Networked improvement communities (NICs) mark a promising approach to address the challenges of sustaining school reform. Whereas NICs are intended to help scale and sustain reforms, there is little evidence on how this works, as few NICs have existed long enough to be described over time. This study uses social network theory to understand what…

Social presence is an essential construct of the well-known Community of Inquiry (CoI) model, which is created to support design, facilitation, and analysis of asynchronous online discussions. Social presence focuses on the extent to which participants of online discussions can see each other as "real persons" in computer-mediated…

This paper addresses implementation with respect to the professional development (PD) of teachers of mathematics and the educators/didacticians who work with them, through an "inquiry-based" developmental model. In contrast with a PD model in which educators show, guide or instruct teachers in classroom approaches and mathematical tasks,…

The Pandemic Educational Development Research Collaborative (PEDRC) formed in April 2020 to record research-participants' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism crises and includes 18 educational developers across various 4-year institutions, types of centers, and positions in the field. The novel research methodology used by…

Despite the transformative possibilities associated with the inclusion of technologies in instruction, relatively little is known about the regular use and perception of these technologies in higher education. Framed by existing challenges and opportunities around instructional technology use nationwide, this research offers a case of one…

There have recently been a series of prominent projects in the UK that aim to bring philosophy into the heart of prison education. The aim of this paper is to consider a possible rationale for this pedagogical development. A distinction is drawn between a content and a sensibility approach to teaching philosophy, where the latter is primarily…

This study explores the learning theories communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1978) in the context of mentor teaching. The landscape of teacher education preparation programs is shifting its focus to practice-based teacher education, with the inclusion of high-leverage teaching practices.…

Continued professional development is important for promoting quality early childhood care and education (ECE) programs. One approach to fulfill this need for professional development is through the creation of a community of practice, which brings together professionals with similar interests. In this investigation, we report the evaluation…

The article begins with a review of the shared metacognition construct and its function within the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework. The primary focus of the shared metacognition construct is the role of learners to take responsibility and control for monitoring and managing learning in a community of inquiry. Pragmatic challenges are…

Research and theory suggests that children and families are best served by a preschool to third grade approach (PreK-3) to early childhood education that is aligned, integrated, and based on developmentally appropriate practice. Because of the recent expansion of publicly funded preschool programs, principals are becoming increasingly responsible…

Purpose: "Content Representations" (CoRes) is an instrument that links content with aspects about its teaching and is recognized for its utility designing lessons and elucidating teachers' knowledge. Lesson study (LS) is a practice through which teachers collaborate to plan, teach and reflect on a lesson. Both have been acknowledged…

One of the most effective forms of professional learning happens when teachers conduct collaborative inquiry in their own classrooms around difficult and challenging topics -- even topics that are potentially divisive. In this article, the authors describe how they have seen this powerful process at work in their district in Pitt County, North…

Learning communities (LCs) in a variety of formats are touted as an effective strategy for continuing professional development (CPD) in physical education. This study's purpose was to provide an overview of the research on LCs in physical education for professional development between 1990 and 2020. A scoping review undergirded the research…

In UNESCO's recent publication "Education for Sustainable Development: A Roadmap" the idea of community is described as playing an important role in the organization of education for sustainable development as a means of supporting transformations towards sustainability. In the present study we examine the relationship between community…

Comprehensive reviews of empirical research on teacher leadership have revealed that this body of research remains grounded in what might be described as, at best, a weak theoretical base. This article seeks to address this by proposing a theoretical framework based on social learning theory, communities of practice, and identity and iterated…