Fantasy, Vision, and Metaphor - Three Tracks to Teachers Minds

This paper explores how the three concepts of vision, metaphor, and fantasy serve educational research for a better understanding of teachers’ minds regarding educational issues. Drawing upon data based on a review of the literature, the following has been found: a semantic comparison showed that the concepts were similar in their abilities to create visual images and function as communication media, but differed in origin, time orientation, reality reflection, activity orientation, and consensus creation. Empirical findings demonstrated the importance of question formulation, the researcher’s position, and the scope of the study. In conclusion, the paper proposes how the different concepts might help in designing improved research and better educational usage of the concepts

Science Teacher Leadership - The Current Landscape and the Path Forward

Teacher leadership has become an increasingly popular topic discussed as a means to improve education. Enhancing teacher professional learning opportunities by cultivating teacher leaders (TLs) is one strategy that can be adopted to improve education. TLs contribute to instructional leadership, reform efforts, and the practices of their profession. In addition, TLs support improving teacher quality and sustainable school improvement efforts. The development of science teacher leadership is a critical aspect in improving science education, and attention to this research area has increased over the last few decades. This chapter will review the research on science teacher leadership and provide a current overview of the field. We will include who is a science teacher leader (STL), how STLs are developed professionally, and the impact of STLs in schools and school systems. We will also suggest implications for science teacher professional development (in-service), policy makers, and those teachers who want to become STLs

"Islands of Innovation" and "School-Wide Implementations" : Two Patterns of ICT-Based Pedagogical Innovations in Schools

The study reported here is a secondary analysis of data collected in 10 schools as part of Israel’s participation in two international studies: IEA’s SITES Module 2, focusing on innovative pedagogical practices at the classroom level, and the OECD/CERI case studies of ICT and organizational innovation, focusing on ICT-related innovations at the school system level. We identify and analyze two patterns of ICT-based curricular innovations: “islands of innovation” and “school-wide implementations.” In the analysis of both patterns we focus on (a) the levels and domains of innovation reached in schools; (b) the communication agents and school variables affecting the diffusion of the innovation; and (c) the role of internal and external factors affecting the diffusion of the innovation. In the discussion we elaborate the potential value of sustainable islands of innovation models as agents of innovation, and the similarities and differences between both patterns of ICT implementation in schools

R & D in Education: the Case of the Laboratory School

This symposium presents ten years of an Israeli laboratory school, which was established on research and development (R & D) principles. First, David Chen presents four major requirements for R&D strategy: new theoretical foundation, educational research, laboratories schools and diffusion mechanisms. Second, Nir Chen presents the architectural perspective and describes ways by which school building promotes new pedagogy. Third, Yafa Ben-Amy explains how the school and, especially the "home" - the basic organizational unit, work. Finally, Dorit Tubin shows some of the evidence with regards to the schools success