In this article, we share results from a self-study community of practice that describes how one group of novice teacher-educator-researchers learned self-study in a doctoral…

Background/Context: This study contributes to ongoing work in professional learning communities, self-study, and reflection. It offers a structure and a process rooted in a philosophy of practice grounded in various thinkers like Dewey, Rogers, Curran, Freire, Gattegno, Greene, and Carini. Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore…

The purpose of this study was to explore how Responsive Classroom's Morning Meetings led by trained teachers (N = 9) improved students' (N = 85) sense of belonging in their classrooms in a public K-5 elementary school in New York State. This eight-week mixed methods study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, used improvement science in two…

The role of heads of schools or departments in universities has been described as complex and challenging. Despite growing calls for greater support for those in middle leadership roles, there has been little research on what effective preparation or support programmes look like. This article reports on an evaluation of a professional learning and…

This article describes the process of developing a pilot learning community at East Tennessee State University, focusing on the collaboration of academic and student affairs administrators. Exploring how the literature on the integration of high impact practices, namely learning communities, service-learning, and domestic travel study informed our…

To organize for the improvement of science instruction teachers need opportunities to collaboratively learn from practice, in practice, and to engage in the revision of classroom tools. In this paper, we examine how a professional learning community (PLC), comprised of middle school teachers and researchers, worked on the improvement of Ambitious…

There is growing awareness of the importance of dispositional attributes to effective performance, both during college and in the workplace. In this paper, we examine multiple facets of dispositional learning such as fluid intelligence and interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies, and explain why participation in well-designed high-impact…

Aims: This paper details the evaluation of a reflective learning programme developed by educational psychologists for school leaders in exploring the implementation of compassionate, relational approaches in schools, using an integrated whole school framework. Rationale: Whole school approaches have been highlighted as central to improving the…

In this case, a high school vice-principal encounters tension and anger when she rewrites a staff member's report card comments without his knowledge. The case narrative examines the conflict that arises when, under time constraints and pressures to produce student reports, the vice-principal acts on a decision she believes is ethically correct…

Reflection is a high-impact practice in education. This paper explores the premise, approach, and outcomes of a learning community centered on scholarly engagement with the literature of reflection. Using the reflection model operationalized by a national consortium, we developed, implemented, and assessed reflection activities designed to create…