Continuing Professional Development Training Research Articles

Institutional Practices Towards the Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers

This study explores the role of school academic coordinators and their strategies in continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers. This qualitative research adopts a case study approach to gain deep insights into academic coordinators' strategies and challenges regarding effective CPD. Data for this study is collected through semi-structured online interviews from N=09 primary school coordinators from different campuses of private schools in Karachi using criterion sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was carried out from the transcription to find the themes. The study results revealed that barriers to effective implementation include a lack of interest, insufficient resources, and lack of technical skills among trainers. The findings underscore the importance of effective CPD and its implementation, highlighting challenges and suggesting strategies such as regular pre-job and during-the-job systematically interactive CPD training sessions. This study provides a deep understanding of the CPD model for curriculum developers, school coordinators, school teachers, and school management to elevate the standard of education in their schools by adopting a practical CPD approach.

Perception of Behaviour Management Techniques for Paediatric Patients among Dental Officers

Introduction: Dental anxiety can be effectively managed by applying pharmacological and non-pharmacological behavioural management therapy approaches (BMT). This study investigated the dental officers’ perception of behaviour management techniques practiced in managing paediatric dental patients in primary dental clinics. Materials and methods: A quantitative study using structured online English questionnaires among dental officers serving in primary dental care services under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH Malaysia) in Sabah. The acceptability of applied behaviour management techniques was measured using Likert scale from 0 to 10. Data was analysed using SPSS version 29 and descriptive data was presented. Results: Seventy-four dental officers involved in this study (Male= 14, Female= 60). Positive verbal reinforcement, tell-show-do, and offering an exact explanation of what the findings indicate are the most widely accepted behaviour management strategies (BMT), with mean scores of 9.5, 9.1, and 8.7, respectively. The least accepted BMT among dental officers in Sabah are immobilisation with a papoose board, preventing the child from speaking during treatment, and hand over mouth (HOM), with mean scores of 4.6, 3.6, and 3.2, respectively. Conclusion: The study concludes that the most recognized BMT is positive reinforcement technique regardless of age, experience and gender. This finding provides information in the development of modules for continuous professional development training among dental officers in the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in Teaching Reading Skills in Secondary Schools

Improving teacher quality, a pressing concern in modern education and improving instructional quality is becoming crucial particularly in the realm of foreign or second language learners. The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary school English as Foreign Language teachers’ general perceptions and practices of pedagogical content knowledge in the teaching of reading skills to grade nine students. The researchers used a descriptive survey design by generating quantitative data from English as Foreign Language teachers’ questionnaires and observation checklists as data collection tools. In total, 35 English as Foreign Language teachers participated in filling out the self-report questionnaire. To get insight into the implementation of pedagogical content knowledge, four English as Foreign Language teachers’ classroom practices were observed using a structured observation checklist and field notes during one academic semester in 2021. SPSS (IBM version 24) was used to analyse the data. Findings showed that English as Foreign Language teachers’ perceptions of pedagogical content knowledge seems to be slightly above average. The relationship between English as Foreign Language teachers’ general perception and pedagogical content knowledge implementation in the classroom had a moderately high positive relationship (r =0.67) between them. The results from the observation checklists revealed that teachers lack basic competence in pedagogical content knowledge implementation in teaching reading skills. To fill this gap, continuous professional development training schemes should be arranged for English as Foreign Language teachers.

Effectiveness of the continuous professional development training on upper primary mathematics and science and elementary technology teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Rwanda

This research aimed to determine the influence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training offered by Rwanda Quality Basic education for Capital Human Development Project (RQBEHCD) sub-component 1.2 on upper primary teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in mathematics and science, and elementary technology (SET) subjects. The study adopted an explanatory sequential design to collect and analyze data. Quantitative data were collected from Mathematics and SET achievement tests while qualitative data were collected from semi-structured interview. Quantitative data were collected from 290 participants including 166 male and 124 female teachers. On the other side, the qualitative data were collected from 20 teachers including 12 males and 8 females selected randomly. Descriptive and inferential statistics (repeated measures Analysis of Variance were used to analyze quantitative data while interpretive and thematic analysis were used to analyze qualitative data. The results found high statistical significance in mean scores of mathematics teachers between pre and post-test, with a p < 0.001, medium learning gain of 0.37, and an effect size of 0.450. However, there were no significant differences found between male and female teachers (p > 0.05). Likewise, SET teacher's results showed a significant difference in mean score between pre and post-test with p < 0.01, learning gain of 0.20, and effect size of 0.432 but no significant difference was found between male and female teachers (p > 0.05). In addition, the qualitative results indicated that the CPD program enhanced engagement, interest, confidence, and self-efficacy in teaching Mathematics and Science. Thus, we recommended that the CPD program should be done nationwide to maintain teachers’ PCK in mathematics and science.

