Continuing Professional Development Activities Research Articles

Understanding and Enhancing Chinese TEFL Teachers' Motivation for Continuing Professional Development Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory.

Teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) is a dynamic process that coordinates teachers’ external behavior and internal states. Most teachers participate in varied forms of CPD activities either voluntarily or contractually. The more motivated teachers are to engage in CPD, the more likely they achieve professional and personal growth. Against this backdrop, the current study, adopting the framework of self-determination theory (SDT), sought to investigate the types and levels of Chinese college TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language, hereafter TEFL) teachers’ motivation toward CPD. The questionnaire survey was administered to 402 academics who taught the English language in diverse universities in China. The quantitative analysis showed that teachers exhibited stronger identified regulation and intrinsic motivation than external regulation. Specifically, the exploratory factor analysis identified five motivational orientations: inner-directed academic improvement and cognitive interest, academic self-fulfillment and obligation, academic and social responsibility, social recognition and promotion, lacking the intention for CPD, which corresponded to the SDT motivation continuum. To triangulate, further interviews were conducted with 12 TEFL teachers. The findings of the qualitative analysis—the thematic analysis through Nvivo (Version 12) on the open-ended question and the interviews, revealed that teachers’ struggles in CPD were mainly concerned with the school-related, CPD-related, and teacher-related problems. Moreover, a big gap between teachers’ needs and contextual support was found to be bridged. Based on the findings, this study proposed that social conditions should support teachers’ basic psychological needs in order to sustain and enhance TEFL teachers’ motivation for CPD.

UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ VIEWS OF TEACHER RESEARCH: A REPORT FROM INDONESIA

This article reports on a study investigating the perceptions of EFL teachers in schools and language courses (henceforth, teachers) and EFL lecturers in tertiary educational institutions (academic staff) from Indonesia regarding their definitions of and their engagements in teacher research. An online questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data from almost 400 EFL teachers and academic staff from Indonesia. The questionnaire was followed by in-depth interviews with some respondents who met the criteria set and agreed to be interviewed. Results from the study show that both teachers and academic staff align research with evidence-based practice, survey, literature-driven practice and professional communication, and observation-based popular article. In terms of engagements, most of the teachers and academic staff read research papers occasionally, and more academic staff did research compared to teachers. Research done by both teachers and academic staff is largely associated with internal and external factors, such as, professional awareness and professional obligation, with academic staff seem to receive more support to engage in research. The findings of the study provide insights for future continuous professional development (CPD) activities for English teachers and academic staff. The activities might involve exploring ways to integrate teacher research into teachers’ and academic staff’s teaching responsibilities and integrating teacher research into the short-term and long-term goals of CPD.

Contextualization of Theory and Practices of Teachers’ Effective Professional Development Features in Primary Schools of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Aims: The main purpose of the study was to evaluate contextualization of theory and practices of teachers’ effective professional development features in primary schools in Ethiopia.
 Methodolody: Concurrent triangulation mixed method design was employed in the study. Questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussion, observation, and document examination were used to collect the data. A total of 615 participants took part in the study. The quantitative data were analyzed by using means, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, one-way-ANOVA, and multiple regression. The textual and contextual qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative data were interpreted and concurrently triangulated.
 Results: Teachers did not incorporate and implement professional development critical features in continuous professional development (CPD) plans and activities. The prevailed effects from these professional development features were [content-focus, R2 =.105, active learning, R2 = .072, coherence (R2=.043, collective participation, R2=.037, and sustained duration, R2=.014]. The cumulative outcomes of effectiveness of CPD practices added to multiple regression (R2=.271) accounted for 27.1% to cause teachers’ improve classroom instruction though professional dynamics predict that professional development practice is effective when it causes teachers improve professional practices. Teachers’ participation in CPD activities, learning potential from CPD and application of new knowledge and pedagogical skills in the classroom were rated (M1=17.82, M2 = 15.74 & M3 = 14.79) by teachers and mentors and principals respectively. There was no statistically significant difference at p >.05 level in mean scores [F (2, 535) = 2.052, p = .135].
 Conclusion: The findings of the study have implications for teachers in terms of planning and implementing specific class content and reflection activities in order to gain appropriate professional competences. Teachers need to upgrade their skills as they were not performing well in the classroom.

