Challenges Of Professional Development Research Articles

The Professional Development Challenges Faced By The English Novice Teachers In Post-Pandemic

The Professional Development Challenges Faced By The English Novice Teachers In Post-Pandemic

Content and Sentiment Analysis of Autobiographical Narratives of Experienced and Well-Evaluated Teachers in Spain

Analysing the content and feelings of teachers’ autobiographical narratives provides relevant information about teaching processes, challenges in professional development, performance, and identity. In this work, we analysed the narratives of five well-evaluated Spanish teachers with more than 10 years of experience. We used Iramuteq, RStudio, and TextRazor to describe the main themes, analyse the emotions, and check whether evidence-based teaching practices were mentioned. The results showed that emotional aspects were central, with positive feelings dominating. In the content analysis, themes such as mental health, inclusion, immigration, war, empathy, critical pedagogy, and autonomous and emancipatory education stand out. The analyses are relevant for teacher educators, policy makers, researchers, and teachers in training or in active service.

Exploring Trends and Challenges in Professional Development of Adult Educators across European Member States: Insights and Recommendations for Improvements

This article provides an overview of professional development trends in European Member States, encompassing training and qualification requirements, as well as the supply and demand for adult teaching staff, including specialized training in andragogical studies. The study investigates actions and policies related to professional development in selected European Member States through thematic analysis of a supportive document for National Coordinators of Adult Learning, who participated in an online Peer Learning Activity (PLA) in May 2021. Additionally, relevant information from Eurydice, European policy documents, scholarly articles, and research papers is incorporated. This overview sets the stage for a discussion on prevailing trends in the professional development of adult educators across European Member States and explores how these trends impact professional development. Overall, the discussion underscores the need for a more systematic and sustained approach to professional development and professionalization in the field of adult education. This includes addressing the diverse needs of adult educators and advocating for greater recognition and regulation of the profession across European countries.

Self-empowerment in the struggling transition from General English to EAP: Action and reflection of a Chinese teacher

Faced with the common challenge of professional development from the periphery of academia, EAP teachers in developing economies such as China also grapple with the particular hurdle of transitioning from teaching General English (GE) courses. While previous studies suggest aspects of how the teachers view the difficulties they encounter, the elicited data they use can hardly show the real actions the teachers take to identify problems, plan and evaluate changes. To remedy this oversight, this study adopts an action research design (Burns, 2010; Johnson, 2012) and explores how one teacher adapted to her new tasks in teaching EAP and coped with the transition through her personal actions.The results show that the teacher was empowered in her struggle with the transition to EAP teaching, and such empowerment enabled her to become an active agent in the changes and implement the accommodating strategies for the EAP curriculum and students. The empowerment was also seen in her efforts not only to accumulate EAP-related experiences and bring forth creative ideas, but also to apply them in her teaching. This action research and its analytical framework help EAP practitioners to reflect on and theorise from what they encounter in everyday classrooms.

Practices, Challenges, and Perceived Impact of Professional Development Activities among Senior High School Teachers

Professional development is a critical aspect of education for teachers in the Philippines, who encounter various challenges in addressing the evolving needs of their students and the education system. Using the descriptive cross-sectional technique, the study aimed to identify the practices, challenges, and perceived impact of professional development activities among senior high school teachers. While there are similar studies on the subject, there are few to none which present the specific situation of senior high school teachers in the Philippines. The results showed that the respondents utilized professional development practices in terms of graduate/post-graduate studies to a great extent; FGDs, LACs, and other trainings to a very great extent; research and publication to a very great extent; education innovations to a very great extent; membership in professional organizations to a very great extent; and community service involvement to a very great extent. Of these practices, those in terms of community service involvement were utilized the most while those in terms of graduate/post-graduate studies were utilized the least. In addition, the respondents experienced professional development challenges in terms of teacher-related factors to a great extent; professional development availability, cost, and design to a great extent; and instructional supervision and assistance to a moderate extent. Of these challenges, those in terms of professional development availability, cost, and design were experienced the most while those in terms of instructional supervision and assistance were experienced the least. Furthermore, the respondents perceived the impact of professional development activities to a very great extent. The results also imply the need to underscore involvement in graduate/post-graduate studies in the proposed action plan and to improve the job satisfaction of teachers after engaging in professional development activities. Future researchers may conduct a similar study with the inclusion of the views and experiences of administrators and students as a means of validating the supposed impact of professional development activities as perceived by senior high school teachers.

