In-service Provision Research Articles

The role of self-perceived academic competence in children with childhood-onset fluency disorder

The aim of the present study was to investigate the five different components of self-perception (academic competence, social acceptance, athletic competence, physical appearance and school behavior), and to identify the dimensions that affect self-esteem in children with Childhood onset Fluency Disorder (CoFD). The study sample consisted of thirty children with CoFD and, as controls, thirty children without CoFD, aged from 9 to 11;7 years old. The following instruments were used: (1) the Greek version of Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC), (2) the “Children's Phonetic and Phonological development assessment” and, (3) a demographic characteristics form. Results revealed that while children with CoFD did report lower perceived academic competence than did those of the control group, and their academic competence self-perception shaped both their self-esteem and their school behavior self-perception. Moreover, academic competence self-perception was found to mediate in the relationship between CoFD, self-esteem and school behavior self-perception. Perceived academic competence in children with CoFD is linked to self-esteem and perceived school behavior, and this may impact on their relationships, emotional health and overall well-being. Health professionals should become able to estimate coexisting psychological difficulties and negative behaviors of parents or teachers that may affect the children's self-esteem. Furthermore, they should be able to suggest targeted psychological interventions for children and parents, while in the same frame teachers need to be properly trained about the management of stuttering in the classroom. The role of the speech therapist in the school context for in-service provision of information is therefore considered to be of paramount importance.

Reframing Teacher In-Service Training in Kenya: Recommendations from the Literature

Following the rapid expansion of Kenya's education system from 2003, raising education standards has emerged as the country's next major nation-building challenge. There is acknowledgement within Kenya that high education standards are dependent upon the quality of its teachers, which is in turn dependent upon the quality of their pre-service training, and subsequent in-service training. However, amidst accusations that educational standards are declining, in-service training programmes in particular have been singled out as being overly bureaucratic, under resourced, poorly delivered and ineffective in helping to raise teaching standards. Further, the literature suggests that current in-service training programmes are failing to address more fundamental issues surrounding Kenyan teaching professionalism as a whole. This article examines the literature surrounding teacher in-service training in Kenya, as identified by Kenyan researchers, with the aim of synthesising and clarifying the major issues surrounding quality and delivery, and then presents policy recommendations for reframing and building effective in-service provision for the future.

What mattered ten years on? Young people's reflections on their involvement with a charitable youth participation project

ABSTRACTYouth work in England is experiencing ongoing rapid and significant change, fuelling debate about its very function. This paper contributes to this debate by presenting original research on what young people themselves prioritised as significant in-service provision and highlights the longer-term impact that engagement with a voluntary sector organisation can have on the lives of vulnerable young people. Drawing on qualitative interviews with ten former youth participants involved in youth participation projects, the findings presented in this paper suggest that participants felt the support they received was, in many cases, ‘transformative’. However, they primarily defined their experiences and the impact through their relationships with individuals supporting them, through the sense of achievement and ability to effect change they developed and through finding a voice to affect community decisions.

Variations in Primary Teachers’ Responses and Development during Three Major Science In- Service Programmes

This paper reports on how different types of teachers responded to in-service aimed at developing investigative-based science education (IBSE) in primary schools, and the extent to which they applied their new skills in the classroom. Common items from evaluation questionnaires allowed data to be combined from three major in-service programmes. Using complete data sets from 120 teachers, cluster analysis enabled three teacher types to be identified: a small group of ‘science unsures’, with low attitude scores and little confidence, who showed no response to the innovation; ‘holistic improvers’, who showed the largest improvement in science teaching confidence; and ‘high level, positive progressives’, who were very positive to science teaching throughout and showed gains in confidence in teachingphysics and chemistry, as well as in demonstrating the relevance of science to their pupils. Taking account of these teacher types alongside interviews and observations, nine developmental stages in how teachers apply their new expertise in the classroom and the whole school are suggested. Major factors influencing application in the classroom are the teachers’ initial science knowledge and pedagogical expertise, and motivating feedback to teachers when pupils responded positively to the innovation. Assessing teachers’ initial level of subject knowledge and science pedagogical expertise to inform the approach and amount of in-service provision is important. Subsequent mentoring as well as support from the school principal when teachers first try IBSE with pupils promotes successful implementationin the classroom.

