In-service Education And Training Research Articles

The reconceptualisation of learner-centred approaches: a Namibian case study

The case study, which explored the implementation of learner-centred approaches, emerged from an action research study of a three-year INSET (In-service Education and Training) programme for 145 unqualified primary teachers in Namibia. A learner-centred curriculum was introduced in Namibia soon after her Independence from South Africa in 1990. It was considered an effective antidote to the stifling teacher-centred practices used within the previous apartheid system. The case study raises questions about the implementation of learner-centred approaches. Data emerged which indicated their non-implementation, and reasons are presented to explain this: teacher professional capacity at the time of the study, limited resources, cultural factors and learner background. Efforts within the INSET programme to support teachers’ implementation of learner-centred approaches led to their reconceptualisation. The study indicated the effectiveness of developing teachers’ skills in the use of whichever approaches, methods and skills best bring about learning. The study highlights the usefulness of an adaptive approach—examining the realities within which teachers work and experimenting with strategies that seek to achieve student learning within the limitations of these realities. The focus is on learning-centred rather than learner-centred approaches.

Information and Communications Technology In-service Training for Teachers: Cyprus in perspective

In-service education and training (INSET) is considered a crucial issue for the implementation and institutionalisation of new information and communication technologies (ICT) in educational systems worldwide. A pilot programme for ICT implementation has been running since 1994 in a number of Cypriot primary schools. The provision of INSET in relation to this particular programme appears problematic. Therefore, two studies were independently conducted in 1996 and 1998 to highlight teachers' training background and needs. The second study also aimed to investigate the content and form of ICT INSET provision in terms of the categories of professional development identified by McDougall & Squires (1997). Both studies indicate that the majority of teachers are shown to lack an ICT training background while the approach to training appears piecemeal, focused mostly on off-site training and oriented towards the acquisition of basic computer skills. However, teachers report that they prefer school-based courses, as well as courses that focus on the pedagogical dimension of ICT integration. Based on the outcomes, a national plan for teacher training in ICT is proposed, focusing on coherence, availability, efficiency and diversification

Action research and the transfer of reflective approaches to in-service education and training (INSET) for unqualified and underqualified primary teachers in Namibia

The literature on training approaches for both pre-service and in-service teacher training has been dominated since the 1980s by reflective approaches. This has undoubtedly influenced the relatively recent introduction of reflective approaches in developing countries. This article explores efforts, within an action research study of a 3-year (1995–1997) In-service Education and Training (INSET) programme, to implement reflective approaches in the training of unqualified and underqualified primary teachers in Namibia. The study raises ‘transfer’ questions concerning the appropriateness of reflective approaches, as conceptualised in western contexts, for these teachers. It led to the adaptation of these approaches and ultimately the development of an approach termed the ‘structured reflection’ approach, which was within the professional capability of the teachers to implement at the time of the study. Action research was used to develop this approach.

The inset strategies model: an effective inset model for unqualified and underqualified primary teachers in Namibia

The problem of significant numbers of unqualified and underqualified primary teachers is critical in some African countries. As INSET (In-service Education and Training) is the only training these teachers receive, effective INSET practice is of concern to INSET planners seeking to address this problem. This article explores effective INSET strategies: the criteria for effectiveness being implementation of the training in the classroom. It presents an effective cyclical INSET model, entitled the INSET Strategies Model, which was used to guide a three-year (1995–1997) INSET programme for 145 unqualified and underqualified primary teachers in Namibia. The programme sought to develop teachers' basic teaching, English Language Teaching (ELT) and learner-centred skills, in order to support their efforts to implement reforms related to ELT introduced in Namibia in the early 1990s. The article discusses the stages of the model, each of which corresponds to an INSET strategy: needs assessment, organisation, determination of content, training process, follow-up and evaluation. The underlying change framework of the model, particularly the extent to which it takes micro-implementation factors into account, is offered as one explanation for its success. These factors are the objective and subjective realities within which teachers work.