Enhancement of Access to Primary Education under Implementation of School Education Sector Plan &amp; Roadmap for Sindh 2019-2024 Perceptions of Head Master's District Umerkot, Sindh

This study aimed to examine the status of implementation of the School Education Sector Plan &amp; Roadmap for Sindh 2019-2024 and its relevance for enhancing access to education at the primary level education through the perception of school headmasters of the selected district. The study employed a qualitative research method. Within qualitative research, a phenomenological approach was employed. The findings revealed that certain activities seemed lacking implementation viz, a baseline survey of out-of-school children, clustering of schools, continuous professional development training, whereas, majority of them, entailing enrolment campaigns for school-age children registration transport facilities and infrastructure ECE and upgradation stayed there executed. Recruitment, training of newly recruited teachers, and alternative arrangements of education in emergency seemed outstanding achievements of the sector plan in opening closed schools and continuing education in emergency, partly supplementing enhancement of access to education, whereas the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to be a daunting challenge, affecting the education sector as whole. Spirit of ownership follow-up and monitoring aspects of the implementation activities were found to be the major gaps in the plan implementation. The study recommended grassroots stakeholders’ involvement in the development and execution of sector plans, district and taluka-level implementation and monitoring mechanisms.

Региональная система научно-методического сопровождения педагогических работников и управленческих кадров образовательных организаций общего образования

The effectiveness of the education system in general and general education in particular depends on highly qualified teaching staff carrying out educational activities. A high level of professional training of pedagogical staff implies their continuous professional development (training). In order to create an effective system of ad-vanced training for teachers and school leaders, it is necessary to have a comprehensive system of scientific and methodological support for this activity. Relevance of the problem under study. The relevance of the devel-opment of the system of support for the professional development of teaching staff is due to the lack of a uni-fied approach to the organization of the activities of methodological support services, as well as insufficient scientific methodological justification of this activity, the lack of connection between science and practice. Mate-rials and methods of research. Analysis of normative legal acts on the problem; official websites of federal and regional executive authorities managing in the field of education; analysis of domestic and foreign academic research on the problem. The results of the research and their discussion. The comparative analysis of the im-plementation of the system of scientific and methodological support of professional activity of teachers and school managers was carried out; the main directions of activity for the improvement and development of the system of scientific and methodological support of professional activity of teaching staff were determined; the system of professional development of teaching staff in educational organizations of general education was proposed.

Continuous Professional Development and Teachers Improved Pedagogical Skills in Secondary Schools in Gulu City

Teachers require improved pedagogical skills and quality for teaching in schools. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training allows teachers to think more deeply about issues that might come up in the classroom and how they can be resolved. CPD ensures all school staff have the knowledge and skills to support students and help them with their day-to-day roles. Dedicating time to CPD is vital to ensure every staff member learns and grows within their role. The objective of the study is to determine whether Continuous Professional Development improve teachers’ Pedagogical skills in teaching. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms were used to collect and present data from 14 schools. 14 Headteachers, 14 Deputy Headteachers, 14 Directors of Studies and (336) Teachers were targeted. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0 for both inferential and descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that 90% of the teachers agreed that Continuous Professional Development is a teacher training approach that aims at improving teachers’ pedagogical skills in secondary schools. The study concludes that continuous professional development is a vehicle for administrators’ and teachers’ improvement; it helps teachers enhance and acquire new ideas and skills and build confidence and competencies in teaching in secondary schools. It is recommended that CPD requires some restructuring of teachers’ work in schools to support new learning opportunities. School administrators need to develop policies and practices that provide necessary resources such as time, facilities, tools, and incentives

Continuous professional development: Assessing teachers' experiences with the cascading training model

Continuous professional development (CPD) is integral in educational reform; developing and enhancing teachers’ pedagogical skills and knowledge. In Malaysia, the cascade training model is often preferred for CPD programmes in public secondary schools. This may be due to cost effectiveness and reach, where many teachers can be trained in a short timeframe. Critics of the cascade model of training tend however, point to a risk of knowledge being diluted as it is transferred from the trainers to the attendees and then to teachers in schools. This paper focuses on documenting the experiences of Malaysian secondary school English teachers attending school-based assessment (SBA) CPD training courses using the cascade training model. Adopting a qualitative research approach, through the use of in-depth semi-structured interviews, data was collected from 14 English teachers from 14 public secondary schools. The findings indicate that there were mixed experiences of teachers attending cascade training programs and that of subsequent trainings that were conducted by attendees of the programmes. These experiences were affected largely by the quality of the training programme (i.e. design of program curriculum and materials), trainer quality, participants selected, and follow up support afforded to participants. This paper culminates with recommendations for further CPD improvements.

National Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training needs of pharmacists in Ethiopia

BackgroundContinuing Professional Development (CPD) in pharmacy is a lifelong learning approach whereby individual pharmacists are responsible for updating and broadening their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This is vital to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care services. However, there is a lack of available data revealing the CPD needs of Ethiopian pharmacists. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify CPD training needs of pharmacists practicing in Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study design with a quantitative approach was employed in this study. This assessment involved 640 pharmacists representing various sectors of the profession. Data were collected through a combination of an online platform and a face-to-face questionnaire administered in person.ResultA total of 634 participants completed and returned the questionnaires, resulting in an impressive response rate of 99.1%. A significant majority (74.1%) of the participants possessed bachelor’s degree in pharmacy (B. Pharm). Pharmaceutical Logistics and Pharmacy administration was preferentially selected as a prior CPD course by 36% of participants, of them while Pharmacotherapy (17%), Leadership/Governance (13%), Community Pharmacy (12%), Research and Development (11%) were also the subsequent top choices by participants. Off-site face-to-face lectures (59.2%), Hybrid (face-to-face + e-learning) (54.8%), and on-site on-the-job training (45.5%) were the most convenient means of CPD course delivery. On the other hand, the participants least favored print-based or correspondence programs for CPD course delivery.ConclusionsCPD holds great importance in the professional lives of pharmacists. It is critical for pharmacists, CPD providers, and those responsible for accrediting CPD programs to recognize the specific CPD requirements, preferred methods of delivery, and obstacles involved. This understanding is vital for establishing priorities and effectively planning CPD activities. In light of this, our study identified the most preferred CPD training courses and convenient delivery methods for pharmacists in Ethiopia. We recommend that CPD providers and accrediting bodies in Ethiopia refer to our findings when approving CPD courses.

Continuing professional development training needs for primary care doctors in central Uganda.

Continuing professional development (CPD) activities relevant to medical doctors and their patients should be informed by current assessed training needs. The CPD provision is expected to improve the quality of professional practice and ethics. However, the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners' Council still receives about 40 reports of malpractice every month. The study aimed to describe the CPD training needs of doctors working in public primary care facilities in central Uganda. The district health system of central Uganda comprised 10 General Hospitals (GH) and 37 Health Center IVs (HC IVs) with a staffing norm of six and two doctors, respectively. This was a cross-sectional survey of 100 doctors working in public primary care facilities using the World Health Organization (WHO) Hennessy-Hicks questionnaire. Descriptive statistics of the importance, current performance, and training need of each skilled activity were calculated. Content analysis was applied to data from the open-ended questions. The response rate was 91%, majority were males, 80 (87.9%) from 7 GHs and 24 HC IVs with an average age of 37.9 years. The domain with the highest CPD training need for the doctors was research and audit, with a mean score (standard deviation [s.d.]) of 1.94 (±1.69), followed by administration 1.58 (±1.61) and clinical tasks 1.28 (±1.29). The clinical tasks domain had the most suggested CPD topics. Research and audit and clinical tasks were identified as important domains for CPD training for doctors in this setting.Contribution: The results give insight into CPD training needs of primary care doctors and guide various CPD providers.

Professional Nurses’ Experiences Regarding Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Opportunities at Public Hospitals of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Rapid changes in health care, innovative technologies, and the emergence of new knowledge globally led to a need for enhancement in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for nurses in public hospitals of Limpopo. However, they need to be empowered with updated knowledge and skills to adapt to these changes to enable them to render quality care to patients, resulting in fewer lawsuits. To explore and describe the experiences of professional nurses regarding CPD opportunities in the public hospitals of Limpopo Province. An exploratory-descriptive design was utilized in this study. Individual semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Participants comprised 35 professional nurses who were purposely selected. Data collected were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using Tech’s eight-step data coding process, which led to the emergence of themes and sub-themes. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability. Four themes emerged: Professional nurses’ understanding of CPD, Professional nurses’ views about necessary support needed for CPD, Professional nurses’ related to in-service training being offered, and Identified measures to resolve the challenges. Findings highlight that professional nurses value CPD and view it as important in learning new skills and improving standards of patient care and their self-esteem. Findings included challenges such as poor attendance of CPD activities and, lack of understanding of CPD, lack of access to CPD training, shortage of staff, and lack of funding and support by managers. Offering CPD opportunities regularly enhances knowledge and skills personally and professionally. However, more effective strategies are needed to address the identified challenges. Nurse Managers, Human Resources Departments, and the Department of Health need to be informed and updated on what is required in order to create and sustain effective and attainable CPD opportunities in the public hospitals of Limpopo Province.

