Many schools have embraced the idea of professional learning communities (PLC's). While the term is used to describe many types of collaborative activities, PLC's are most successful when they focus intently on improving student learning. In these communities of learners there is a shared commitment to continually learn and act on that learning in…

Schools seeking to increase student achievement often employ professional development strategies to institute instructional reforms, yet research offers little guidance on how leadership behaviors might support professional development aimed at district reform and instructional change. This qualitative case study examined the following research…

Despite positive outcomes associated with family engagement, many schools and districts still struggle to cultivate meaningful relationships with community members. This document identifies issues surrounding family engagement and poses questions for policymakers to consider. The authors describe the following engagement issues and offer questions…

When addressing the best ways to utilize high school visits, education professionals must remember that while student academic preparation, family support and financial aid improve student access to postsecondary education, the adult tutelage provided to students, regarding the requirements for postsecondary success and the process of securing…

Two recent peer-reviewed studies support the need to update the traditional school design model that has remained fundamentally unchanged for over a century. In a 2011 study published by the American Educational Research Journal, entitled "Problem-Based Learning in K-12 Education," Clarice Wirkala and Deanna Kuhn document a 200-500…

In an effort to foreground the impact of the material environment on faculty activities, this study examines the dynamic intersections among faculty work practices, the academic workplace and professional identity. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 16 social science faculty at one public university in the United States, this study reveals the…

The use of Short Blended Online Training (SBOT) for the development of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a promising approach to facilitate the use of e-learning by academics. Adult learners prefer the blend of pedagogies such as the presentation, demonstration, practice and feedback if they are structured and…

Good teachers are lifelong learners and want to meet the needs of all of the students in the classroom. Yet, they never have all the answers. Many teachers have found themselves in a predicament of uncertainty and have become apprehensive about their own practices. They can benefit from professional development and supports. Through collaborative…

Knowledge Management (KM) and Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) have attracted attention over the past two decades and are meanwhile considered as important means to increase individual and organizational performance. There is, however, a wide agreement that traditional KM and TEL models have failed to cope with the fast-paced change and critical…

Impending changes in Australian education brings forth the expected transformation of teachers working in schools. Three key points for transforming Australian schools has been identified by Gillard (2008a) including the improvement of quality teaching, ensuring every child benefits and mandating transparency and accountability. A number of…

Situation: Graphic design education is subject to substantial changes. Changes in professional practice and higher education aggravate insecurities about the contents and structure of courses, assessment criteria, relations between practice, research and theory and teaching methods. Assumption: Graphic design education (visual communication design…

In the fall of 2007--aware that the continuing professional development of teachers is paramount to quality education--John Baird, head of Westtown School (Pennsylvania), asked the faculty Professional Development Committee (PDC), consisting of faculty representatives from all three divisions of the school, to design a "professional growth…

This mixed-method study focuses on the impact of using electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) in a graduate capstone course as a tool for increasing students' critical thinking and self-directed learning. The primary results indicate that the e-portfolio, as both a tool and a process, shows great potential. This study also reveals the capacity of…

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher's conceptions of teaching in ways that foster inquiry-based learning in the science curriculum (inquiry teaching). The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the…

Purpose: This article seeks to report on a research inquiry that explored the educational praxis of ethical school leaders in Chile. Behaving ethically is an imperative for school leaders. Being an ethical educational leader is something different. It is not only about behaving according to standards, but also rather involves an ethical way of…