In this article we argue for the importance of building critical communities as an integral, yet neglected, aspect of education for social justice. We begin by defining critical communities and by describing goals and vision for social justice education. We then explore how community is discussed in the education literature, limitations and…

Increasingly, students are facing hostility and violence as a result of one or more of their social group memberships. Such prejudicial attitudes and actions contribute to antagonistic intergroup relationships in public schools (i.e., K-12). This article examines dialogic approaches to prejudice reduction, with a specific emphasis on intergroup…

This article presents a case study that examined leaders' actions within a Spanish/English two-way immersion program as they guided teachers in a critical analysis of a common literacy assessment routine. The intent of this research was to move toward a more equitable reconceptualization of the literacy assessment routine and ultimately work to…

Professional development is essential in supporting teachers as change agents to foster international educational reform. Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College acknowledged its role in supporting visiting teachers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in utilizing action research as an opportunity for professional development.…

This case study documents a professional learning community (PLC) comprised of urban elementary educators working toward equitable education for students with dis/abilities. We employ an equity-expansive learning frame to evoke and then examine tensions and contradictions that emerged during the PLC and mediated learning as evidenced by…

This study focused on understanding female student persistence in a STEM community college program. The researcher conducted a mixed-methods study which utilized a student survey that asked both male and female students questions focused on encouragement received in school and perceived persistence level to complete their STEM program. Interviews…

The definition of education and learning has been changing in recent years, as the field experienced, and is still experiencing, many changes. One of those changes is a rise in adult learners in higher education. In order to cope with this particular change and set their classrooms up for success, it is vital for educators to be aware of and…

A chasm is growing between our rapidly rising aspirations for our educational systems and what schools can routinely accomplish. Education needs an improvement paradigm--one that recognizes the complexity of the work of education and the wide variability in outcomes that our systems currently produce. This article sketches out such a paradigm. It…

The ability to notice important events in a teaching situation and make decisions about these events is a key component of teaching well. Prospective teachers tend to notice more superficial aspects of classroom practice, such as class management. This article examines a video club in which four student teachers utilized the Mathematical Quality…

A coach develops his or her craft by reflecting on previous playing experiences (Erickson, Côté, & Fraser-Thomas, 2007) and continuing to seek learning opportunities through a variety of informal and non-formal learning methods (e.g. discussion with other coaches, trial and error, observation, advice of a mentor, clinics, web sites, books and…

This paper summarizes the evaluation of a project that involved undergraduate mathematics students in the development of teaching and learning resources for statistics modules taught in various departments of a university. This evaluation regards students' participation in the project and its impact on their learning of statistics, as…

The value of developing philosophical thinking among young children and its pedagogical possibilities has been discussed in the Philippines in the recent years. One such possibility is the pedagogy of Philosophy for Children (P4C) which allows children to participate in a dialogue in the context of a community of inquiry. The community of inquiry…

This article contributes to knowledge about learning in workgroups, so called "microcultures" in higher education. It argues that socially constructed and institutionalised traditions, recurrent practices, and tacit assumptions in the various microcultures influence academic teachers towards certain behaviour. In line with this…

Professional learning communities have long been considered a powerful form of collaborative professional learning, as the Learning Communities standard in Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning attests (Learning Forward, 2011). This focus on communities can engage teachers in ongoing professional dialogue and examination of…

An important task for the preschool teacher is to create meaningful learning situations where children have opportunities to experience science. However, many teachers have both weak subject knowledge and a lack of confidence to teach science. The aim of the project presented in this article was to capture how nine preschool teachers developed…