Continuing professional development for anesthesiologists: A systematic review protocol.

Regulators increasingly use formalized programs that are based on continuing professional development (CPD) activities to ensure that physicians are fit to practice. There is convincing evidence regarding the positive effects of CPD activities on performance and patient outcomes. However, there is limited available studies, investigating its effect in anesthesia, specifically. Moreover, although there exists considerable evidence linking specific CPD activities to improved performance, only few studies have investigated the effect of combinations of activities, or formalized systems, as a whole. Consequently, to address this uncertainty regarding the impact of CPD activities, within anesthesiology, this systematic review aims to establish which activities anesthesiologists are engaged in and their impact on clinical competence and subsequent patient outcomes. A systematic review of the current literature regarding CPD for fully qualified anesthesiologists will be undertaken. Characteristics of the included studies will be summarized descriptively, and the screening process will be outlined using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis flow diagram. Given the diverse methods adopted within medical education research, it is anticipated that there will be significant heterogeneity between the included studies and therefore, a meta-analysis will not be possible and a narrative synthesis approach will be usd. The outcomes of interest include type of CPD learning activity and/or assessment method anesthesiologists are engaged in; and their effectiveness, either as standalone activities or as part of formalized systems. The aim of the study was to give an overview of the breadth and nature of CPD activities, and their effects on fully qualified anesthesiologists' clinical competences and patient outcomes.

Primary School Teachers’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) : Teachers’ Reflection of Expectation and Reality

Teachers’ quality plays a paramount role in the improvement of quality of education. This paper describes the reflection of expectation and reality from the concept and the implementation of CPD of Primary School teacher in Indonesia. The objectives of CPD are increasing teachers’ professional development, increasing education services and upgrading professional qualification. In Indonesia, the objectives CPD only touches increasing education services and professional development. Teachers should involve in CPD activities, they are in self-development, scientific publication and innovative works. The reality from the implementation of CPD, Indonesia’s Education Development Index (EDI) is still on average level. It shows CPD activities have not brought education service improvement in longlife learning. In term of professional development, there are many teachers who are not pass credit score to have higher fungtional position and the main factors are less of motivation and commitment of teachers. In the other line, teachers who have pursued master qualification commonly have been pass credit score.

Normal Physiologic Birth Continuing Professional Development: From a National Health Priority to Expanded Capacity.

Background:The Republic of Liberia has experienced many barriers to maintaining the quality of its healthcare workforce. The Resilient and Responsive Health Systems (RRHS) Initiative supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has responded to Liberian identified health priorities. Liberia’s maternal morbidity and mortality rates continue to rank among the highest in the world. Recent country regulations have put forth required continuing professional development (CPD) for all licensed healthcare workers for re-licensure.Methods:The Model for Improvement was the guiding framework for this CPD to improve midwifery and nursing competencies in assisting birthing women. Two novel activities were used in the CPD. We tested the formal CPD application and approval process as this is a recent regulatory body policy. We also included the use of simulation and its processes as a pedagogical method. Over a two-year period, we developed a two-day CPD module, using didactic training and clinical simulation, for Liberian midwives. We then piloted the module in Liberia, training a group of 21 participants, including midwives and nurses, including pre- and post-test surveys as well as observational evaluation of participant skills.Findings:There were no significant changes in knowledge acquisition noted in the post-test. Small tests of change were implemented during the program, supporting the stages of the Model of Improvement. Observation of skill acquisition was done; however, using a formal observation checklist, such as an Observed Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE), would add more robust findings. The CPD and follow-up activity highlighted the need for human and financial support to maintain the simulation kits and to create sustainability for future trainings. Videotaping the didactic and simulation two-day continuing professional development train-the-trainer workshop expands the sustainability beyond newly prepared trainers. Simultaneous with this CPD, the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery (LBNM) worked with a partner to create a CPD portal. The CPD partners created modules from the videos and have uploaded these modules to the LBNM’s new CPD portal.Conclusions:Using a quality improvement model as a framework for developing and implementing CPDs provides a clear structure and supports the dynamic interactions in learning and clinical care. It is too soon to determine measurable health outcomes resulting from this project. Anecdotal feedback from clinicians and leaders was not directly related to the content of the CPD; however, it does demonstrate an increased awareness of examining changes in practice to support expanded health outcomes. Further research to examine methods and processes to determine the quality and safety outcomes of CPD trainings is necessary.

