Analyzing teachers’ scripts from teachers’ reflections after they tried to encourage students’ flexible mathematical thinking

In-service teacher training programs offer opportunities for teachers in both public and private schools to enhance their professional skills, particularly in the areas of required teaching skills, supplementary subject content knowledge, and teaching pedagogy. The lack of availability of in-service teacher training programs for teachers within the education system has undesirable consequences, particularly regarding the delivery of quality education to learners in public and private schools in the Zambezi region, Namibia. This paper discusses the perspectives of Agricultural science teachers on the need for in-service teacher training. To achieve the objectives of this paper, crucial data were collected from Agricultural science teachers in the Zambezi region through face-to-face interviews. Twelve Agricultural science teachers (comprising six from urban schools and six from semi-urban schools) were interviewed using face-to-face interview guides. The study revealed that the in-service teacher training programs attended by Agricultural science teachers were relevant to their teaching roles. Furthermore, the study emphasized that to maintain the relevance of in-service teacher training programs, components such as practical activities, projects, investigations, and subject content knowledge should be the focus, in order to continually enhance the capacities of Agricultural science teachers. The study recommends that the regional education directorate in the Zambezi region establish a policy for continuous in-service teacher training programs, including them in their annual financial plan, to improve teacher performance in the region. Lastly, to ensure the success of in-service teacher training programs, they should be conducted on an ongoing basis.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was significant differences in changes of knowledge, attitudes, and practices between elementary school teachers who took part in an in-service physical education training program and those who did not take part. The in-service training program utilized a model health-related physical education program. The setting for the study was a school district on Saipan whose teachers were required to teach physical education. Teachers in five of nine public elementary schools were placed in the in-service training program. A questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices, was administrated as a pre- and post-test. A second post-test, utilizing only the practice section, was administrated eight weeks after the first post-test. This quantitative study utilized a treatment and control group. The treatment group took part in an eight-week in-service training program using a model health-related physical education program to provide the in-service training. The control group did not receive the in-service training. This researcher visited each of the five treatment group schools once a week for eight weeks. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the change in scores for knowledge, attitudes, practices, and total score between the independent variables, number of sessions attended for the in-service training, gender, grade level taught, number of years of teaching experience, and number of personal exercise days per week among participating teachers. The best fitting regression model was employed to estimate what relationships existed between the change of scores for the four dependent variables and the independent variables. Results showed a statistically significant, positive relationship between the number of in-service training sessions attended and change in knowledge score. The more sessions attended produced a higher knowledge score. Results also showed a weak but statistically significant relationship between grade levels taught and change in attitudes toward the teaching of physical education. However, the remaining independent variables of gender, number of years taught, and number of personal exercise days per week showed no treatment effect on any of the change of scores. In conclusion, it is evident that elementary teachers who attended an in-service training program improved their knowledge in teaching physical education. However, elementary teachers' attitudes and practices toward the teaching of physical education did not improve. This implies the need for physical education pre-service and on-going in-service training programs for all elementary school teachers on Saipan.

Competent teacher is an indispensable pillar for students’ learning outcome and education quality improvement. This paper examines Cambodian teachers’ perception regarding: (1) teacher competence and improving education quality and (2) ensuring teacher quality and in-service teacher training. This study used questionnaire that targeted a line of educational staff of Cambodia: from school to central level. In August, 2012, 230 copies were distributed, and 173 copies (75.22%) were collected. Through concerned notice, it showed that the majority of higher-ranked officials also have experience working at any school education level. As results, it revealed that (a) respondents realized and indicated explicitly that competent teachers do help contribute to student’s learning and promote the level of education quality, and (b) respondents recognized the importance of in-service training because it helps make teachers more confident in the profession as it can bring people’s respects and trust. This paper shortly concludes that Cambodian teachers acknowledge their crucial profession. They further desire to upgrade their capacity by means of continuous professional development through in-service training programs. Thus, structuring a feasible in-service training model for them becomes evidently needed. Expected structure will be organized in accordance with Cambodia’s actual situation and the availability of its resources.    Keywords: Cambodia, quality of education, teacher competence, teacher quality, in-service teacher training.

