Teacher collaboration is a topic that, although often studied, understanding teachers' collaborative practices continues to be complex. The study site is no exception. Recent data suggests that while collaboration among teachers is often depicted as "natural" and "easy," fostering rich and authentic collaboration can be…

The intent of this mixed-methods case study was to examine the practices, processes, and associated factors of a school-based team mandated by the district for the purpose of supporting freshmen students during their first year of high school. The study utilized the Theory of Change theoretical framework with the logic model as a reference for…

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 opening of a new high school is an exciting time for students and teachers alike. Teachers learn to collaborate, to experiment, and to shape the systems and structures they desire as a professional community of educators. As the role of the teacher continues to evolve, how we conceptualize the professional educator, and how we act on those…

Urban high school achievement gaps persist despite efforts by principals and extensive research on the positive role of Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE), signaling the need for additional support. This study investigated the potential of teacher leadership in fostering CTE within large urban high schools. Using a mixed-methods multiple case study…

The mixed methods quasi-experimental study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of interdisciplinary teacher teams on sophomore on-track graduation rate. Employing a mixed methods approach, quantitative data from an Early Warning System were combined with qualitative teacher survey data collected from a Chicago suburban…

Situating this work within related scholarship on poetic self-study and a conceptual framework based on Karen Barad's idea of suturing, we began with individual self-study through poetry, reflecting on our identities and earlier experiences as high school English teachers. As we explored -- increasingly connecting individual experiences with one…

Educators work daily to cultivate their students into life-long learners who desire to never stop learning. However, after completing their own pre-service work and certification requirements, what causes teachers to continue to learn new best practices, research new ideas of instruction, and engage in pedagogical conversations to cultivate their…

"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 describes a Lesson Study in which in-service mathematics secondary-school teachers, collaborating with researchers, involve grade 10 students in tessellation problems. The data are collected by an experiment carried out in the context of the "Liceo Matematico" project, with three volunteer teachers. The experiment goal was to…

Current research indicates that inclusive classrooms with students with disabilities are rising, and schools are challenged with shifting their structures and curriculums towards inclusion. This doctoral dissertation aims to understand pre-service program models and how they prepare teachers for inclusive environments, including their knowledge…

Background: There is mounting empirical evidence that interacting with nature delivers measurable benefits to people which include physical health, cognitive performance, and psychological well-being. Aim: This study aimed at understanding and exploring how the power of nature and colleagues and principal support assist teachers to adapt and cope…

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"…

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…

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,…