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The Canadian Journal of Environmental Education's Volume 26 features diverse papers addressing the complexities of environmental education in a world facing crisis-level challenges. Topics include sustainable clothing choices in outdoor education, the role of mindfulness in eco-spiritual connections, and the ecological implications of language use. Authors also explore themes such as mapping for relationship renewal, modernizing education for socio-ecological challenges, and decolonizing environmental education. The journal emphasizes the importance of incorporating Indigenous perspectives and anti-oppressive approaches in environmental education to promote socio-ecological flourishing and thriving. [Extracted from the article]

The text is a call for proposals for the 11th Annual Conference of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA), which will be held at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI, USA, on June 7-8, 2024. The conference theme is "PAR in Community: Transformative Possibilities," focusing on participatory action research (PAR) and its role in building community and challenging oppressive conditions. Dr. Julio Cammarota, a professor of education at the University of Arizona, will deliver a keynote address on PAR EntreMundos and the concept of dismantling borders and building collectives. The conference invites submissions that explore various ways of engaging in PAR practices and highlight the ways in which PAR creates community. The submission deadlines are December 31, 2023, for early abstract submission and April 1, 2024, for final abstract submission. The conference will feature different types of sessions, including round table paper presentations, panel sessions, workshop sessions, and art installations. The text also mentions the upcoming CARN 2024 Annual Conference at Malmö University in Sweden, with the theme "Action Research for Citizen Health, Social Sustainability, and Education." Additionally, it provides information about a podcast episode featuring Dr. Rauni Räsänen and Dr. Mervi Kaukko discussing participatory action research in the Finnish context. [Extracted from the article]

The paper focuses on the ‘Communicative Language Teaching’ (CLT) is an innovative Method in the English Language Teaching. In this aspect the researcher gives importance to the ‘Communicative Language Teaching’ as an action research. Through this method the researcher brings out the development of the language teaching as well as Communicative Language Learning (CLL). With the help of ‘Group Communication’ (GC) the researcher brings out the action research in language teaching. The Group Communication which is clubbed with the methods of communicative language teaching. It is also known as action research in language teaching. In this paper the researcher brings out the effective on ‘Communicative Language Teaching’. (CLT) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ability grouping is a common practice in elementary mathematics instruction, but some research suggests that grouping by ability can exacerbate existing inequities, and there is evidence that alternatives to grouping can improve learning experiences for all students. In this paper, we describe an effort to support teachers in using equitable teaching practices that was part of an Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) certification program at a public university in the United States. We employ multiple perspectives in our collaborative action research approach: the first author was the director of the EMS program, the second author was a graduate researcher working to support the program, and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth authors were all teachers in the program. We start by introducing efforts to address equity from the perspective of program designers, including specific activities used during a Summer Institute to prompt consideration of alternatives to ability grouping. Then we share several experiences of reducing ability grouping from the perspectives of four teachers who were participants in the program, noting successes and challenges. We conclude with implications for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Trends & Economic Policy is the property of Institute of Economics, Zagreb and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper reports on an action research (AR) project with six public high school leaders (reviewers) who volunteered to engage in an 18 month project to overcome their own defensiveness in addressing concerns with teachers (reviewees) whose performance they were evaluating. In the paper I outline how I acted as a coach in a long-term development approach where participant ownership of focus, data collection, analysis and interpretation was given highest priority. An exploration of the AR approach adopted, and the theory and strategies for addressing concerns is provided. The strategies may likely be a new, unique, contribution for many reviewers. A transcript of one reviewer-reviewee discussion sets the scene for an outline of reviewer tracking of their implementation strategies for improvement and subsequent evaluation. The final part of the paper covers a meta-level discussion of outcomes associated with the overall evaluation findings. Positive outcomes were shown for four of the six leaders for enhanced employment of strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Collaborative Action Research has been a popular form of research method conducted by the BEd (Hons) inservice and pre-service students studying the early childhood education at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. With a thorough understanding of the theory and practise of the collaborative action research by these novice teachers in this form of research methods, they could be benefited