Mid-career teachers make up the majority of the educator population (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021) and a significant number of mid-career teachers encounter career cycle periods known as career frustration and career stability (Fessler & Christensen, 1992). The first is characterized by overall frustration and disillusionment…

U.S. in-service PK-12 teachers have less time for professional learning (PL) but their needs for applicable professional development (PD) have increased (Birch & Lewis, 2020) and teachers, both new to the field and veterans, are looking to reskill and upskill their knowledge and teaching abilities (Bayar, 2014; Birch & Lewis, 2020; Leung,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the structures and support systems implemented to foster a district educational equity and culturally responsive professional development series. In this qualitative study, an action research design team implemented a four-part professional learning series to describe the impact of an educational equity…

Modeling with mathematics (MP4) is a mathematical practice standard that can be used to engage students in mathematical content standards as well as additional mathematical practice standards. Research has shown the benefits of mathematical modeling (e.g., Aguirre et al., 2019; Cirillo et al., 2016a), but also the challenges teachers can face…

The problem addressed in this study was that professional learning experiences offered to teachers are not designed and implemented by considering theories of human learning or theories of adult learning, with equity goals in mind for teachers and students (for teachers' professional growth and enhanced students' outcomes), and with context…

Education is a constantly evolving field that requires continuous professional development. While policymakers continue to implement school reforms, many of them depend on teachers' ability to learn and improve instruction to increase student learning. Teachers have a double role in educational reforms by being simultaneously subjects and objects…

A group of educators directed their own learning by creating a professional development experience involving peer observations. Professional development (PD) is complex and can be any activity aimed at improving teacher knowledge, enhancing practice, and increasing student achievement. A group of high school teachers gathered and met regularly to…

This phenomenological study explored elementary educators' identified needs for effective professional development, focused on the instruction and assessment of English Learners (EL) in schools with low EL incidence. Addressing teacher preparation through effective professional development was guided by Bruner's (1960) constructivist theory and…

This dissertation aims to center the experiences of first-year writing educators in one program with a shared curriculum. Guided by social theories of learning and scholarship and practices in writing studies and writing program administration, I conducted qualitative surveys and interviews with teaching-focused faculty and graduate teaching…

This study investigated the impact of professional development support structures for enhancing teacher mastery of Response to Intervention (RTI) in an urban elementary school setting. With a focus on effective implementation strategies, the research explored the role of tailored professional development initiatives in equipping educators with the…

The purpose of this research study was to explore secondary education teachers' perceptions of why they may be underprepared to support English language learners (ELLs) in the mainstream classroom. With the increasing number of ELLs in public schools across the United States, teachers with the background, training, and/or knowledge of how to…

The research addresses how post-secondary education can enhance Black student participation in STEM fields, which historically lag behind their White counterparts. Through improvement science, the researchers test the effectiveness of providing scaffolded learning and awareness modules for faculty and staff to enhance curricular design efforts and…

The researchers believe that post-secondary education can provide a greater number of Black students with degrees in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Using improvement science, this research aims to test whether providing scaffolded learning and awareness modules around success in STEM programs for faculty and staff…

Professional development is imperative for gifted and talented teachers' improvement in classrooms. However, many professional development courses are not meaningful for teachers and are not presented effectively. Using effective researched strategies, leaders can create better professional development courses. Professional development leaders…

This study aimed to rectify the problem of inadequate preparation and support of faculty in the Student Success (SLS) course at Brentwood State College (name of institution changed for reasons of confidentiality) (BSC). This problem of practice is significant because the SLS course is intended to contribute significantly to students acquiring…