Stress impedes a students' ability to learn. This includes learning concepts in the academic realm, but also socially, emotionally, and culturally as well. This study took place in a K-12 school in rural North Dakota with a student population of under 200 children. The focus of this research was to find out more about stress and emotional…

Teaching outside their subject specialisation put secondary science teachers to lots of challenges and difficulties. Obviously, teachers have a pivotal role in the teaching-learning process. Hence, giving space to their voice in the educational process is of paramount importance. The present investigation aimed to seek secondary science teachers'…

Partnerships are central to the awareness, implementation and development of open and distance learning (ODL). It is an attribute that is distinct in the higher education sector, where ODL has made a large footprint by dispelling the notion that university enrolment is reserved for a narrow and elite demographic. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL)…

Action research (AR) offers an ideological fit with the culture and the work of the academy - they share a culture of collegiality, evidence- and theory-based practice, and a focus on reflection and evaluation to inform change and innovation. An AR approach and methodology are also integral to the development of leadership capacity for learning…

Bacteria, viruses, and other invisible creatures are, in brief, microorganisms. Especially with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the features of microorganisms, their density, and relevant precautions have grown in importance. Knowing the density of microorganisms at school will cause our cleaning habits to change. In this study, efforts were…

Universities exert effort and expense in designing buildings to fit the current ontology and meet the perceived needs of society. This is not new -- historically, entire campuses were designed to manifest pedagogical and social ideals, like the "academical village" (Coulson, Roberts and Taylor, 2015) of Thomas Jefferson's imagination.…

The term "toilet" conveys different meanings; it may be seen as an isolated place or a public service, a secluded and dirty area or a symbol of civilisation and progress. In the film "The Phantom of Liberty" (1974), Luis Buñuel presented a formally dressed social group gathering over a meal in toilets around a table, with the…

This paper examines a state department of education's (SDE) decision to contract a consultant to "turnaround" schools, per a logic of outsourcing for external expertise. Our ethnographically informed case study explores whose knowledge had the most worth in diagnosing areas for improvement and identifies this case as part of a trend to…

As schools grapple with the daunting challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, some leaders are galvanizing their staff to maintain focus on instruction, while others are overwhelmed by the operational logistics of constant change. What makes the difference? And what types of support can help struggling leaders to thrive despite the challenges? Through…

In 2019, twenty community colleges joined Strengthening Guided Pathways and Career Success by Ensuring Students Are Learning, a two-year project led by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. The project draws on the guided pathways framework to support institutions as they (1) map academic pathways and degree programs to student…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the approaches of newly appointed principals in New York State to build capacity through their Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). Interviews were conducted with 16 newly appointed principals to dive into their lived experiences using ILTs in their schools. Two approaches were identified: general…

Most people might see graffiti and street art as two similar art forms. They decorate the buildings and walls of city streets. There is some truth in making this assumption. Both are forms of creative expression found on walls and other parts of the city. However, there are some notable differences between the two. The most well-known difference…

Collaborative leadership is an effective organizational model, yielding opportunities for teachers and benefits for schools; however, challenges exist when teams execute collaborative leadership. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve the experiences of teachers working in a school with collaborative leadership.…

Providing and using technical assistance for capacity building within educational agencies is a complex endeavor. The U.S. Department of Education funds technical assistance centers to support state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) in the capacity-building process. Established in 2018, the Center to Improve Social and…

The second of three "bright spot" briefs examines how states are leveraging ARP funds to improve SEL for all students through collaboration among schools, families, and communities. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) provided a $122 billion historic federal investment in K-12 education to help states and districts safely reopen…