Immediate assessment of performance of medical laboratory scientists following a 10-day malaria microscopy training programme in Nigeria

BackgroundRapid and precise diagnosis of malaria is an essential element in effective case management and control of malaria. Malaria microscopy is used as the gold standard for malaria diagnosis, however results remain poor as positivity rate in Nigeria is consistently over 90%. The United States President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) through the Malaria Action Program for States (MAPS) supported selected states in Nigeria to build capacity for malaria microscopy. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of in-service training on malaria microscopy amongst medical laboratory scientists.MethodThe training was based on the World Health Organization (WHO) basic microscopy training manual. The 10-day training utilized a series of didactic lectures and examination of teaching slides using a CX 21 Olympus binocular microscope. All 108 medical laboratory scientists trained from 2012 to 2015 across five states in Nigeria supported by PMI were included in the study. Evaluation of the training using a pre-and post-test method was based on written test questions; reading photographic slide images of malaria parasites; and prepared slides.ResultThere was a significant improvement in the mean written pre-and post-tests scores from 37.9% (95% CI 36.2–39.6%) to 70.7% (95% CI 68.4–73.1%) (p < 0.001). The mean counting post-test score improved significantly from 4.2% (95% CI 2.6–5.7%) to 27.9% (95% CI 25.3–30.5%) (p < 0.001). Mean post-test score for computer-based picture speciation test (63.0%) and picture detection test (89.2%) were significantly higher than the mean post-test score for slide reading speciation test (38.3%) and slide reading detection test (70.7%), p < 0.001 in both cases.ConclusionParasite detection and speciation using enhanced visual imaging was significantly improved compared with using direct microscopy. Regular in-service training and provision of functional and high resolution microscopes are needed to ensure quality routine malaria microscopy.

Managerial Perspectives on Key Aspects of Training Management in the Turkish National Police

A number of studies have been undertaken into the training structures, processes and practices in the Turkish National Police (TNP) in the last decade. The predominant thrust of this literature is in relation to evaluation of training provision and delivery. The literature represents an increased focus in Turkey on the development and improvement of the training function to deliver a more effective police service through enhanced police performance. These professional and academic studies have provided an opportunity for training portfolio-holders at all levels to identify areas of improvement in police training. This paper builds on a previous literature review that was conducted to examine the in-service training provision and delivery in the TNP. The review revealed seven themes which represented areas for possible improvement: policymaking and planning, employment and deployment, training needs analysis, design, delivery, evaluation, and training audit. A questionnaire was designed, based on the themes, to measure the perspectives of the training portfolio-holders including senior, business and line managers across the training function. The resultant survey data suggest that, in order to make training provision in the TNP more effective, there is a need for a comprehensive revision in a number of areas including policy-making, strategic management of training, tenure and competencies of the training staff, robust curriculum development, outcome-based evaluation and value-added inspection.

An examination of current adapted physical activity provision in primary and special schools in Ireland

The Disability in Sport Taskforce report examining adapted physical activity (APA) in the Irish context (Department of Education and Science, 1999) found that teachers involved in primary mainstream and specialist settings expressed a grave lack of self-confidence, due to lack of training, in the delivery of APA programmes to children with special educational needs (SEN). A further study by Meegan and MacPhail (2006) indicated the need to promote positive attitudes among Irish physical educators toward teaching students with SEN as well as improving initial teacher training and postgraduate training for SEN in physical education (PE). The aim of this study was to examine the current status of APA in primary and special school settings in Ireland, by postal questionnaire. The overall response rate was 42% (n = 171). Key findings indicated that respondents (100%) wished to participate in further specific training in APA leading to a formal qualification. Respondents expressed dissatisfaction with initial teacher training (60%), minimal ongoing in-service provision (70%) and limited teaching resources (68%) for the provision of quality APA to children with SEN.

