Purpose This study addresses the neglect of Black women principals' wellness in educational leadership research, as they navigate systemic racism, misogynoir, and cultural expectations of self-sacrifice following the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Employing a multimodal qualitative design grounded in Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, and Black Feminist Thought, this study examines ten Black women principals participating in Detroit's Leading Well professional learning community over three years. Findings Principals described experiencing self-sacrifice and superwoman syndrome that depleted their leadership capacity. The Leading Well professional learning community facilitated participants' recognition of how excessive work habits perpetuated self-oppression and dishonored their ancestors. Through collective support, principals claimed their full humanity, establishing boundaries and choosing rest, play, and balance alongside their professional commitments. Originality/value This work uses critical frames to examine wellness as political resistance, offering a replicable model for centering Black women's wellness in educational leadership while demonstrating that fugitive spaces within institutions can support transformative practice.

Purpose Drawing on critical consciousness theory and adolescent development, this study explores how curriculum, teacher practices and classroom culture contribute to students’ critical reflection, critical motivation and critical action in a middle school advisory setting. The study aims to understand how educators support students’ intellectual, emotional and relational development to foster critical consciousness during early adolescence. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study draws on interview and observational data from five diverse US middle schools implementing a relationship-focused advisory program. Data sources include interviews with 36 teachers and 53 students, ethnographic field notes from advisory observations and researcher notes from professional learning community meetings. Teachers participated in a yearlong community of practice focused on fostering students’ critical consciousness. Data were analyzed thematically using both theory-driven and inductive coding to identify patterns in how advisory supports students’ development of critical reflection, motivation and action related to racism and equity. Findings Findings show that middle schoolers demonstrate a developing readiness to engage with systemic issues through scaffolded, developmentally appropriate conversations. Students and teachers emphasized the importance of gradual progression, peer interactions and supportive classroom cultures. Students described increasing empathy, critical reflection and agency as they moved from self-awareness to social awareness. Teachers noted the role of trust, relationship-building and identity-responsive practices in fostering meaningful dialogue. Together, these findings highlight how advisory programs can create the conditions necessary for students to navigate difficult conversations and cultivate critical consciousness. Originality/value This study adds to research on adolescent critical consciousness by centering middle school as a pivotal developmental window. It highlights how scaffolded curricula, supportive classroom cultures and peer interaction cultivate students’ readiness to engage in systemic conversations about racism. The study underscores the role of vicarious experiences and emotional feedback in building students’ confidence. It also provides practical implications for advisory design and professional development. The findings are especially relevant to educators seeking to integrate identity-responsive, equity-focused teaching in early adolescence.

This study explores reflective teaching as a form of transformative praxis within pre-service teacher education, grounded in critical pedagogy and experiential learning. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research focused on 18 pre-service teachers and three lecturers over 4 weeks in a South African university-based general teacher education program. Data were collected through reflective journals, peer-led discussion groups, and semi-structured interviews, and were thematically analyzed to capture emerging patterns in reflective growth. Findings indicate that ongoing engagement with reflection enabled pre-service teachers to challenge assumptions, rethink their approach to learner diversity, and adopt more inclusive, student-centered strategies. Lecturer modelling of reflection and dialogic peer feedback proved essential in shaping reflective depth. Participants demonstrated improved self-awareness in their teaching approaches. The study concludes that when embedded systematically into general teacher education programs, reflective practice functions not merely as an introspective tool but as a catalyst for curriculum transformation and professional development. Recommendations are made for institutionalizing reflection through curriculum integration, sustained mentoring, and professional learning communities that promote critical inquiry.

AI-enhanced professional learning communities: a new era of personalized teacher education

This study examined the influence of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on teachers’ classroom management practices within the context of implementing the Standards-Based Curriculum (SBC). A quantitative research approach was adopted, using a descriptive cross-sectional design. The population comprised 293 senior high school teachers from which a sample of 233 were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using smartPLS. The results revealed that continuous improvement had a statistically significant positive effect on classroom management practices, whereas shared mission, vision, values and goals, collaboration, collective inquiry, action orientation, and results orientation did not significantly predict classroom management. The study concluded that PLCs enhance classroom management when grounded in continuous professional growth rather than episodic collaboration. It is recommended that school leaders and policymakers should prioritise structured, reflective and improvement-focused PLC practices to support teachers’ classroom management under the SBC.