Despite substantial government investment in in-service teacher training to promote participatory teaching methods in Tanzania, secondary school classrooms often remain dominated by teacher-centred approaches, resulting in low student engagement and suboptimal learning outcomes. This study focused on The Impact of In-service Teachers’ Training on Participatory Teaching methods in Ward Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. The study was guided by Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT) and three objectives, which include: to identify the pedagogical approaches used by the trained teachers in implementing participatory teaching methods in the classroom; to examine the extent to which students are engaged in learning during Teaching; and to observe teachers’ competencies and support during teaching. The study used pragmatic philosophy and employed a mixed method approach as a means of data collection and analysis. The study sampled 40 trained teachers and 80 students from 10 schools, selected through probability and non-probability sampling. The research instruments used by the researcher included questionnaires, an interview guide and focus group discussions. The quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 24 and presented using means, frequencies and percentages. Thematic analysis and narration were used to analyse qualitative data. The findings revealed that the majority of trained teachers insisted that in-service training programs on participatory teaching methods increase creativity and more interactive way of teaching learners. The study concludes that while in-service training effectively promotes participatory teaching, its sustained impact depends on continuous institutional support and infrastructure improvement. The researcher recommended that the Ministry of Education and Local Education Authorities should strengthen in-service teachers’ training programs in order to update their teaching skills; also, school administrators should motivate teachers who use participatory teaching methods and encourage trained teachers to work in teams in order to share their experiences. Finally, longitudinal research should be conducted by the researchers and education institutions to assess the long-term impacts of in-service teachers’ training on participatory teaching methods for both teachers and students.

هدف پژوهش حاضر بررسی جایگاه رویکردهای آموزشی پداگوژی، آندراگوژی و هیوتاگوژی در توسعه حرفه ای معلمان مدارس متوسطه خوزستان است. پژوهش حاضر با توجه به هدف، کاربردی و با توجه به نحوه گردآوری داده‌ها آمیخته از نوع اکتشافی است. روش پژوهش در بخش کیفی از نوع مرور سیستماتیک و در بخش کمی در زمره تحقیقات توصیفی ـ پیمایشی قرار دارد. در بخش کیفی شاخص‌های محتوا، هدف، راهبردهای یادگیری و ارزشیابی سه رویکرد مورد نظر استخراج و در ادامه داده‌ها به وسیله پرسشنامه محقق ساخته گرداوری شده است. جامعه آماری پژوهش شامل تمام معلمان استان خوزستان است که تعداد 380 نفر با استفاده از جدول مورگان به روش تصادفی ساده به عنوان نمونه آماری انتخاب شد. برای بررسی روایی از روایی محتوایی و ظاهری و برای پایایی این ابزار از آلفای کرونباخ استفاده شد. داده‌های این پژوهش به وسیله آزمون‌های توصیفی و استنباطی مورد تحلیل قرار گرفته است. یافته‌های حاصل از مرور سیستماتیک اسناد و مدارک مؤلفه‌های عناصر محتوا، هدف، راهبردهای یاددهی- یادگیری و ارزشیابی در سه رویکرد پداگوژی، آندراگوژی و هیوتاگوژی مشخص کرده است. از بین رویکردهای مختلف جایگاه رویکرد پداگوژی در توسعه حرفه‌ای معلمان مطلوب است و توجه به رویکردهای آندراگوژی و هیوتاگوژی در سطح مطلوبی قرار ندارد. توسعه حرفه‌ای معلمان نیازمند تدوین برنامه‌های منعطف تر و با تمرکز بر نیازهای آموزشی معلمان است که این مهم از طریق مشارکت بیشتر معلمان در تدوین عناصر محتوا، هدف، راهبردهای یاددهی- یادگیری و نوع ارزشیابی است.

Although assessment practices are commonly part of the physical education (PE) curriculum they may often frustrate rather than support students’ basic needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Nevertheless, assessment also provides various promising opportunities to support these basic needs and enhance learning in students. In order to address this issue, we developed an in-service teacher training programme that was grounded within contemporary theories on assessment and motivation, and aimed at improving PE teachers’ expertise on motivational assessment practices. In close collaboration with PE teachers and other experts in the field an in-service teacher training programme was developed that covered important topics such as quality assessment, motivation and assessment for learning. Specific attention was directed to the translation of theoretical concepts into practical and applicable tools. The in-service training programme was then provided on-site three times to a total of 33 PE teachers (of whom 20 were male (60%) and 12 were female (40%), teaching experience 3–32 years) representing different PE departments. Through an iterative cycle of development, provision, evaluation and adjustment the programme was gradually optimised. Focus group sessions and questionnaires were employed to evaluate various aspects, and identify barriers and success factors. The in-service teacher training programme is a successful first step in improving the expertise of PE teachers to start and develop higher quality and more motivating assessment practices. Nevertheless, in order to generate durable change within daily PE practice, follow-up training sessions or counselling methods (e.g. through communities of practice) are essential to overcome implementation barriers. Development, adjustment and future directions for assessment are discussed.

