In-service Training Research Articles

In-service training for improving the quality of English language teaching in Zanzibar’s secondary schools

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate an in-service training (INSET) programme for improving the quality of English language teaching in Zanzibar’s secondary schools. Specifically, there were two objectives: i) to explore the teachers’ views on the zanzibar improvement students prospect (ZISP) training programme in improving the English language teaching techniques in secondary schools in Zanzibar and ii) to find out the organisational support provided to teachers when they are using the skills and knowledge acquired from the ZISP teaching programme. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative research approach, particularly the case-study design. It used interviews to collect qualitative data that was analysed thematically. Twelve English language teachers from seven secondary schools who had benefited from the ZISP teaching programme and five headmasters from five schools participated in the study as respondents. Findings The study found that the ZISP training programme equipped teachers with pedagogical skills useful for preparing lessons and materials, using technology in teaching and providing timely feedback to students. In terms of support, teachers receive materials and motivation from various organisations. Research limitations/implications This study focused on ordinary teachers and headmasters. Nevertheless, other studies could use classroom observation, focus group discussion, document review or survey questionnaire to evaluate the impact of the programme and look at how the skills obtained are used in the teaching and learning of the English language. In addition, this study involved 12 participants who were teachers and headmasters, respectively. Other studies could include students, their families, employers and non-teaching staff. This would provide a holistic view of how the stakeholders perceive the INSET programme. Originality/value The study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the benefits and organisational support teachers receive after participating in the INSET training programme in Zanzibar. Thus, teachers need regular exposure to INSET so that they improve the quality of their teaching.

The Concerns of Community-Dwelling Older Women Living with Urinary Incontinence: Qualitative Research.

The world including Iran is facing population aging. Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common health concerns of older women that can be accompanied by an increased sense of loneliness, social restrictions, and disruption in activities of daily living in addition to the regular challenges of old age. This study was aimed at explaining the concerns of community-dwelling older women living with UI. This study used the conventional, qualitative, content analysis approach with purposive sampling. Twenty interviews were conducted with 18 participants, including 15 community-dwelling older women with UI and three family members (a husband and two daughters), over the span of 14months (from August 2021 to October 2022). The data were collected via semi-structured, face-to-face interviews until data saturation was achieved, and were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's method. The findings revealed that the concerns of older women with UI include the impasse of UI, being powerless in life, distorted social identity, and marital frustration, which fell under the main theme of sense of inadequacy. Recognizing the concerns of older women with UI can make health care teams more sensitive to the importance of resolving these concerns and can offer some insight into how best to provide targeted training, support, and counseling services at individual, family, and society levels, to eventually resolve the older adult's sense of inadequacy.

What I really want: Policy maker views on education in Southeast Asia

This paper reports the views and perceptions of randomly selected education policy makers in Southeast Asia, based on surveys of 651 senior public officials in 14 middle-income countries globally. The findings show that officials tend to prioritize increasing secondary school completion over improving learning quality, despite global evidence suggesting that improving learning quality is more crucial for economic growth. Additionally, the surveyed Southeast Asian officials severely underestimate learning poverty and do so at twice the rate of officials from other countries. Officials were most likely to cite system capacity as the primary constraint to improving learning. The findings show that officials’ support for gender equality and disability inclusion is high. Interviewed officials prefer to invest in in-service teacher training or early-grade reading compared to other options such as EdTech or inclusion for students with disabilities. This mix of alignment and misalignment between policy makers’ goals and the stated goals of development partners can inform future engagement in policy dialogue, analysis, and information campaigns.