This study aims to analyse the factors that influence the level of activity, reflectivity, and collaboration of teachers in continuous professional development based on Participatory Action Research (PAR); evaluate the impact of the PAR model on the quality of learning in schools; and identify the challenges and solutions faced by teachers in its implementation. A qualitative research method with a thematic analysis approach was used to explore the experiences of six teachers, one head teacher, one supervisor, and one external facilitator. The results showed that teacher activity was influenced by the relevance of training, structural support, and intrinsic motivation. Teachers' reflectivity is generally still individual and sporadic, while collaboration occurs more informally. The application of the PTP model has been proven to increase professional awareness, encourage evidence-based learning, and strengthen peer collaboration through reflective forums and professional learning communities. The main challenges include time constraints, administrative burdens, and a lack of institutional support. Strategic solutions include providing dedicated time for reflection, simplifying administrative tasks, practice-based training, and transformational leadership by school principals.

Teacher education systems globally experience a gap in implementation between policy aspirations and everyday enactment, with implications for initial teacher education (ITE), the quality of practicums, professional identity, and teacher recruitment and retention. Situated in Malta’s superdiverse context and informed by international debates on professional capital, care ethics, inclusion, and ecological conceptions of agency, this article introduces the Responsive Teacher Formation Framework (RTFF). This original, theoretically integrated, and empirically grounded framework foregrounds four interdependent pillars of professional formation: belonging, wellbeing, autonomy and agency. Drawing on a two-year, multi-strand national inquiry synthesising perspectives from children, families, newly qualified teachers, learning support educators, and school leaders, we integrated artefact-elicitation, focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires using reflexive thematic analysis and cross-strand configurational synthesis. Through a meta-synthesis convergence of the different strands of the study, recurrent tensions surface, including procedural versus lived belonging; attention versus neglect of wellbeing; nominal autonomy versus fragile system supports and policy endorsement versus constrained agency. The findings demonstrate how these complexities are experienced across the ITE–school interface. We argue that the RTFF offers a coherent and tractable syntax for ITE programme (re)design that is both theoretically robust and practically adaptable, diagnostically sensitive to local context, and implementable at scale. The model contributes to international discourse by linking fragmented debates on these four pillars into a responsive framework of, and for, teacher formation. Beyond the Maltese case, the RTFF offers an adaptable orientation for superdiverse settings seeking to transition from compliance-driven quality assurance to formation-centred professional excellence. The article concludes by outlining how the RTFF can anchor more integrated and sustainable policy, as well as nurture professional learning communities, thereby advancing the transformation of teacher education for academic excellence.

ABSTRACT The empirical research presented in this article interrogates the influence of research-informed practice in the mentoring of beginner teachers and the longitudinal impact of embedding a research culture in schools. Through facilitated workshops and professional learning conversations, this enquiry invited school-based teacher educators to reflect on the extent to which they draw upon research literature together with their rich experience and existing professional knowledge when mentoring beginner teachers. The collaborative nature of the workshops also served to provide space for dialogue between school-based teacher educators to develop their relational practices in their mentoring role. Findings demonstrate a renewed sense of optimism for being a school-based teacher educator, increased perceptions of the value of research literature, and the subsequent influence of middle leaders becoming immersed in collaborative professional learning. Implications for professional practice include recognising teacher education and professional learning as relational, collaborative and contextual processes grounded in dialogue and shared enquiry. Sustained, school-embedded engagement with research can be supported by middle leaders and professional learning communities can develop research capital and enhance evidence-informed practice. Reciprocal school-university partnerships further enable meaningful knowledge exchange and co-constructed professional growth across the system.

Abstract Professional learning communities (PLCs) offer essential contextual support for the development of foreign language teachers in higher education. The book Building Professional Learning Communities of Foreign Language Teachers in Higher Education , co-authored by Wen et al. (2021) systematically examines the necessity, practical measures, theoretical construction, and outcomes associated with building PLCs for university foreign language teachers. Notably, it introduces a research methodology rooted in local teacher education practices with Chinese characteristics — the dialectical research paradigm (DRP). This review introduces the content of the book, evaluates its contributions to teacher development, and explores its implications for future practice and research.

Early childhood educators face growing job demands and limited support, hindering their ability to implement evidence-based practices. This study examined the utility of psychological safety for early childhood educators. Using a mixed-methods design, we examined psychological safety, barriers and supports to implementation, and engagement in a Simple Interactions Professional Learning Community (SI PLC) among nine early childhood teachers. Findings showed that higher psychological safety was linked to strong peer support and reduced administrative pressure. Participation in the SI PLC fostered relational trust and risk-taking. Results suggest that supportive professional development can enhance implementation readiness in early childhood education.

ABSTRACT The current study explores the factors that support the optimal integration of beginning teachers into the Arab-Bedouin education system, based on the perspectives of 20 female teachers from eight elementary schools in southern Israel. The findings reveal that the participants experienced a successful induction into the teaching profession, facilitated by various support mechanisms within the schools – such as mentor teachers, school principals, and supportive colleagues. These support structures contributed to the teachers’ strong sense of inner satisfaction, commitment to their work, positive relationships with students, veteran staff, and parents, as well as their integration into the school culture and overall positive emotional experiences. While the model of a professional learning community was not implemented as a formal framework in the schools, the findings suggest that environments aligned with its core principles – collaboration, mentorship, and shared responsibility – played a key role in the teachers’ professional adjustment.

