The lesson study methodology allows Extension educators to reflect on instructional practices and gather formative data that can be used to refine curricula. We trained Extension educators and formed a community of practice (CoP) of agents who used the lesson study method to inform improvements of a 4-H coding curriculum. The CoP planned and set…

Background: Developing collective professional capacities in schools is important for school improvement, and principals can initiate such developments. That is, by initiating and leading professional group discussions on teaching and learning, principals can influence teaching practices and, thereby, indirectly affect student outcomes and school…

In this personal narrative reflection, the author examines her experiences teaching everyday science during the COVID-19 pandemic. She provides examples of curiosity-driven explorations with her own twin sons related to growing plants and baking bread. Through social media she shares her home experiences with others, building a remote community of…

Classroom discourse is an interdisciplinary area of study that contributes to multiple domains of knowledge, including pedagogy, teacher training, second language acquisition, and communities of practice, to name a few. As classroom discourse continues to grow and evolve, so too have the approaches used by scholars to investigate the discourse in…

Researchers have been investigating social presence in online learning for decades. However, despite this continued research, questions remain about the nature and development of social presence. The purpose of this mixed method exploratory case study was to investigate how social presence is established in online discussion forums in an…

In the modern educational era, there is an increasing focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. Innovation and workforce preparation play a large role in the push to increase scientific literacy, thinking skills and high-skilled personnel. However, there are ongoing issues with reforming education to meet these goals as…

Appraisal Centers provide authentic experienced-based communities of practice for preservice teachers (PSTs) to show application of theory into practice at critical gateways throughout their elementary education program while fulfilling School of Education dispositions, course objectives, and state standards. A goal is to provide formative…

A growing number of practitioners are re-envisioning higher education through student--staff partnership. Such a culture shift toward partnership can only be achieved through collaborative efforts among academic developers, other faculty/staff, and students. Using evidence from literature and my own reflections, I map the ways this partnership…

Lesson study is a technique that helps faculty examine student learning that encourages scholarly teaching. In lesson study, faculty identify a concept and develop a lesson plan to support student learning of the concept. The opportunity to collaborate on lesson development and to examine student learning opens up a space for faculty to exchange…

Professional isolation, a familiar issue in world language education, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article addresses this issue by providing world language educators with practical guidance related to establishing high-functioning professional networks online. Empirical findings related to computer-mediated communication…

In 2014, the Ministry of Education in New Zealand funded innovative initial teacher education programmes using school/university partnerships to improve achievement for priority learners. My 'being' as a teacher educator would need to become a member of a professional learning community with student teachers and teachers in schools rather than…

Developing collective professional capacity in schools is viewed as important for improving schools. Furthermore, principals are seen as being in a key position to promote the development of collective capacity. Although an array of studies report on what principals can do to support capacity development, such as by facilitating collective…

This paper reconceptualises academic writing in HE in order to explore how the symbolic significance and practical importance of academic writing in higher education is a constant presence, despite remaining elusive and difficult to define and/or execute in practice. I apply Bourdieu's (1985) concept of 'habitus' and 'doxa' to take an 'otherwise…

This article used a qualitative interviewing approach to explore psychosocial and organizational dimensions of leadership of two elementary school leaders (principals) in Southern California. At each school, interviews with the school's principal as well as two key informants were conducted, and we analyzed the findings based on principals' mental…

Higher education learning is increasingly enacted in digital environments and doctoral education is no exception. Scholars -- supervisors and PhD candidates -- actively create their own digital profiles, and their research is often disseminated via social media in tandem with the traditional publication of journals and books. Online learning…