Aplikasi Survei Kepuasan Peserta Diklat Berbasis Mobile Untuk Meningkatkan Pelayanan Diklat

Balai Diklat Keuangan Medan There is an Organizing and Learning sector which is tasked with carrying out learning related to State finances, facilitating the implementation of the Learning system and facilitating technical support for implementing learning needs analysis, learning evaluation, certification and competency tests as well as providing assistance services for implementing knowledge processes and learning organizations in the work area of the Financial Education and Training Center. This research was created to create a mobile-based training participant satisfaction survey system to improve training services. The aim is to improve training services that can be accessed easily by training participants. With the survey application, participant satisfaction data can be accessed and analyzed in real-time and this application makes the work of organizers easier in calculating satisfaction surveys and can provide data to the head of the Financial Training Center quickly. By using the waterfall method with Likert Scale calculations, this research produces an efficient information system through the stages of needs analysis, design, implementation, testing, maintenance and Likert scale calculations. The results obtained from this research are that the participant satisfaction survey application can make it easier for organizers to calculate survey results and make it easier for offices to improve office quality quickly.

Preliminary investigation of the sea-rail intermodal system's efficiency using a simulation approach: case of the Port of Trois-Rivieres

Sea-rail intermodal transportation around the globe faces complex challenges that affect the satisfaction of shippers' needs. An efficient cargo flow between the port and its hinterland depends particularly on efficient connectivity between the seaport and rail. Sea-rail intermodal can be a cost-efficient and green alternative to unimodal road transportation. Inefficient sea-rail connectivity in the seaport slows cargo flow and affects port capacity. Various factors could affect the system's efficiency and create bottlenecks in the system. A case study adopts a discrete event-based simulation approach to assess bottlenecks in the sea-rail connection that affect cargo flow and generate congestion. The data were collected from the Port of Trois-Rivières, the focus of our investigation. Our objective is to identify bottlenecks in the sea-rail intermodal system in the port, identify strategies to mitigate bottlenecks and accelerate cargo flow. To this end, we examined various scenarios, including an increase in the share of trains for cargo transportation and an increase in the number of daily train convoys. The findings underscore that elevating the train share to 40% and introducing two daily train services yield significant enhancements in key performance indicators. Noteworthy advantages encompass a reduction in the average time ships spend in the port, a decrease in the average waiting time for trains to depart from the port, an overall improvement in cargo handling efficiency within the port, and a notable alleviation of bottlenecks within the system.

Effect of Community Building on Church Spiritual Growth

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between community building and spiritual growth within Pentecostal Churches in the Nairobi metropolitan counties of Kenya, focusing on the Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG), and Full Gospel Churches of Kenya (FGCK) under the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK). Grounded in servant leadership, empowerment, and spiritual leadership theories, the research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how servant leaders facilitate community building and its impact on church growth. Methodology: The study was guided by servant leadership, empowerment and spiritual leadership theories. The study was conducted across multiple Pentecostal denominations within the Nairobi Metropolitan counties, including Nairobi, Kajiado, Muranga, Kiambu, and Machakos in Kenya. Data collection involved 333 church leaders and members, with 173 from PEFA, 80 from KAG, and 80 from FGCK, resulting in a response rate of 91%. Additionally, two discussion groups comprising pastors and elders from PEFA and KAG churches in Kajiado County were interviewed using an interview guide, totaling 17 members. The total response rate of church leaders and members was 304 (91%). The descriptive cross-sectional survey research design and exploratory designs were adopted for data collection and analysis where respondents provided relevant data. The research was anchored on the pragmatism philosophy. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, where Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 was used. Thematic analysis was employed in analyzing qualitative type of data. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were employed to select the sample, ensuring representation of subgroups within the population. This approach facilitated efficient and cost-effective data collection while maintaining the integrity of the study's findings Findings: Data collected from 304 respondents, including pastors, elders, and members, reveals a significant positive association between community building and spiritual growth, with volunteer services rating relatively low. The results showed a positive significance of community building in affecting church spiritual growth. The study findings in all the three models: Model summary, ANOVA and Coefficient confirm the significance of community building in church spiritual growth. The correlation coefficient results yielded a positive relationship of 0.580. However, descriptive statistics on mean scores of how respondents views the practice of community building in their churches, the sub variable of voluntary community services was ranked the lowest (3.7) amongst the other constructs. Nevertheless, there is a need for enhancement of voluntary services by the Pentecostal churches in areas such as health, free cleaning and training services to give back to the community. When church leadership participate in welfare activities such as helping the vulnerable in society, this positively affects church growth both spiritually and numerically. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing volunteer engagement to foster both spiritual and numerical church growth. This study contributes to theoretical understanding and practical implications for Pentecostal church settings, addressing research gaps and advocating for servant leadership practices that empower church members and promote community building for holistic church growth.Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study supported servant leadership, empowerment and spiritual leadership theories. Servant leaders play a crucial role in empowering of church members through community building causing effect on church growth. The study revealed and filled a number of conceptual, theoretical, contextual and empirical glaring research gaps in area of servant leadership attribute of community building and church spiritual growth. The most noticeable gap is the contextual gap where many studies on church growth only delved on numerical growth and leaving out spiritual growth of which this study addressed. The study also revealed a gap in volunteer services with a mean of 4.1. Pentecostal churches therefore need to put more efforts to improve volunteer services as well as promotion of spiritual formation so as to enhance church spiritual growth.

