Improved pedagogical practice does not happen in a silo; it requires impetus. External influences and pressures and internal motivations are drivers for pedagogical change. Professional learning (PL) programs, in their multitude of forms, are key tools for affecting teacher change. In response to an increased focus on fostering students' reasoning…

In this study, collaborative lesson planning (CLP) was a positive 'dissonance' to the teachers' individual lesson planning practices. Thirty teachers grouped into grade-level teams (five members) participated in the study. Data transcripts from audio- and video-recordings, formal and informal interviews, and written evaluation forms were…

Whether a teacher loves it or dreads it, lesson planning is a crucial step in the teaching process. Done effectively, collaborative lesson planning--in which teachers work together to design lessons--leads to increased professional learning, higher job satisfaction for teachers, and better lesson plans. The process poses challenges for both…

At the turn of this century, expectations for learning mathematics by students with Down syndrome were low. Research and practice continued to indicate considerable difficulty with number and calculation (Bird & Buckley, 2001). Unfortunately, most authors extrapolated difficulty with number to difficulty with mathematics in general, even…

Drawing on evidence gathered as a result of collaborative action research carried out in 8 secondary schools in 3 European countries, this paper proposes an innovative strategy for helping teachers respond positively to learner diversity. The strategy merges the idea of lesson study with an emphasis on listening to the views of students. The…

As a model for learning to teach, coteaching places two or more student teachers and cooperating teachers in a classroom. Effective coteaching requires coplanning, and this case study examines how six coteachers planned instruction for three environmental science classes. Using sociocultural theory, the study provides insight into the complexity…

This qualitative case study describes how one beginning primary grade teacher benefited from collaborative lesson-planning meetings with her grade-level colleagues. The teacher accumulated knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, and professional contexts as she participated in planning meetings each week during her first year of teaching. Furthermore,…

Effective use of data is key to improving student outcomes. This requires leaders to ensure teachers have developed the skills to convert student data to useful information to effectively plan for instruction and student interventions; to hold collaborative discussions that are structured for these purposes; to broaden the view of data to include…

We present the perspectives of teachers and others involved in the collaborative design of teaching and learning artifacts across three cases: (a) an independent group participating in lesson study; (b) teachers participating in professional development programs; and (c) a district initiative for producing numeracy tasks. Among the results we…

Lesson Study is a process by which a team of instructors works collaboratively to plan, teach, observe and revise one particular lesson. A successful lesson study will not only result in a student-focused lesson plan that maximizes student understanding, but will also encourage teaching-centered collaboration among colleagues and increase the…

In fourth grade, North Carolina students are required to write their own personal narratives. The teachers felt that telling a story would be a great stepping stone toward writing one. Rather than focusing on grammar and the mechanics of writing, students could focus on story development and creativity. In this article, the author describes how…

Few reports have been published about the deliberations on classroom curriculum conducted by teachers. This qualitative case-study explored the curriculum deliberations of three fourth-grade teachers who met weekly to plan social studies and science lessons. The teachers participated voluntarily and routinely produced viable plans for the coming…

This report describes how lesson study is being implemented in one Northern California school district, drawing on research conducted in the district over 3 years via interviews with project leaders and participants; videotapes/audiotapes of the lesson study work (e.g., planning, research lessons, and lesson colloquia); workshops designed to build…

To optimize professional preparation and ensure the transition of positive attitudes about teamwork from education to practice, educators must offer students opportunities to participate in well-designed, positive group activities grounded in theory. This paper presents an activity that provides class project groups a chance to work through the…

College students' understanding of collegiality is a component of teacher preparation in the Guam Public School District, in order to improve the quality of curricula. Twenty-one college students enrolled in a Language Arts in Early Childhood course were required to practice techniques of the interactive collegial relationship. This study examined…