Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) are notably one of the most impactful organizations in a state system for addressing social mobility, workforce development, and economic growth of a region. Cultivating research at ERIs often requires the faculty to expand their skill sets beyond basic research to engage students and communities. Faculty…

Educators worldwide are engaged in efforts to improve teaching and learning through teachers' collaborations in learning communities and networks. Teacher leadership has played a crucial role in such communities or networks. This study focused on a teacher professional development program in mainland China, the Master Teacher Studio, in which a…

Purpose: This paper explores education group school principal's influence on professional learning community (PLC) development in China. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative comparative case studies were conducted. Findings: The findings show that principals indicated principal-level factors were their major concerns regarding PLC cultural…

Project-based (PBL) learning has been found to improve student achievement, engagement, and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills; however, it is not widely implemented in K-12 schools in the United States. Prior research has established several barriers and challenges to implementing PBL in K-12 schools including challenges related to teacher…

Some professional learning communities (PLC) are successful, and others are unsuccessful leading to questions about which characteristics of a group of people are important to the success of the community. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the factors contributing to the presence of a community of practice between…

This single-case case study explores the experiences of eight public school educators in the St. Louis area who support English Learners (ELs) and participate in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The public school system was not designed to support the diversity it is currently experiencing, and educators want to be able to support…

Community-partnered research presents unique opportunities for personal and professional development among social work practitioners, researchers, and students. It is a vehicle for promoting social work values, generating and sharing knowledge, and connecting research to practice. Findings from these types of partnerships can be instructive for…

The article recounts the development of a five-stage model for the professional development of school principals and school leading teams. An instrumental qualitative case study methodology was utilized, based on seven in-depth interviews with the instructors who directed professional development for school staffs. The model reflects both…

It is widely accepted that professional learning is a crucial aspect of the ongoing professional practice of educators. But how should this professional learning take place, and what arrangements enable and constrain practices associated with educator learning? In this article, we explore two case studies of action research projects: one…

The goal of this comparative study was to examine the investment in faculty who were trained in culturally relevant pedagogy through the Unity Community Education Foundation Summer Learning Institute and the Garden Community College's homegrown Unity Mini-Summer Learning Institute. The study explored instructor development and institutional…

This exploratory case study examined two approaches to school improvement with teachers from an urban area of Ecuador. An all-day workshop with elementary-level teachers focused on how to improve teaching utilizing network improvement communities (NICs) and the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle. Hands-on activities helped participants reflect on…

This paper describes a professional development (PD) programme design integrating just-in-time learning (JITL) to support teachers to learn about and enact inquiry teaching. Through JITL, teachers are provided with support that is responsive and applicable to their needs. This case study reports on the professional journeys of three teachers who…

A shortage of science and engineering professionals has led to an effort to engage and retain higher education students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors in the United States. School reformers call on faculty members to shift their teaching practices towards evidence-based instructional strategies that involve…

This study presents 3 case studies that examine the processes involved in the professional growth of physics teacher-leaders (TLs) in a national network of professional learning communities (PLCs). This program has been operating since 2012, using a "Fan Model" where the TLs participate in a PLC (TL-PLC) led by a team from the Weizmann…

Reflective practice positively affects preservice teacher growth. Yet, in structures used to support student teachers, faculty often prioritize professionalism and logistics over pedagogical concerns. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to describe the use of pedagogical documentation with preservice music teachers to establish a culture…