Due to the low academic performance of Liberian students, in 2013, the president of Liberia declared that the education sector needed to be overhauled. Consequently, the education minister launched a nationwide professional development (PD) program. Despite the PD initiatives, academic performance in an urban school district (USD, a pseudonym) has…

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of induction programs from the perspectives of new teachers in urban and suburban school districts. The research uses a phenomenological qualitative research design. The theoretical frameworks for this research are the Motivation Theory and Self-Efficacy Theory. There are eight participants, four…

Using a culturally relevant leadership lens, this phenomenological study looks at the lived experiences of two female urban school leaders in Pakistani private schools. It highlights the structural enablements and barriers they faced across two different periods -- the 1990s and the 2020s providing reflectively-nuanced insight into female school…

This research examined, through a qualitative grounded theory approach, perceptions of classified, non-instructional staff, and leaders in business and operations on a best practices professional development framework for operational staff. The study also examined the responsibility of leaders to provide professional development opportunities to…

This 5-year mathematics professional development project involves 27 elementary teachers prepared and supported as Elementary Mathematics Specialists (EMSs) in high-need, urban schools. Our inquiry centers on their experiences in the EMS preparation program and the development of important outcomes, specifically productive beliefs and teacher…

There is a sense of melancholy whenever a neighborhood school closes its doors forever. Communities lose identity with the loss of a beloved and familial, societal hub. Schools are where academic dreams and goals are born. The joy of a new school year and the social circle of friends in a thriving community give students the fresh start for…

This exploratory study investigated the experiences of teachers who participated in a collaborative inquiry project. This was designed to gain insights into the learning dispositions (skill, inclination and sensitivity) participants reported when undertaking this form of professional learning. The specific inquiry initiative utilised Design-based…

This study examines educators' lived and professional experiences as those who have been ranked "highly effective" teachers based on the Danielson Framework and their choice to remain in urban lower-performing schools in New York City Public Schools. For the context of this study, urban lower-performing schools are schools categorized as…

The impact of principals on America's urban public schools cannot be overstated. With mounting pressures to increase student achievement and ever fluid job responsibilities, leaders are faced with challenges of which their pre-service preparation may not have taken into account. Principals' perceptions of their pre-service training, along with…

This paper explores how school community collaboration is given meaning by municipally employed coordinators whose task is to organise collaboration between schools and other actors in urban areas in Sweden. Inspired by Carol Bacchi's theorisation of the constitutive aspect of discerning problems, it examines how coordinators give meaning to the…

Despite the widely recognized effectiveness of place-based education (PBE) by researchers in the science education community, there is a lack of resources and curriculum appropriate for the environment of urban schools. Unequal access to quality science curriculum materials is an ongoing issue facing urban schools in the United States. This basic…

Purpose: Diocesan systems of Catholic schools in the USA have been trying to make urban elementary schools more sustainable in an era of declining enrollment. This paper sought to better understand how system and school leaders conceptualize what it takes to "sustain the legacy" of these schools. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted…

Students are entering the classroom with more technological knowledge than ever before, and to provide enriching learning opportunities, teachers need to be ready to use that background. Elementary mathematics teachers are often provided with technology to use with their mathematics curriculum. However, they do not always receive any guidance or…

Student absenteeism is a persistent concern in K-12 education. Not only are the negative academic and social consequences of excessive absenteeism well documented, but states, districts, and schools are increasingly being held accountable for student attendance. As research indicates that disruptions in students' learning contexts may exacerbate…

Embracing students' cultural assets is critical in facilitating self-growth and development at the secondary level, especially among minoritized students interested in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine/health (STEM-M) careers. Using sociocultural and community cultural wealth (CCW) lenses, longitudinal data among 23…