This study explores questions of how educators learned about mathematics through lesson study but also how they were socialized into lesson study (LS) as a collaborative, routine practice. Specifically, the author compared the participation of educators who were new to lesson study (“LS novices”) with lesson study with those who had more experience with the practice (“LS experienced practitioners”). The author discovered a few key differences illustrate possible elements in the developmental progression of lesson study. Teachers who are newer to lesson study tend to focus on learning how to teach through problem solving, and seeing the collaborative work as a way to combine efforts to teach a better lesson. LS experienced practitioners, in contrast, were comfortable with the routine and can see their role as developing problems that elicit student thinking.

This study aimed to explore professional development participants’ individual and collective experiences, thoughts, reflections and evolving beliefs, attitudes and knowledge within the context of a two-week summer research apprenticeship program for secondary science teachers. The findings reveal that four profiles of teachers emerged based on their type and level of involvement in the science laboratory in which they were placed. The analysis of data indicated that teachers from all four profiles enjoyed their laboratory experiences. Throughout their PD journey, participants, gained a better understanding of science as a discipline and its core practices, and in doing so gained an improved level of scientific literacy, which based on their own account, would impact their teaching.

This paper examines school–university partnership and formative feedback within student-teacher field experience. The authors examine the qualities of a three-way dialogue about student-teacher progress, and the issues that militate against feedback being used to maximise professional development. This small study of additional support for students on field experience indicated that there were positive outcomes regarding the three-way dialogue about student-teacher progress. This dialogue gave a greater focus to the whole feedback process, encouraging the student to consider the learning goals of placement more clearly. And, particularly from the tutor point of view, this more intensive contact with the partner schools helped by giving an even greater incentive to the tutors to have a secure professional relationship with each other and thus with the schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an induction programme, based on individual mentoring, had on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) teaching for both novice teachers and their mentors in primary schools. The results point towards mentoring as a meaningful and effective approach to teacher education for ESD with potential for integrating forms of professional learning communities. The novice/experienced teacher mentoring relationship developed within the ESD induction system implemented during this research highlights the positive implications for both the novice teachers and the mentors. Mentoring can promote teacher interaction and provide a supportive and challenging forum for both intellectual and affective interrogation of practice.

This article examines the perceptions of experienced teachers who take on the role of leading the development of subject knowledge of new and experienced teachers through a case-study approach. The findings reveal that each teacher was able to identify the impact of leading professional development has on their professional skills. Furthermore, this new role has changed the way that they view themselves as teachers, and their practice as teachers. In conclusion, this research advocates the provision of opportunities for new teacher educators to be involved with other teacher educators, including those more experienced, to explore together their professional knowledge, practice and identity.