The Challenges of Media Education in the Digital Era

The advent of the digital era has ushered in a transformative landscape in the field of media, necessitating a reevaluation of media education strategies. This study explores the multifaceted challenges facing media education in the digital age, with a focus on the evolving media landscape, technology integration, pedagogical approaches, and the role of educators. In today’s digitally connected world, the media ecosystem has become more complex and dynamic than ever before. The proliferation of social media platforms, online news sources, and user-generated content has fundamentally altered the way information is produced, disseminated, and consumed. Consequently, media education faces the challenge of keeping pace with the rapid evolution of digital media, ensuring that students are equipped with the critical thinking and media literacy skills necessary to navigate this ever-changing landscape. Another key challenge lies in the integration of technology within media education. While digital tools offer unprecedented opportunities for creativity and engagement, they also pose challenges related to accessibility, the digital divide, and the need for educators to continuously update their technological skills. Finding the right balance between traditional and digital media instruction is essential for effective pedagogy. Pedagogical approaches in media education must evolve to address the changing needs of students in the digital era. Educators must adapt their methods to foster critical thinking, digital literacy, and media ethics. Encouraging students to become discerning media consumers and responsible content creators is paramount to their success in the digital age. Furthermore, educators themselves face the challenge of professional development to stay abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in media education. Continuous learning and collaboration with industry professionals are essential to equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to guide students effectively. The challenges of media education in the digital era are manifold, encompassing the dynamic nature of the media landscape, technology integration, evolving pedagogical approaches, and the ongoing development of educators themselves. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort from educational institutions, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to ensure that media education remains relevant, effective, and capable of preparing students for the complexities of the digital age.

Inclusive Digitization and Digital Accessibility as a Professional Development Challenge for Prospective Teachers

Die Digitalisierung von in Schule und Unterricht bietet viele Möglichkeiten zur Realisierung einer Bildung in der digitalen Welt, erfordert dazu aber eine inklusive und barrierefreie Gestaltung und Ausrichtung. Damit dies gelingt, müssen Lehrpersonen über angemessene didaktische, methodische und (förder-)pädagogisch tragfähige Konzepte und Modelle verfügen. Für den schulischen Bereich und die Ausbildung angehender Lehrpersonen wurden dazu Modelle wie das Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) oder das Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Modell (SAMR) entwickelt und stellenweise um inklusionsbezogene Aspekte erweitert. Andere Projekte aus der Lehrpersonenausbildung greifen das Konzept des Universal Design for Learning (UDL) zurück, um digitale Medien für einen inklusiven Unterricht zu nutzen. Kompetenzrahmen wie DigCompEdu oder das UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers greifen ausdrücklich digitale Barrierefreiheit auf und bezeichnen sie als eine Schlüsselkompetenz, über die Lehrpersonen verfügen sollten. Häufig ist aber noch nicht hinreichend geklärt, über welche Kompetenzen angehende Lehrpersonen im Kontext von inklusiver Digitalisierung überhaupt verfügen sollten. Daher wurden in einer empirischen Studie subjektive Sichtweisen von Fachpersonen aus der Lehrpersonenausbildung erfasst. Aus den Ergebnissen der Studie lassen sich drei verschiedene Sichtweisen identifizieren, die einen empirisch begründeten Einstieg in einen Diskurs über die pädagogische Kultur der inklusiven Digitalisierung in Schule und Unterricht eröffnen.

Understanding professional development challenges of Chinese public health professionals: association and prediction analyses with data validity screening.

Little is known about the public health professionals engaged in educating and training new or future researchers in public health. Research in this direction identifies their issues, concerns, challenges, and needs. This study focused on the professional development challenges of Chinese public health professionals. Snowball sampling was utilized. A total of 265 public health professionals participated. An instrument of 6 dimensions (burnout, sleep issue, mood issue, friends' support, exercise, and challenges) was developed, revised, and administered online. Two different approaches, the conventional and data screening approaches, were applied. The former started with item quality analyses, whereas the latter began with data quality checks. The chi-square tests of associations and logistic regressions were performed on both approaches. 19.25% of the participants were detected and deleted as careless respondents. Using both approaches, six professional development challenges except one ("Multidisciplinary learning") were significantly associated with various demographic features. The two approaches produced different models though they converged sometimes. The latent variables of exercise predicted professional development challenges more frequently than other latent variables. Regarding correct classification rates, results from the data screening approach were comparable to those from the conventional approach. The latent variables of exercise, such as "Exercise effects," "Expectations of exercise," and "Belief in exercise," might be understudied. More research is necessary for professional development challenges using exercise as a multidimensional construct. Based on the current study, screening and deleting careless responses in survey research is necessary.

