Within the frameworks of Sociocultural theory, particularly Vygotskian sociocultural theory and ZPD, Lave and Wenger's CoP, and contemporary sociocultural theory, this paper seeks to examine the unfavourable scholarly portrayal of learners and their identities based on learners' behaviours, attitudes, and beliefs about the social element of…

This article provides an overview of National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) state affiliate, Arkansas Professors of Educational Administration's (ARPEA), activities, accomplishments, and advocacy efforts. Faced with numerous changes being implemented in education in the state, it became imperative for ARPEA's…

Open data sharing promises to accelerate the pace of discovery in the developmental and learning sciences, but significant technical, policy, and cultural barriers have limited its adoption. As a result, most research on learning and development remains shrouded in a culture of isolation. Data sharing is the rare exception (Gilmore, 2016). Many…

Teachers are key to the delivery of quality science education experiences in Australian classrooms. In achieving this, there is a need for teachers to be better supported in thinking reflexively and critically about their practice. The Centre for Science, Mathematics and Technology Education (CSMTE) at Monash University took action to address this…

The future of faculty development rests, in part, on forming guided "communities of practice" to foster the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), which may enhance both scholarly productivity and pedagogical effectiveness. This article will discuss University of North Georgia's SoTL Academy, which bridges geographic and scheduling…

This article reports findings from a case study carried out in a Swedish municipality focusing on a school-to-school collaboration established to support implementation of a nation-wide curriculum. The aim was to study how ideas for improvements in this temporary organisation were transferred to the local schools. The findings presented are…

Within the South African context, early childhood development (ECD) is receiving increasing attention at both government and civil society levels. This has resulted in children accessing ECD services in increasing numbers. But although access may open the doors to learning, it does not ensure a quality early learning experience for children. The…

As states adopt more rigorous academic standards, schools must define how special education fits into standards-aligned curricula, instruction, and assessment. Utilizing PLC practices, general and special educators must develop collaborative partnerships in order to close the achievement gap and maximize learning for all. The authors encourage…

Literacy and technology have historically informed and transformed each other. This mutual interaction creates cultural shifts that redefine what it means to be literate, and also impact the ways in which literacy is taught in contemporary classrooms. Literacy teaching and learning has been the focus of much study during the past 50 years…

The purpose of this study was to determine variance in mean levels of teacher self-efficacy (TSE) and its three factors--efficacy in student engagement (EIS), efficacy in instructional strategies (EIS), and efficacy in classroom management (ECM)--based on participation and time spent in professional learning communities (PLCs). In this…

Drawing on a sociocultural view of learning as acculturation into the distinct social language of academic communities, this study reports the developmental impacts of an intervention program designed to prepare students from a comprehensive urban high school for the rigors of college reading and writing. Statistical analysis of students' pre-,…

Research indicates that teachers benefit from education coursework in their preparation that provides opportunities to develop and practice pedagogical understandings (Darling-Hammond, 2000, 2006). Research also indicates that opportunities to enact learning from coursework are beneficial in teacher efficacy development within teacher preparation…

As teacher collaboration becomes an increasingly common goal in school organization, teachers' experiences and perspectives in a Structured Collaboration Environment remain under-examined. This qualitative case study explored how teachers participated in collaborative work, the outcomes of collaboration, and supports and obstacles to productive…

The purpose of this study was to understand what knowledge, skills, and practices teacher leaders learn from exercising leadership with other teachers in their school settings and how, if at all, they learn from experience and in communities of practice (CoPs), that is, groups of people with shared interest in a particular domain (Lave &…

As a profession, we must have a shift in both perspective and practice to transform teaching at all levels. Are pre-service education classrooms preparing students to be flexible, adapt to new situations, and rely on their own expertise and understanding while seeking support when needed? Lieberman and Miller (2004) identify the following shifts…