Despite increases in computer access and technology training, technology is not being used to support the kinds of instruction believed to be most powerful. In this paper, we examine technology integration through the lens of the teacher as an agent of change: What are the necessary characteristics, or qualities, that enable teachers to leverage…

This paper presents a four-dimensional, dynamic model of pupils' subjective quality of school life. The model is based on the author's and colleagues' studies of experiences and perspectives of pupils in regular schools who have been assessed as having "special educational needs". The conceptualisation of quality of school life proposed…

Female survivors of domestic violence may experience symptoms of low self-esteem, insecurity, difficulty with problem solving, low self-efficacy, and high anxiety with regard to their economic future. Creative methods are needed to help abuse survivors overcome these factors so they are able to set and attain career goals. Equine assisted therapy…

Beginning teachers have much to learn about teaching (Odell 1990), including navigating their own classrooms and learning new school procedures and policies. Mentors can assist beginning teachers in making the difficult transition from student to teacher. Smith and Ingersoll (2004) examined data from a national survey and found that beginning…

JK Rowling's "Harry Potter" novels situate their child protagonists in a fantastical world side by side with present day British society. Through the characters' choices and realizations, young readers are introduced to the complexities and ambiguities of the contemporary world. Harry and his friends embrace these qualities of postmodern…

The primary goals of this project were to develop a reliable instrument to measure the chemistry course perceptions (CCP) of undergraduate chemistry students and to determine the predictors of CCP of undergraduate students as they enter their first college chemistry class. In a pilot study, 250 undergraduate students were solicited with 57…

Transformational learning, according to Mezirow (1981), involves transforming taken-for-granted frames of reference into more discriminating, flexible "habits of mind". In teacher education, transformative learning impacts on the development of students' action theories, self-efficacy and professional attributes. Although considered…

When English language learners (ELLs) don't speak in class or make friends outside their language group, teachers often attribute the problem in the student's cultural background. It's possible, however, that the method of teaching ELLs is part of the problem. A growing number of schools are trying to roll back that problem by launching…

Taking on responsibilities associated with a professional role is an important aspect of experiential learning for undergraduate students on work-based placements. However, responsibility is a complex concept that is connected to issues of trust and risk in the placement context. This paper presents students' perspectives that illustrate that…

This article reflects on the author's experience in teaching courses in mathematics content and methods in teacher preparation programs. It shows how technology-enhanced inquiry into a seemingly mundane task on situated addition found in a popular textbook for prospective elementary teachers, can reveal hidden properties of integers associated…

This article describes a program for supporting parents and caregivers of K-4 students at an urban university's charter school. To create this program, university faculty and school administrators developed a series of workshops to foster school-home literacy connections. Information about surveys, meetings and program implementation are provided…

This paper presents the details and examines the outcomes of a professional development program created for instructors who are beyond the novice stage as online instructors, but desire and require further support to develop their online teaching expertise to meet their students' learning needs and their own teaching goals. This program…

The article gives an overview of a social cognitive perspective on psychosocial well-being and adjustment (Lent, 2004), along with a model of educational and work-related satisfaction (Lent & Brown, 2006) that has been derived from it. The theoretical perspective integrates cognitive, behavioural, social, and personality variables hypothesized to…

Educators who search for ways to engage students often forget that the magic is really inside them--not educators themselves, as Keith Harvie's poem "Wizard" illustrates. After more than three decades of trying to improve the students' educational experience in the schools where the author has worked, he has come to believe that the…

After years of applying more pressure on schools to raise achievement levels for all students, particularly those who underperform their mainstream peers, the achievement gap today remains virtually unchanged. But the reality is that there's proof that, under the right conditions, all students can achieve at high levels. Instead of "quick-fix…