Unanticipated learning effects in videoconference continuous professional development

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated use of technology like videoconferencing (VC) in healthcare settings to maintain clinical teaching and continuous professional development (CPD) activities. Sociomaterial theory highlights the relationship of humans with sociomaterial forces, including technology. We used sociomaterial framing to review effect on CPD learning outcomes of morbidity and mortality meetings (M&M) when changed from face-to-face (FTF) to VC. Methods: All surgical department staff were invited to participate in a survey about their experience of VC M&M compared to FTF M&M. Survey questions focused on technological impact of the learning environment and CPD outcomes. Respondents used 5-point Likert scale and free text for qualitative responses. De-identified data was analysed using Chi-squared comparative analysis with p<0.05 significance, and qualitative responses categorised. Results: Of 42 invited, 30 (71.4%) responded. There was no significant difference in self-reported perception of CPD learning outcomes between FTF and VC M&M. Participants reported that VC offered more convenient meeting access, improved ease of presentation and viewing but reduced engagement. VC technology allowed alternative communication channels that improved understanding and increased junior participation. Participants requested more technological support, better connectivity and guidance on VC etiquette. Conclusion: VC technology had predictable effects of improved access, learning curve problems and reduced interpersonal connection. Sociomaterial perspective revealed additional unexpected VC behaviours of chat box use that augmented CPD learning. Recognising the sociocultural and emotional impact of technology improves planning and learner support when converting FTF to VC M&M.

Evaluating librarian continuing professional development: Merging Guskey's framework and Vygotsky Space to explore transfer of learning

The aims and motivation for training and continuing professional development (CPD) for librarians are many and varied, depending on the organizational context and the needs of participants. How to evidence the transfer of learning from CPD activities to the workplace has long troubled academics in the management field but has not been a topic of focus in the librarianship discipline. The results of a study testing a new approach to the assessment of CPD outcomes for individual librarians, their workplaces, and their patrons are presented. Adapting Guskey's (2000) framework for assessing teacher CPD, two questionnaires were designed to assess the short-term and long-term outcomes of CPD. The analysis indicates that the approach was effective in identifying how participation in CPD inspires change first in individual professional practice and then organizational learning, resulting in service innovations for the benefit of the whole community. The process is conceptualized through Vygotsky Space.

Promoting Transfer of Learning to Practice in Online Continuing Professional Development.

Leveraging online learning tools and encouraging transfer of learning to practice remains a critical challenge to successful continuing professional development (CPD) offerings. Four sets of factors are essential to the transfer of learning from CPD into practice: learner characteristics, instructional design, content, and environment. Through incorporating elements of educational theories/frameworks into the planning of online CPD activities, educators can maximize opportunities for learning transfer. In this article, we highlight four educational theories/frameworks that provide useful insight to tackle these interrelated factors in online CPD: Self-Determination Theory considers the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of participants, which can be encouraged through flexibility, customization, and choices available in online formats. Practical Inquiry Model encourages intentionally planning and embedding opportunities for reflection and dialogue in online activities to enhance knowledge application. Virtual Communities of Practice can be used to transcend spatial and temporal boundaries, promoting interactions and relationships where participants learn from peers. Finally, Professional Learning Networks can be fostered through developing interpersonal connections and sharing resources for informal and flexible learning. Online CPD is likely to increase in the future, and educators should consider elements of these educational theories/frameworks in the design and delivery of CPD to support participants' application of newly acquired knowledge.

