This multiple case study investigated 143 teachers' responses to focus group questions about their experiences with the simultaneous implementation of three disruptive innovations as part of the U.S. Race-to-the-Top (RTTT) agenda: the Common Core Learning Standards, data-driven instruction, and annual professional performance reviews. We asked:…

As more and more cities and states diversify the educational options available to parents and students, creating magnet, open-enrollment, small school, career and technical, charter, and private school opportunities, educational choice markets need to become a part of the regulation conversation. In this report, Mike McShane examines the…

A major area of concern in academia is that of student retention at the university, college, and departmental levels. As academics, there is a considerable amount that we can do to improve student retention, and reduce the attrition rates in our departments. One way to solve this is to take an innovative approach in the classroom to enhance the…

Background: Afterschool programs offer significant opportunities to increase physical activity levels and improve academic performance of children. Purpose: This study assessed an innovative approach to embed physical activity into science lessons in an afterschool community setting. Methods: Participants were 47 boys and girls (age = 10.8 ± 0.7…

The academic staff of the institutions of higher education plays a key role in the implementation of innovations in the study process. This article aims to analyze the views of students, pre-service teachers, on the role of innovations and traditions in the work of the academic staff at their institution of higher education. The survey data from…

This article features an interview with Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings. In this interview, Hastings relates that he told the "Wall Street Journal" in 2008 that he started looking at education--trying to figure out why our education is lagging when our technology is increasing at great rates and there's great innovation in so many other areas…

With increased attention to measurable, common student achievement outcomes, the experience of both students and teachers has been overlooked. While measurable outcomes may possess value, they have served to shift the focus of schools, administrators, and teachers to writing curriculum that centers on assessable content learning rather than…

From the researchers' perspective, the study aimed to identify factors affecting the functionality of postgraduate programs in natural sciences and engineering in a north-western Mexican state. Through the typical cases method, 25 researchers who worked in six doctorate programs in the region were selected. From the perception of these…

Every sector of the U.S. economy is working on ways to deliver services in a more customized manner. If all goes well, education is headed in the same direction. Personalized learning and globally benchmarked academic standards (a.k.a. Common Core) are the focus of most major school districts and charter school networks. Educators and parents know…

The information in this Eurydice Brief is drawn from the report, "Modernisation of higher education in Europe 2014: access, retention and employability." The report is the second in a series examining the evolution of the European Commission's modernisation agenda for higher education in Europe. Information for the report was gathered…

Mobile technology is pervasive in society and in particular among young people. The use of such technology in the classroom can be controversial, and case studies and data on student perceptions of the technology are rare. This study presents the results of an iPad Pilot Project sponsored by a college at mid-sized university in the intermountain…

This is a survey study carried out in Adamawa State of Nigeria to determine the role performance of the inspectorate division of the ministry of education in inspecting secondary schools. Sixty (60) principals and 60 teachers which were proportionately stratified along five educational zones of Adamawa State, participated in the study. A close…

Although considerable work has been done to develop new educational innovations, few have found widespread acceptance in the classroom. To improve the likelihood of adoption of educational innovations, researchers need to understand why some innovations are adopted and routinely used, while others are not. An initial aspect of the diffusion of…

The present paper records the opinions of primary education teachers on the use of mentoring in the frame of implementation of innovative educational programmes. In the first part of the paper, the categories of the innovative educational programmes are presented and the notion of mentoring as well as the characteristics of the mentor role are…

This article describes the results of a California state law established in 2010 that created "Districts of Choice." The District of Choice law was meant to encourage districts to compete for students by offering innovative programs and this-school-fits-my-child options that parents wanted. This designation meant that children from any…