There are proliferations of lateral networks in the education system. This study investigates the functioning of lateral networks of teachers in a centralized system, focusing on the enabling structures and processes that afford the development of teacher agency. A multiple case study design was adapted to examine how structures and processes…

The concepts Open Distance (ODL) and the Open Educational Resources (OER) are central to Higher Education around the globe. Although the OER are understood to be freely available online material that anyone can use for teaching and learning purposes, there is some evidence to suggest that majority of students in the African continent do not use…

Virtual communities of faculty practice (CoP) provide support for and supplement the demanding doctoral curriculum with the purpose of assisting doctoral students through a holistic support system. This virtual community provides a positive private environment where faculty engage, share, and discuss current research questions or issues to…

This descriptive case study explored literacy preservice teachers' (PTs) learning for the use of practice-based research and the impact of research experiences on their literacy teaching. This project spanned two courses and two contexts: a learning and development course focused on PTs' stance as inquirers, activists, and practice-based…

This study explores the role that social networking sites play in the learning of post-graduate trainee teachers. It is part of a larger study that explored the role that technologies played in student learning via a Networked Learning framework. It draws upon the content posted to closed groups on social network sites, such as Facebook and…

New art teachers find themselves in the position of negotiating, among other things: the knowledge gained in university courses, their own past experiences as students in K-12 schools, pervasive social and cultural myths of teaching, the fact that teaching is ultimately an indeterminable act, and the complex relations of contemporary neoliberal…

This paper provides insight into the thinking that informed the design of a programme delivered in blended learning mode with the explicit intent to establish a learning environment conducive to the development of vibrant and robust communities of practices (CoPs). Within the higher education context, the explicit articulation of learning design…

This article presents a case study aiming to encourage and support principals from six countries to work in Principal Professional Learning Communities (PPLCs) to enhance their leadership competencies and foster strong leadership for school development and teacher learning. We argue that the need for principals to participate in a PLC is a…

The analysis of professional community is a good indicator of the degree of professional and institutional development of a school. The Professional Learning Community Assessment--Revised (PLCA-R) is one of the most internationally-recognised instruments for evaluating professional learning and collegiality in primary and secondary schools.…

This paper reflects upon the development of the Harper Adams University Community of Practice for Exemplars (CoPfE). The University's aspiration for greater use of formative feedback was the catalyst for the creation of the CoPfE. Through informal monthly sessions members share experience, expertise and findings from their use of exemplars.…

Human Anatomy and Physiology I is a rigorous course where developing strong study habits poses a challenge that many students have difficulty overcoming. In an attempt to help students better prepare for exams and improve their overall performance, we introduced incentives for participating in study groups. Here we examine the possible impact…

Many statistics departments in institutions throughout the world hire graduate students to teach and assist with the teaching of undergraduate and graduate-level statistics courses. As many of these graduate student instructors and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) have little or no previous experience teaching statistics, statistics departments…

The "Valuing Voices" project (funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation) offered an opportunity to reconsider the territorial boundaries of learning in the arts by a group of teachers, artists, pupils and university lecturers. This article will consider the importance of the troubling or discomfort exposed within the processes of learning over…

Much has been written in recent years about research methods used when conducting research with and about children, with many approaches taking cognizance of the children's rights agenda. This article proposes adopting a philosophical approach, through Community of Philosophical Inquiry (CoPI), as a research method that pays attention to…

Education is under a radical transformation in the current innovation-driven knowledge age. The instructor-student collaborative partnership has the potential to transform education from traditional instructor-directed, transmissive teaching to active, participatory student-centered learning. However, relevant inquiry indicates the conceptual,…