The main aim of efforts to improve teaching is to create conditions that are more supportive of student learning and social development. The most tangible output of teaching activities occurs during the teaching activities conducted in the classroom environment. It is therefore reasonable to focus on what happens in the classroom to improve…

This chapter discusses the issues and challenges of teacher professional development and education quality improvement initiatives in Indonesia. Indonesian education reform presents one exemplary case of global education reform and education transfer--its reform initiatives have been influenced by foreign educational theory, policy, and pedagogy.…

Learning requires effort, but children cannot try hard at everything. Here, we evaluated whether children use their improvement over time to decide whether to stick with a challenge. To eliminate the effect of individual differences in ability or prior knowledge, we created a novel paradigm that allowed us to surreptitiously control children's…

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been widely researched, but it has not been studied within the context of school leadership in Abu Dhabi. The present study aimed to explore EI in the praxis of school leaders and managers by applying Goleman's five EI dimensions--self-awareness, empathy, managing emotions, motivating oneself and others, and social…

The challenges state education agencies (SEAs) must address are exceedingly complex, requiring sophisticated levels of thinking and problem-solving as well as the ability to leverage disparate points of view in finding impactful solutions. These challenges are technical, requiring specific and known solutions to achieve desired results. To provide…

School reform and improvement are driven by individuals, often working alongside each other. Drawing on in-depth interviews with researchers, philanthropists, and school improvement staff in Chicago, Philadelphia, and NYC, I found that education reformers employed varying logics and strategies even as they worked toward similar goals:…

In the online classroom environment, interactions with colleagues are far more limited than if in an a face-to-face teaching environment. Yet, there are still opportunities to correspond, share, and collaborate with them, and these colleagues come in a variety of personalities, subject expertise, and teaching abilities. Just believing that every…

From the 1950s and onwards, Pierre Parlebas developed an original approach to education, which over time has spread beyond the borders of France. This study focuses on how Parlebas was led to develop the concept of an "alter-education of sport" and analyses those concepts through the lens of contemporary democratic societies. It will…

Curriculum matters far more than most people realize. In this booklet the author shares foundational and fundamental curriculum concerns that teachers should consider and build upon in the hope that they can regain their rightful position of curricular experts. Practice-oriented versions of scholarly matters (not watered-down ones) are what…

This guidebook is designed to improve instructional supervisory skills of school leaders, teaching practices of teachers, and, eventually, learners' learning outcomes. With the goal of establishing Communities of Practice in schools, this guidebook will surely be a stepping stone towards improving the quality of education in the Philippines. [This…

This policy brief examines the impact of Solution Tree's PLC at Work® process on student achievement in Texas schools. Using a quasi-experimental design and statewide data, we found that students in Model PLC Schools made meaningful academic gains, averaging 3.1 months of additional learning in math and 2 months in reading compared to similar…

This report evaluates the impact of the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process on student academic achievement over a three-year period in Texas public schools. Drawing on linked administrative data from the University of Houston Education Research Center (UH-ERC), the study uses a quasi-experimental approach to compare…

Even though an instructional designer may not have formal authority or direct reports, to be successful, they need leadership skills. Although the literature calls for instructional designers to possess several critical leadership skills, it does not consistently present the same important skills and often defines them very broadly. Further,…

This paper analyzes some of the causes of low diversity in school settings and the benefits of working to create more diverse and inclusive environments. The goal is to offer all children an equal opportunity for educational experiences. Included is an analysis of the challenges schools are faced with when it comes to building diverse school…

Teaching resources and professional development based on mathematics education research have the potential to support teachers to develop and sustain improved pedagogies. The Queensland Department of Education provided online professional learning modules for teachers of Prep (Foundation) to Year 10 mathematics. To support implementation of the…