Collective bargaining agreements are documents used by unionized workers to outline the scope of their job role and in many educational settings are perceived as a hindrance to improving teacher quality and thus student performance. The problem addressed by this study was that the restrictions of the collective bargaining agreement impede the time…

As large expenditures are made every year to support the professional learning of teachers, it is critical to know if these endeavors are effective. Mathematics coaching has become an avenue that is believed to be an effective form of professional development in supporting mathematics teachers in their own improvement of teaching mathematics.…

This dissertation presents the findings of a qualitative improvement science study aimed at identifying an effective professional development structure to enhance teacher efficacy in the context of post-COVID-19 education. The study's approach was guided by improvement science, a systematic exploration of the problem, facilitated by a driver…

Educator Lauren Porosoff discovered the value of contextual behavioral science by accident, when accompanying her psychologist husband at a professional conference. Additional study of the subject convinced her of its benefits to educators and students -- and showed her the value of study outside her field. She encourages educators to seek out…

Background: Many education systems internationally expect schools to participate in continuous instructional improvement programmes. One tool used within these processes is the structured, rubric-based classroom observation, focused on the evaluation of teaching. Such observations are a common feature of formative evaluation systems, teacher…

This study aims to identify the need to develop an integrated model of the readiness of mathematics teachers as agents of change. Teachers' readiness is crucial for the effectiveness of the teaching process and the enhancement of pedagogical innovation. This study employs a qualitative methodology. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 14…

This transformative autoethnography focuses on the authors' learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a result of their participation in university diversity-related book clubs and subsequent extensive dialogue with one another. The paper features three implementation vignettes where the authors engage in critical self-reflection…

Teacher retention continues to be a concern in public education. The concerns related to this negative trend were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and schools and school districts are finding themselves in a precarious position. Many states and local school districts are creatively utilizing alternative certification methods to increase the…

Purpose: This qualitative study extends jigsaw lesson study (JLS) by focusing specifically on the impact of feedback on teacher candidates' (TCs') professional knowledge and instructional growth in the teacher-educator classroom. Design/methodology/approach: For this study, JLS took place in two different methods courses and followed the lesson…

Community college adjunct faculty, who teach a majority of first-year courses at community colleges, face varied challenges related to limited access to ongoing support. This qualitative study examined the effects of an instructional coaching program on community college adjunct faculty's self-efficacy and ability to enhance instructor presence in…

Research suggests that beginner teachers face challenges when transitioning from pre-service to in-service teaching. Both international and local research found that transitioning from preservice to newly qualified teachers can be problematic. This study explores the learning experiences of beginner foundation phase Grade R teachers. The study…

Practitioner inquiry methodology, applied in primary and secondary schools worldwide, provides a structure for systematic study of an instructor's own teaching practice in order to address a self-identified instructional dilemma. This methodology holds promise for improving teaching in higher education as well. In this dialogue, two faculty…

There is increasing international focus on system-wide schemes of teaching excellence in higher education. In this article, I explore national policy instruments intended to promote and measure teaching excellence. There appears to be very limited knowledge about what underpins the effective design of policy instruments for teaching excellence.…

Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) are a ubiquitous tool in higher education. Though they are not effective means of evaluating teaching ability, they are useful in formative teaching development of a teaching career. We characterise the current formative use of and attitudes towards SETs by instructors across all disciplines (STEM and…

Background: Many studies have shown that ambitious, "student centered" approaches to STEM instruction benefit K-12 student learning. However, relatively little research has systematically investigated the learning processes that support teachers to skillfully enact these challenging pedagogies. In this study, we used a mixed-methods,…