Materials development is increasingly recognized as a valuable venue for narrowing the research-practice gap. This qualitative case study explores how four middle school teachers and three university researchers collaborated in a community of practice (CoP) to write textbooks by highlighting the interplay between their collaborative relationships…

This qualitative case study investigates how faculty members in a Title I middle school engage in collaborative practices to enhance professional growth without formal professional learning. Framed within a descriptive lens (Merriam, 1998) and informed by Brown and Duguid's Community of Practice (CoP) framework (1991), the study addresses two…

Purpose: The first-aid courses organized by the Youth Red Cross Carinthia (Austria) had a quality problem, necessitating a professionalization in teaching and time structure. This research aimed to enhance the quality and effectiveness of these courses by implementing modified lesson studies with non-professional trainers. The paper presents the…

The main purpose of this study was to explore how engaging in lesson study improves secondary mathematics teachers' effective lesson implementation to support students' learning better. The research was conducted in Jimma City, Ethiopia, and employed design-based research with qualitative data collected from two secondary schools and 12…

Since facilitators are considered to be crucial actors in teacher teams, the aim of this study is therefore to explore, observe and characterise actions of facilitators by means of detailed video-observations of facilitators during teacher-team meetings. Results show that facilitators' actions vary from passive-absent and passive-waiting to…

Purpose: This study explored high school teachers' perceptions and collaborative learning experiences in integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching using lesson study (LS) whilst engaging in teacher professional development (TPD). Earlier forms of TPD were often theoretical, and teachers had difficulty in applying…

Most novice teachers enter the schooling system lacking confidence, with low levels of pedagogical content knowledge and teaching competence, coupled with a lack of gender-inclusive school practices. This study is located within the interpretivism paradigm and used interviewing techniques to elicit data from twelve commerce teachers selected from…

Purpose: This qualitative study extends jigsaw lesson study (JLS) by focusing specifically on the impact of feedback on teacher candidates' (TCs') professional knowledge and instructional growth in the teacher-educator classroom. Design/methodology/approach: For this study, JLS took place in two different methods courses and followed the lesson…

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…

"Lesson study" has garnered considerable attention from educational researchers and practitioners as a promising method for improving instruction. At its core, lesson study reflects a collaborative inquiry process, grounded in cycles of planning, enacting, and reflecting, that promotes teacher learning through active engagement in lesson…

This paper explores professional learning as teachers engage in action research to improve their practices. Despite many contributions on professional learning communities and their effects on school improvement, there is less research on how they are developed and how teachers learn collectively. Using a social theory of learning, three…

The pressure on schools to improve student performance in middle school mathematics combined with the movement towards standards-based instruction leaves teachers searching for the most effective instructional practice and administration examining their role in improvement efforts. This study examines the effect on student achievement in middle…

For decades, mandates have driven the way we educate our students. Seemingly ever since the inception of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), schools across the nation have struggled to meet federal standards for student success. However, when many schools still failed to show a significant amount of achievement, they became labeled "Priority"…

Despite the complexity of facilitating professional development (PD) and growing attention to supporting facilitators, few tools exist for facilitators to engage in ongoing inquiry into their practice. In this article, we offer a practical measure, the Collaborative Professional Development Survey (CPDS), designed to provide facilitators with…

Purpose: The authors are developing a model for rural science teacher professional development, building teacher expertise and collaboration and creating high-quality science lessons: technology-mediated lesson study (TMLS). Design/methodology/approach: TMLS provided the means for geographically distributed teachers to collaborate, develop,…