Two well-accepted ideas among educators are (a) performance assessment is an effective means of assessing higher-order thinking skills and (b) data-driven instruction planning is a valuable tool for optimizing student learning. This article describes a locally developed performance task (LDPT) designed to measure critical thinking, problem…

Using narrative inquiry as a research method, four mathematics and mathematics education faculty members explored the integration of theoretical perspectives into their personal narratives as they developed a community of practice. Initially their focus was strictly on improving their students' mathematical knowledge. As their community of…

The purpose of this study was to explore how participation in iterative cycles of a modified model of lesson study could potentially provide preservice teachers opportunities to develop the ability to notice students' science thinking. Using a case study approach, we examined how six preservice teachers illustrated aspects of "professional…

This qualitative study explored faculty members' and senior level administrators' views of intelligence studies, communities of practice, and learning approaches. A focus group interview, individual interviews, and a review of documents were the sources of data for the study. Themes emerging from the investigation were strategies to connect…

Teachers hold the greatest potential impact on student achievement compared to every other in-school factor. Yet schools with the greatest needs, those with a high percentage of low-income students and students of color, face the greatest teacher and leader turnover. They also often have less experienced and less effective teachers, according to…

In Japan, like most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, students have few opportunities to use English in daily life, and this limits their ability to develop their language skills. To address this, many teachers provide homework tasks and guide students towards autonomous learning. In an effort to do the latter, a private Facebook group…

This study analyzes teachers' reflective conversations occurring while viewing authentic classroom video captures within a professional learning network. Select video recordings of participating teachers of the PLN were presented in both a small group and large group context. Members of the research team facilitated the discussions and guiding…

This paper investigates student responses to two tools used to create learning environments that encourage the sharing of ideas and discussion in online asynchronous university courses.

Professionals' knowledge and decisions influence all facets of modern life. Some might argue that professionals' learning and work are not terribly different to other vocational practitioners. The authors are among those who accept, first, that professional practice is a particular domain of vocational learning and work, and second, that…

In 2013-2014, the Governors State University (GSU) Honors Program was faced with a need to evolve from a two-year honors program serving juniors and seniors only to a four-year honors program. This need was born out of the university's transition to a four-year university in 2014-2015. This mandate led to some concerns that the author, the newly…

In vocational education students are to be prepared to participate in communities of practice. Hence they need technical skills as well as content knowledge e.g. science and mathematics. Research has shown that the instructional strategy of guided co-construction may lead to deeper understandings within a practice. The research questions in this…

Rebecca Van Tassell struggled during her first years as a science teacher. She knew her colleagues had good ideas to share, but she never got to see them in action, so she started a walk-through club in which she and a few colleagues visited one another's classrooms and discussed what they saw. The group met every two weeks, after having…

STEM Studio at Hofstra University is a clinical practice site that brings together public school pupils and preservice teachers in settings with three features that lead to enhanced learning of all participants: classroom structures using multidisciplinary STEM tasks as platforms for learning; design challenge templates for diverse student…

The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) is a formative assessment that provides feedback to schools on the research-based leadership practices necessary to improve teaching and learning. Instead of focusing on an individual leader, CALL measures leadership practices in tasks carried out by actors across the school and…

The changes in academic identity a teacher may undergo, as they modify their teaching practice, will vary depending on their experiences and the support they receive. In this paper, we describe the shifts in academic identity of two lecturers, a mathematician and a mathematics educator, as they both made changes to their teaching practice by…