U of A Professor Vicki Collet Receives 2019-20 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award

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Vicki Collet, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Arkansas, recently received a 2019-20 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Japan and Ireland to research the teacher education process in those countries.

Collet will visit host institutions Kanto Gakuin University and the University of Limerick as part of a multi-country examination of teachers' professional learning.

"As a Fulbright Scholar, I will conduct research on the teacher education process of Japanese Lesson Study. This research will be conducted in Japan, where the process originated, and Ireland, where there will be varied opportunities to apply Lesson Study with both pre-service and in-service teachers," she said.  

Collet has conducted research on Lesson Study in two regions of the United States (the West and the South) and has published articles and book chapters on teachers' professional learning. Her upcoming book, Collaborative Lesson Study: ReVisioning Teacher Development will be published this fall through Teachers College Press.

According to Collet, collaborative research conducted in Japan and Ireland will enhance the understanding of the international research community on the capacity of Lesson Study to support teachers' planning and professional learning and to encourage culturally-relevant pedagogy.

Collet said the Fulbright award will offer the opportunity to share information, learn together, publish research findings, and build new professional relationships in Japan and Ireland.

"During my time in both Japan and Ireland, I will have the opportunity to communicate with teachers and teacher educators about characteristics of effective teacher professional development, including findings of my Lesson Study research," she said.

Collet is one of over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research, and/or provide expertise abroad for the 2019-20 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Recipients of the awards are chosen on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. 

Since the program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then-U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 390,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbrighters have achieved distinction in many fields, including 59 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 84 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.