Challenges to Compliance and Adherence to Personal Hygiene and Food Safety Among Foodservice Workers in Hospitals of Mogalakwena Municipality, Limpopo Province

Background: Foodborne illnesses could result from food handlers acquiring bacteria that make them dangerous for humans to consume. Non-adherence to personal hygiene and food safety can impact how well patients' conditions are managed and aggravate illnesses during hospital stay. Therefore, this study seeks to explore factors that may impact adherence to personal hygiene and food safety among hospital food service workers. Methods: Qualitative exploratory study design was used to extract data from food handlers at Mokopane and Voortrekker hospitals in Mogalakwena municipality of Limpopo province, South Africa. Twenty-one participants were purposively sampled, and face-to-face interviews were conducted using voice recorders and field notes for non-verbal cues. Tesch’s eight steps, inductive, descriptive, and open coding techniques were used to analyse data. Results: Factors reportedly affecting personal hygiene and food safety include knowledge of the importance of adherence to personal hygiene and food safety, personal preferences and attitude towards personal hygiene, and lack of uniform and inspection. Non-adherence is affected by cultural norms regarding the wearing of wedding rings and bracelets on the wrist. Conclusion: This study recommends regular internal and external food safety compliance and monitoring. The leadership of the hospital's food service department should be strengthened, and food handlers should get regular in-service training.

The Impact of Training Service Quality on Postgraduate Student Satisfaction: a Case Study of a Public University from Vietnam

Purpose: This study examines important characteristics that affect student satisfaction with the graduate training services of the University of Commerce. Theoretical framework: Research models are developed based on service quality measurement models based on customers' desires and perceptions, such as models using the SERVQUAL scale. Research method: the author uses qualitative methods combined with quantitative methods using a non-probability stratified sampling survey method to analyze 216 postgraduate students of the University of Commerce. Results and discussion: According to research results, while most components of the University of Commerce's graduate training services are highly appreciated by students, other elements need to be maintained and improved. more good. Research results have identified a key factor (Trust & Quality of the training program) that affects the satisfaction of graduate students at the University of Commerce. Research Implications: The research results serve as a foundation for making a variety of proposals and recommendations to support the long-term development of postgraduate training services in emerging countries. Originality/value: Research results have identified a key factor: Trust & Quality of the training program that has the greatest impact on the satisfaction of graduate students at the University of Commerce.

Conflict and Collaboration: Co-Teaching Dynamics in Bilingual Private Schools

This qualitative phenomenological inquiry aimed to explore the intricacies of conflict within the educational landscape, specifically focusing on its manifestation within the realm of private schools. The resultant dataset covered the perspectives of 37 teachers and four administrators through semi-structured interviews. This investigation leveraged the transformative power of in-depth interviews, engaging both co-teachers and school administrators, to unveil the layers of complexity hidden beneath the surface. The data analysis followed a series of thematic coding stages. The multifaceted findings uncovered a paradoxical landscape within the practice of co-teaching. While the practice itself was recognized as invaluable, a tapestry of conflicting issues emerged that warrant careful consideration. The salient points of discord that surfaced encompassed themes such avoidance of responsibility, inability to adapt to practice, not knowing the system, the partners paying more attention to their branch, intense program, lack of communication and different educational philosophies. Finally, a notable difference in perception arose: teachers often credited conflict resolution to the effectiveness of their administrators, whereas administrators leaned towards the idea that it depended on the competence of their fellow teachers. While teachers pushed for more in-service training and workshops, administrators argued that they already offer sufficient training opportunities. These results underscore the intricate dynamics within the education system. To facilitate successful co-teaching, both teachers and administrators must grasp this approach thoroughly.

