Multilingual identity and translanguaging in an online CPD programme for non-native teachers of Chinese in Ireland

To determine the level and evaluate factors affecting the participation of laboratory professionals in continuous professional development (CPD) programs in eastern and southern Africa. A survey was conducted among laboratory professionals from 14 countries. The CPD participation was defined as low if it was fewer than 2 CPD trainings in the past 2 years. Associations between categorical variables were tested for significance using Fisher exact test. Of the expected 400, 283 (70% response rate) individuals participated in the survey. Of these, 153 (54%) had low CPD participation and 199 (70%) were aware of CPD educational activities in their respective country. Those with diploma certificates attended more CPD programs (P < .001) than those with undergraduate and master's degrees. Awareness of CPD programs was associated with a higher level of CPD participation (P = .0001). Job satisfaction was significantly associated with high levels of CPD participation (P = .02). Other factors associated with high level of participation in CPD programs included affordability (P = .03), funding by employer (P = .0005), and awareness of legal CPD requirements (P = .002). The CPD programs are considered useful to an individual's professional development, although there was low participation. It is recommended that different formats and platforms be used to expand CPD programs.

Drawing on the sociopolitical turn within science education, we critically examine subjectivity production in curriculum developments and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes. Through a review of 178 outputs, we identify three themes: (a) subjectivity meanings in science, sociological perspectives, and science education; (b) sociopolitical questioning in science education and the curriculum; and (c) challenges to CPD programmes, where the challenges are sensitive to issues of power imbalances. This integrative review maps critical approaches and debates, problematising science curricula and CPD programmes. We discuss curriculum development, teachers’ participation, and the role of teacher educators and universities in CPD programmes. We show how curriculum developers are typically positioned as the thinkers who ‘wish’ to improve the quality of science learning in schools with their ideas, while schoolteachers are seen as simply the implementers of those thoughts. We offer directions on the sociopolitical turn using subjectivity, questioning assumed norms through social, political, and cultural lenses within school science education. For any teacher educator conducting CPD programmes, the sociopolitical approach could help shape the reconceptualisation of such programmes by incorporating power-sensitive questioning about such issues as the way that the CPD is designed and conducted, and the professional development of the teacher educators themselves.

As a result of rigorous scholarship efforts over the past 50 years, a rich understanding has been gained regarding the processes associated with teaching and learning Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL). CFL particularly benefits from research in second language acquisition (SLA). This chapter provides a critical review of major SLA theories by examining three key constructs: learner language, second language learning processes, and second language learners. Implications of SLA findings on CFL learning and teaching are discussed in terms of setting realistic expectations for CFL learners, creating an optimal learning environment for CFL learning, and tailoring teaching to individual learners. The chapter concludes by highlighting areas in need of increased attention and alternate perspectives that will contribute to our understanding of the complexities associated with CFL learning and also generate theory-guided practices for CFL teaching and learning.

Guided by the TPACK theory (Mishra &amp; Koehler, 2006), this chapter reviews and compares the technology standards related to and designed for teachers of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from the entry level to the accomplished level in the United States and China. It has found that the technology standards are often included in the comprehensive standards for teachers and parallel the standards about other aspects of teaching. The technology standards related to CFL in the two countries share some similarities but also differ in important ways. Several important and critical understandings are identified, including the needs for CFL technology standards, the theoretical foundations for CFL technology standards, and a more solid and comprehensive infrastructure for CFL education. Recommendations are made to address the needs, and research is called for to study the development and implementation of CFL technology standards.

Guided by the TPACK theory (Mishra &amp; Koehler, 2006), this chapter reviews and compares the technology standards related to and designed for teachers of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from the entry level to the accomplished level in the United States and China. It has found that the technology standards are often included in the comprehensive standards for teachers and parallel the standards about other aspects of teaching. The technology standards related to CFL in the two countries share some similarities but also differ in important ways. Several important and critical understandings are identified, including the needs for CFL technology standards, the theoretical foundations for CFL technology standards, and a more solid and comprehensive infrastructure for CFL education. Recommendations are made to address the needs, and research is called for to study the development and implementation of CFL technology standards.