Provision of in-service training of mathematics and science teachers in Botswana: teachers’ perspectives

Teaching is a field that is dynamic, with innovations necessitating upgrading of skills and education of teachers for the successful implementation of reforms. The behaviour and attitudes of teachers towards teaching and learning and their knowledge banks are the result of the impact of in-service training. This study investigated the perceptions of mathematics and science teachers in Botswana towards in-service provision by the Department of Mathematics and Science Education In-service Training unit (DMSE-INSET), whose mandate is to improve the quality of teaching by supporting teachers through training programmes that enable them to take ownership of their professional development. Data were collected from a sample of 42 senior Mathematics and Science secondary school teachers, using structured interviews with open-ended questions, which were analyzed qualitatively. The findings show that teachers’ concerns included the lack of impact of current in-service training programmes on the education system, no regular follow-up activities to support the one-off workshops and insufficient skills acquired to sustain the implementation of the strategies solicited by the workshops.

The National Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services: A Program Description

Quality improvement centers were created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau beginning in 2001 to promote knowledge development through an innovative approach to applied collaborative research in child welfare. The National Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services was funded to assess the current status of privatization, conduct a knowledge gaps analysis, fund and conduct cross-site evaluation of research and demonstration projects, promote the expansion of the evidence base, and facilitate ongoing dialogue among child welfare administrators, policy makers, researchers, and practitioners regarding public/private partnership in-service provision. The article discusses the impetus and empirical foundation for the creation of the center, provides an overview of the purpose and approach being taken, and describes its knowledge development initiatives. Additionally, a brief contextual history of child welfare privatization is provided, along with key content findings from the recently completed needs assessment.

How newly qualified primary teachers develop: A case study in rural Eritrea

Abstract This paper reports on the professional development of a small group of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who began their careers in four rural schools in Eritrea. These teachers were monitored over a period of four years from 2001 to 2004. Their development as primary practitioners was recorded by videoing and observing their classes and by interviews and informal discussions held over the period. The ways in which they developed and the factors involved in this development are analysed and discussed. It is hoped that this research offers an insight into the challenges faced by newly qualified teachers in small rural communities, often very much dependant on their own resources and those of the local community. This indicates ways in which the current programme and on-going in-service provision may be targeted in future. An important point is made that in spite of the unusual circumstances of education in Eritrea this research provides insights that are relevant to other sociocultural contexts.

There is nothing as practical as a good theory: an examination of the outcomes of a ‘traditional’ MA in education for educational professionals

This article begins by examining the rationale for the recent policy changes in the criteria for funding teachers' continuing professional development. It illustrates how in the pursuit of greater national competitiveness, the ‘evaluative’ state has increased central control of the provision of in-service education of teachers through a specification of teachers' competencies, the criteria for funding courses and the expectation of measurable outcomes of courses in terms of pupil achievement. This policy initiative threatens to reduce the variety of provision in Higher Education for teachers' continuing professional development (CPD). In the light of what is known about what makes for effective models of in-service education for professionals the article draws on the results of a survey of a thousand Open University graduates of the MA in Education (1993-98) to evaluate the outcomes of the more traditional in-service provision over an extended time period. It demonstrates that academic courses are effective in extending teachers' knowledge, developing their skills, and offering new insights and understanding into their own educational values and the context in which they work. Moreover, in linking practice with theory, they furnish teachers with a frame of reference, such that they can tackle other exigencies as they arise. It is, therefore, an appropriate form of CPD for professionals in a post-Fordist era

Maintaining the Flow: Maintenance Service Provision in the Alto Río Lerma Irrigation District, Mexico

