Teacher turnover is a significant educational challenge affecting students, teachers, and schools. Research underlines the need for further investigation of the factors influencing teacher retention. This study examines how the Big Five personality traits influence teacher resilience and, in turn, affect retention intentions among K–12 Greek teachers. Drawing on the job demands–resources model and conservation of resources theory, the study tested a conceptual model using structural equation modeling. Data were collected via an online survey from 679 Greek teachers. Results indicated that agreeableness, imagination, and emotional stability significantly predicted resilience, showing the strongest effects compared to conscientiousness and extraversion. Furthermore, resilience had a direct effect on teachers’ intention to stay, and also mediated the indirect effects of personality traits on retention. These findings support the role of personal psychological resources in teacher retention and suggest that interventions enhancing resilience and personality traits may support workforce stability.

In the Spring of 2020, at the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, community college teacher education faculty began a project to explore a comprehensive and cohesive means of coaching teacher candidates engaged in fieldwork practice. In this article, we present our collaborative rubric development process by faculty members. Through a review of literature on teacher quality, practice-based teacher education, and rubrics as a tool to inform coaching and performance-based assessment, we developed a student-centered rubric to support teacher candidates’ lesson plan development, implementation, and reflection. We describe and reflect upon the process used to develop the rubric and outline the use of the rubric as a resource for advancing authentic assessment practices in teacher education.

This descriptive case study aimed to explore how one undergraduate preservice special education teacher preparation program prepares its teacher candidates to engage in family collaboration effectively, an important skill set for effectively meeting the needs of students with exceptionalities. Critics of university-based teacher education programs contend that these programs do little to prepare beginning teachers for the realities of the school contexts in which they will teach. Thus, it is important to understand how university-based teacher preparation programs prepare their teacher candidates to engage in high-leverage teaching practices related to family collaboration. Data sources included interviews with preservice teacher candidates at different points in their programs, university classroom observations, and program-related documents (e.g., syllabi, course modules/activities, key program assessments, and take-home assignment descriptions, etc.). Findings suggest that this special preservice teacher preparation integrates family collaboration-related objectives, course topics, and assignments across the five-semester program of study, and teacher candidates in their second and fifth semesters of the program have differing perspectives about the extent to which the program has prepared them to effectively engage in family collaboration.

In this technological era, every teacher should be able to use instructional technology effectively in their lessons. Efficient use of instructional technologies in learning environments depends on teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) self-efficacy and practical skills. This study aims to investigate the effects of designing inquiry-based learning environments on a virtual platform and implementing them in real classroom environments on teachers’ TPACK self-efficacy, TPACK practical skills, and their views about technology integration in learning environments. This study is based on a convergent mixed-methods design. In the current study, 11 in-service 7th-grade science teachers attended a 5-day workshop and designed their own inquiry-based learning environments on the virtual platform. After that, they implemented the learning environments in their real classrooms. Data were gathered through TPACK self-efficacy and TPACK practical questionnaires as quantitative scales and semi-structured interviews as qualitative data. The findings of this study revealed that designing inquiry-based learning environments on the virtual platform and implementing them in real classrooms positively impresses teachers’ TPACK self-efficacy and practical skills, and their views about technology integration in learning environments. In order to enable teachers to use and integrate technology in their classes by increasing their self-efficacy and practical skills for using it efficiently, TPACK-based professional development programs can be organized.

This study examined the development of teachers’ disability conceptualization within the neurodiversity paradigm through a community of practice focused on school design. Conducted at an urban, independent school, study participants (N = 4) engaged in 10 community of practice sessions, exploring and applying concepts related to the neurodiversity and pathology paradigms. A pilot survey assessed participants’ initial perceptions of these paradigms to inform the community of practice content. Iterative thematic analysis of audio recordings, documents, and field notes showed shifting participant disability conceptualization toward an understanding of the neurodiversity paradigm, marked by the development of new language, critical application, and intentions for future action. Participants demonstrated high engagement, productive knowledge-building, and notable appreciation for the communal learning process. This study provides a framework for teacher educators and researchers to foster a shift in how educators conceptualize disability toward neurodiversity-affirming pedagogy and practice that improves outcomes for neurodivergent students.

