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This chapter describes a group study abroad program in which 12 U.S. participants (6 pre-service and 6 in-service teachers) traveled to South Korea to enhance their cultural awareness of Korea and to then develop curricula pertaining to Korean history, the arts, area studies, and literature. The authors describe what the program focused on and how the curriculum activities were designed and implemented. Further, an overall theoretical framework for the project and a summary of research findings is presented. Overall, findings note that the participants' level of perceived cultural awareness was not significantly altered through participation in the program. Additionally, this chapter reports whether and how participants' future perceived pedagogical practices were changed as a result of participating in this program. Suggestions for how to diversify the U.S. teacher workforce are also discussed.

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This chapter focuses on teacher leaders' coaching practice that fosters collaborative, inquiry-based, professional learning among classroom teachers to improve P-12 literacy assessment. The chapter reports on a research study that examines classroom teachers' leadership and coaching experience as a required assignment of the graduate level course in the M.Ed. in Literacy program. Based on the research findings, the chapter offers strategies for initiating, implementing, and evaluating collaborative inquiries on classroom or school-wide literacy assessment. The chapter includes suggestions for effective ways to implement and evaluate coaching to improve literacy assessment. Further, an implementation model and checklist for the effective collaboration and literacy coaching created based on the study suggests step-by-step processes and techniques to be used in urban and suburban P-12 schools.

This chapter presents a case study that explores impacts of the cultural immersion afforded from a study abroad program on teachers' professional growth over time. First, the study examined two teachers' cultural immersion process from their reflections and survey answers collected before, during, after the study abroad. Second, impacts of the study abroad experiences on classroom instruction were explored, using descriptive case study and phenomenology methods. Data from semi-structured interviews and teacher lesson observations were analyzed to explore to what extent the teachers infused diversity and multiculturalism in their instruction. The results of the study describe lived experiences of the two teachers who participated in a summer study abroad program that allowed unique experiences of cultural immersion and professional growth as a classroom teacher. The chapter also includes suggestions for future research that explores impacts of study abroad programs on teachers and their students.