A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals towards Antimicrobial Stewardship in Ghana: Findings and Implications.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are part of the key activities that contribute to reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Good knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among healthcare professionals (HCPs) are essential to improving future antimicrobial use and reducing AMR, which is a priority in Ghana. A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in six public hospitals in Ghana among key HCPs to assess their level of KAP towards AMS using a validated self-administered electronic questionnaire. Data analyses included descriptive and inferential statistics using STATA version 14. Overall, 339 out of 355 HCPs responded to the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 95.5%. Most responders were nurses (n = 256, 78.2%), followed by medical doctors (n = 45, 13.3%). The study recorded both poor knowledge (8.9%) and practice levels (35.4%), as well as a good attitude (78.8%) towards AMS. Ongoing exposure to AMS structured training, exposure to continuous professional development training on AMS in the previous year, and the number of years of working experience were predictors of the HCPs' level of knowledge (aOR = 3.02 C.I = 1.12-8.11), attitude (aOR = 0.37 C.I = 0.20-0.69) and practice (aOR = 2.09 C.I =1.09-3.99), respectively. Consequently, concentrated efforts must be made to address current low levels of knowledge and poor practices regarding AMS among HCPs in Ghana as part of ongoing strategies in the National Action Plan to reduce AMR.

Including an Adventure Education Training Program in Physical Education Teacher Education Programs

Introduction Different international guidelines indicate the need for improving educational procedures. This study aims to contribute to the professional development training program of higher education professors from a Physical Education Teacher Education degree in México. Methodology This qualitative study used a participatory action research design through four cycles: (a) diagnosis; (b) elaboration of the action plan; (c) implementation and evaluation; and (d) feedback. The participants were the professor, six experts, and 17 students. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with students and the professor, the analysis of the class syllabus, and nonparticipatory observations. Findings The importance of carrying out a diagnostic cycle allowed us to identify the specific needs of the class. Similarly, the model of development and evaluation of academic competencies (M-DECA) allowed the professor to develop specific pedagogical and disciplinary competencies from the training program. Conclusion A continuous professional development training program for university professors in pedagogical and disciplinary strategies generates better learning results. The inclusion of innovative content in the class syllabus was also crucial.

Self-reported continuing professional development needs of medical laboratory professionals in Ghana

BackgroundBecause of the essential nature of the work of medical laboratory professionals, continuing development in knowledge and skills is indispensable. The study aimed at identifying and prioritizing the development and training needs of medical laboratory professionals in Ghana. This is expected to help in developing focused continuing professional development (CPD) that meets the needs of practitioners as well as the changing medical trends.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey in February 2022 using a structured questionnaire was conducted. Respondents were asked questions that collected demographic and work-related data about them, their participation, preference, and challenges in being part of CPDs. Finally, a list of topics based on (i) quality management systems, (ii) technical competence, (iii) laboratory management, leadership, and coaching, (iv) pathophysiology, and (iv) data interpretation and research were asked with the option to rate them on a 3-point scale (most, moderate, and least) in order of importance.ResultsA total of 316 medical laboratory professionals participated in the study. Overall, the most frequently selected topics for training based on domains for CPD training and ranking as most important were (i) quality management systems, (mean = 80.59 ± 9.024; 95% CI = 73.04–88.13); (ii) pathophysiology, data interpretation, and research (mean = 78.0 ± 6.973; 95% CI = 73.97–82.03); (iii) technical competence (mean = 73.97 ± 10.65; 95% CI = 66.35–81.59); and (iv) laboratory management, leadership, and coaching (mean = 72.82 ± 9.719; 95% CI = 67.44–78.2). The factors affecting the choice of training needs included the medical laboratory professionals’ current place of work, years in service, the reason for attending CPD activities, the period for attending the last CPD, being in a supervisory role, and the number of staff being supervised. Face-to-face presentations, training workshops, and hands-on workshops were the most preferred modes of CPD delivery with financial implications and workload/time constraints being the main challenges impeding CPD participation.ConclusionThe identified needs will help in developing CPD programs that address what medical laboratory professionals prioritize as training needs. Stakeholders should incorporate these training needs into future programs and address the challenges highlighted in this study to have more relevant training for medical laboratory professionals.