Visual Strategies in (Visual Arts) Education: A Critical Perspective on Reading and Making Images

This study takes its point of departure from a nationwide project called Visual Storytelling and the Art of Reading Images carried out in Sweden between 2019–2020. This national project, implemented by Läsrörelsen (The Reading Movement Association), aimed to develop the professionalism of educators and visual art teachers by offering an in-service training day to enhance their competence in visual storytelling and image interpretation. The aim of our study, which uses material from the project, is to contribute knowledge regarding the role of visual culture and visual strategies in school, particularly in visual arts education. The role of visual culture in education is to develop a critical perspective on images and cultural ways of seeing and making images. This approach involves focusing on the global and digital visual culture of young people’s daily lives and working on societal issues. Through teaching and learning how to analyse and discuss contemporary, complex images with others, as well as expressing oneself and communicating through image making, the use of visual strategies can bring pupil’s different opinions, thoughts, and feelings to the fore.

FORMATION OF SOCIAL COMPETENCE OF CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE "INTEGRATED SOCIAL AND ARTISTIC COURSE «MY WORLD» WITHIN THE NATIONAL EDWEY PLATFORM

The article is devoted to the formation of social competence of children with complex developmental disorders (ASD, ADHD, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, childhood schizophrenia) and raising the level of professional, inclusive competence of specialists, social educators of rehabilitation centres and other special institutions working with this category of wards. The article highlights a number of legislative documents on professional development of pedagogical staff, identifies free Ukrainian learning platforms for representatives of the educational community (EdWey, EdEra, Prometheus, WiseCow, Ukrainian Google Team, EduHub, Coursera, PostNauka). Based on the analysis of educational content from these educational platforms, the main directions and topics of the curricula of in-service training courses covering aspects of inclusive practice, features of inclusive education, practice-oriented approaches to working with children with developmental disabilities, including in wartime, are presented. The article highlights training courses for parents and representatives of children with developmental disabilities that contribute to the development of inclusive competence, open up opportunities for expanding the correctional knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for correct and effective work with children with developmental disabilities. The deficit of advanced training courses for social workers and specialists working with children with complex developmental disorders is outlined. The content of the author's "Integrated social and artistic course "My world" for children with complex developmental disorders" as an opportunity for advanced training of pedagogical and social workers within the National Edwey Platform is revealed, the results of students' training / check for the period of study are highlighted.

TRANSITION SHOCK EXPERIENCED BY NEW NURSES: AN EXAMPLE FROM TURKEY

This research was carried out to determine the transition shock to the profession in nurses. This descriptive study was conducted with 221 nurses who started to work in university hospitals in eastern Turkey between March-April 2022. Data were collected using the Introductory Information Form, and the Nursing Transition Shock Scale. The mean score of the Nursing Transition Shock Scale in Nursing was found to be 2.65±0.75. The multiple linear regression model demonstrated that there was a statistically significant relationship between choosing the nursing department willingly, having an internship, receiving in-service training at the start of the profession, being self-confident in applying the knowledge and skills required by the nursing profession, having the communication skills required by the nursing profession and experiencing stress in transition from student role to profession and NTSS mean scores, and showed that these variables explained 20.7% of the total variance. In the study, it was found that the transition shock scores of the nurses were moderate. The research provides a perspective to nurse educators and nurse managers in terms of showing the transition shock experienced by nurses who have just started to work and the factors affecting it.

