In this study the authors investigate whether a whole-class educational blog could facilitate culturally relevant instruction and authentic intellectual work in U.S. history. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed that included student comments posted to an educational blog, classroom observations, and follow-up interviews. Based on the…

In this article, the author describes the outcomes of a student voice project she introduced at her school, the Central Foundation Girls' School. This project, which involved students with trainee teachers, was adapted from the City of Portsmouth Girls' School. The students would, after comprehensive training, observe trainee teachers in the…

Because the author and his colleagues at the Center for Leadership and Learning Communities believe that instructional coaching is one of the most exciting developments in education in a long time, they have examined the questions this new strategy has raised for education leaders: Should coaching replace some traditional forms of teacher…

Although research emphasizes the importance of integrating technology into the curriculum, the use of technology can only be effective if teachers themselves possess the expertise to use technology in a meaningful way in the classroom. The aim of this study was to assist Egyptian teachers in developing teaching and learning through the application…

Institutional surveys of student opinion emerged out of the turmoil of the late 1960s. Never intended to serve as professional evaluations, the surveys were the only tangible evidence of teaching effectiveness until some faculty opened their classrooms for observation by chairs and colleagues. Historically, the "peer review of teaching" has…

The Algebra Project DR K-12, funded by the National Science Foundation as a Research and Development Project, addressed the challenge of offering significant STEM content for students to ensure public literacy and workforce readiness. The project's primary purpose was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a model for establishing four-year…

English language learners (ELLs) are being taught social studies by teachers who have received limited resources and training to teach this subject to ELLs in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher perceptions regarding teaching social studies to ELLs before and after the implementation of a professional…

This report takes an in-depth look at how classroom practices in Rhode Island, Illinois, and Washington State have been influenced by state accountability policies and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). It examines how teachers and administrators have responded to increased accountability and pressure to meet state standards. Drawing from case…

Many young Indigenous Australian students continue to underachieve in Western mathematics. National test results indicate that they are two years behind their peers. Success in mathematics is important to Indigenous students as it leads to employment opportunities and can assist in identifying power differences among socio-economic classes…

Recent educational reforms in China have emphasized "learner autonomy", but this differs in crucial respects from the concept of "personal autonomy", which is a central goal of western liberal education. The many changes that have resulted from the opening up policy in China in the last 30 years include what has been called…

While it is clear that all educational undertakings consist of ends and means, the relationship between the two is far from straightforward. This article proposes a framework for understanding the relationship in the context of citizenship education. Qualitative research was undertaken of three educational initiatives in Brazil: the schools of the…

In this study, the author explores elementary mathematics instruction in the context of standards-based reform and special education policy. Based on observation of inclusive classrooms and interviews with 12 teachers, the author finds that instructional practice was only somewhat consistent with the policy messages to include students with…

Research on children's television suggests that preschool programs can facilitate literacy and language development. In 1998 Whitehurst and Lonigan described two interdependent sets of skills involved in literacy acquisition: "outside-in" or oral language skills and "inside-out" or code-related skills. Outside-in skills support children's…

A core assumption of the San Diego City Schools (SDCS) reform effort was that improved instructional practices, aligned with a balanced literacy approach, would be effective in improving student outcomes. This article explores this hypothesis by presenting findings from an analysis of classroom instruction data collected in 101 classrooms in 9…

This article compares the academic performance and classroom behaviour of pupils when taught new concepts or engaged in problem solving in sessions organised either as cooperative group work or whole class, teacher directed instruction. Comparisons of attainment were made in classes of pupils aged 11 to 14 years (Key Stage 3) in English,…