Much of the current guidance on managed moves focuses on the benefits of the "fresh start" provided. This paper describes an appreciative inquiry to explore how schools in one local authority create a sense of belonging to facilitate a fresh start for pupils involved in a managed move to a new school. Six deputy head teachers with…

This research study used qualitative phenomenological methodology to explore counseling graduate students' experiences leading support groups for international students. Participants included 6 master's-level counseling students. The following 4 themes emerged to describe the counseling students' experience as group leaders: (a) individualistic…

This study sought academic staff and students' views of electronic exams (e-exams) system and the benefits and challenges of e-exams in general. The respondents provided useful feedback for future adoption of e-exams at an Australian university and elsewhere too. The key findings show that students and academic staff are optimistic about the…

This paper is part of a strategic research project that aimed to assess the effectiveness of the design and use of new software for Arabic language learning (ALL). However, the focus of this paper is to understand Arabic teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the software that was designed purposely by the project's team to facilitate ALL…

Background/Context: Mixed methods research conveys multiple advantages to the study of complex phenomena and large organizations or systems. The benefits are derived from drawing on the strengths of qualitative methods to answer questions about how and why a phenomenon occurs and those of quantitative methods to examine how often a phenomenon…

Scholars and practitioners agree that instructional leadership (IL) can be one of the most useful tools for creating an effective teaching and learning environment. This paper investigates the instructional leadership practices engaged in by heads of secondary schools to enhance classroom instruction and students learning, particularly the way…

An interdisciplinary science course has been implemented at a university with the intention of providing students the opportunity to develop a range of key skills in relation to: real-world connections of science, problem-solving, information and communications technology use and team while linking subject knowledge in each of the science…

With states and districts across the country implementing the Common Core State Standards, teachers have more opportunities than ever to collaborate around the shared goals of strengthening curriculum design, classroom practices, and student learning. Building from this premise, the Common Assignment Study (CAS) has brought together teams of…

Four diverse English-speaking Montreal public school students who self-identify as being disengaged with their schooling experience constructed photo essays telling the story of their disengagement in school. Analyzed in conjunction with photo-elicitation interviews and fieldnotes, we find that youth are involved in a struggle against systemic…

Re-engineering technological strategies in teaching and learning in an open distance learning (ODL) environment is paramount as the demand for access to quality higher education escalates drastically on a year to year basis. The organisational framework requires change in order to accommodate the increasing number of students. In view of the…

In this study, pre-service teachers were afforded the opportunity to participate in two on-campus activities for students with low-incidence disabilities. The project explores the attitudes and perceptions of a group of pre-service teachers before and after participating in two educational experiences with students with low-incidence special…

Engaging less academically qualified Higher Education students being taught within a Further Education setting, who have weaker study skills and little experience of independent learning, is challenging. Confidence and motivation levels are often low and they feel overwhelmed. Effective assessment design is crucial and needs to capitalise on…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) enables the embedding of relevant real-world learning into curriculum resulting in students that are better prepared to enter the workforce and meet demands of employers seeking work-ready graduates. Research confirms students who undertake WIL as part of their degree consistently achieve better employment outcomes.…

In computer-assisted language learning (CALL), technological tools are often used both as an end and as a means to an end (Levy & Stockwell, 2006). Microsoft PowerPoint is an example of the latter as it is commonly used in oral presentations in classrooms. However, many student presentations are often boring as students generally read from…

Classroom management remains a challenge for many teachers. The approach and delivery of professional development (PD) in classroom management may determine how well teachers are able to apply evidence-based approaches in their classrooms. We use existing literature to identify the key features that make in-service PD effective and present them as…