Challenges of Professional Development for Preschool Teachers in Selangor

Challenges of Professional Development for Preschool Teachers in Selangor

A scoping review of social media in child, adolescents and young adults: research findings in depression, anxiety and other clinical challenges.

Social media and other technologies are reshaping communication and health. This review addresses the relationship between social media use, behavioural health conditions and psychological well-being for youth aged <25 years. A scoping review of 11 literature databases from 2000 to 2020 explored research studies in youth in five areas: clinical depression and anxiety, quantitative use, social media mode, engagement and qualitative dimensions and health and well-being. Out of 2820 potential literature references, 140 met the inclusion criteria. The foci were clinical depression and anxiety disorders (n = 78), clinical challenges (e.g. suicidal ideation, cyberbullying) (n = 34) and psychological well-being (n = 28). Most studies focused on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Few studies are longitudinal in design (n = 26), had comparison groups (n = 27), were randomised controlled trials (n = 3) or used structured assessments (n = 4). Few focused on different youth and sociodemographic populations, particularly for low-income, equity-seeking and deserving populations. Studies examined association (n = 120; 85.7%), mediating (n = 16; 11.4%) and causal (n = 4; 2.9%) relationships. Prospective, longitudinal studies of depression and anxiety appear to indicate that shorter use (≤3 h/day) and purposeful engagement is associated with better mood and psychological well-being. Depression may predict social media use and reduce perception of support. Findings provide families, teachers and providers ways to engage youth. Research opportunities include clinical outcomes from functional perspective on a health continuum, diverse youth and sociodemographic populations, methodology, intervention and privacy issues. More longitudinal studies, comparison designs and effectiveness approaches are also needed. Health systems face clinical, training and professional development challenges.

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of E-Learning in Healthcare: A Fuzzy ANP Study.

E-learning has transformed the healthcare education system by providing healthcare professionals with training and development opportunities, regardless of their location. However, healthcare professionals in remote or rural areas face challenges such as limited access to educational resources, lack of reliable internet connectivity, geographical isolation, and limited availability of specialized training programs and instructors. These challenges hinder their access to e-learning opportunities and impede their professional development. To address this issue, a study was conducted to identify the factors that influence the effectiveness of e-learning in healthcare. A literature review was conducted, and two questionnaires were distributed to e-learning experts to assess primary variables and identify the most significant factor. The Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (Fuzzy ANP) was used to identify the importance of selected factors. The study found that success, satisfaction, availability, effectiveness, readability, and engagement are the main components ranked in order of importance. Success was identified as the most significant factor. The study results highlight the benefits of e-learning in healthcare, including increased accessibility, interactivity, flexibility, knowledge management, and cost efficiency. E-learning offers a solution to the challenges of professional development faced by healthcare professionals in remote or rural areas. The study provides insights into the factors that influence the effectiveness of e-learning in healthcare and can guide the development of future e-learning programs.

Innovation of the Educational Process in Early Childhood Education Institutions

Nowadays, the introduction of the latest means of development of early childhood education institutions is connected with the general trends of innovation processes in the economy and new social standards. The publication of new textbooks, and manuals, as well as equipping higher pedagogical education institutions with computer technology should meet the requirements of the development of new material bases and the challenges of professional development of early childhood teachers. Under such requirements, the goals, content, conditions, and expected consequences of the innovative development of the educational process in early childhood education institutions are being developed. The article aims to characterize the main directions and features of scientific research in the field of innovative development of the educational process carried out in early childhood education institutions. In the course of organizing and conducting both theoretical and practical components of this study, the analytical and bibliographic method was applied to study the scientific literature on the educational process in early childhood education institutions. Analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction were employed in the processing of scientific information. System-structural, comparative, logical, and linguistic methods, abstraction, and idealization were used to study and process data. Moreover, the questionnaire survey served in the practical establishment of certain aspects of innovative processes in the field of education in preschool institutions. Based on the results of the study, the theoretical aspects of innovating the process of upbringing in preschool education have been studied. Moreover, the most essential factors, stages, and components of this process from the standpoint of its subjects have been clarified.

