This study examines the process of educational change as demonstrated in three elementary schools implementing education for sustainability (EfS). Actions and stages in the change process were characterized. Data included interviews with the school principals and teachers involved, in-school...

This study examined in-service teachers who engaged in a year-long professional development (PD) course that focused on conducting participatory action research (PAR(related to mathematics and science instruction. We focused on how the teachers perceived the PAR process and its impact on their practice and performance throughout the course. A multiple-case study approach was used and the data included interviews with teachers, observations, and teacher performance tasks. Four meta-design principles were implemented and embedded in the course: learning from and with peers, making thinking visible, making content accessible, and promoting autonomy to enable teachers to become lifelong learners. The findings indicate that a majority of the teachers acknowledged the opportunity to conduct PAR, cooperated with peers, changed their teaching strategies, and believed that they would continue to conduct PAR in the future. The findings support implementing PAR to improve teachers’ teaching practices, PD perceptions, and performance of tasks during the course.

This quantitative retrospective study examines a non-probable convenience sample of 104 in-service mathematics and science teachers with the aim to understand their changes in attitudes toward the integration and use of information and communications technology (ICT) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data included a self-report questionnaire. The results indicate an increase in teachers’ knowledge regarding the e-learning environments available at their schools. The teachers revealed that before the pandemic, they mostly used computer tools to support struggling students or carry out basic calculations. However, during, because they had to plan distance learning environments, they introduced adaptive pedagogical use of ICT tools for all their students. The findings reveal that most teachers experienced difficulties emanating from lack of preparation time, technological knowledge, and/or technical conditions, thus suggesting that policymakers must decide how to provide adequate knowledge and technical support to allow teachers to successfully integrate computerized technologies into their teaching.

There is great interest in promoting research in academic institutions and a need to understand the various factors influencing it. The main goals of this study are to investigate the factors that predict academic research outcomes and how gender and research authority (RA) support programs affect the relationship between research self-efficacy and research interest. The participants included 143 faculty members who completed a questionnaire, 19 of whom were interviewed. The results indicate that the faculty members’ research interests and the RA’s support significantly predicted academic research outcomes. A positive and significant correlation was found between research self-efficacy and research interest. Gender and RA support were found to significantly moderate this relationship. Research self-efficacy had almost no effect on research interest among female faculty members and among faculty members who had received support from the research authority. In contrast, among male faculty members and among those who did not receive support from the research authority, the higher the research self-efficacy, the higher the research interest. An analysis of faculty members’ perceptions points to four factors that can advance research outcomes: support from the RA, mentoring, collaboration among researchers, and allotting time for research. Understanding the moderating role of gender is important to reveal the underlying mechanism of a gender gap in research interest and consequently in academic performance, considering the increased recognition that universities worldwide are male dominated and that women are underrepresented in senior positions in academia.