Although recent years have witnessed increasing interest in learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) in China and around the world, there seems to be a paucity of research into the medium of instruction in the CFL classroom. This paper describes a study of the practice of MoI choice in the CFL classroom, situated within the framework of translanguaging. Five focus group interviews and eight classroom observations were conducted across five universities in China. Approximately 43 participants participated in the interview stage of the research, while 149 CFL students across eight CFL classrooms were involved in the observation stage, with six students and four teachers also interviewed after the observations. The findings suggest that translanguaging was commonly used by teachers. However, due to limits on resource availability and to the linguistic complexity of a CFL classroom, these translanguaging practices also posed challenges to the teachers. Interestingly, English was predominantly employed for explanatory and elicitation functions, whereas Chinese was chosen mainly for teaching and instructing purposes. While translanguaging practice was observed in both the beginner CFL class and in the more advanced class, the monolingual approach was still predominantly used and advocated across different levels.

This study explores the theory-practice nexus in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programs for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher in Ethiopia, focusing on the alignment between the National Professional Standards for Teachers and CPD implementation. It addresses three key questions: (1) What are the National Professional Standards for Teachers in Ethiopia? (2) To what extent do CPD programs adhere to these standards? (3) What factors influence the alignment or misalignment between policy and practice? Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collected quantitative data through surveys and qualitative insights via interviews and focus group discussions with teachers and educational leaders. Findings indicate a significant gap between the intended goals of CPD and classroom realities. Many teachers view CPD as a bureaucratic formality rather than a meaningful professional growth opportunity. Contributing factors include limited practical application, weak institutional support, and minimal opportunities for reflection and collaboration. Although the standards emphasize community engagement and collegial collaboration, these components are often inadequately implemented, diminishing the impact of CPD initiatives. The study emphasizes the need for CPD programs to be responsive to teachers' contexts, prioritizing practical, classroom-oriented strategies. Recommendations include strengthening institutional support, creating structured opportunities for reflective practice, and ensuring contextual relevance of CPD activities. Addressing these issues can enhance CPD effectiveness and contribute to improved educational outcomes for students in Ethiopia.

Introduction: Nurses should be committed to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) courses to advance nursing practice and guarantee lifelong learning. Online CPD programs may allow nurses to fulfil the demand for specialty competency. Aim: This study focuses on utilising online (CPD) activities to develop cardiac nurses’ ability to perform advanced clinical skills. Method: The study was conducted in one of the largest accredited teaching hospitals in South Australia. The department is staffed by a specialised multi-professional team, some of whom have completed specialised cardiac post-graduation diploma courses in order to meet the complex needs of cardiac patients. To keep the team abreast of the latest developments in practice, the in-service education department at local study setting runs several CPD programs for the cardiology department via varied learning modes, such as online CPD programs, classroom learning and bedside-based learning. The nursing team maintains advanced clinical skills through online CPD, orientation programs, and in-service classroom-based courses. Regarding online CPD courses, electrocardiography interpretation and underwater sealing draining management courses are mandatory courses which all registered nurses must complete while working in medical or surgical cardiac wards. Results: The interview process was conducted in five stages: 1. Determining the type of the interview where in such types of qualitative studies the researcher should focus on the fundamental question of the phenomenological inquiry throughout the unstructured, in-depth interview process. 2. Making initial contact where the researcher established a rapport with the participant and prepared them mentally by giving them the participant information sheet. 3. Context of the interview where interviews be conducted in a quiet room in the School of Nursing in order to maintain participant privacy and anonymity, participants requested to conduct the interviews in their work setting. Nonetheless, the researcher ensured that participant privacy and anonymity was upheld. 4. Selecting the lived experience where Each participant was interviewed once. Interview duration was 15 to 30 minutes. The interviews started with a grand tour question. Grand tour questions are very broad questions asked by the interviewer at the early stage of an interview to obtain a description of the event or experience. 5. All interviews were concluded by thanking the participant and offering them the choice to have a copy of their interview transcript to verify what they had said. The researcher wrote an interview summary after listening to the interviews on the same day. The summary was prepared to help the researcher evaluate the amount of data gathered and identify whether the point of data saturation was reached. In addition, writing the summary helped the researcher reflect on the interview and gain an understanding of the participant experience Conclusion This study explained the process of data collection, describing the setting, nature of participants and process of data collection using phenomenological interview. As the human experience is complex, gathering in-depth data should be systematic to ensure that the researcher has obtained the most sufficient data to explore the essence of the experience.

Several research agrees on the contribution of continuous professional development (CPD) programmes to support curriculum reform. In Latin-America there is growing concern about the university-school relationship, mostly related to the CPD of teachers. In Chile, the relationship university-school is posed in institutional discourses as a desirable professional development goal, yet the importance is less recognised in practice. Considering the teacher educators’ subjectivity in higher education is barely explored in the teacher education literature leaves the question of who are those involved in CPD programmes? Taking a qualitative approach and using dialogical strategy, we study the design meetings of a university team/teacher educators leading a CPD programme in science. Findings show salient features of the teacher educators’ subjectivity produced around the interaction between the school and the higher education sector, their relationship among themselves, the conditions of the university, and their perception of schoolteachers. Implications to research and practice are discussed.