Implementing Japanese lesson study as a professional development tool in South Africa

Continuous professional development is an integral part of the professional life of teachers since learning is a life-long activity. Lesson study is a practical approach to promoting teachers’ professional development. Lesson study refers to teachers’ classroom-based collaborative research to bring teachers together to work collaboratively to plan a lesson. In South Africa, there is a dire need for teachers’ professional development due to many challenges in professional development in this country. However, there is very little documented research into the implementation of lesson study in South Africa. This study explored the Japanese Lesson Study to improve teaching quality and to learn in South Africa. The researchers adopted qualitative research with an interpretivist paradigm to explicit participants’ experiences of lesson study. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select three participants in a school from Gauteng Province, South Africa. The findings revealed that participants appreciated the workshop and gained knowledge of a good understanding of the lesson study. All the participants acknowledged the awareness of their professional development as a motivating factor for them to continue to plan and work together. The researchers recommended that lesson studies be implemented with teachers from different grades and phases. School leaders should become ambassadors for setting up communities of practice within their schools, districts and provinces. Further studies should be carried out with similar grades in a phase and also in phase planning.

Exploring the professional teacher identity as ethical self-formation of two multilingual native English teachers

The past decades have witnessed an increasing number of studies documenting native English teachers’ (NETs’) challenges in professional development and collaboration with nonnative English teachers’ (NNETs’) across multiple educational contexts. There are also debates in TESOL regarding the essentialized dichotomy of NETs and NNETs with insufficient recognition of the educational and cultural experiences of teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) / English as a second language (ESL). Little research has been conducted on the lived experiences of transnational multilingual NETs who work in heritage contexts; and how they position themselves when they conduct their teacher identity work and negotiate between heritage identity and NET identity. This study, drawing on the notion of ethical self-formation and its application in teacher identity research as a theoretical lens, addresses the gap by investigating the identity construction of two transnational NETs of Chinese ethnicity returning to their home context in Hong Kong to teach. The findings indicate that (1) the participants negotiated their multilingual identity and the monolingual NET identity ascribed in the workplace, (2) they developed counter-strategies to turn the knowledge of the local language and culture into resources in teaching, and (3) they agentively expanded the definition of NET and situated them in the full institutional and social context to consider their identity conflict and self-empowerment. The findings have implications for education policy to accommodate and value the plural-competences of NETs and NNETs.

Conflict of allegiance: professional development challenges in transforming science teachers’ identities and practices

ABSTRACT Case studies of two biology teachers, Cathy and David, from the same minority-majority, urban U.S. high school, provide insights into their instructional practices while they engaged in long-term professional development (PD). Findings suggest why science teachers engaged with PD may, or may not, adopt more adaptive pedagogical approaches in the service of reform-based teaching. Gee’s institution- and affinity-identity constructs were used as analytic lenses regarding teachers’ perceptions of teaching, learning, and agency in the dual contexts of their school’s institutional environment and PD community. Over time, Cathy adopted more inquiry-based instructional practices she learned through PD seminars in building a scientific classroom discourse community with her majority Latinx students. Her professional identity and teaching became more aligned with the more progressive teaching philosophy and instructional practices promoted by the PD affinity group. While David understood and enjoyed the PD, ultimately, he minimally adopted new strategies, adhering mainly to his pre-PD mode of direct instruction, staying within the strict culture of accountability of his school’s administrative priorities to raise state test scores. These cases demonstrate why some teachers of diverse students are adaptive adopters of reform-based instruction through new affinity group membership, while others demonstrate greater allegiance to their institution-aligned identities.

Использование методики «Educational breakout» в рамках устойчивого профессионального развития педагогов CLIL