The challenges of continuing professional development among academic staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine

The research is focused on studying continuing professional development (CPD) of academic staff in Ukraine. The starting point is to analyze various definitions to describe the concept and defining skills crucial for CPD activities. To study various aspects of CPD, the questionnaire was created and made available from September to November, 2020. It was used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data to address the research questions, particularly the attitude, advantages, obstacles, etc. The findings of the study suggest that for most respondents CPD is a necessary component of professional activities indicating that the most motivating factors are self-development, self-improvement and professional interest. The respondents consider courses, internships, online seminars and webinars to be the most effective listing courses and conferences as the most often chosen ways of CPD. The majority of the surveyed noted that they had up to 10 hours of CPD during the quarantine in spring 2020 with focus on technical characteristics, forms and methods of online teaching.

Contextual factors influencing the effectiveness of professional development for teachers in rural Pakistan

ABSTRACT This research examines the perceptions of key stakeholders in rural Pakistan to understand the contextual factors influencing the effectiveness of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes for teachers. To do so, the research uses a qualitative case study approach and draws on the experiences of the key stakeholders including providers of CPD, officials of education department, school principals and teachers. Focus group interviews are used to generate data. The research outcomes highlight several significant contextual factors which influence the possibility and quality of CPD. These factors include limited recognition of CPD, reduced motivation of teachers towards CPD and approaches to gender influencing female participation in CPD activities. Since CPD providers intervene without considering these contextual factors, the existing CPD programmes on offer for teachers in rural Pakistan have been less successful in positively impacting the practices of teachers.

Measuring the evolution of online pharmacy education in a national CPD programme, in Scotland, pre-pandemic (2013–14 vs 2018–19)

ABSTRACT Continuing professional development (CPD) is a regulatory requirement for pharmacy professions in Great Britain. Formal CPD is available in various formats including face-to-face, webinar, and e-learning. CPD may be clinical or non-clinical and may be aligned to core services or not. Literature highlights varied preferences for CPD formats and topics, and in Scotland there was a move towards online CPD in the pharmacy profession. This study utilised electronic attendance and completion records of CPD activities from a national CPD provider in Scotland. The aim was to measure and describe the nature of CPD provision and uptake within Pharmacy in Scotland, comparing records from 2013–14 and 2018–19. Thus, benchmarking the nature of CPD before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in social distancing restrictions. This study identified that the CPD workforce (NES staffing), and CPD opportunities provided, had evolved towards e-learning delivery. Face-to-face courses were fewer (63 reduced to 58) as were webinars (14 reduced to 6). There were fewer attendances in both. e-Learning was accessed four times more frequently in 2018–19 than 2013–14 (4040 vs 922 completions). Service focussed education was popular in both years. Asynchronous e-learning had become a popular method of CPD for the pharmacy profession before the COVID-19 pandemic, while face-to-face courses and webinars were less popular than 5 years previous. Asynchronous and service focussed CPD should be prioritised over synchronous and general CPD. Learner access and participation data should be utilised to predict future learner needs and preference.

Status of Continuing Professional Development in Education Sector: A Global Study

The art of learning, unlearning and relearning is the need of the hour, and these are indispensable in any field for professional growth. Especially in the educational sector, change leads to development initiatives and raising standards in teaching and learning. Interestingly, the existing opportunities provide more options for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities and programmes for teachers and professors. The present study analyses teachers and professors’ responses to CPD activities and offers a wide range of information and opinions on CPD programmes and activities. A phenomenological approach was employed to study 257 participants’ perspectives from 48 countries through a questionnaire. This research will also be a resource for teachers and professors seeking professional development in the field. The responses revealed that teachers and professors were eager to take responsibility for participating in CPD activities with mutual support and guidance from the management. The institutions are responsible for ensuring faculty opportunities, particularly for young teachers in their early stages of teaching, and they must be assisted in acquiring the necessary knowledge and exposure. This research paper presents the state of CPD activities, programmes, challenges and awareness across the world.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of Senior High School Teachers of English