by an understanding on how they might develop a genuine school-based curriculum for an educational change in their schools. Aims: This paper aimed to provide guidelines on how to conduct a Collaborative Action Research for facilitating schoolbased Curriculum Development by theory and practise. A case study on how to carry out a collaborative action research is quoted for reference of those who would conduct this kind of research for the first time. The insertion of this case study is to highlight the meaning of 'collaborative' in an action research; it is not suffice to provide chances for teachers to voice out their opinions. What needs more to be done is to incorporate voices of teachers when formulating the plan in next action research cycle. With a thorough understanding of the theory and practise underpinned the Collaborative action research, it is anticipated that the novice teachers would gain in knowledge of what a "child-centred" curriculum and its pedagogic application would be like. In view of the variation in practices among today's teacher researchers, the theoretical and philosophical perspectives of Action Research will be reviewed to inform practitioners of the historical roots of their practise. What has been mentioned by Coulter (2002) as the essence of what constituting an authentic education "action' research would be revisited. Arguments: Allied with Coulter's argument in his What Counts as Action in Educational Action Research (2002), the author of this paper is keen to reiterate the differentiation of the three forms of Action research. In order to launch for an educational change to gear towards a child-centred practise, the genuine form of "Action" research is needed in lieu of the Educational "labour" research and the Educational "work" research. Conclusion: The paper ends with a Question and Answer section to conclude the special features and commonly asked questions of collaborative Action Research. In other words, the author of this paper expects the readers to work out the conclusion of this paper by answering the questions themselves [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on one teacher team and the university facilitators who supported their collaborative action research within a province-wide professional development initiative designed by the provincial elementary teacher union to bring together teachers and university faculty in teacher-directed action research. The paper is collaboratively written by three teachers, their principal, two university facilitators, and the teacher union's director of the project. We identify the principal's and university facilitators' involvement as important contributors to the success of the initiative, but underline the significance of the research as being teacher-led and collaborative with funding for release days as features that follow the democratic principles of teacher autonomy and equality to support teachers' professional learning for change. The success of the initiative, Teachers Learning Together, is exemplified by a report of one team's research methods and findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on what two teacher candidates and their instructor learned from an action research project into the use of inquiry to teach mathematics. We use a model of the relation between theory and practice in teacher education to interpret what we learned about inquiry. This model describes three modes for teacher candidates to learn about teaching: (1) applying theory to practice; (2) interpreting theory and practice, and (3) building/refining personal, practical and professional theories. We learned to (1) apply the 4D-Cycle Model of inquiry, (2) interpret what it means for inquiry to be flexible, and (3) build a theory of teaching with inquiry based on non-linear and community-based dispositions of teachers toward learning. We conclude by suggesting that this model could constitute a developmental pathway by teacher candidates for experiencing the linkages between theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Action research (AR) courses provide openings in higher education to engage students, schools and communities in democratic and socially just ways within the contexts of research, classroom learning and broader social interactions. Such opportunities are strengthened when instructors design AR courses with the goal of enabling students to experience and 'live' AR principles within the learning environment itself. In this paper, we describe and critically examine how social justice and democratic principles were reflected and experienced by students in two online AR courses we co-designed. Our findings suggest AR courses embedded with AR principles can become transformative learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010 a group of teacher educators from four universities, experienced in rural and remote education, formed the Tertiary Educators Rural, Regional and Remote Network (TERRR Network). The collaborative goal was to improve the quality of graduates taking appointments beyond the metropolitan areas of Western Australia. The TERRR Network developed a research project to improve the capacity of universities to prepare teachers for employment in rural and remote locations. A range of outcomes emerged from the project, including: 1) the development of seven rural and remote-oriented curricula modules linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers; 2) a cross-institutional field experience, and; 3) the development of a community of practice involving the Department of Education, universities and schools to address the logistical implications of placing pre-service students in rural and remote locations. This paper reports on the five phases of the project design, with a focus on learning in the field and concludes with reflections on the collaborative process used by the four