Strategies to Improve the Performance of Health Work Assistants at District General Hospital Kalutara

Strategies to Improve the Performance of Health Work Assistants at District General Hospital Kalutara

Instructional Leadership Practice of Secondary School Principals to Deliver Quality Education in North Shewa Zone in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The participants of the study were secondary school principals (47) and supervisors (16) selected using availability sampling. The method of data collection was a principals’ instructional management rating scale. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and an independent t-test, p < .05. The findings indicated that the practice of the ten instructional leadership functions was mainly poor, with some good with slightly better practices. The findings from an independent-sample t-test analysis showed that there were no statistically significant mean score differences between principals and supervisors’ ratings of the three dimensions of instructional leadership. To improve the instructional leadership practice in the schools, practical pre-and in-service training should be given to improve the knowledge and skill of instructional leadership of the principals.

Knowledge and factors associated with active management of the third stage of labor in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Implementing active management in the third stage of labor has significantly reduced the incidence of PPH. Thus, understanding the level of healthcare providers' knowledge of active management in the third stage of labor can inform guidelines, policies, and practices for effectively preventing PPH. This review aimed to assess the level of healthcare providers' knowledge and associated factors of active management in the third stage of labor in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a search using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and the African Journals online international databases. The inclusion criteria were determined before the review of the articles and adhere to the criteria of population, intervention, comparison, and outcome. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA data analysis software version 14, while Microsoft Excel was utilized for data abstraction. We checked publication bias using a funnel plot and Egger and Begg regression tests. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant, suggesting the presence of presence publication bias. The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity between studies. The study's overall effect was evaluated using the random effects model. The study included 20 studies to conduct a pooled prevalence analysis. The overall prevalence of healthcare providers' knowledge of active management of third-stage labor in sub-Saharan Africa was 47.975% (95% CI: 32.585, 63.365). Having pre- and in-service training (AOR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.00, 5.08), having a higher degree (AOR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.39, 2.82), and having good practices (AOR: 8.91, 95% CI: 4.58, 17.40) were significantly associated with healthcare provider's knowledge regarding active management third stage of labor. The overall healthcare providers' knowledge of active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL) was low in sub-Saharan Africa. Obstetric healthcare providers should undertake comprehensive training covering all AMTSL components through pre- and in-service diploma training programs.

Online assessment practices during the pandemic in secondary schools in Catalonia

ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers had to face different teaching and assessment challenges. This study aims to analyse the relationship between the assessment practices of teachers (related to their assessment conceptions) with their self-perceived level of teachers’ digital competence (TDC) and their received TDC and assessment training courses. For this, the authors applied an online questionnaire that analysed the case of secondary school teachers in Catalonia (Spain) (n = 278). Results show that participating teachers who have the highest self-perception of TDC are the ones who perceive themselves as integrating mainly formative assessment. Significant correlations were also found between recent teacher training and the kind of assessment practices carried out by participants. Official certification of TDC also has a statistically significant association with different assessment characteristics and purposes. Finally, the implications of these findings for pre-service and in-service teacher training are discussed, both regarding the TDC and the assessment competence.

Mathematics in Art and History Museums: An Informal Mathematics Education Case for Teachers’ In-Service Training

Recognizing the omnipresence of mathematics across various contexts, this paper addresses the untapped potential of museums as rich venues for informal mathematics learning beyond traditional educational settings like classrooms. This paper presents the InformalMath program, designed for the professional development of primary and middle school teachers using integrating mathematics education within art and history museums through designing mathematics visit workshops. Specifically, the focus is placed on Phase 1 of the program, in which teachers participated in two informal mathematics education workshops at two museums in Turin, Italy, and were asked to reflect on their participation through a written essay. The analysis of the essays reveals significant engagement, appreciation of mathematics as a cultural artifact, and the emergence of creativity and inclusion among participating teachers. These findings highlight the benefits of such interdisciplinary approaches in enhancing mathematical understanding and pedagogical strategies. Conclusions emphasize the program’s success in not only enriching teachers’ instructional repertoire but also in promoting a more holistic, engaging, and contextualized approach to mathematics education, suggesting a promising avenue for future educational practices and research in informal learning environments.