ABSTRACT Professional learning communities (PLCs) are often positioned as a means of collaborative, situated professional learning and an opportunity for the development of a horizontal structure that might support middle-level teacher leadership. Here, they are considered in the context of teacher professional learning in Scotland, with a focus on relational practices within them. The study uses semi-structured interviews in two school settings to shine a light on how relationships and leadership dynamics play out inside these communities, resulting in some leadership dilemmas that emerge for school leaders at different levels. This qualitative case study, drawn from a broader doctoral study, is grounded in Analytical Dualism to provide ontological depth that allows for the examination of mechanisms explaining how structural, cultural and agential factors have influenced the internal workings of the PLCs in question. Data reported on here represent interviews (n = 8) with participants in two settings. Findings suggest that for teacher leaders and school leaders, some tensions are identified in balancing horizontal and vertical relationships. Finally, implications for practice, policy and research are explored, considering how PLCs might be re-articulated in the light of these findings.

This study investigates the impact of servant leadership on teacher collaboration and the overall quality of education in selected rural secondary schools in South Africa. Despite various policy reforms, these institutions continue to confront challenges such as limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages, and socio-economic constraints, which exacerbate the educational disparity between rural and urban areas. Servant leadership, characterised by empathy, humility, trust, and empowerment, is acknowledged as a relational and ethical approach that prioritises the well-being and professional development of both educators and learners. Adopting a qualitative case study methodology, the research examined six public primary schools across three provinces, involving six principals and six teachers through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis indicated that servant leadership fosters supportive and psychologically safe environments, enhances teacher motivation, and promotes collaboration via shared decision-making, mentorship, and Professional Learning Communities. Nonetheless, structural and relational challenges, such as heavy workloads, insufficient infrastructure, limited digital access, and low levels of trust, impede sustained collaboration. The study concludes that while servant leadership is essential for enhancing teacher engagement and collective efficacy, its full impact is realised only when accompanied by intentional systemic support, professional development, and investment in resources, thereby offering practical guidance for policy, leadership training, and school improvement in rural contexts.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is swiftly revolutionizing science education through the implementation of adaptive and generative technologies that personalize learning, automate assessment, and facilitate inquiry-based experimentation. This integrative review consolidates empirical and conceptual works published from 2019 to 2024 about AI applications in physics and allied sciences, analyzing their educational potential, professional development needs, and ethical considerations. Studies indicate that intelligent tutoring systems, predictive analytics, and natural language processing technologies can improve conceptual comprehension, offer immediate feedback, and facilitate differentiated training on a large scale. These advantages, however, rely on continuous teacher professional development that enhances AI literacy, promotes critical analysis of algorithmic results, and facilitates the creation of hybrid learning environments that integrate AI with existing digital resources. The analysis highlights critical obstacles, such as algorithmic bias, data privacy issues, openness in decision-making, and enduring inequities in infrastructure that threaten to exacerbate the digital divide. Resolving these concerns necessitates synchronized policy interventions, strong regulatory structures, and inclusive professional learning communities to guarantee that AI functions as a collaborative ally rather than a replacement for educators. This article elucidates the opportunities and systemic risks associated with AI adoption, offering guidelines for educators, researchers, and policymakers aiming to integrate AI in a manner that reinforces the fundamental ideals of science education: curiosity, equity, and critical inquiry.

Teacher well-being is increasingly shaped by rapid technological change in education. As digital innovation accelerates, teachers’ well-being is closely linked to technological self-efficacy, understood as confidence in using digital tools alongside a sense of professional meaning, agency, and control. This qualitative study explores the relationship between teacher well-being and technological self-efficacy through an examination of teachers’ experiences in the “Artificial Intelligence for Beginners” professional development program. Reflective narratives from 18 participating teachers were analyzed to examine how engagement in the program was experienced as supporting the development of techno-pedagogical self-efficacy, professional learning, and well-being. Thematic analysis revealed several interconnected themes, including increased technological confidence and reduced anxiety toward digital innovation, the development of practical applications for personalized learning, heightened awareness of ethical and privacy considerations, and the emergence of a collaborative professional learning community. Participants also reported developing strategies for coping with digital complexity and experiencing a renewed sense of professional identity. Overall, the findings suggest that structured professional development in artificial intelligence may contribute to teachers’ perceived competence, autonomy, and sense of purpose. Strengthening technological self-efficacy through such programs may support individual teacher well-being and the collective professional climate within schools in AI-enhanced educational contexts.