This paper analyses how new learning approaches based on gamification can be used for professional growth in teacher training seminars. To address this matter, we designed and implemented a Breakout Edu competition — a sequence of game-based tasks mixing up education and entertainment. The pilot study involved fifteen plurilingual educators tackling the efficacy of social and cognitive groundworks of collaborative learning through gamification. It is important to highlight that the participants were also experts in teaching non-linguistic subjects in English (Content and Language Integrated Learning or CLIL methodology). The researchers designed and implemented a methodological plan to ensure the process feasibility and confirm the motivational value of the training set. The project comprised the experimental part (workshop, training materials), feedback (questionnaire, discussion), analysis and dissemination of the results. Our results based on an original questionnaire showed a general acceptance of new gamified knowledge building and raised awareness of active learning techniques. Overall, 80% of participants fully agreed with the possibility of implementing this technique in the classroom with the students across different educational stages; the same number of educators considered that the Breakout Edu workshop fully encouraged motivation and teamwork. Despite certain limitations in terms of sample size, our experiment strengthens the dissemination of learner-focused approaches. Profiling professional development challenges of future CLIL instructors was aligned with sustainable development goal 4 (General Assembly Resolution). Research findings will deserve careful thought by the education community, policymakers and teacher-trainers currently promoting CLIL, active learning methodologies and gamification.

The impact of visual thinking in medical education

Abstract Background Considering medical humanities, medicine and art are two areas that resemble each other at several features. Clinical diagnosis involves the observation, description and interpretation of information of which visual ones take an important one. The skills described are important skills in the field of visual arts, as well. Underlying a good clinical practice; clinical examination and observation skills constitute an important place. Although in several studies, these skills are shown to be improved by analyzing visual art pieces, courses intended to improve visual thinking skills are not that much common in medical faculty curriculums. Methods In this article, we share our opinion about the use of visual thinking in medical education by providing preliminary reflection results of learners from the second year of medical education about the visual thinking course that we have recently started to apply in Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with Faculty of Fine Arts in Izmir University of Economics in order to improve the observational skills of learners. Results Reflection results of the learners support the view that training art-viewing skill is helpful to improve observational and descriptive skills. Conclusions Increasing interdisciplinary programs on visual thinking in medical curriculums have the potential to overcome several professional development challenges in clinics.

Challenges of Professional Development of Teachers Teaching BS Four Year Program at Govt. Post Graduate College Rawalpindi: A Case Study

This study is about challenges of professional development at govt. post graduate college satellite town Rawalpindi with special focus of teacher’s self-development with reference to their teaching. 30 teachers are selected as sample in this study teaching BS program. 10 open ended questions are asked from these teachers. The focus of this question was about latest trends and methods, reflective practice of teachers on their own teaching, use of ICT in their lectures, communication ways and as well the psychological needs of students. The responses of the teachers are categorized and interpreted in percentage. The result shows that there are several challenges for professional development like teachers are not equipped with latest knowledge, have no reflection on their teaching, and only traditional ways of teaching are followed. Use of ICT is not as proper as it should be. And these challenges are basically threats to the BS program with reference to quality education in this institution. There is deadly need of formal and informal programs of professional development in this institution.

Challenges of Professional Development for Technology Integration in Higher Education

The Teacher Professional Development (TPD) models, approaches, and programs have contributed to some extent to overcome the barriers that higher education faculty experience as regards ICT adoption for student learning. However, their impact on practice is still limited. The current scenario in education is complex and demands new approaches regarding TPD for ICT. The present research uses Expansive Learning as the analytical approach to study the factors that limit ICT integration as well as the challenges of TPD for ICT adoption in Higher Education (ICT-TPD) to address limitations. Four main challenges were found and are herein described in order to propose an organizational-oriented development model, to wit: (1) a required collective cross-level development approach, (2) an approach where problems or limitations are essential to surpass boundaries, (3) a cultural appropriation of ICT and (4) the influence of power relations.

Developing early childhood educators with diverse qualifications: the need for differentiated approaches

ABSTRACT Many countries have a diverse early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, comprising educators with a range of qualifications and backgrounds. This diversity creates challenges for professional development, as educators with different qualifications (including university degrees and vocational qualifications) may have different strengths and challenges in developing their professionalism and practice. Using descriptive data from three large-scale Australian surveys, this study examines how educators with different qualifications also differ in other ways. It groups the differences between educators according to the three dimensions of learning and development in Australia’s ECEC curriculum framework – being (who they are), belonging (how they feel), and becoming (their learning and development trajectories over time) – which are important components of educators’ learning and development, just as they are for children’s. The results show that groups of educators with different qualifications differ in many aspects of their being, belonging, and becoming; including socio-economic status; previous experiences of learning; commitment to the ECEC sector, and enjoyment of their work. Each group, therefore, faces specific challenges and opportunities in their professional development. The study calls attention to the need for responsiveness to the diversity of early childhood educators in professional development and ECEC policy, in Australia and elsewhere.