Foreign language teachers’ language competence and knowledge is one of the key factors contributing to the success of instruction as it ensures the provision of a good quality teaching. Therefore, developing this aspect of a teacher’s experience is indispensable in in-service teacher training. The present study is a critical diagnosis of in-service training programs and activities offered to English language teachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It aims to investigate whether those teachers are satisfied with their in-service training programs and activities. English language teachers, school head teachers, and EFL educational supervisors participate in this study. To achieve the aim of the study, the researcher follows the qualitative research method where he uses the interview as an instrument for collecting data from participants. The findings of the study reveal that the EFL teachers are not satisfied with their in-service training programs and activities and that the in-service training offered to them is ineffective and does not fulfill their needs. The study also proposes some developmental recommendations and suggestions.

Purpose: In-service training programmes in educational planning and administration are indispensable for enhancing teachers’ performance. In Uganda, the schools’ administrators and educational policy makers consider investing in in-service training of teachers. The study was purposed to develop workable recommendations, to address the continued poor performance of students in private secondary schools in Kyenjojo District in Western Uganda. The study was guided by four research objective; to find out the types of in-service training programmes provided at St. Joseph’s Hill Secondary School in Kyenjojo district; to determine the contributions of in-service training programmes to teachers’ performance at St. Joseph’s Hill Secondary School in Kyenjojo District; to gauge on how effective the in-service training programmes are promoting effective supervision of students by teachers at St. Joseph’s Hill Secondary School in Kyenjojo District and to find out how teachers’ service delivery affect students’ performance at St. Joseph’s Hill Secondary school in Kyenjojo District. Expectancy theory guided the study.Methodology: The study employed qualitative research method and it was guided by a case study design. The study employed a non-probability sampling procedure. A total of 8 administrators, 26 teachers, 30 students, 1 District Education Officer and 1 District Inspector of Schools were selected. In data collection, the study used Interview guide and Focused Group Discussions for the selected sample. Face to face Interviews were conducted. The data collected was analyzed qualitatively.Results: The findings revealed that in-service training programmes for teachers exist though not consistent but once or twice in a year. The in-service training programmes have contributed to the improvement of teachers’ welfare in regards to acquisition of skills that helped the teachers in teaching. There are different types of in-service programmes offered to teachers. These programmes have contributed to teachers’ performance in the areas of providing exposure to teachers, lesson planning, handling learners, building relations with learners, marking and setting of exams, improvement in time and classroom management, plus inspiring learners to achieve their academic potential and many others.Recommendations: Based on the research findings, the researcher recommends that in-service training providers and school administration put extra efforts on teachers’ supervision.

The study investigated the effectiveness of Action Research Course, one of the five component courses of the in-service English teacher training program implemented by National Foreign Language 2020 Project in Vietnam. The primary purpose of the course is to help in-service teachers of English develop the ability to do action research in their teaching context. How effective the course is, what alternative strategies can be used for the implementation of the course, what problems prevent the course from meeting the need of the course’s participants, and what improvements should be made were examined in this study. The evaluation on the implementation of the Action Research applies Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) model, which is developed by Stuffflebeam to assess strengths and weaknesses of the course for accountability and improvement. A total of 30 in-service teachers of English were interviewed and course documents were reviewed to generate data. Data analysis reveals that the course is effective to develop in-service teachers’ ability to do action research though improvements should be made to textbook and practice session of the course.Keywords: Action research, CIPP model, evaluation, in-service teacher training, The National Foreign Language 2020 projectCite as: Anh, V.T.K. (2017). Evaluating the implementation of Action Research Course in an in-service teacher training program in Vietnam. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 2(2), 88-97.

