The role of the teacher continues to evolve with each new school year. In order for teachers to perform at their highest capacity, they need pedagogical and emotional support from colleagues as well as encouragement and reinforcement that they are being effective and successful. The problem is that many elementary teachers primarily plan and teach…

The cultivation of teacher leaders is key to addressing the intersecting and complex challenges the field of education faces. Over the past two years, we have participated in a group we call the Teacher Leadership Collaborative (TLC). The TLC is a community of educators -- from preservice to highly experienced -- committed to equity-oriented…

Reports on a research project designed to implement an adapted Lesson Study cycle whereby pre-service mathematics teachers co-create a lesson with an experienced expert instructor and observe the instructor teach the lesson. Results show development in the pre-service teachers' attention to elements of planning such as anticipation and pedagogical…

Mapleton Public Schools serves 7,100 students on the northern edge of Denver. In terms of student demographics, Mapleton is similar to many urban districts in Colorado, with 66% of students eligible for free and reduced-priced lunch and 79% of students identifying as Hispanic (Colorado Department of Education, 2023). Like many districts across the…

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that online teaching in higher education became the default. Educators were, and often now continue to be, required to pivot to online teaching, necessitating them to adapt their teaching delivery, effectively engage students online, and apply existing skills to new and unfamiliar pedagogical contexts.…

Case study research explored a formal mentoring program for new faculty within a cooperative Extension program at a land-grant university. This research focused on tenure-track and professional-track Extension faculty, who were paired with senior Extension faculty mentors in their first 3-5 years in the organization. Using the theoretical…

Teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) have the potential to result in teacher professional development, provided that effective communication takes place during PLC meetings. Building on the perspective of collaborative knowledge building, this study examined teachers' interaction patterns during these meetings. Connections were…

Background/Purpose: This study examines the use of the Interactive Growth Guide, a structured coaching tool, within a year-long high-intensity induction program for beginning teachers. Specifically, the study investigates how the Interactive Growth Guide was integrated into the mentoring relationship between a beginning teacher and her coach and…

This single case study explored the perceptions, feelings, and ideas of a select group of PK-3 certified teachers in a small, south Louisiana elementary school. As educators, perceptions and opinions often go unrecognized within the central school board and in the district. In order for teachers to be successful, it is imperative they are equipped…

Rooted in critical pedagogy and situated learning theory, this collaborative self-study examined how six teacher educators from different institutions worked to improve their culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) and activism practice. Data sources included participants' weekly journals, critical friends' feedback, and field notes and audio-video…

Teacher collaboration and social-emotional learning (SEL) are extant school improvement strategies intended to have a positive effect on student learning outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative, "ex post facto" study was to examine possible correlations between degree of teacher collaboration and use of instructional practices that…

Purpose: This study explores the perceptions of the leadership team on knowledge creation in lesson study (LS) using P. Gronn's concept of hybrid leadership. Design/methodology/approach: This study included teachers from a public elementary school in Japan that has been engaged in autonomous LS for several years. Teachers (n = 8) from the…

Purpose: Collaborative workgroups can be particularly fruitful sites for teachers to learn and improve. Prior research has illustrated how teachers' engagement in collaboration differs across school contexts. However, this research offers little guidance for leaders hoping to encourage collaborative learning among teachers in their school.…

From a teacher's perspective, teacher learning happens through a complex web of learning experiences. However, research on teacher professional development (PD) typically focuses on the direct influence of single activities or programs. PD researchers less often acknowledge the interactive impacts on teacher learning of the multiple experiences…

Lesson Study is a rapidly growing and increasingly popular teacher professional development approach and is valued for its cyclical, classroom-based and collaborative nature. Mostly used in primary and secondary education, Lesson Study has only recently been applied to the context of initial teacher education focussing on pre-service teachers'…