Form Of Professional Development Research Articles

Contending with Governance and Leadership as Critical Issues within the Maltese Educational System

In a context of reform aimed at providing a quality education for all children, governance and leadership play a crucial and central role. Hence, it has been deemed essential to study the way governance and leadership are being tackled and introduced by central authorities as they move towards greater devolution of authority to the micro level, represented in Malta through a College network system. The article takes cognisance of the fact that we are still in the initial stages of the reform and that the reflections are based on initial studies that have been carried out over the past few years and a critique presented by the authors. Striking the balance between centralized and decentralized practices, focusing on different forms of professional development, a heavy emphasis on co-operation and sharing of good practices have been identified as essential ingredients that have to be addressed in a strategic manner and sustained over time.

Incorporating English Language Teaching Through Science for K-2 Teachers

English learners are faced with the dual challenge of acquiring English while learning academic content through the medium of the new language (Lee et al. in J Res Sci Teach 45(6):726–747, 2008; Stoddart et al. in J Res Sci Teach 39(8):664–687, 2002) and therefore need specific accommodations to achieve in both English and the content areas. Teachers require higher quality and new forms of professional development to learn and meet the needs of their students. This study examines the impact of one professional development model that explicitly embedded language learning strategies into science inquiry lessons. It also demonstrates how teachers involved in the PD program improve their self-efficacy about language instruction embedded in content and how they interpret and implement the methodology.

Exposing the Gap Between What Is Possible and What Is Acceptable

Mobile learning or m-learning is used on a daily basis, on every continent, in a plethora of ways. Yet, its awareness and implementation in the field of sonography education are lacking. Whether as a tool of formal education or a form of professional development, mobile learning has much to offer this diagnostic medical imaging field. This article defines the differences between electronic learning (e-learning) and m-learning, illustrates a few of the many opportunities this application holds to offer its stakeholders, and challenges sonography educators to begin using its value as an educational tool in their established curriculums.

Coaching and Professional Development in Early Childhood Classrooms: Current Practices and Recommendations for the Future

Coaching is one of several professional development approaches being used in early childhood to facilitate improved teacher instruction to promote child outcomes. Despite its use, little is known about how coaching promotes teacher knowledge and skills (Sheridan, Edwards, Marvin, & Knoche, 2009). We reviewed the early childhood coaching literature to determine what specifically coaches do to promote teacher practices. Though we found that coaching with some form of professional development often improved teacher behaviors and practices and/or child outcomes, detailed descriptions about explicit coaching behaviors that were linked directly to improved teacher behaviors and practice and/or child outcomes were rarely available. To measure the impact of coaching, it seems necessary to know first what behaviors and actions coaches use—meaning the process of coaching—to then determine the impact of these behaviors and actions (Sheridan et al., 2009). We suggest specific elements be used to define future coachin...

Second-Stage Music Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Professional Development

In recent years, professional development has become a topic of an increasing amount of research. However, studies are often general in nature or focused on beginning teachers specifically. Recently, researchers have begun to explore professional development over the course of a teacher’s entire career. The purpose of this study was to investigate the professional development needs of a particular population of experienced teachers: those known as second-stage teachers, commonly defined as teachers who have experience of 4 to 10 years and have passed the “survival years.” Research questions were as follows: (a) How do second-stage music teachers describe their professional development experiences? and (b) How do second-stage music teachers perceive their professional development needs? Findings are organized into the following themes: forms of professional development, professional development needs at different times, obstacles to professional development, and concerns about a lack of professional development.

Teachers’ perspectives on the effectiveness of a locally planned professional development program for implementing new curriculum

Preparing teachers to implement a new curriculum presents a significant but important challenge. While formal professional development programs can assist in this preparation, finding prescribed experiences that meet the needs of all teachers can be formidable and indeed may not always be the best option for promoting change in practice. Decisions about what experiences to provide and how and when to provide them need to be made in an informed manner. Studies such as the one being reported on in this article provide insights into teachers’ perspectives on what works and what doesn’t work. This research project examined how elementary teachers in one Canadian school district were handling implementation of a new social studies curriculum over the 2009–10 school year, three to five years after they experienced a formal district-level program of professional development. An interpretive case study method was used to uncover the successes and challenges of implementing the new curriculum and to provide insights into what the teachers felt constituted effective professional development for improving practice and student learning. Findings from the study suggest that effective professional development needs to be based on teachers’ needs; involve active learning, collaboration and modeling; be supported by a culture of learning in schools; and considerate of teacher resistance to change. Going forward, the study also highlights the need for a more intentional focus on the use of technology, and specifically digital networks, to enhance and extend the effectiveness of future curricular change initiatives.

