Fullan (1998) stated, "Student achievement increases substantially in schools with collaborative work cultures that foster a professional learning community among teachers and others" (p. 8). Vandevoort, Amrein-Beardsley, and Berliner (2004) also found that the quality of the teacher in the classroom is the single most important factor…

Although rare when compared to other crimes or disasters that occur on college or university campuses, active shootings still affect educational institutions. These campus shootings are also heavily publicized in the media; therefore, everyone can see the damage these tragedies cause. However, while various strategies and plans exist to help in…

This is the introductory chapter of the volume, "Using Digital Resources to Enhance Language Learning: Case Studies in Italian." The volume includes papers presented at the Society for Italian Studies (SIS) Biennial Conference, held in Oxford, UK in 2015. SIS's stated aim is "to further the study of Italy, Italian language,…

Educational leaders often search for professional development opportunities that are within the context of the classroom where new research-based instructional practices can be observed and incorporated into the teachers' practices. Instructional coaching and co-teaching have been recognized as means for accomplishing this, while at the same time…

This qualitative case study focused on how school leaders' understandings of (dis)ability were implicated in decision-making and affected student (dis)enrollment in Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK). More specifically it explored how leaders in private VPK programs invoked conceptions of normality, and subsequently abnormality,…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the lived experiences of enlisted military veterans living in the United States, seeking employment in the civilian workforce after transitioning from active duty military service. This study also explored the enlisted military veterans' perceived effectiveness of the redesigned…

Education that adequately prepares students for the 21st-century global innovation economy must encourage secondary students to practice applied creativity. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of secondary educators in Connecticut who encouraged students to practice applied creativity. One…

The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore and describe intentional spiritual formation practices used with third and fourth grade students enrolled in Association for Christian Schools International (ACSI) member schools. The study took place in four elementary school settings in two different states, using a replication design with…

This research explored how three teachers' subjectivities permeated their teaching lives, and how the emergence of self-insight was made available for deep exploration, potentially enabling these teachers to engage more fully with others in the context of teaching. Psychoanalytic theory was used to explore how teachers' narratives take shape and…

This study presents a portrait of a White high school English teacher in an effort to understand the relationship between her White racial identity and her teaching about racism within a unit on "A Raisin in the Sun" in a predominantly White teaching context. The author argues that the teacher's ambivalent White racial identity…

In 2007, Eve Bernstein started her doctoral research examining how students perceive competitive activities in physical education class. The literature in physical education explored many of the variables that create a successful competitive activity for students in these classes. Factors such as time and appropriate practice, skill progression,…

This study explored the process followed by a small manufacturing company in a rural area to implement a planned training program to develop the technical skills of its engineering/production workers as the company expands its operation. A case study design was used. Data was collected over an eight-month period by the examination of documents,…

Imagining what it was like to live in the past may help secondary school students to understand historical developments and situations. In this case study, the opportunities of a drama task are explored by using a mixed-method approach. In small groups, Dutch 14-15-year-old students examined historical sources and produced a short film clip on…

Today's individuals are expected to have skills in many areas as a natural consequence of the advances that have been taking place in society and technology. Particularly in developed countries, these skills are also called 21st century skills. Critical, creative and reflective thinking, problem solving and keeping up with the digital age (digital…

An extensive focus on written language in early literacy instruction and assessment for emergent bilinguals places students at a disadvantage since they are learning English as a new language. Typically, classroom instruction has a narrow view of literacy and is dominated by a focus on tested skills, with little emphasis on the diverse backgrounds…