Needs Assessment for INSET for Unqualified Primary Teachers in Namibia: An effective model

The literature endorses the critical role of needs assessment for effective INSET (In-service Education and Training). This view is not however, adequately supported by empirical research. There is also a dearth of literature on the process of needs assessment. The few studies that explore the process focus on the use of questionnaire and interview methods. The latter method was found to be inappropriate for the unqualified primary teachers participating in an INSET programme in Namibia (1995-97). This paper explores the process of needs assessment within this programme and presents an effective model of needs assessment which guided it. The model suggests the use of a multi-pronged qualitative approach to assessing needs.

Phasing science InSET in developing countries: reflections on the experience of the Primary Science Programme in South Africa

In many developing countries attempts to develop the quality of science education stress the importance of inservice education and training (InSET). This article focuses on how such InSET should be phased through time for maximum effect. Several theoretical models that describe and explain stages in the processes of professional learning or educational development are reviewed. Their relevance in informing the planning of science InSET is reviewed in the light of the experience of the Primary Science Programme (PSP) in South Africa. Two main criticisms of existing models are made: 1. They neglect language development as a crucial factor limiting the development of teaching styles especially where pupils are learning in a second language. 2. There are flaws in the way that the recommendations of models have been combined in existing synthesis models. Finally a synthesis model for the phasing of science InSET is proposed.

Leadership for learning

There is evidence of growing tensions in the increasingly privatised system of in‐service education and training (INSET) within England and Wales, especially between school‐managed institutional development, group development needs, and the need for individual professional development. These tensions highlight the need for an effective ‘professional development culture’ with the kind of leadership which supports both pupil and staff learning. INSET privatisation and increasing local accountability also raises questions about why and how some schools are better at creating appropriate development cultures. The article explores school leadership in the newly privatised and marketised professional development environment; it considers a model which helps to identify key elements in a “professional development culture” and helps schools review “where we’re at”; it examines the emerging role of the professional development co‐ordinator as a “delegated leader” and suggests a possible model for exploring the differing nature of the relationship between CPD leadership and staff commitment.

Teacher education and training in Japan

This paper is divided into three sections. The first is an overview of English education in Japan. It reviews the development of English education, and the demands of a curriculum innovation which radically refocused the teaching of English: the New Revised Course of Study: emphasis on oral communication. The second is an outline of teacher education and training in Japan, with particular recourse to in-service education. The final section is a description and evaluation of a specific government-sponsored overseas in-service education and training (INSET) programme for Japanese junior and senior high school teachers of English. It concludes that such programmes are necessary to change teachers' attitudes, beliefs and methodology, and enable them to deliver the revised curriculum effectively

In-service education and training: the response of local education authorities in greater London to changes in the funding mechanisms

Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in the United Kingdom continue to have a statutory duty to provide efficient and sufficient schooling. This entails a concern for the professional quality of teaching. To meet this responsibility LEAs have traditionally employed advisers/inspectors and maintained teachers'/professional development centres. In recent years, however, changes in the funding of LEAs and the introduction of specific grants have had a significant impact on the organisation and delivery of In-service Education and Training (INSET). This research ascertains the INSET provision in a sample of LEAs in Greater London. It identifies the similarities and differences between LEAs in the responses to the funding mechanisms and examines the underlying rationale for the variation in INSET provision

In-service teachers' use of graphical accounts to illuminate aspects of their practice in special educational needs

Much has been written concerning the reflections of teachers about their professional role. This paper provides an example of a further means by which they can obtain insights into their work. Teachers on in-service education and training (INSET) courses in special educational needs (SEN) were asked to record their perceptions of what they saw as the key issues in working with children who have SEN by using drawings rather than words. The resulting ‘concept maps’ or ‘mind maps’ provide both information concerning how these teachers view their role and also the dilemmas concerned in doing their job effectively. The premise on which this method of data-gathering is based is that it provides an alternative means of uncovering the subconscious thinking of a group of teachers about the work they do, thereby helping them to develop new strategies to deal with the problems they encounter.