Experiences of pioneers facilitating teacher networks for professional development

This study presents an exploration into facilitation practices of teacher professional development networks. Stimulating networked learning amongst teachers is a powerful way of creating an informal practice‐based learning space driven by teacher needs. As such, it presents an additional channel (besides more formal traditional professional development initiatives) for teacher education and sustained professional development. This study describes a set of challenges facilitators of teacher networks encounter and presents ways to overcome them. Successful facilitation is the cornerstone for vital teacher networks in which they share knowledge and develop their practice.

Developing professional learning for staff working with children with speech, language and communication needs combined with moderate-to-severe learning difficulties

This article presents research undertaken as part of a PhD by Carolyn Anderson who is a senior lecturer on the BSc (Hons) in Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Strathclyde. The study explores the professional learning experiences of 49 teachers working in eight schools and units for children with additional support needs in Scotland. In particular, she examines the professional learning experiences of teachers working with children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) combined with moderate-to-severe learning difficulties. While the teachers under study predominantly engaged with informal professional learning, she observes that they often expressed a lack of confidence in this form of professional development, tending to value formal learning regardless of impact. In response she raises a number of important questions about the role of Initial Teacher and Postgraduate Education and the ways in which schools understand reflective practice.

Informal spaces in collaborations: exploring the edges/boundaries of professional development

Self‐directed, informal learning is a less recognized and understood form of professional development. Researching informal learning is almost an oxymoron. The process of studying learning contexts, such as informal, self‐directed professional development, raises new challenges for researchers. Gaining insights into self‐directed professional development requires teachers’ permission and active participation; it requires creating a context of trust and reflection. Science in Action is a collaboration of researchers – teachers, members of community‐based science organizations, educators from community colleges and university and graduate students who worked together to create and implement an afterschool science program for upper elementary (Grades Three to Five) and middle school (Grades Six to Eight) students. In this paper, we share what we learned about the potential for collaborations, especially models like cooperative inquiry, to negotiate the interface between research and informal learning spaces. Moreover, we describe what these teachers count as professional development as well as the consequences of their experiences on their classroom practice.

The process of developing a framework to guide rural nurse preceptors in the evaluation of student performance

Increasingly, rural preceptorships are sought out for their rich learning opportunities and as an alternative to often over-subscribed urban placements. While rural preceptors view teaching students as a gratifying experience, student evaluation remains an ongoing challenge. Frequently, rural preceptors often lack access to preceptor preparation, faculty support, and other forms of professional development, particularly those learning experiences that are specific to the unique rural setting and nursing culture. In this article, the authors describe Phase Two of a four-phase study which sought to develop and validate, in collaboration with rural nurse preceptors, a framework for conducting student evaluations. Following a grounded theory phase of the study in which the experience of preceptors and students in rural placements were explored, the researchers, project staff, and three rural nurse preceptors met during two working sessions to collate the study results, the nursing education literature, and the preceptors’ own experiences to develop a framework for the evaluation process during a rural preceptorship. This framework, using a Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How approach, supported a broader perspective of evaluation of student performance, and provided preceptors with useful strategies for making evaluation an effective component of student learning.

Action Research as a Professional Development Activity

Reflective teachers are always searching for ways to improve their teaching. When this reflection becomes intentional and systematic, they are engaging in teacher research. This type of research, sometimes called action research, can help bridge the gap between theory and practice by addressing topics that are relevant to practicing teachers. This article synthesizes literature within music education and general education to address (a) the conceptual underpinnings of action research, (b) characteristics of action research and teacher research, (c) action research critiques, and (d) implications for teacher research as a form of professional development.

Professional Development at a Distance

This paper uses a mixed-method approach to examine the efficacy of a 5-week distance learning model that offered 2-credit courses for K–12 inservice teachers as a form of professional development. This study examined the experiences of the inservice teachers across online professional development courses and analyzed participant surveys from this population to gain a better sense of satisfaction, learning, and quality of interactions related to the online professional development. The findings speak to the value of establishing a sense of “presence” online, the impact of online teacher professional development on the active classroom, and features that contribute to the enhancement of professional development online.

Teacher training, teacher quality and student achievement

We study the effects of various types of education and training on the productivity of teachers in promoting student achievement. Previous studies on the subject have been hampered by inadequate measures of teacher training and difficulties in addressing the non-random selection of teachers to students and of teachers to training. We address these issues by estimating models that include detailed measures of pre-service and in-service training, a rich set of time-varying covariates, and student, teacher, and school fixed effects. We find that elementary and middle school teacher productivity increases with experience (informal on-the-job training). The largest gains from experience occur in the first few years, but we find continuing gains beyond the first five years of a teacher's career. In contrast, we do not find a consistent relationship between formal professional development training and teacher productivity. However, this may be partly driven by estimation issues as we find more significant positive effects of formal training in the subject-grade combination where estimates should be most precise (middle school math). There is no evidence that teachers' pre-service (undergraduate) training or college entrance exam scores are related to productivity.

