In-service Teacher Training Program Research Articles

English language teacher trainers’ capacity building in sustainable development goals through MOOCs

PurposeThis study makes an enquiry of the existing sustainable development goals (SDGs) knowledge of English language teacher trainers (ELTTs), who remain an overlooked stakeholder in education for sustainable development. Despite the literature on SDG integration into traditional teacher education curriculum, how massive open online courses (MOOCs) can help with capacity building of ELTTs is unclear. This study aims to further explore how the knowledge and capacities of ELTTs on SDGs could be promoted through MOOCs.Design/methodology/approachFor the study’s action research approach, data of 28 ELTTs from higher education institutions in Ankara, Türkiye, were collected for six weeks using a survey, reflective reports and focus group interviews.FindingsELTTs with no previous training experience have a partially fragmented understanding of SDGs. MOOCs proved to be highly practical and cost-effective in building ELTTs’ capacity for building knowledge of and improving motivation to address SDGs in training programs. Further findings are drawn from ELTTs’ reflections on the lack of pedagogical content knowledge and collegial interactions in MOOCs.Originality/valueThere is little to no literature on ELTTs’ existing knowledge of SDGs and whether MOOCs can be used for their capacity building to achieve SDGs. The present findings may encourage higher education institutions to launch professional development programs that will equip ELTTs with the competencies to apply education for sustainable development in in-service English language teaching and teacher training programs.

Formação de professores em competências digitais para a avaliação formativa utilizando e-rubricas colaborativas

This study is based on the premise that the teaching profession is one of the professions with the greatest responsibility for educating citizens in digital competence, and as such we should focus on how to train these professionals. We carried out this research during an in-service teacher training programme in Ecuador and based it on the principle that we should train teachers in the same way as we expect them to teach their students. During the training programme, teachers acquire formative assessment skills using digital e-rubrics (teacher and peer assessment) and work in collaboration with other teams of teachers. We analysed the results of applying the same digital rubric to an oral competence exercise involving participating and course teachers, and conducted a correlational research design, obtaining a Cronbach's alpha of 0.953 from the 508 evaluations carried out with the same e-rubric. Based on the results, we present a digital rubric that has been validated to assess the oral presentation of educational projects. Moreover, we analysed the difficulties teachers had when using the rubric, as shown in the assessment of the quality of the resources. Examples of other practices and contexts for training teachers in digital rubric methods are also presented. Finally, we provide a set of web-based rubric tools as possible applications.

Adressing Linguistic and Cultural Heterogeneity in Chemistry Classrooms: Findings from the In-service Teacher Training Program

One of the challenges in the teaching science in Bosnia and Herzegovina is its plurality of languages and cultural diversity. In the previous initial teacher education, there was a lack of quality preparation for these modern challenges; opportunities to teach cultural and linguistic diversity were not recognized. Therefore, the challenge is to encourage experienced chemistry teachers to develop competencies for an intercultural teaching environment within the Educating Science Teachers for All (ESTA) project. The participants of the in-service professional development program were chemistry teachers from three cantons in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim of the program was to develop and improve professional competencies through workshops and work in groups, with discussions on selected topics and laboratory exercises with the use of modern laboratory equipment and ICT. Teaching opportunities were offered in linguistically diverse classes, as well as in classes with other forms of student diversity. The results showed that teachers are aware of the need to be sensitized for student differences. They expressed positive impressions and willingness to adjust the teaching material according to the needs of their students, but also the need for further support through collaboration with the university staff.

Implementation of Teacher Development Program for Integrating Climate Change Education: Natural Sciences Teachers View

The devastating effect of climate change (CC) on the environment all over the world has been a worrisome phenomenon. The effort by the government and other stakeholders at integrating climate change education (CCE) into the school curriculum in South Africa has not yielded the desired result because of the lack of teacher professional training programs for teaching CCE in the classroom. Using the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) theory as lenses, this qualitative study investigated the implementation of the in-service teacher development programs and their role in enhancing the integration of CCE in Natural Sciences lessons. Five secondary schools out of twenty schools that participated in the in-service teacher training program conducted by one higher education institution (HEI) were purposely selected. Data for this study were generated through one-on-one semi-structured interviews conducted with four participating Natural Sciences teachers at the selected schools. It emerged from the data that the implementation of in-service teacher development programs helped Natural Sciences teachers to integrate CCE into their lessons. The data also revealed that Natural Sciences teachers’ content and pedagogical content knowledge on CC was lacking thus they were not adequately integrating CCE in their lessons. The study concludes that the teacher training programs are responsible for teacher improved pedagogical practice of Natural Sciences teachers in the classroom and the integration of CCE. The paper, therefore, recommends that teacher professional development programs on CCE for Natural Sciences teachers be organized on a continuous basis.

