Approaches to studying teacher collaboration for instructional improvement: A review of literature

2019 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Hayley Weddle ◽

Marie Lockton ◽

Amanda Datnow

Keyword(s):

School Improvement ◽

Teacher Collaboration ◽

Common Ground ◽

Instructional Improvement ◽

Longitudinal Case Study ◽

Content Type ◽

Emotional Process ◽

Collective Work ◽

Emotional Geographies ◽

Emotional Dimensions

Purpose While the benefits of teacher collaboration are well documented, less is known about how emotions intersect with teachers’ collective work. Educational change is an emotional process, as reform efforts often involve shifts in teachers’ daily routines and professional identities. To better understand these complexities, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the emotional dimensions of teachers’ collaborative efforts to improve instruction. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on qualitative data, this longitudinal case study of one teacher team explores how teacher collaboration for instructional improvement intersects with emotional geographies. Data analyzed include three years of meeting observations and annual interviews with teachers and school leaders. Findings An analysis of data reveals how emotions both shaped and were shaped by teachers’ collaboration experiences. Varying beliefs about practice, expectations about collective work and identity (in this case, gender) impacted collaboration and subsequently opportunities for instructional improvement. Practical implications This study demonstrates how attending to the emotional aspects of teacher collaboration could serve as an effective strategy for bolstering capacity-building efforts. Findings highlight the interplay between emotional geographies, suggesting that common ground across one geography could potentially be built upon to close gaps across others. Originality/value This study provides a unique longitudinal exploration of the emotional dimensions of teachers’ collective work. The study also contributes to new knowledge about the ways in which teachers’ emotions and collaborative experiences intersect, including the interplay between emotional geographies.

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Strengthening STEM Instruction in Schools: Learning From Research

Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1177/2372732219864385 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 236-242

Author(s):

Kathleen Lynch ◽

Heather C. Hill ◽

Kathryn Gonzalez ◽

Cynthia Pollard

Keyword(s):

Content Knowledge ◽

Teacher Collaboration ◽

Instructional Improvement ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Pedagogical Content ◽

Stem Instruction ◽

Improvement Programs ◽

And Mathematics

More than half of U.S. children fail to meet proficiency standards in mathematics and science in fourth grade. Teacher professional development and curriculum improvement are two of the primary levers that school leaders and policymakers use to improve children’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning, yet until recently, the evidence base for understanding their effectiveness was relatively thin. In recent years, a wealth of rigorous new studies using experimental designs have investigated whether and how STEM instructional improvement programs work. This article highlights contemporary research on how to improve classroom instruction and subsequent student learning in STEM. Instructional improvement programs that feature curriculum integration, teacher collaboration, content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and how students learn all link to stronger student achievement outcomes. We discuss implications for policy and practice.

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Ultrastructural Localization of Phycocyanin in the Acidophilic, Thermophilic Alga, Cyanidium Caldarium

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100072757 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 462-463

Author(s):

M. R. Edwards ◽

J. D. Mainwaring

Keyword(s):

Yellowstone National Park ◽

National Park ◽

Ultrastructural Localization ◽

Review Of Literature ◽

Cyanidium Caldarium ◽

Taxonomic Rank ◽

Thin Sections ◽

Standard Methods ◽

Laboratory Cultures

Although the general ultrastructure of Cyanidium caldarium, an acidophilic, thermophilic alga of questionable taxonomic rank, has been extensively studied (see review of literature in reference 1), some peculiar ultrastructural features of the chloroplast of this alga have not been noted by other investigators.Cells were collected and prepared for thin sections at the Yellowstone National Park and were also grown in laboratory cultures (45-52°C; pH 2-5). Fixation (glutaraldehyde-osmium), dehydration (ethanol), and embedding (Epon 812) were accomplished by standard methods. Replicas of frozenfracture d- etched cells were obtained in a Balzers apparatus. In addition, cells were examined after disruption in a French Press.

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