The experience and attitudes of long-term care workers with teaching and learning modalities for the delivery of continuing professional development activities: a mixed-methods study

Aimto develop a better understanding of the attitudes and experiences of healthcare workers and managers with face-to-face, online asynchronous (pre-recorded), and online synchronous (live) modalities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) working in the Long-Term Care (LTC) sector. BackgroundThe recent global pandemic significantly interrupted the delivery and organisation of education and training for healthcare professionals internationally. As a result of the restrictions, healthcare professionals’ access to CPD was limited, consequentially education and training activities were mostly delivered online. Research into the experiences of healthcare workers with the various teaching and learning modalities in the LTC setting is limited. DesignAn explanatory mixed methods study using an exploratory sequential design. MethodsA two-phase study conducted from January 2022 to September 2022, in the Republic of Ireland. In phase one, researchers conducted four focus groups and in phase two 168 participants completed a survey to explore the results of phase one. ResultsFrom the focus groups interviews five themes emerged regarding participants’ experiences, attitudes and preferences with the three modalities of CPD education and training in the field of LTC: 1) Flexibility, 2) Networking, 3) Resources and Support, 4) Engaging and meaningful learning, and 5) Balancing online and face-to-face learning through Blended Learning. Results from the survey found the preferred modality was face to face (n = 54, 32.1%), followed very closely by blended learning (n = 51, 30.4%). Most of the respondents reported that synchronous online CPD education was convenient, flexible, offers the opportunity to interact with peers, and that its quality depends on educators’ skills. The majority of respondents (n = 155, 92.3%) declared that they would require support in the workplace to implement their new knowledge and skills. ConclusionsThis study revealed the significance participants place on ‘engagement’ when taking part in education and training. Engagement was described as a key factor to improve the delivery of CPD in the LTC setting. In addition, regardless of the mode of delivery, participants reported that they need to be supported in the workplace to implement their new knowledge and skills. This requires the support and endorsement of employers and managers, who could ensure more protected time for learning, technical support and championing facilitators and mentors in the workplace to enhance the translation of new knowledge into clinical practice. Tweetable abstractIn LTC settings, face-to-face CPD is the preferred mode of delivery. Although synchronous online CPD is very convenient, educators must be able to engage learners. LTC workers need support by managers to implement their new knowledge and skills in their workplace.

A Methodical Evaluation of Teachers’ Knowledge and Practices of Differentiation in Basic Schools in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana

Teachers’ knowledge of differentiation and how they practice differentiation was evaluated in fifteen (15) Basic Schools of the Effutu Municipality. The study was guided by two (2) research questions and two (2) hypotheses. The study adopted the Vygotsky (1978) socio-cultural learning theory as the theoretical framework. A qualitative research method was employed as the approach and a case study as the design for the study. Relying on a primary data, a multi-stage sampling method which involved purposive sampling and simple random sampling was used to select the samples. The analyses revealed that the teachers have very high knowledge with respect to strategies of differentiation. Also, the frequency of implementation of differentiation in the subject areas was very good as only 3.3% of the selected teachers do not implement it in any of the subject areas they teach. It was found the proportion of teachers who implemented differentiation in core subjects like Mathematics, English Language and Natural Science were not significantly different from those who do not. Though, the result was generally reassuring, the study made recommended that enhanced supervision, and continuous professional development training therein for improving the situation.

Contribution of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Training Programme on Rwandan Secondary School Mathematics and Science Teachers’ Pedagogical, Technological, and Content knowledge

Contribution of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Training Programme on Rwandan Secondary School Mathematics and Science Teachers’ Pedagogical, Technological, and Content knowledge