Appraisal and the School as a Learning Organisation

ABSTRACT The research reported in this article recognises the importance of a case‐study school in understanding how externally imposed change is being internally implemented. The focus of the research is concerned with teacher perceptions of the appraisal process as they had experienced it during the first cycle in 1993–94. The positive and negative experiences of the teachers are presented by exploring whether appraisal is or can be a learning process which can enable a school to become a learning organisation. The positive aspects of teachers as individual and collective learners is discussed and the key outcome is that while experiences so far have been positive, the potential to become a learning school is being hindered. The barriers to this development are more than a lack of resources to fund time and in‐service education and training (INSET), but are to do with the conceptualisation of appraisal as a series of tasks within a rational biennial cycle which is installed into the school. The article ...

Whatever Happened to Good Advice? Service and inspection after the Education Reform Act

AbstractThe 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA) changed dramatically the relationships between central government, local education authorities (LEAs) and teachers in state schools in England and Wales. This report focuses on the nature of these changes, particularly those between LEAs and teachers, and considers their consequences for the ‘quality’ of the curriculum that schools can provide. Albeit tentatively, the analysis suggests that changes in the relationships between central government, LEAs and schools represent an extension of the central state's ideological powers of surveillance and centralised control over schools, rather than a move towards participatory democracy and the improvement in educational standards in schools. To illustrate this, the report addresses (i) the ‘effects’ of ERA legislation on the ‘dynamic’ of inspection, advice and in‐service education and training (INSET) support, and how this complex relationship is perceived by teachers in schools; and (ii) The Schools Act 1992, and the relationships between the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) inspections, in‐service support and curriculum provision. The analysis calls on data gathered during the 1992‐93 academic year as part of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research project investigating the impact of the ERA on the provision of physical education (PE) and sport in schools.

In‐service Education and Training outside the United Kingdom: a case study in consulting

ABSTRACT This paper is aimed at teacher educators engaged in consultancy work in primary education. It describes the author's experience of classroom‐based and staff workshop‐based in‐service education and training (INSET) in science in an independent primary school in the Mediterranean area. The paper outlines the process of negotiation and delivery of an appropriate programme to meet the perceived needs of the school. During the programme some action‐based research was undertaken in the area of scientific investigations, focusing on children's ability to handle numerical data. Children's performance in this area is compared to some of the findings of a research project in science investigations in England. The author envisages a demand for more overseas INSET as initial teacher training becomes more school‐based. Effective INSET needs a period of pre‐ and post‐consultation.

Activity Groupings of Primary Science Co‐ordinators: a survey of co‐ordinators’ activities

Abstract A check‐list of 119 activities was completed by 222 science co‐ordinators of primary schools in two local education authorities (LEAs). Cluster analysis was used to group the check‐list activities into 10 activity scales; the scales were then used to group the co‐ordinators. Five activity groups of co‐ordinators could be distinguished according to their usage of the activity scales. The activity scales corresponded to statements of co‐ordinators’ duties found in published literature though with a lower than expected emphasis in three key areas. The activity group placing of the co‐ordinators was found to be significantly correlated with their in‐service education and training (INSET) experiences. Different effects were identified for within‐school and (external) part‐time INSET.

A Task Focused Management Development Programme

Abstract This paper describes a school management development programme aimed at developing managerial skills and responsibilities across the whole school staff. The paper describes why there is possibly some antipathy to this topic for in‐service education and training (INSET). The approach chosen was to use teachers’ current managerial tasks as the focus for the development so that in conjunction with extant self‐study materials, teachers could design their own INSET appropriate to their current perceived needs.

In-service training for special educational needs: A developmental approach

As our view of what constitutes special needs provision begins to shift and we re-examine teacher roles, attention naturally turns to existing in-service education and training (INSET). The authors of this article are members of a learning support service and have been involved in INSET for some time. Their experience has led them to conclude that current courses have many limitations. They propose an alternative that is continuous and concentrates on a thinking skills approach which is outlined in this article. They maintain that new models of training, along the lines currently being developed in the Wirral, are essential if we are to cope with contemporary shifts and demands.

