This dissertation examines the dynamics of research-practice partnerships (RPPs) through a qualitative multiple-case study that explores the boundary work between university researchers and K-12 practitioners. It is framed within Wenger's communities of practice theory and focuses on the concept of 'boundary work,' which is pivotal in…

Intervention research indicates that historical inquiry curricula call for different tasks, materials, and methods of teaching compared to those focused solely on content. Inquiry curricula require teachers to shift from the methods, materials, and assessments to which they are accustomed. As a result, despite intervention research efforts that…

This study investigates the nuanced dimensions of the teacher-researcher identity, focusing on teachers' perceptions of teachers as researchers within the educational landscape. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study aims to uncover the extent to which 198 K-12 teachers working in the field identify teachers as researchers, as well…

Place-based knowledge, a legacy from our ancestors, is inherently sustainable. However, modern lifestyles have eclipsed this wisdom, leading to environmental issues such as land and water pollution. Similarly, the current pedagogical practices often fail to connect place-based knowledge. It resulted in a deviation of students' contextual learning.…

In this dissertation, I K-8 mathematics teacher agency and learning within a research-practice partnership (RPP) context. I asked three primary research questions: (a) How is teacher agency enacted within the RPP?; (b) what do teachers perceive they are learning from their participation in the RPP?; and (c) how is teacher agency connected to…

The value of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and the significance of conducting research motivated the conduct of this study. As teachers take on a more active role in knowledge generation, studying their research attitudes, motivations, and challenges has become more relevant and timely. This paper aimed to…

The number of children experiencing poor emotional wellbeing, which can lead to clinically significant mental health conditions in the long term, is increasing rapidly, as are government initiatives outlining the 'frontline role' of the school in supporting children's emotional wellbeing during critical periods such as primary-secondary school…

This study investigated how the figured world of the RET, and other figured worlds of science that teacher's experience, impacted their conceptions around the nature of science and their identities in science and as science teachers. The main premise behind RET programs is that by partnering science teachers with scientists as mentors, science…

Research literacy is essential for teachers to practice their profession based on research-based knowledge. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Research Literacy Scale (RLS) and investigate teachers' research literacy based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and research utilization models. The data was collected from teachers…

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs are a burgeoning approach to engage teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) research that they can translate into their K-12 classrooms. Despite an increase in studies of RETs, there is a need for comparison of RET and non-RET teachers' student outcomes. This mixed methods,…

This article examines leadership and practitioner professional learning (PL) across two multi-school networks. This ethnographic empirical study involved the development of research communities comprised of teacher-led research projects in collaboration with academic researchers (ourselves). We explore what the impact this type of PL and our role…

Bringing Research into the Classroom (BRIC) engaged rural K-12 science teachers in sustained, mentored science research. BRIC's goal was to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to provide high-quality biomedical research opportunities for K-12 students and teachers. Programmatic elements included authentic, place-based,…

Nutrition education at school can contribute to developing healthy nutritional behaviours in schoolchildren. This paper critically reflects on how participatory action research (PAR) empowered university researchers and a school community to co-develop a school-based nutrition education programme (SBNEP) that promotes healthy nutritional…

The role of educational research, and schools' and teachers' engagement in and with research, changes when it is viewed as a form of professional development. The study presented in this paper intended to explore teachers' practices for designing learning, instructing students and managing classrooms in the context of the primary-secondary school…

The era of innovation in education is well underway. Effective practices demonstrate the power of technology in motivating students and improving learning outcomes. This paper examines the integration of the talking image, a new and innovative technology, into the educational process through a case study. It also sets out the methodology and the…