This paper describes the approach applied to the introduction of self-reliant internship into the in-service TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) teacher training at the Technical Teacher Training Institute (TTTI) in Afghanistan. As data show in 2014, Afghan TVET teachers neither meet the legal requirements set by the government (Bachelor degree) nor have contacts to or work experiences in private or public sector companies. They have no knowledge of the working requirements they are preparing their students for. Consequently, in-service teacher training at the TTTI has to provide it’s learners with knowledge and skills in accordance with the market requirements. Thus, at the TTTI Capacity Building is focusing among others on the multifaceted interdependent relationship between teacher-student-company in order to empower teachers to be able to contribute to the employability of their students. In this respect TTTI’s in-service teacher training foresees the teacher’s participation in a private or public sector self-reliant internship to benefit from the expertise of companies’ work force and employers and actualize their understanding for the world of work. Afghan TVET teachers completing successful the TTTI in-service training are able to train many cohorts of students for the labor market or self-employment with the gained competences. Two subsequent cohorts of TTTI trainees - government employed TVET teachers undergoing in-service teacher training - have been participating for their first time in self-reliant internship in 2013 and 2014. According to the findings, recommendations are given for using the approach of introducing internship in in-service training for TVET teacher capacity building.

Background and Aims: Teacher in-service training can promote the advancement of education reform and make physical education develop in a more scientific and personalized direction. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct this study, aiming to deeply explore the problems of in-service training for secondary schools’ physical education teachers in Guangzhou and to design a set of scientific and practical in-service training programs for modern teaching methodology to meet the training needs and expectations of physical education teachers in secondary education in Guangzhou. Methodology: This study identified the problems in-service training for physical education teachers through a literature review and classified them using the SIPOC model to determine the specific problems at each stage of in-service training. After inviting five experts to rate the problem indicators, unreasonable options were removed, and a questionnaire was designed based on the results. After distributing the questionnaire, a total of 109 valid questionnaires were collected. Calculate the PNI value and design solutions, training plans, and training plans based on the results. Based on the above research results, a modern teaching method physical education teacher in-service training program was drafted, and eleven experts were invited for focus group interviews to provide feedback and suggestions. Based on the opinions of the first round of focus group experts, revise the plan and invite eleven experts again to conduct the second round of focus group methodology to confirm the proposal and plan. Results: (1) Using the SIPOC model, the 18 problems of in-service training were classified and further refined into various specific problems, resulting in a total of 71 problem indicators; (2) Based on previous research results, a questionnaire survey method was used to collect a total of 109 valid questionnaires and calculate the PNI value. The results showed that 18 out of 71 problem indicators had PNI values below 0.2, so this option was removed; (3) Based on the above results, a modern teaching method in-service training plan for physical education teachers was drafted. After two rounds of focus group interviews, the experts in the plan highly recognized it and finally determined the plan. Conclusion: The in-service training difficulties were examined and divided into 71 distinct concerns using the SIPOC model. Following the identification of eighteen markers for improvement through survey analysis, a successful modern teaching approach for physical education instructors was developed and validated by expert evaluation.

In-service training of teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) is as a core instrument of continuous professional development of EFL teachers. Within the context of nowadays education policies, the issue of in-service training has become of topical importance. It requires systematic approach based on the analysis of individual EFL teachers’ needs and receptive practices in developing in-service teacher-training programmes. In view of that, a survey was conducted among EFL teachers in Estonia to discover the areas of in-service training they are interested in. Based on the survey results, a model of an in-service training module to implement in order to meet the needs of EFL teachers in Estonia is proposed, and it is placed against the background of in-service teacher training provided in Estonia. The module could be included into in-service teaching training programmes not only in Estonia, but in a wider European context. Keywords: in-service teacher training, continuous professional development (CPD), English language teaching.