universities in order to ensure that research evidence informs future policy and program development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This issue of EJOLTS intends to demonstrate the capacities of teachers and students in a variety of settings to create cultures of inquiry that transform social formations within their classrooms, their schools and their school systems. These transformative changes are accredited and validated over considerable time, from 1995 to 2013. This final paper follows the works of the authors from the creation of their living-educational-theories with their original living-theory-methodologies, to their integration and evolution in cultures of inquiry by masters and doctoral students and to the improvement of learning in primary, secondary and tertiary classrooms and other professional contexts across the globe. Our organization of this article follows the pattern in our individual contributions as we distinguish the values that constitute our unique contributions to cultures of inquiry in terms of: being loved into learning; praxis; students as co-researchers; building trust and respect; unveiling embodied knowledge; the living curriculum; influencing self, others and social formations; obstacles and challenges; scholarly significance; interim conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I will describe how I created a loving culture of inquiry that enabled students to have transformative experiences as they unveil their voices to generate unique epistemologies and ontologies. I will share how responding to the four guiding questions: Who Am I? How do I Know? So What? and Now What? provided a framework that helped students to transcend the moral, creative, and intellectual constraints of traditional education. I will draw on data from the student action researchers in my classrooms and my own action research as I continue to refine my living-theory (both my methodology and theory) to demonstrate how I use self-study, living-theory, action research projects to create opportunities for self-determined learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this issue, we highlight personal journeys and collaborative pathways that explain educational influences in learning in terms of values, skills and understandings that we believe carry hope for the future of humanity and own future. We are focusing on values that are ontological in the sense that they are used to give meaning and purpose to our lives as individual researchers. Our values are used as explanatory principles in explanations of educational influence. These principles form our living standards of judgment for evaluating the validity of our contributions to knowledge. The explanatory principles connect flows of life-affirming energy with the living values that constitute our continuously evolving understandings of a culture-of-inquiry. In this first paper of the six contributions we share our present understanding of a culture-of-inquiry. We are writing from our range of professional contexts: elementary, high school and, postgraduate settings. In the course of our cooperation we have clarified and shared our meanings of being 'loved into learning'. We offer this energy-flowing value as a living standard of judgment for evaluating the validity of our contribution to educational knowledge. The constraints of poverty that we reference in our articles are traditional academic forms of print-based texts, which neglect the embodied expression of moral and aesthetic values. These constraints can limit the validity of the communication of the embodied meanings of the energy-flowing values of professional educators in explanations of their educational influences in learning. We are claiming that these constraints can be seen to be overcome through relationships based on trust and respect and through creative thinking with regard to the living curriculum. The articles in this issue follow our democratic way of creating together a shared meaning of a culture of inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the vast amount of literature regarding boys and their underperformance in the literacy realm, only some research indicates that boys' low literacy levels may be attributed to unchallenged literacy classroom practices. Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) is a free voluntary reading program in which students are expected to read (usually books) for a period of time. Observing an SSR period during the teaching practicum as a pre-service teacher, the unstructured nature of the lesson disengaged many of the boys. In the lesson, the students are expected to select a book from the library and read in silence for the duration of forty minutes. How is one to know if our students are engaging in reading practices without some form of dialogue between their peers and the teacher that enables them to share their individual understanding? In the action research, the aim was to explore whether such a program is a vehicle for the production of critical literacy skills for male adolescents or if an accepted pedagogical practice, such as SSR is prohibiting our boys from attaining literacy in our schools. This paper refers to Kemmis (2009; 2006) to examine the guiding principles of action research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper showcases how one teacher preparation program embedded action research within the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. This integration helped preservice teachers gain a deeper knowledge of RtI key concepts and pedagogical decision making for meeting diverse students' needs. Examples from a course assignment are provided to demonstrate how an action research framework helped cultivate the professional knowledge and skills needed to understand and successfully implement the RtI decision-making process. A brief discussion and implications