The Long‐term Impact of Two Part‐time In‐service Degrees on Teachers and Schools in Scotland

Abstract In the absence of similar investigations this study is hypothesis generating. Thirty‐four interviews were conducted, 19 with a sample of Scottish graduates from two in‐service degrees who had completed their programmes at least 5 years earlier and 15 with Scottish headteachers and local education authority staff responsible for In‐service Education and Training (INSET) who had observed the impact of these degrees for between 5 and 10 years. Two major hypotheses were generated, first that the influence of in‐service degrees for a significant minority of teachers is of a fundamental nature and second that some schools, as opposed to local authorities, have established effective policies for using the newly acquired skills of staff who have completed in‐service degrees. [1] This research was supported by a grant from the Scottish Office Education Department.

Teacher Research and Educational Change: an empirical study

AbstractThis article reports the findings of a research study, using a combination of questionnaires and in‐depth interviews, designed to investigate in what ways teacher research enquiries, conducted in the context of an award‐bearing course, contribute to the processes of professional development and change within schools. The relationships between case‐study research and evaluation and action research and changes in school and classroom practice are discussed. Factors are identified which facilitate and constrain the change process. The findings are discussed in relation to the wider literature on the effects of inservice education and training (INSET), the professional development of teachers and the nature of educational change.

Characteristics of Effective In‐service Programmes and Activities: results of a Dutch survey

Summary The goal of this study is to determine which features effective in‐service activities must have, and to what extent designers of in‐service activities take these features into account. The study is also directed at the relationship between these features of in‐service activities and their implementation and impact characteristics. On the basis of a Delphi‐study, a survey was carried out among teachers, principals, in‐service education and training (INSET) trainers and school counsellors. This article presents the data gathered on programme participants’ and trainers’ opinions and beliefs about effective in‐service and about implementation and impact characteristics. The study also examines the extent of the oft reported critical comments on in‐service activities. In spite of extensive criticism about the value of in‐service education, most participants are positive about the design and execution of the activities. However, INSET has to be closely watched for effectiveness, especially where it concerns applicability and functionality. This is generally judged to be insufficient.

Teachers' Perceptions of the Effects of In‐Service Education

Thirteen years ago, Euan Henderson observed that into the effectiveness of in-service training is disappointingly scanty (Henderson, 1976). Since then there have been a large number of investigations into in-service provision and into teachers' professional development and careers. However, relatively few of these studies have focused on the effects of in-service education and training (INSET) on teachers, schools or children. It is also the case that research on INSET rarely builds on or incorporates other studies. There is, therefore, still relatively little information about the effects of INSET and no body of empirically or theoretically generalisable knowledge of its effectiveness. Examples of studies of in-service conducted since the mid1970s include the work of Henderson himself. Besides publishing an influential book (Henderson, 1978) in which he delineates different approaches to the evaluation of INSET, Henderson has undertaken several investigations of its outcomes, particularly on teachers' attitudes (Henderson, 1975). In addition, he has reported on the effects on teachers of at least one of the Open University's post-experience courses (Henderson, 1977). Other writers who have engaged in similar work include Bell (1981) whose evaluations draw extensively on the responses by course members to post-session evaluation sheets. Smith (1975) has incorporated a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods in his study of the influence of primary INSET on teachers' work. Similarly, Baker and Sikora's (1982) evaluation of school-focused INSET in four LEAs relies on a diverse range of methods to elicit data on its impact at the level of the school. Dienye (1987), by contrast, uses a preand post-test to assess the success of a course designed to increase teachers' understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge. More recently, Evans and Hopkins (1988) have examined, using a variety of methods, the influence of 'school climate' and teachers' 'psychological state' on the utilisation of educational knowledge derived from INSET. While these are only a few of the studies to have emerged over the period we are considering, a search through the British Journal of Inservice Education, the main channel in the UK for the dissemination of evaluations of INSET, reveals very little 163