Perceived need for a teacher education course on assessment literacy development: insights from EAP instructors

Classroom assessment, as a crucial element of the teaching journey, plays a significant part in enhancing student achievement, student learning, and teacher instruction. As such, teachers should possess a good grasp of assessment literacy. This study aimed to explore the EAP teachers’ perceptions regarding the demand for in-service training in various areas of language assessment, in particular, examining how a language testing and assessment (LTA) teacher education course would impact the EAP instructors’ Language Assessment Literacy (LAL). In this qualitative study, pursuing a descriptive narrative design, 60 EAP instructors were selected through purposive sampling from those who have been working in state universities in Tehran. From these participants, 30 EAP teachers were asked to write narratives regarding their needs for training on LAL, and the other 30 participants were involved in an online semi-structured interview to determine how such a course could promote or inhibit their perceptions and practices of LA and LAL. Using MAXQDA to do content and thematic analysis, the research findings revealed that EAP instructors highly perceived a need for further training especially a practice-based one. In particular, the instructors thought of teacher education courses as contributing to their theoretical and practical knowledge of LAL. Hence, teacher education courses with a specific focus on LAL are highly required, changing EAP teachers’ perspectives on LTA, from being taught solely in theory to being taught practically in real classroom environments.

A multi-objective scheduling model in medical tourism centers considering multi-task staff training

In the present era, hospitals are actively encouraging their International Patient Departments (IPD) to provide high-quality medical services at a cost-effective rate for international patients. To accomplish this objective, several crucial factors must be taken into account, including capacity constraints, hospital waiting lists, and the presence of a highly skilled workforce. The waiting time experienced by patients is a significant indicator of the quality of hospital services and is often used by patients to evaluate healthcare professionals, sometimes even surpassing their knowledge and expertise. This becomes particularly critical when dealing with international patients as longer waiting times indirectly lead to additional accommodation costs. One potential solution is to schedule international patients on different days within a specific timeframe to minimize patient flow time. However, this can only be realistically achieved if staff productivity is enhanced through in-service training. These challenges, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding treatment duration, create a complex problem for IPDs. This study proposes an optimization approach for scheduling medical tourists who visit destination medical centers with two primary objectives: 1) reducing patient waiting times and 2) decreasing training costs while enhancing the skill level of the staff serving patients. The proposed model is formulated as a bi-objective nonlinear integer programming problem, which is subsequently transformed into a linear model using theoretical techniques. Given that this problem is NP-hard, two efficient meta-heuristic methods are developed to solve it for real-world scenarios of varying sizes. The findings of this study present a comparative analysis between the outcomes generated by the proposed algorithms and an exact method (CPLEX), showcasing their effectiveness and superiority. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis highlights that despite the costs associated with in-service training, enhancing staff skills can substantially reduce patient waiting times, resulting in significant cost savings for medical services while ensuring the delivery of high-quality care. Moreover, the improved staff skills enable IPD managers to gain valuable insights into the financial well-being of the medical center, including its ability to attract medical tourists.

Transport capacity analysis for sharing-corridor metro lines under virtual coupling

In this study, a method is proposed to analyze the capacity improvement ability of using virtual coupling technology to the sharing-corridor metro lines for solving the problem of capacity bottleneck. A mixed integer linear programming model is developed to optimise the train timetable of sharing-corridor lines under the assumption of using the virtual coupling technology, considering the constraints related to train timetabling, virtual coupling technology, and passenger assignment, with the objective to improve the service quality. The model adopts the departure times, arrival times, and whether each train service is planned as virtually coupled, with its adjacent front one or the following one, as decision variables. Furthermore, a method is proposed to evaluate the capacity utilization referring to UIC 406 and considering the feature of virtual coupling technology. The experiments on Shanghai Metro Line 3 and Line 4 are implemented to verify the effectiveness on transport capacity and passenger service quality of the proposed method. The results show that using virtual coupling technology can launch eight more train services during morning peak hours and at most reduce passengers’ waiting time by 73.8 s.