for teacher preparation programs are also shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, particularly in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the participation of students in English language classrooms is minimal. There are numerous reasons for this, like low confidence levels, improper exposure and practice of language skills and so on. To add to this situation, majority of the English language classrooms in India is teacher-centered and it affects the students' participation and thus their role and spirit are undermined. Under these circumstances, Collaborative Action Research (CAR) methodology is employed by the researchers with the objective to overcome the existing problems using role play as a tool. Role play is used effectively as a tool as it supports students' participation and enriches their social skills. CAR promotes collaborative discussions, self-reflective thinking and systematic phases of problem-solving. This paper makes an attempt to enhance students' participation and their ability to use English language in a variety of academic and professional situations besides integrating LSRW skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I describe and explain how I enquired into my own practice as a teacher of mathematics in a post-primary school. I engaged in an action research study as I explored how I could use inquiry-based learning (IBL) to encourage higher order thinking among my students of mathematics. I did this through two cycles of action research. In cycle one my focus was on introducing IBL into my lessons. The focus of cycle two was on improving the students' ability to write-up their inquiries. Through the cycles of the enquiry, I gained a deeper understanding of the values embodied in my practice as a teacher. I used these values as my living standards of judgement by which I judged my practice. During the research period I successfully integrated the levels of inquiry as advocated by the European Seventh Framework project 'Pathway' into my teaching and used the SOLO taxonomy as a way of assessing higher order thinking. In my study, I show how my students engaged in the inquiry-based learning process as I asked, researched and answered the question 'How can I use inquiry-based learning to improve my practice and to encourage higher order thinking among my students of mathematics?' Through the research process, my own learning and that of my students has been transformed and this gives me enormous satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to present one's own thoughts to the other is one of the keys to success in this age of communication. With the advent of globalization, the present era has got an unprecedented significance for presentation skills. Professional students are required to communicate clearly and confidently to succeed in their academic and professional careers. Most of the professional students are struggling to communicate as they feel less confident to voice their views in any public speaking activities like addressing people, participating in debates, group discussions and interviews. It is because there is a lacuna between the academic curricula and industry requirements. The present paper aspires to exude confidence levels and to develop presentation skills employing tailor made activities. It aims at exploring some of the common problems students have during their presentations and intends to suggest solutions and improve their presentation skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents data collected and analyzed as part of a graduate-level action research project. First, preferred disassociation (gleaned via observational methodology) between Latino and African American racial students within an urban neighbourhood school located within a large Midwestern city in the United States is discussed. Second, additional data highlighted not only apparent disassociation in the classroom, but also in various other typical locations within the school, as well as commuting to/from school. Finally, interviews and subsequent surveys were conducted to gauge student perceptions of their own personal safety at different locations during a normal school day [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008-09, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) sponsored a professional learning initiative entitled, Teachers Learning Together: The Math Journey. The context for teachers was one of team-based, collaborative action research (CAR) dealing with a mathematics topic of their own choosing. University researcher teams in provincial regions were also enlisted to facilitate the CAR activities and to conduct case study research and reporting. Each teacher team designated a Lead Teacher (LT) for the duration of the project. This paper highlights the case study research findings pertaining to perceptions of role and responsibility of the LTs, and focuses on four emergent roles, namely that of manager, motivator, model, and mediator. Lead Teachers are shown to be essential to the collaborative action research process. Notwithstanding, recommendations regarding the actual LT designation, and a clearer communication of LT role and responsibility are also made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper and its appended multi-media production describe the rationale and process of creating and presenting a "digitally saturated" (Lankshear & Knobel, 2003), multi-layered, synchronous "montage" (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003) of educational Action Research findings. The authors contend that this type of presentation, arising from the fusion of Collaborative Action Research (CAR) and arts-based research (ABR), conveys more fully the complexity of context-specific, classroom-based CAR. Viewers and readers are invited to experience vicariously, interpret critically, and construct uniquely this "new type of knowledge." