Improving STEM education is pivotal to our country's economic future and security. Unfortunately, most young students have limited access to standards-based science education. Science instruction is notoriously difficult to implement in the early grades. This dissertation explored the root causes for the lack of effective science instruction in…

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…

Continuous improvement is about learning from mistakes and experiences to improve in the future. However, students' perceptions of how continuous improvement practices affect their social and emotional skills have not been considered. The literature that exists neglects to include the perception of elementary students' social and emotional skills…

The purpose of this two-phased, mixed-method action research study was to investigate the impact of a professional learning community's collective teacher efficacy and their practice of collective inquiry in closing the achievement gap of eighth-grade social studies English language learners. The research questions guiding this research: 1. How…

Build collective teacher efficacy and students' mathematical thinking using the Mathematics in a PLC at Work™ lesson-design process. This second edition of the popular "Mathematics Instruction and Tasks" book guides preK-12 teacher teams in ensuring improved mathematics achievement. Gain new and enhanced understanding of…

This study aims to explore how gamification elements influence the development of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) in an online project-based programming course conducted on Facebook. We formed student groups by using a quasi-experimental design from students studying in the computer science department. While both courses were project-based, the…

This article reports on how mathematics teachers connect face-to-face and virtual professional learning communities by expanding the notion of lurker and broker within both environments. Through an analysis of 18 interviews with K-12 mathematics teachers, categories of participation are presented to describe the nuances between the ways…

Purpose: Drawing on the concept of community of practice, the purpose of this study was to explore Brazilian physical education teachers' experiences of nurturing a community of practice online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This was an action research project, and the participants were 13 high school physical education teachers (one of…

The goal of the study was to examine the factors that drove early childhood teachers to accept a leadership role in professional learning communities (PLCs), their perceptions of the role's characteristics and the implications of taking on an additional role beyond the teaching of kindergarten-age children. This qualitative study included 30…

This article examines collaboration between teachers in the 'more teachers than classes' (PMQC) French scheme implemented from 2013 in primary schools receiving a high number of pupils with learning difficulties. Based on concepts of teacher professional learning, teachers' shared-work and the learning community, the research aims to highlight the…

Using data from a 2-year empirical project in an urban school within the United States, this article describes how educators of preschool, transitional-kindergarten and kindergarten (PreK-TK-K) altered perceptions and practices as a result of participating in a purposefully crafted professional learning community using collaborative enquiry.…

Special educators working with students with emotional and behavioral disorders often report experiencing collegial isolation, exclusion from school communities, and high levels of burnout and stress. At the same time, many special educators have limited professional development and networking opportunities, which could mitigate these negative…

This report, the fifth in the "On Shared Equity Leadership series," explores ways to build capacity for the work of shared equity leadership (SEL) in higher education. SEL is a leadership approach that scales diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work and creates culture change by connecting individual and organizational transformation.…

Universities in South Africa have the potential to advance various dimensions of human development, including well-being. However, this potential can be constrained by historical processes of oppression and the negation of indigenous ways of being and doing. Applying the capabilities approach (Sen, 1999) as a normative framework for the outcomes…

This article examines the formation and impact of a supportive networking community of practice (CoP) for women faculty and staff at a university in the southeastern U.S. Barriers to success for women in higher education, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, are discussed. The framework of systems convening and the ways in which the CoP…