This paper describes a social partnership model based on the living lab concept to promote the professional development of educators through formal and informal capacity-building initiatives. The aim is to have a broader impact on society through community outreach educational initiatives. A Living Lab is an environment for user-centered…

This article describes a blueprint for an online learning environment that is based on prominent instructional design and assessment theories for supporting learning in complex domains. The core of this environment consists of formative assessment tasks (i.e., assessment "for" learning) that center on professional situations. For each professional…

This article presents the extended workshop, a national professional development programme that was used in the preparatory stages of the introduction of a new mathematics curriculum for basic education (grades 1-9) in Portugal. These workshops are based on five major ideas-orientation towards practice, focus on students' learning, collaboration,…

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the various ways in which pre-service and in-service teachers experience learning to program in an object-oriented language. Both groups of teachers were enrolled in university courses. In most cases, the pre-service teachers were learning to program for the first time, while the in-service…

Results are reported for 3 years of in-service training provided to managers and direct care personnel employed in community, residential, and vocational programs for developmentally disabled adults. The data demonstrate the efficacy of the training model in that 1015 (97%) of 1080 training objectives attempted were completed by the trainees at…

This article outlines the development of a tool designed to take forward the practice of science teachers through subject-specific guidance and discourse that promotes dialogue and deep critical reflection on practice.

Today in America, there are millions of children who do not get a kind of culturally sensitive teaching. As has happened many times before, America is undergoing a demographic shift. Yet the teaching force has not changed nearly as fast. As a result, a great number of students aren't getting the kind of classroom experience the author got at Cedar…

Project-based learning is undoubtedly one of the best instructional methods for developing students' broad learning capabilities, beyond teaching specific subject matter. However, experienced engineering teachers often tend to concentrate on merely teaching pupils the technical side of project work. This paper describes a programme aimed at…

Even today, with all of the instant communication technologies available, we are still often unaware of all that happens in other parts of the world. In the middle of Europe, in the Czech Republic, physics teachers have created a couple of innovative conferences--or "workshops" might be a better term. Having attended two of each, I think…

Day care workers are not only responsible for meeting the needs of the children they care for but creating an enriched and friendly environment as well. Few daycare centers require any specific inservice training for their staff members. When provided, training typically occurs as a didactic workshop. For this study a multiple baseline design…

Kinesiological studies, broadly defined as the subdisciplines of human movement, have been prominent in the evolution of the profession and have been included in the national standards for both K-12 physical education and beginning and advanced teachers. Therefore, kinesiological studies should contribute substantively to the preparation of…

There has been a steady decline in the number of secondary and tertiary students studying mathematics and science. Rural schools also report a shortage of qualified teachers in these disciplines. This paper describes the steps taken at the University of New England (UNE) to improve the provision of mathematics and science education (MS) in rural…

The activity of posing and solving problems can enrich learners' mathematical experiences because it fosters a spirit of inquisitiveness, cultivates their mathematical curiosity, and deepens their views of what it means to do mathematics. To achieve these goals, a mathematical problem needs to be at the appropriate level of difficulty,…

Schools and districts are inundated with data from a variety of sources. As a result, using data to guide instructional planning can be daunting for teachers and schools. While schools and districts are dealing with shrinking budgets and growing demands for high student achievement, an investment in school-based coaching can provide exponential…

Teacher education and professional development prepare teachers with up-to-date knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effective teaching. To sustain this, however, hinges on continued professional learning within schools. Research shows that establishing long-term conditions that allow teachers to learn continuously from one another…