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Action research (AR) for school-based curriculum innovations (SCI) has been ardently pursued in Singapore schools for the past few years, leading to a plethora of project reports published as monographs and in a new journal, the North Star. Training workshops were conducted at the national, zonal, and school levels to equip teachers with essential research competence, further supported by face-to-face and on-line consultation. Many and varied pedagogies in practically all subjects were trailed with the view to raise students' achievement. Aims or focus of discussion: This paper is a sequel to a status report published in an earlier issue of this Journal (Soh, 2006a) and describes the efforts of the education authority, the teacher-education institution, the schools, the teachers, and the private consultants in promoting AR/SCI in Singapore schools. Project reports in various formats are briefly described. The experience of the past few years also pointed up some issues that deserve attention such as the identification of research topics, reference to theories, expectation of success, and assessment of probability of success. Arguments/comments/suggestions: The writer believes that the effort of the past few years will bear fruit for Singapore schools in their effort in school improvement and the pragmatic approach is to be maintained. However, those issues identified above need be attended to if the effect is to be maximized so that resources will be properly utilized. Conclusion: Using AR/SCI as a mean to raise student achievement is a pragmatic approach suited to Singapore's philosophy and this can be continued to benefit the schools and their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia (08723419) is the property of Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Letras and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) method promised superior results in a second language classroom. However, experiences using the method in a middle school Spanish classroom were not always positive. Classroom structure dissolved during the interactive storytelling sessions when students' disruptive responses overshadowed the benefits of the teaching method. This paper describes an action research project designed to analyze student engagement during two different TPRS lessons. In the first lesson, the classroom teacher followed the TPRS procedures with no modifications. In the second lesson, the teacher revised the lesson procedures by (a) explicitly stating clear expectations and giving the students a concrete measurement of expectations, (b) providing an added visual element, and (c) giving the students opportunities to respond chorally during the storytelling. Students were more positively engaged for the second lesson as evidenced by their active response to the story in the target language. Results suggest that, along with providing clear expectations for the students' role during the lesson, adding strong classroom management, story-related props and choral response are useful ways to support student learning using TPRS in a second language classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching action research through modeling. Participants were 11 doctoral students enrolled in a two-semester practitioner-based research course. In this study, I was both instructor and member of the research community. I modeled the steps of action research as I conducted a study of my practice, which focused on having students engage in reflective activities for the purpose of aligning their core educational values and the actions taken in their research studies. The students and I engaged in discussions of our research projects, and as part of the research community, I shared my dilemmas, frustrations, and successes. I also kept a reflective journal, which students were able to access online and respond to, and made my research paper available to students as I wrote each section. Further, I modeled for students the reflective activities I used as I navigated my own action research study. Analysis of course artifacts, interviews and conferences, and observations indicated that students perceived modeling to be a powerful way to facilitate their learning and create a sense of community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I generate my living educational theory as an explanation of my educational influences in learning as I research my tutoring with practitioner-researchers from a variety of workplace backgrounds. I will show how I have closely inter-related the teaching, learning and research processes by providing opportunities for participants to accept responsibility for their own learning and to develop their capacity as learners and researchers. My Ph.D. inquiry 'How can I create a pedagogy of the unique through a web of betweenness?' (Farren, 2006) was integral to the development of my own Higher Education teaching practice as I clarified the meaning of my embodied values in the course of their emergence in practice. I try to provide an educational space where individuals can create knowledge in collaboration with others. I believe dialogue is fundamental to the learning process. It is a way of opening up to questions and assumptions rather than accepting ready-made solutions. The originality of the contribution is in the constellation of values and understandings I use as explanatory principles in generating my explanations of educational influence. This constellation includes the unusual combination of an educational response to the flow of energy and meaning in Celtic spirituality and the educational opportunities for learning opened up by digital technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Learning & Technology is the property of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)