Through irrigation management transfer inMexico poorly functioning governancemechanisms for maintenance were replaced.New actors, new roles, and newresponsibilities in the maintenance ofMexican irrigation systems wereestablished. This article analyzes themaintenance service delivery mechanisms inthe Alto Rio Lerma Irrigation District(ARLID), to evaluate if and how theinstitutional arrangements establishedthrough management transfer ensure adequateservice provision. After presenting themain actors currently involved inirrigation maintenance, the rules andregulations underlying the servicerelationships between the actors involvedin maintenance in ARLID are analyzed. Thisis done by detailing how theserelationships are formally organized, howthey work in practice, and which incentivesexist for the service providers to providean efficient service and for the servicerecipient to pro-actively participate inservice provision. We conclude that the newinstitutional framework for maintenanceservice provision is quite coherent andthat the governance mechanisms that havebeen established work well, especiallythose between the farmers and theirorganizations. This has led to improvedmaintenance services.

IN service provision using VLR in IMT-2000 network

In this paper we propose a network model to efficiently provide IN service in a mobile network. There are two signaling architectures: MSC/SSP and SCP/HLR. We propose an IN service provision method using VLR and analyze the performance of IN service management in the two architectures. These methods show that the load of SCP/HLR is decreased and our method is better than IMT-2000 with regard to IN service management.

In-service training needs in MFL

This article reports on a small scale research project which investigated the Modern Foreign Language In-service provision offered by 52 Local Educational Authorities in England and Wales since the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1992. It then compares this analysis with the expressed In-service needs of Heads of Departments in secondary schools. The project is set against a background of a shifting but welcome perspective on In-service training.

Change and the teacher: Irish national teachers’ organisation inservice provision in co. donegal 1994/1995

Change and the teacher: Irish national teachers’ organisation inservice provision in co. donegal 1994/1995

The development of in-service education and training as seen through the pages of the British Journal of In-service Education

The British Journal of In-service Education provides a unique record of the development and growth in provision of in-service education over the past twenty-two years.This article traces developments by way of a detailed content analysis of all papers published in the Journal . Whilst policy issues are featured throughout, the article points to the essentially piecemeal nature of development. More recently notions of competency have come to the fore and in England, the rapidly growing role of the Teacher Training Agency may, in time, force a redrawing of the map of in-service provision and control

Reflective or reactive? Role dilemmas for teachers and education tutors

David Thomas is concerned about what he sees as a decline in in-service provision for teachers in the field of special educational need. He queries the over-structuring of learning experiences in schools that hinders progress towards the broader aims of education and encourages the narrower objectives of teaching. He sees a clear parallel in the training and education of teachers where the thrust is increasingly towards ‘the specified objective and technicist role’. The trend facilitates the production of reactive rather than reflective teachers. His concern with the demise of the substantial full-time courses will be shared by many in the profession.

Preparing nurse teachers for their future role

For over a decade general education has been aware of the advantages of linking initial teacher training with in-service provision for qualified teachers. This relationship brings together student teachers and qualified experienced teachers in a way that is mutually beneficial to both parties. It provides opportunities for the student to observe and reflect on the teaching style and approaches of established professionals who in turn will gain much from working closely with trainers and students from colleges of education. This paper develops a series of issues relating to IT-INSET including educational accountability, reflective practice, and the provision of quality education.

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

Teachers, health education, and in-service training

TEACHERS of health education in schools come from a variety of different subject backgrounds and differ considerably in their teaching experience and approaches, the status they command within their schools and the degree of support they receive from their head teachers and colleagues. They often lack confidence in their own ability to respond to the demands of teaching health education, because of inadequate preparation during their initial training and problems of access to an appropriate structure of in-service provision. Low recruitment to Master's, Diploma and Certificate level courses frequently reflect structural, financial and logistic difficulties experienced by teachers, whilst shorter INSET Courses, although capable of reacting flexibly to teachers' immediate perceived needs, are unable to provide a coherent, structured and progressive pat tern of professional development. The 'gap' in provi sion points up the need for a pyramid of certificated courses that are tailored to meet teachers' in-service professional requirements.