This qualitative study investigated the ways in which nine K-12 urban school teachers from diverse teaching contexts made meaning of their work. In line with Bandura’s (1986) theory of triadic reciprocal causation, semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted over three consecutive school years revealed a dynamic interplay of teacher self-efficacy (internal factor), teacher and student relationship building (behavioral factor), and teaching context (environmental factor). Using the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework to analyze the findings, with a primary focus on the third year of interviews, we found that the nature of any one of these factors influenced the others to inform teachers’ perceptions of their work. TSE tended to both inform and be informed by teachers’ relationships with their students, a dynamic that was at times strengthened or challenged by the teaching context and one’s perceived fit within it. These findings have potential benefit for pre-service and in-service educator preparation programs by emphasizing the relational and contextual aspects of teaching. Implications include an increased focus on enhancing teacher and student relationships in teacher development and greater alignment of school environments with teachers’ values.

Teacher well-being is a critical factor influencing educator retention and student outcomes, yet existing measures often fail to capture the nuanced dimensions of this construct. This study addresses this gap by developing and validating four new scales to support teacher well-being: Emotional Exhaustion, Workload, Administrative Support, and Colleague Support. The scales were developed to address the necessity for enhanced instruments to gauge teacher well-being, especially given the heightened demands and stress experienced by teachers. Drawing on previous research and incorporating direct input from practicing teachers, we crafted items that underwent multiple rounds of pilot testing. Psychometric analyses demonstrated strong reliability and validity across diverse samples, highlighting the utility of these scales in identifying specific areas of strength and need within school contexts. These tools offer researchers and practitioners actionable measures to better understand and support the well-being of educators, with implications for professional development, policy, and organizational change.

This paper presents a comparative analysis of professional standards for newly-qualified teachers across England, Scotland, and Wales, following the 1999 devolution of educational policies. By aligning national frameworks with UNESCO’s Global Framework of Professional Teaching Standards (2019), this study critically assesses how teacher competencies are articulated within each jurisdiction. Utilizing critical policy analysis and crosswalk methodology, this research offers the first systematic cross-national comparison of professional teaching standards providing novel insights into devolved educational standards. The findings reveal ideological distinctions: England emphasizes measurable outcomes and accountability, Scotland prioritizes holistic development and social justice, while Wales integrates performance metrics with cultural values. These variations influence teacher preparation, professional development, and student outcomes. This study underscores the need for nuanced, context-sensitive policy approaches that support teacher agency and educational quality, fostering a more coherent and informed debate on the future of teacher education in the UK.

This study explores the informal and formal collaboration networks of teachers in the United States and Sweden, focusing on how teachers construct their professional ego networks of trusted individuals for collaboration. Using Ecological Systems Theory (EST) with an emphasis on the microsystem, the research investigates how teacher ego networks are shaped by factors like experience, access to subject-specific peers, and shared teaching beliefs. The study highlights the role of alignment in fostering trust and collaboration but warns that such alignment may create echo chambers, limiting exposure to new ideas. Data from both countries provide insights into the dynamics of teacher collaboration and offer recommendations for optimizing support for collaborative teaching practices.

When teachers participate in lesson study (LS), their learning depends greatly on inquiry-oriented talk, in which they interact to understand and challenge one another’s perspectives. Previous research has shown that an LS facilitator can add value to this type of talk. In a two-case study, this research investigates how facilitators influence teacher talk during two post-research lesson discussions (PLDs). The findings show that how the facilitator communicates the PLD’s rationale, organizes conversational phases, and supports framing the PLD’s goals and questions can influence teacher talk. This study provides in-depth insights into the challenges of facilitating PLDs and identifies ways to support facilitators in developing and adjusting existing support and training.