Literature circles, or book clubs, are a long-standing pedagogical tradition designed to support students' reading and response to literature. However, critics of these student-led literature discussions have argued that this format can limit opportunities for students to engage meaningfully with political, social, and cultural issues. The purpose…

This article introduces the core concepts that emerged from five environmental education action research studies conducted by a group called Learning Communities in Environmental Education, Science and Mathematics (CEAMECIM) from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) in the south of Brazil. The studies focus on teacher education processes…

Narrative inquiry as a methodological approach enables us to examine how people represent their experiences and selves through storytelling (Chase, S. E. 2005. "Narrative Inquiry: Multiple Lenses, Approaches, Voices." In "The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research", edited by N. Denzin and Y. Lincoln, 651-679. London: Sage). To…

Teacher professional development is essential to English teaching reform in vocational colleges. Community of practice presents a new way for professional development of ESL teachers in vocational colleges in China. This paper introduces and discusses the process of creating and exploring ESL teacher community of practice in a vocational college.…

This article examines the role of research and development within England's school system. From a range of literature past and present we argue that six features (three dimensions) should form the focus for action at the institutional, systemic and policy levels. Applying these stress tests to the current system, we suggest that an effective…

In 2014, forty-five educators from Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney embarked on a sacred journey to Rome for the canonisation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. The pilgrimage was designed to offer faith formation, professional development and a means of sharing the faith with their school communities upon return. This study seeks…

The significance of practitioners' emotions in nursery interactions is evident in vivid accounts from widely different socio-cultural contexts. Work Discussion (WD) is a model of professional reflection distinctive in its attention to emotion in work interactions. Psychoanalytic conceptions, particularly the notion of the defended subject,…

Peer mentoring and participating in professional development communities (PDCs) have been documented as supporting individuals through the transition into the teacher educator profession. However, Gallagher, Griffin, Parker, Kitchen, and Figg (2011) suggested future researchers examine the lasting impact of participating in PDCs. The purpose of…

The learning sciences, as an academic community investigating human learning, emerged more than 30 years ago. Since then, graduate learning sciences programs have been established worldwide. Little is currently known, however, about their disciplinary backgrounds and the topics and research methods they address. In this document analysis of the…

Learning on and through social media is becoming a cornerstone of lifelong learning, creating places not only for accessing information, but also for finding other self-motivated learners. Such is the case for Reddit, the online news sharing site that is also a forum for asking and answering questions. We studied learning practices found in 'Ask'…

The aim of this study is to explain how to shape the lesson study designed for improving mathematics teachers' knowledge of student thinking and to uncover the evidences of the mathematics teachers' knowledge of student thinking in their lessons. The lesson study composed of three cycles with five stages was carried out with three mathematics…

In early childhood education, teacher professional development is crucial due to the impact of teachers on children's learning. This study presents the experience of action-research included in a teacher professional development program focused on improving pedagogical interaction from a sociocultural perspective. From 2012 to 2015, three cohorts…

Mathematical argumentation is an essential part of the discipline of mathematics and a key indicator of mathematical proficiency. In the process of constructing arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others, students build their understanding of underlying mathematical ideas and engage in critical sense-making activity (Yackel and Hanna 2003).…

Aim/Purpose: The study aims to explore the dimensions of identities in relation to an online community of practice (CoP) and how the dimensions of identities influence the way teachers behave on their online CoP. Background: One of the emerging approaches for teachers' professional development is through a form of community of practice, through…

What began as a small group of professors gathering to discuss implementation of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in our classes has developed into a strong regional community of practice. Through a generous grant and a lot of hard work, we created the Greater Upstate New York IBL consortium with a mission to create, grow, and maintain a community of…