Curriculum Implementation: Decisions of Early Childhood Teachers

THE ENGAGEMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD teachers with curriculum initiatives reflects the decisions and factors surrounding an educator's relationship with a single curriculum initiative or across multiple curriculum initiatives. Factors such as the available form of professional development and workload intensity may influence decisions teachers make. This paper presents the results of an investigation of the decisions early childhood teachers made about their engagement with state government curriculum initiatives. A teacher's response to a curriculum initiative can be evidenced in attitude, training attendance and the adoption of ideas from an initiative. Critically, for change in early childhood education, the initial decisions teachers make about a curriculum initiative may act as personal gatekeepers as they may lead to engagement or to irretrievable rejection.

University of Massachusetts Medical School

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Teacher Research as a Robust and Reflective Path to Professional Development

This article explores the role of teacher research as part of a robust program of professional development. Teacher research offers teachers at every stage of development a recursive and reflective means of bridging the gap between current practice and potential professional growth. The purpose of this dual level inquiry was to probe the concept of teacher research as a path to professional development through examination of a 3-year professional development initiative known as the Master Teacher Program (MTP). This study provides a rationale and context for utilizing teacher research as a form of professional development, an analysis of teacher research projects in each of two cohorts involved in the MTP initiative, and discussion of outcomes and themes, such as increased confidence and professionalism, that emerged from this research.

Time to Talk: An Urban School’s Use of Literature Circles to Create a Professional Learning Community

In a culture of comprehensive school reform, which focuses primarily on improving student achievement, teachers must critically analyze educational research and student data to make professional judgments regarding student achievement. Establishing professional learning communities is one form of professional development (PD) that is proven to engage participants’ intellect, involve them in action and reflection, and result in continuous improvement in teaching and student learning. This study explores teachers’, administrators’, and support service providers’ involvement in district supported literature circles intended to create professional learning communities. All participants agreed that the experience was beneficial and helped to foster a sense of community, reassert their professional identity, and provide new perspectives to consider when interacting with students. This research contributes to our understanding of PD as a means to school improvement and provides evidence for effective PD that prepares educational leaders and promotes improved student outcomes.

Teacher Learning and Instructional Change: How Formal and On-the-Job Learning Opportunities Predict Change in Elementary School Teachers' Practice

Abstract Recent education reform has emphasized the importance of teacher learning in improving classroom instruction and raising student achievement. This article focuses on teachers' learning opportunities, including formal professional development and on-the-job learning that occurs through interactions with colleagues. Using data from 30 elementary schools in a mid-sized urban school district, the authors concurrently explore the relationships between teachers' formal professional development and on-the-job learning opportunities and instructional change. Results suggest that formal professional development and on-the-job opportunities to learn are both significantly associated with changes in teachers' instructional practice in mathematics and English language arts.

Directed Reading: Designing a Professional Development Program for Medical Radiation Technologists

By participating in some form of professional development, medical radiation technologists can increase their skill, knowledge, and competence, leading to improved quality, safety, and standards of practice. Participation will also demonstrate acceptance of the responsibility for medical radiation technologists' own professional development. Over the past 10 years, the profession of medical radiation technology has progressed dramatically, with many changes in technology. The need for medical radiation technologists to keep up-to-date on these advancements is evident. Many medical radiation technologists participate in some form of professional development, and the decision to do so is either mandated at the provincial level or it remains a personal one. Because education is a provincial matter, the continuity of professional development or continuing education for medical radiation technologists across the country does not exist. The purpose of this directed reading is to review the options available to medical radiation technologists for professional development, to provide an overview of professional development programs from various health care professional groups, to outline how to effectively introduce a professional development program to medical radiation technologists, and to recommend the most appropriate program to implement for medical radiation technologists.

‘It’s all about paying attention!’ … but to what? The ‘6 Ms’ of mentoring the professional learning of teacher educators

Much of the international literature on professional learning in the field of education is predicated on the assumption that, for teacher educators and the teachers they work with alike, professional learning is a matter of rigorously applying the principles and strategies of ‘reflective practice’ and ‘critical reflection’. Professional learning for teacher educators is not just, or even, a matter of attending conferences, or spending a day reading in the library, or, for that matter, conducting empirical research in schools and classrooms. Rather, it is a matter of undertaking potentially transformative and rigorous investigations of their own professional practices in order to improve those practices. This article reports the findings of the authors’ self‐studies of their role as the mentors of groups of teacher educator colleagues, who were themselves engaged in action research on their work with teachers as their chosen mode of professional learning. From these studies of mentoring the professional learning of teacher educator colleagues, we have developed a conceptual model for ‘contextually responsive mentoring’ in teacher education. This model proposes that there are (at least) six core preoccupations of practice that tend to dominate teacher educators’ thinking when engaged in these kinds of professional learning enquiries, and that need to be attended to in the mentoring of such professional learning. Although it originates from investigations of the professional learning of in‐service teacher educators, we would argue that the model has relevance for all those teacher educators, and indeed all those teachers, who might be engaged in mentored reflective practice, action research, self‐study, and the like, as forms of professional development or learning.