Abstract. CPD program mandated by the government becomes a means to improve teachers’ as well as students’ quality. CPD consists of self-development, scientific publication, and innovative work activities. The objectives of this study were to find out the types of CPD activities undertaken by the senior high school teachers of English in Palembang, the teachers' perception of CPD, and the challenges faced by the teachers in improving their professionalism through CPD program. This qualitative study employed a case study design. Questionnaires, interview, and documentation were used to collect the data. This study applied two questionnaires. The first questionnaire was used to obtain data about the types of teachers' CPD activities and its data were analyzed qualitatively. The second questionnaire in the form of a Likert scale was used to determine the teachers' perceptions of CPD and its data were analyzed descriptively. The data of the interview was analyzed using thematic analysis. Some copy of teachers’ CPD activities certificates were also used as proof of the teachers’ participation in the CPD program. The results indicated that the teachers had undertaken self-development and scientific publication activities. They had good perception of CPD and perceived it as activities to make them become more effective teachers. However, tight teaching schedules, family constraints, limited funds, and limited opportunities to participate in CPD activities become the challenges that the teachers had to face.Keywords: Continuing Professional Development (CPD), senior high school teachers, teachers of English

Exploring The Relationship between Professional Development Attitudes, Activities and Self-Directed Learning Readiness of EFL Instructors

With regards to gender, the research study aims to investigate the relationship between teachers' engagement in professional development activities, their attitudes towards professional development, and their readiness for self-directed learning. The study is designed in both correlation model and descriptive comparative model. The research sample is composed of 271 instructors of the English language working at state universities in Ankara. To collect the data, three questionnaires which are the scale of continuous professional development activities developed by De Vries et al. (2013), the attitude about professional development scale developed by Torff et al. (2005), and the self-directed learning readiness scale developed by Fisher et al. (2001) are used. SPSS 22 is used to analyze data and the results indicated that the level of participation of instructors in continuous professional development activities is not high. Besides, collaborative activities are the least preferred ones while reflective activities are the most preferred ones. The analysis of results also shows that the instructors have positive attitudes towards professional development while their attitudes did not differ significantly in terms of gender. Finally, it has been found that instructors’ levels of self-directedness are high and it does not differ significantly in terms of gender, the attitudes towards professional development activities, and self-directed learning readiness together exhibited a significant relationship with participation in all continuous professional development activities.

Building Veterinarians beyond Veterinary School: Challenges and Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development in Veterinary Medicine.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important mechanism for veterinarians to acquire, maintain, and enhance their capability to perform competently in their chosen practice area over their career. Although most licensing bodies require veterinarians to complete a minimum number of CPD hours each registration cycle, there are known issues with verifying that these activities are having the desired effects of ensuring professional competence and improving outcomes for patients, owners, and veterinarians. In this review, we summarize the literature across different health care professions to highlight three key challenges for veterinary CPD programs. These are (a) defining what it means to be professionally competent across different career stages from graduation to retirement, (b) delivering CPD activities that are effective in promoting evidence-based medicine and behavioral change in practice, and (c) developing reliable and sustainable systems to formally assess the continued professional competence of veterinarians. A common theme across all challenges was the importance of interacting with colleagues as an opportunity to receive external feedback on their professional strengths and weaknesses and to develop stronger support networks for managing common stressors in clinical practice. There was also a recognized need to develop more transparent outlines of the available and acceptable options for managing different animal health concerns as a first step toward identifying new opportunities for the veterinary profession to elevate the level of care provided. Based on these findings, we propose a new framework for defining, delivering, and evaluating CPD that promotes stronger collaboration between veterinarians to improve professional and personal well-being.

Conditions for professional digital competence: the teacher educators’ view

ABSTRACT This study explores how Swedish teacher educators view individual, collegial, and organisational conditions framing the fulfilment of their dual didactical task, which is to use digital technology in a way that ensures student teachers graduate from teacher education (TE) with the professional digital competence (PDC) needed for their future working lives in a digitalised school. Using a purposive sampling approach, we used thematic coding to analyse 13 semistructured interviews with teacher educators representing 21 mandatory courses in educational science at one teacher education institution in Sweden. The findings cover aspects of the teacher educators’ PDC, how to act as a digital role model for the student teachers, support in educational policy and assignments, and the possibilities for participating in continuous professional development (CPD) in PDC. This study demonstrates an urgent need to improve conditions for successful fulfilment of teacher educators’ dual didactical task. For example, TE policy requires a strong focus on digital technology and PDC. CPD activities should be easy to access in order for teacher educators to develop their PDC. Moreover, leaders at the organisational level in TE institutions should acknowledge and place higher value on teacher educators’ work to digitalise educational practices.

