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Descriptions of faculty practice that illuminate nuances of how course planning and classroom instruction occur in specific contexts are important to inform pedagogical interventions. The study reported in this article draws on systems-of-practice theory to focus on the dynamic interplay among actors, artifacts, and tasks that constrains activities such as course planning and constitutes other activities, such as classroom instruction. This qualitative case study of faculty teaching in math and science disciplines at 3 research universities is based on interview and classroom observation data (n = 57 instructors) that are analyzed using causal network and social network analysis techniques. Results indicate that course syllabi are important organizational artifacts that are created by curriculum committees, inherited from previous instructors, and shaped by consideration of the sequential acquisition of knowledge. Faculty perceived that although course syllabi delimit the type and temporal sequencing of material for faculty, they are generally free to teach how they like. Observation data reveal discipline-specific configurations in frequently used teaching methods, cognitive engagements, and the use of instructional technology. These results also demonstrate that conceptualizing teaching solely as the use of particular methods (e.g., lecture) obscures subtle features of practice. Using the approach outlined in this article, instructional designers can obtain insights into meanings and practices that can be used to design and implement locally attuned reform initiatives.

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As researchers continue to examine the growing number of charter schools in the United States, they have focused attention on the significant heterogeneity of charter effects on student achievement. Our article contributes to this agenda by examining the achievement effects of virtual charter schools vis-à-vis brick-and-mortar charters and traditional public schools and whether characteristics of teachers and classrooms explain the observed impacts. We found that students who switched to virtual charter schools experienced large, negative effects on mathematics and English/language arts achievement that persisted over time and that these effects could not be explained by observed teacher or classroom characteristics.