This study examined how virtual middle-school teachers establish meaningful and productive teacher-student relationships in virtual environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight virtual middle-school teachers, utilizing narrative inquiry methodology and the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework. The themes that emerged…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate how an Educational Studies department in a small, Midwestern liberal arts college might confront and dismantle whiteness in curricular, pedagogical, and policy choices. Utilizing a critical participatory action research design, five higher education faculty engaged in a critical…

Research on learning communities has developed as a perspective radically different from teacher-led instruction. This might be a main reason for why scaffolding is rarely foregrounded in work on learning communities. This contribution analyzes how four recent approaches to learning communities address scaffolding and identifies three different…

The Saint Mary's University first-year student success program was developed by its strategic enrollment management (SEM) group to enhance support for first-year students. As an integrated program that implements student success modules into the first-year core curriculum, this initiative has proven to be effective in enhancing student engagement…

This paper aims to contribute fresh insights into youth participatory action research (YPAR) by using bell hooks' engaged pedagogy to illuminate the process of co-designing a program for transition beyond secondary school. Engaged pedagogy is a critical pedagogy that combines critical consciousness and radical wholeness and seeks to foster a…

Although teachers are eager to facilitate community of inquiry (CoI) in their classrooms, they also fear being unable to convey the necessary knowledge to their students in an inquiry due to the inherent involvement of conflicting views, confusion, and a lack of strict definitions about the concepts. The author argues that the banking model of…

In today's constantly changing world technological developments in artificial intelligence (AI) can induce educational visions of both utopia and dystopia. New technologies and communication platforms can provide new forms and possibilities of learning. Creating an image has historically mostly been a human process of using knowledge and…

Purpose: This longitudinal study investigated the ways in which virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) can support the well-being of teachers in managerial roles during stressful changes and crises. Specifically, it examined the experiences of these educators to better understand how VCoPs contribute to sustaining well-being in the face of…

A student's middle school science experience strongly impacts their future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics interest. The Japanese lesson study (JLS) model strengthens the student's experience through a research-based, collaborative, multistep, teaching-centered process focused on transforming local instructional practices. The…

Internationalising the curriculum in higher education offers cultural insights and exchanges to live and work in a changing and connected world. The authors are tertiary music educators working in three different countries (Australia, Spain, and the United States of America). Though geographically dispersed yet virtually connected, they delivered…

Professional organizations can play an important role in the lives and work of educators. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Alabama educators' experiences with membership in statewide professional organizations and to determine what benefits, if any, members feel their organizations provide them. Four main benefits that…

This article examines a school district's effort to create a unified culture of mathematical excellence through which everyone would know what high-quality instruction should look like and how they would shift their practices to those that aligned with their vision. This is accomplished through their Mathematics Teaching Practices Inventory…

Students in online higher education courses face issues with communication with peers and instructors, which often leads to various learner struggles and a less than quality learner experience. The purpose of this project study was to examine the problem of communication in online higher education courses and the role of communication apps in…

Effective professional development (PD) is crucial for enhancing teacher instruction and student achievement. This Spotlight explores innovative approaches to PD that prioritize teacher needs and foster meaningful learning experiences. From hybrid PD models to teacher-led initiatives and on-demand online courses, these articles offer valuable…

Using social network analysis, we sought to characterize the professional collaboration and advice networks among rural science teachers. Furthermore, we explored how the characteristics of individual teachers and distance between teachers affected the likelihood of forming connections. Science teachers in publicly funded rural schools were asked…