Teachers’ perceptions of continuing professional development: a study of vocational high school teachers in Indonesia

ABSTRACT The research examines Indonesian vocational high school teachers’ perceptions of continuing professional development (CPD) in the context of changing policies regarding teacher CPD. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model is used as the conceptual framework. Six accounting teachers interviewed understood CPD as an activity for teachers’ improvement, but in different ways. They perceived CPD as teacher performance assessment and government regulation (exosystem), personal development activities (individual), and some considered religious values when they described CPD. These teachers regarded their profession as a devotion to God and CPD as part of their duty and responsibility as obedient persons (interactional factors between individual and macrosystem). Civil servant teachers participated in more structured CPD compared with their non-civil servant peers as CPD activities are more closely related to promotion. Teachers showed they have interest and capacity to further develop their CPD but need support to develop their professionalism through microsystem and exosystem factors.

The examination of human skeletal remains: findings from a quality assurance programme as part of professional development in Australia and New Zealand

ABSTRACT Continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities in physical anthropology are limited in Australia and New Zealand. To augment this shortfall and identify individual and collective strengths and weaknesses in practice, a quality assurance (QA) programme was developed for professionals and students involved in the analysis of human skeletal remains from archaeological, historical and/or medico-legal contexts. Using photographs and post-mortem computed tomography scans of skeletal remains, 83 questions pertaining to differentiating human from non-human and identifying specific skeletal elements; estimating age-at-death, sex and ancestry, and interpreting skeletal defects were provided to the participants. Descriptive statistics were employed to identify which areas of skeletal analysis require improvement and to examine the extent to which anthropologists were accurate depending on their occupation, qualifications, experience with skeletal material, sex and age. Only 30 participated in the QA; a 24% response rate. Participants were relatively proficient at determining human from non-human and identifying specific bones, however, were only moderately proficient in estimating a biological profile and very poor at interpreting skeletal defects. Service providers and older participants were significantly more proficient across all question types. The QA programme provided insights into where additional training is required and lays the foundation for further CPD activities.

The Effects of Needs- Based Continuous Professional Development Practice on Teachers ‟ Perception of CPD: Primary Schools English Language Teachers in Focus

This study was an attempt to examine the effects of needs- based Continuous Professional Development (CPD) practices on English language teachers’ perceptions. More specifically, the study addressed the following research questions: (1) What CPD activities do ELT teachers need to practice currently? (2)Is there a significant change in EFL teachers’ perceptions following in an intervention design to increase their perceptions about CPD practices? This research work was mainly experimental in design. The purpose of the experiment was to examine the effects of needsbased CPD practices on English language teachers’ perceptions. Pre-test and post-test measures were analyzed using a t-test statistical procedure. In addition, questionnaire, interviews, and FGDs were employed in order to obtain data required for the study. The data gathered through different instruments were subjected to both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study involved five primary schools in Arba Minch. Fifty-two, randomly selected teachers were filled the pre-test and post-test questionnaire. Moreover, 10 teachers from each primary school were randomly selected for interview. Besides, 12 teachers from each primary school were involved in the FGDs in order to gather the necessary data for this study. Different sources were referred for the preparation of the training materials. The effects of need-based CPD practices on teachers’ perception were examined through the pre-test and the post-test. The results of the pre-test showed that there was no significant difference in the teachers’ perception before and after the experiment. The results of the post-test showed that there was a significant difference before and after the experiment in teachers’ perception (P<0.05). On the basis of the findings of the study, it was concluded that need-based CPD practice could have a great value in improving perception. Based on this, conclusions and recommendations were made.