Teacher in-service training is one of the ways to introduce innovative solutions to teaching, whereby obtaining an insight into teachers? experiences proves to be vital for understanding this process. In our country, the studies dealing with this problem are fairly rare. Using this as a starting point, the aim of our study was to obtain an insight into class teachers? experiences in implementing innovative teaching methods during the in-service training programmes whose focus was on encouraging the cooperation and creativity of students during classes. This study is a part of a more extensive experimental research that was conducted at a primary school in Belgrade within the Trefoil educational model. The sample included eight first-grade and second-grade class teachers, whose conversations, which took place during ten meetings of the teachers? board, were analysed. A qualitative thematic content analysis was used in data processing. The results indicate that the previous knowledge and experience of class teachers, as well as their implicit pedagogical beliefs, are important factors which determine the successfulness of the implementation of innovative solutions in teaching. The implementation of innovative methods in teaching and the exchange of experiences with colleagues and the facilitator during the in-service training have contributed to the re-examination of class teachers? implicit pedagogical beliefs and the shift in their work with respect to motivation, effectiveness, cooperation with colleagues and implementing a differentiated approach in teaching. Class teachers? perceptions also point towards the positive changes when it comes to students? motivation and their more active positioning during classes. The key implications of the current study refer to the necessity of intensifying the long-term programmes in our in-service teacher training system that would create the necessary conditions for a more successful implementation of innovative solutions in teaching. Finally, it is also pointed out to the limitations of the current study.

PurposeThe study aims to examine the issues relating to workplace learning at the upper secondary school level. This study is based on the two questions. How should the professional/peer-learning community or PLC be developed and deployed to help strengthen in-service teacher training? The second question is what are the success factors which contribute to the continuity of the PLC within the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) context?Design/methodology/approachThis study, considered as a case study, is based on BMA’s in-service teaching training program which took place from August 2014 until September 2016. Observations and interviews represent the key tasks undertaken for this study. Observation focuses on the PLC adaptation for a teacher network and key activities relating to actual teaching and learning. Interviews with teachers and students help evaluate the suitability of the PLC’s use as a component of in-service teacher training for workplace learning. The application proposal to international funding helps outline how the data from the observation and interviews should be grouped and analyzed.FindingsThe PLC’s implementation involves a network of teachers (those teachers who traveled to Finland for pedagogical training), the selection of a common theme (i.e. a polluted waterway reflecting environmental phenomena) allowing various different subject teachers to work together and actual teaching and learning across schools with students through project work. The results of the interviews demonstrate that a PLC is a potential alternative for BMA’s in-service teacher training. The PLC allows teachers to share their experience and knowledge while simultaneously strengthening students’ life skills through the PLC’s applications.Research limitations/implicationsThe case study demonstrates the process through which the PLC is successfully deployed. The BMA applied the PLC alongside and in collaboration with the actual student teaching and learning, instead of separating them because the PLC was regarded as training. PLC is dependent on: the willingness of the teachers to work together, their ability to come up with a common topic that they can link their knowledge, enable several subject teachers to work together, an effective planning process to gradually involve the students in problem-based learning and public recognition to demonstrate their success.Practical implicationsThe PLC appears to benefit workplace (or school) learning and development for both teachers and students. Additionally, the use of the PLC in this case study points to an alternative for future in-service teacher training at BMA schools. When compared with the existing practice of sitting in a room and listening to an external expert without much interaction, participating teachers feel that the PLC helps them become more motivated, through experience and knowledge sharing.Originality/valueThe contribution to research is the knowledge on the PLC’s implementation for in-service teaching training (as part of workplace learning). Moreover, the PLC should be applied simultaneously with actual teaching and learning through project work. Three notable lessons learned from comparing the effectiveness of the PLC use between BMA and Finnish schools point to the importance of pre- and in-service teacher training with the focus on continuous dialogue and open communication, familiarity with integrated lesson plan and teacher autonomy.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether an in-service life teacher training program can improve boarding students’ health, behavior, and academic performance. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial to measure the effect of life teacher training on student health, behavior, and academic performance among 839 boarding students in ten central primary boarding schools in Shaanxi. And the authors also tried to identify why or why not life teacher training works. Both descriptive and multivariate analysis are used in this paper. Findings – The authors find significant improvements in health and behavior. Specifically, compared to boarding students in control schools, 15 percent fewer students in treatment schools reported feeling cold while sleeping at night. The results also showed that student tardiness and misbehaviors after class declined significantly by 18 and 78 percent, respectively. However, the in-service life teacher training program had no measurable impact on boarding students’ BMI-for-age Z-score, number of misbehaviors in class, and academic performance. The analysis suggests that improved communication between life teachers and students might be one mechanism behind these results. Originality/value – This is the first empirical work which explored how to improve the welfare of boarding students via their life teachers. Because of the sudden increase in boarding students in rural China, it is almost certain that school personnel lack experience in managing boarding students. As such, one promising approach to improving student outcomes might be in-service training for life teachers.