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After all is said and done, and the dissertation is as good as ready (although the work is never done), many doctoral candidates, feeling that they are no longer bound by the strict rules of academic writing, try on the literary shoe, striving to write a "creative" forward. Unfortunately, many of them, me included, were not blessed with the literary talents they would have liked to possess. Therefore I will try to keep my Thank-You's short and to the point:First and foremost, I wish to thank all the teachers and school-leaders who allowed me to observe their practice. They also took the extra time to explain to an outsider how they think and work in the context of curriculum reform. Jan van den Akker and Nienke Nieveen have created an atmosphere of critical academic discussion, which allowed me much space to spread my academic wings. Jan always had a welcome new insight to offer when I was at loss about various issues. Both in the professional and personal conversations Nienke and I have had during the process, she has proven to be a true reflective practitioner and a real friend.The colleagues in the department of Curriculum Design and Educational Innovation at the University of Twente offered me stimulating professional and social support. Sandra Schele, in her effortless ways, made sure that the collection of words, sentences and paragraphs I delivered has been made into a presentable book. Friends, both in Israel and in the Netherlands, have indulged me when I was complaining and offered a sometimes more than welcome distraction from the trials and tribulations of the research process. Rosemarie Frijda-Bouman and her family have made my landing in the Netherlands very soft indeed. They have been a surrogate family away from home, with all its implications.My family in Israel, despite the physical distance, was always there for me. My parents, Judith and Michael, have always provided me all the intellectual chances and stimulation, together with unconditional emotional support. If I prove to be half the parent they both are, I will die a happy man. My partner in life, Anne, your patience seems unlimited. I can be pretty unbearable sometimes and you always know how to handle it. Thank you for giving me the time and space in the past few months of hard work. In you I have found a life mate to explore the world and hope to grow very very old with. Noa and Tamar, you have enriched my life in so many ways. You offered welcome distraction after a long day at the computer. But more than all, you have put things in perspective for me when I was in danger of forgetting the right priorities. I look forward to our Mondays together.I probably forgot many others that have in one way or another contributed to the whole process. Please forgive me.At the close of this five year process I look back with much satisfaction, but also with a measure of critical reflection. I hope to apply the lessons I have learnt in the years to come, both in the academy and in the educational practice.Adam Handelzalts i TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF...

The use of data for educational decision making has never been more prevalent. However, teachers and school leaders need support in data use. Support can be provided by means of professional development in the form of "data teams". This study followed the functioning of 4 data teams over a period of 2 years, applying a qualitative case study design. The findings show that data use is not a linear process, and that teams go through different feedback loops to reach higher levels of depth of inquiry. The data team procedure is a promising way of enhancing data-based decision making in schools.

A strategy secondary schools in the Netherlands apply to realize educational curriculum reform is organizing teams of teachers that are responsible for specific curricular domains. The study reported in this chapter aimed at describing the development of such teacher teams in lower secondary education, the type of curriculum design activities they undertake in the context of a school-based reform ambition, and ways to support their efforts. Teacher design teams in two different schools were followed during their first year of collaboration. Their activities were documented, teachers were interviewed and observed and (curriculum) documents produced by teacher design teams were collected and analyzed. This systematic documentation process and the perspective of the practitioners formed the basis for identifying activities and conditions that had a special (positive or negative) function for the teams. These activities and conditions will be presented and discussed.

Teacher involvement in curriculum design has a long tradition. However, although it fosters implementation of curriculum reforms, teachers encounter various problems while designing related to conditions set for the design process, and lack the knowledge and skills needed to enact collaborative design processes. Providing support to enhance teachers' design expertise is essential, since most teachers are novice designers. However, little is known about the nature of the support offered to improve teachers' design expertise. In this explorative study, six teachers and six facilitators offering support reflected on an enacted design process, the problems they experienced and the support offered. The findings indicate three gaps in teachers' design expertise related to three domains (1) curriculum design expertise, (2) pedagogical content knowledge and (3) curricular consistency expertise. The outcomes of this study illustrate the importance of supporting teacher designers during the design process and enhancing teachers' design expertise. By offering (tailored) support to teachers, the enacted design process and the quality of the design materials are expected to improve.