Knowledge of Antimicrobial Stewardship Actions Among Out Patients at The Maitama District Hospital, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs primarily aim identify solutions to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It helps to optimize antimicrobial use to improve patient outcomes, ensure cost-effective therapy, and reduce adverse sequel of antimicrobial use (including antimicrobial resistance) among residents, hospitalized patients, the public, and agricultural professionals. This study aims to assess the knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship actions among outpatients attending Maitama General Hospital, Abuja.Nigeria Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study done between June and November, 2022 among 423 outpatients using Multistage sample technique. Data was collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and analysed using the IBM SPSS 28 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Ethical approval was granted by Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Ethics committee, Jos, Plateau State. Results: The level of knowledge about solutions to curb AMR (Antimicrobial stewardship) between male and female respondents showed 179 (44.75%) of female respondents had good knowledge, 28 (7.0%) had fair knowledge and 21 (5.25%) had poor knowledge. Of all the male respondents, 132 (33.0%) had good knowledge,12 ( 3.00)% had fair knowledge and 28 (7.00%) had poor knowledge. Summarily, 311 (77.75%) had good knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship, 40 (10.00%) had fair knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship and 49 (12.25%) had poor knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship. Conclusion: Majority of clients had good knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship actions, but this can be improved by planning and implementing more antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) sensitization activities in communities and among patients in the hospitals. Health care workers should have continuous professional development (CPD) training on AMS.

Child-Centered Approach through Slow Education Principles: A View to Child Personality Development in Early Childhood

We are preoccupied with early childhood education policies at the international level in general, but in particular with early childhood education in Romania. Therefore, the research direction of our study focuses on how early education teachers can integrate the principles of slow education into the development of child-centered competence. The formation and development of the child’s early ontogeny personality occur at the natural pace of development and learning rather than in an accelerated manner. While preparing for the research, we reviewed relevant articles circumscribed to the same topic: slow, child-centered education, deep learning, constructivism, and the enthusiasm of children and teachers. Most of them conclude that the use of child-centered competence in early childhood significantly contributes to slow education principles and characteristics. At the same time, the research aims to provide quantitatively and qualitatively validated arguments for verifying the incidence of child-centered competence from the perspective of sustainable education, in connection with the constructivist orientation of the teachers. Our research included a group of 376 teachers selected from early childhood education institutions in the North-West of Romania, all of them with initial preparation in the field. Using the focus group method, we identified differences in the perception of the two paradigms (child-centeredness and slow pedagogy), the link between these two, and the connection with the constructivist orientation. At the same time, we intended to identify the degree of continuous professional development training according to these paradigms that are not studied and practiced together in early education in Romania, because only the child-centeredness principle is mentioned in the initial teacher training. Therefore, in-service training activities were conducted and they were focused on facilitating and raising awareness of the value of using child-centered competence and the principles of slow education among training participants. At the end of the program, through the quantitative method—the survey—we concluded that the activities included in the training program led to a significant increase in the teachers’ capacity to appreciate the natural pace of development and learning of children to such an extent that the participants themselves adopted the promotion of sustainable slow education in a dynamic society. The methods used helped us deduce that all teachers with a constructivist orientation improved their child-centered competence, and teachers who gave children the freedom to choose activities from the proposed educational offers, according to their needs, interests, and potential, identified the development of the ability to consider children’s natural pace of development and learning as a result of the training. In conclusion, our research complements the literature, proposing a new and useful perspective to approach early childhood education practices by respecting the child’s natural pace of development and learning, which provides a suitable context for promoting international sustainable educational policies. We encourage teachers around the world to reflect on an important issue in the holistic development of the child—if faster means better—in the race to performance.

The Role of Internal Audit in Enhancing Corporate Governance Practices in the Nigerian Manufacturing Sector

Corporate governance is a crucial aspect of any organization, especially in the Nigerian manufacturing sector. Effective corporate governance practices are essential for promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainable business growth. Internal audit plays a significant role in ensuring that these practices are adhered to and maintained. This conceptual paper aims to explore the role of internal audit in enhancing corporate governance practices in the Nigerian manufacturing sector through review of scholarly literature. The article revealed that internal audit plays a vital role in enhancing corporate governance practices in the Nigerian manufacturing sector. The internal audit function provides independent and objective assurance to the board and management that the organization's systems and processes are operating effectively, efficiently, and ethically. The paper also highlighted the challenges faced by internal auditors in Nigeria, including inadequate resources, lack of awareness about the internal audit function, and the perception that internal audit is only focused on financial reporting. The study recommends that the internal audit function should be adequately resourced, and internal auditors should receive continuous professional development training to keep up with emerging trends and best practices in corporate governance. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the crucial role of internal audit in enhancing corporate governance practices in the Nigerian manufacturing sector. The study's findings can guide organizations in improving their corporate governance practices by leveraging the internal audit function's strengths to enhance transparency, accountability, and sustainable business growth. Keywords: internal audit, corporate governance, Nigerian manufacturing sector, sustainable business growth DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/14-10-04 Publication date: May 31 st 2023