The analysis of data from large proportions of professional communities of STEM educators provide important insights into the variety of content, teaching methods, and approaches educators incorporate into their course planning, implementation, and other professional activities (e.g., workshop participation, research output). Across the STEM disciplines, researchers are seeking to understand educator communities using large-scale studies that go beyond local institutions to investigate educator practices and communities across regional, national, and international scales. 

This special issue will focus on these large-scale studies that provide a rich picture of the current research landscape in the geosciences, as well as across STEM disciplines and in international communities.  We welcome contributions that include assessments of the types of teaching practices used and skills addressed within or across disciplines, as well as characteristics of faculty communities and their approaches to teaching.  The resulting issue will enable a comparison of the characteristics of teaching practices and communities in the geosciences with other STEM disciplines, and will highlight opportunities to integrate efforts to improve STEM education.

Types of Papers

The following types of papers are solicited for the theme issue:

• Research Papers that describe methods and results of original studies focused on large-scale analysis of teaching practices and education communities
• Curriculum and Instruction Papers that describe the impacts and effectiveness of large-scale implementation of professional development programs for educators.
• Commentaries that are grounded in the literature and provide a critical or alternative viewpoint that addresses the development, use, impacts, and/or research needs of large-scale studies. Commentaries may include recommendations and/or best practices in conducting large-scale studies of teaching practices and education communities.
• Literature Reviews that synthesize and evaluate the published literature on large-scale analyses of teaching practices and education communities.

All submitted manuscripts should follow the instructions for authors and JGE review criteria, available on the journal homepage. All submissions will be externally reviewed. The deadline for submission is July 8th, 2019.

For questions, please contact the Theme Issue Editors:

Anne Egger

Editor-in-Chief

Central Washington University

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Kathleen Quardokus Fisher

Guest Associate Editor

Florida International University

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Catherine Riihimaki

Guest Associate Editor

Princeton University

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