Teacher development is an important component in educational institutions. This is because the teacher is one of the potential resources that affect the quality of students and the achievement of educational goals. In an increasingly rapid pace of development, madrasa heads as managers of educational institutions are required to be able to manage existing human resources (HR). As an effort to improve teacher competence, especially in the pedagogic and professional dimensions, the teacher continuous professional development (CPD) program is a means for teachers to develop their competence and knowledge. Thus, it is necessary to have the role of the madrasa head in involving teachers in the PKB program. The research focuses raised in this study are: 1) How is the head of madrasah in planning the sustainable professional development program for digital era teachers at MAN 2 Malang City; 2) How is the madrasa principal in implementing the digital era teacher continuous professional development program at MAN 2 Malang City; 3) How is the implementation of the digital era teacher sustainable professional development program at MAN 2 Malang City. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach, where the researcher describes the research findings which are unique in the field. To obtain data related to the managerial competence of the madrasah principal in implementing the CPD program, data collection techniques were carried out in the form of observation, interviews and documentation. The data that has been collected will be analyzed using data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that: 1) CPD program planning is carried out on: a) the madrasah annual work meeting agenda; and b) in the MGMP professional organization. The planning carried out is based on three aspects, including: a) the times; b) madrasa vision and mission; and c) reports on the results of supervision. 2) The implementation of the PKB program consists of three components, including: a) self-development; b) scientific publications; c) innovative work. In implementing the CPD program, the role of the madrasa head as manager is as follows: a) placing teachers according to academic qualifications; b) directing teachers in development programs; c) formulating and setting educator standards; d) socialize and motivate teachers to participate in the CPD program; 3) The results of the implementation of the CPD program, including: a) Increasing the pedagogic and professional competence of teachers; b) Increasing student academic achievement.

This chapter deals with teacher training in the field of teaching Chinese as a foreign language in the United States. It starts with a summary and critical analysis of some models of teacher training and professional development, and then continues to discuss what constitutes CFL (Chinese as a Foreign Language) teaching excellence. The chapter states that great progress has been made in Chinese language pedagogy research, but notes the need for more effective and systematic models of teacher training in the CFL field. A systematic and integrated approach to CFL teacher training is proposed and discussed through the description of a teacher training framework and the important elements of the framework that are designed to develop the essential competencies of CFL teaching excellence. It addresses not only what successful CFL teachers should know, but also what they should be able to do, applying a strong knowledge base into successful and effective teaching practice.KeywordsTeacher trainingTeacher professional development

Written in an extended dictionary format, the Manual for Teaching and Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language aims to cover all key terms related to teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Each section contains an introduction with language-specific information, and identifies students and teachers’ common questions, including the capacity of Chinese as a morphologically unmarked language to indicate categories such as tense and mood. Many entries listed in this manual come with an explanation, a commentary, and rich examples. The Manual for Teaching and Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language appeals to both Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) teachers and students, as well as being the ideal reference for researchers conducting comparative studies of the Chinese and English languages.

Continuous professional development for inclusive ECD teachers in Chiredzi Zimbabwe: Challenges and opportunities

The Impact of COVID-19 on Continuing Professional Development: Go Green and Go Home?

This article examines how principals can design effective online continuing professional development (CPD) programs to advance STEM education. It begins with an overview of current strategies in STEM teacher education across traditional and digital formats. To support educator growth, CPD must emphasize interdisciplinary integration, computational thinking, and the use of educational technologies. The article highlights the unique benefits of online CPD delivered in a variety of formats, including synchronous, asynchronous, or blended, to include opportunities for collaboration, reflection, and timely support. Principals play a pivotal role in leading these initiatives to ensure alignment with school goals and educator needs. Effective STEM CPD often incorporates hands-on, collaborative learning that mirrors real-world applications. Additionally, principals can leverage social media platforms to help overcome barriers to participation and foster engagement. The article offers design considerations for principals as they develop online CPD programs to emphasize the inclusion of STEM-specific content, collaborative learning structures, and professional learning communities. These elements are essential to address educators’ sense of community and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. By applying these insights, principals can create meaningful CPD programs that support sustained STEM educator development.