This is a compelling systematic literature review that aims to synthesize research on the critical role of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in four key areas: the facilitators' role, the factors that enable or hinder PLCs, the impact of PLCs on both teachers and students learning, and the theoretical frameworks used in PLC research. A thorough analysis of 26 articles revealed that school-based leaders have an indispensable role in supporting the development of high-functioning PLCs. Their provision of resources, guidance, and support to teachers can make all the difference. However, a lack of awareness of school culture, inadequate or unqualified PLC coaches or leaders, and restricted budgets can pose significant challenges to the success of PLCs, as highlighted by Y. K. Ting et al. (2021). On the other hand, Peng, Q., Liu, L., Zhang, L., & Yue, Y., found that PLCs offer tremendous opportunities for teachers to engage in mutual learning, share responsibility for students, and collaborate on design, implement, and improve the curriculum with the collective efforts of the group. The review also uncovered that researchers employed a range of powerful theoretical frameworks and research methods to collect and analyse data related to the research topic. With the highest frequency of qualitative studies, followed by mixed-method and quantitative studies.

ABSTRACT Existing research often isolates professional development from professional learning communities, overlooking their critical connection. This may hinder the scaling and sustainability of professional learning. This study bridges this gap by applying self-determination theory to investigate how need-supportive professional development impacts teachers’ AI literacy, attitudes, anxiety and engagement in online professional learning communities. Using a sequential mixed-methods approach with 382 secondary school teachers, quantitative results revealed that such professional development enhances AI literacy and fosters sustained behavioural engagement in professional learning communities. Qualitative analysis identified nine specific design strategies for professional development satisfying teachers’ needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Theoretically, this validates a motivational pathway from professional development to behavioural engagement in professional learning communities. Within this pathway, AI literacy emerges as the key cognitive driver of sustained participation. Ultimately, the findings underscore that professional development aligned with psychological needs is vital for effective and sustainable AI integration in education.

ABSTRACT This study used the qualitative design to investigate the perceptions of 33 university lecturers through semi-structured interviews and observations conducted after a professional development program in Indonesia. Thematic analysis discovered three interconnected dimensions shaping innovation in teaching: (1) supportive institutional environments that promote responsible behaviour, teamwork, and collaboration; (2) acquisition and application of new knowledge through digital tools and collegial learning; and (3) integration of technological innovation to improve teaching efficiency, creativity, and multidisciplinary engagement. The findings indicate that effective knowledge management enhances lecturers’ ability to adapt digital pedagogies, share expertise, and sustain innovation practices. The implications of this study include developing professional learning communities, improving digital literacy programs, and aligning institutional policies to support innovation in teaching. These insights extend global understanding of how universities in emerging contexts can strategically integrate technology and knowledge management to advance educational innovation.

This study explores Indonesian EFL teachers' perceptions of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in language instruction, aiming to identify benefits, barriers, and solutions for implementation. The rapid advancement of immersive technologies has transformed educational paradigms by offering dynamic, interactive, and contextualized learning experiences. VR and AR demonstrate significant potential to enhance motivation, reduce anxiety, and improve retention through simulated real-world interactions in language education. Despite growing global adoption , integration in Indonesian schools, particularly in EFL, remains limited. This qualitative study employed surveys and semi-structured interviews with 15 secondary school EFL teachers selected through purposive sampling. Findings reveal teachers overwhelmingly perceive VR/AR as beneficial for enhancing student engagement and motivation, facilitating contextualized learning, and reducing language anxiety. However, significant barriers include inadequate infrastructure (93% of participants), training deficits (only 13% received formal instruction), and financial constraints. Teachers propose strategies such as gradual implementation starting with smartphone-based AR, developing professional learning communities, and securing policy-level support with dedicated funding and infrastructure upgrades. This research contributes to the discourse on technology acceptance in education, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, offering insights to inform policy, practice, and resource allocation for effective VR/AR integration in Indonesian EFL classrooms and similar global contexts.

The aim of this research was to develop an instructional leadership strategy for instructors at private universities in Henan Province, China. The study identified key factors influencing instructional leadership, assessed its current status among instructors, and examined the impacts of instructional practice, organizational culture, and professional learning communities on leadership capacity. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining systematic literature review, preliminary interviews, and a large-scale survey of 358 instructors from three private universities in Henan Province, with expert validation ensuring the reliability and contextual appropriateness of the instrument. The results confirmed that the strategy significantly improved instructors’ instructional leadership by strengthening teaching practices, enhancing organizational culture, and fostering collaborative professional learning communities. This study contributes theoretically by expanding the literature on instructional leadership in the Chinese private higher education context and practically by providing a feasible and sustainable strategy that can guide institutional improvement and be adapted by other private universities in Henan Province.