The effect of an in-service PE teacher training programme on the fitness levels of learners

Although physical education (PE) provides a school-based platform for the enhancement of learners’ physical health, implementation challenges can have a detrimental effect on learners’ motivation to participate in physical activities and their fitness levels. Within the framework of the Self-determination Theory (SDT), meeting learners’ basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness in the PE class, can promote their fitness levels by enhancing their intrinsic motivation to be physically active. The purpose with this study was to investigate the effect of an in-service PE teacher training programme including needs-support teaching strategies on the physical and motor fitness levels of the learners of the participating teachers. Using a pre- and post-test experimental design, the fitness of 1 control and 4 experimental groups were assessed using standardised tests before and after the intervention programme. The intervention included implementing the needs-support teaching strategies acquired by the teachers during the once-off, 5-day teacher training programme, for 4 months while receiving continued support from the instructors of the course during those 4 months. The results show that the programme had a positive effect on the fitness levels of the learners in most of the tested fitness components, warranting the recommendation of SDT-based in-service training of PE teachers to support learners’ motivation towards physical activity and fitness.

The Participation Experiences of Chinese Teacher Trainees and Their Finnish Teacher Trainer on an In-Service Teacher Training Program Exported From Finland to China

Purpose This paper aims to examine the participation experiences of a sample of Chinese teacher trainees and their Finnish teacher trainer on an in-service teacher training program exported from Finland to Beijing, China. Design/Approach/Methods Six science teachers from Beijing and their Finnish teacher trainer participated in semi-structured interviews. From the ideological perspective of international education, a total of eight semi-structured interviews were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Findings The results show that all interviewees were highly motivated to learn from the Other's education system and culture. Some participants benefited from a broader understanding of the Self's and the Other's education systems, while others did not. The interviewees also described some participation challenges, such as language barriers and practices that adapted learner-centered teaching approaches in Beijing schools. Furthermore, the interviewees mentioned future expectations of more in-depth communication between Finland and China. Originality/Value Some recommendations for better training outcomes, improving the quality of participation experiences, and reaching more mutual understandings were discussed at the end of this study.

Effect of a student teaching internship program on the self-efficacy of pre-service teachers in rural China

PurposeThe purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of a student teaching internship program on the self-efficacy of pre-service teachers in China.Design/methodology/approachWith 1,367 participants, structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the fit of the hypothetical model and a latent path analysis was conducted to identify the relationship among various variables.FindingsThe results suggested that the program had a significant impact on efficacy in terms of personal skills, general teaching skills and personal qualities of the student interns concerned. Although this study was set in rural China, the findings of this study offered insights for teacher education in other places.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, no research studies have been conducted on this in-service teacher training program in a systematic and comprehensive way using a large sample size and involving all major stakeholders. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap, by exploring the experience of a large cohort of pre-service teachers participating in this student teaching internship program. Studying the experiences of these student teachers will illuminate some of the key challenges faced and how they impacted their teaching and learning during their teaching practices in rural areas. The findings may help teacher education institutions to review and enhance their existing approaches to teaching practices and professional development initiatives not only in rural China but in similar contexts in other countries.

Personality traits, role ambiguity, and relational competence as predictors for teacher subjective wellbeing.

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly reshaped the way teaching activities are carried out, thus intensifying the stress felt by teachers. The teacher-student relationship has also changed under the influence of social constraints. Together, these have affected teachers' work efficiency and redefined their connection with the school. The present study aims to examine the extent to which personality traits, role ambiguity, and relational competence predict teacher subjective wellbeing. The study sample consisted of 105 university teachers. Three hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for each of the three criterion variables used in this research: teaching efficacy, school connectedness, and teacher subjective wellbeing. The results indicated that the personality traits emotionality, extraversion, and conscientiousness are significant predictors for all three variables, while honesty-humility, agreeableness, and openness to experience are not predictors for any of the variables. However, in the third step of the regression analysis, conscientiousness was found to lose its predictive quality for the variables school connectedness and teacher subjective wellbeing, its place being taken by emotionality. Both role ambiguity and relational competence are significant predictors for teaching efficacy, for school connectedness, and for teacher subjective wellbeing. Based on these results, universities can design some measures to reduce role ambiguity of teachers and can identify areas of training needed to increase their relational competence, while simultaneously reducing the costs associated with wellbeing and productivity problems. Several training modules and courses are proposed to be designed and included in the curriculum of initial and in-service teacher training programs, in order to contribute to increasing teachers' performance.

Primary school teachers' emotions, implicit beliefs, andself-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, primary school teachers faced many challenges when providing online and hybrid teaching, especially in PE classes. This study aimed to analyze emotions, self-perceived instructional competence, and incremental beliefs during the first lockdown, in distance education instructional delivery, and, as the pandemic emergency persisted, in hybrid teaching. One hundred and four primary school teachers (Males = 7; Females = 97; Mage = 53.24; SDage = 7.34) were involved in the study from four Italian Primary Schools. Participants filled in the Motivation, Emotion, Strategies, and Teaching questionnaire (MESI) ( 1) administered in an online survey. Results showed that younger teachers had significantly lower scores in negative emotions when they taught than the older ones. On the other hand, older teachers have more belief in their own abilities to improve teaching, unlike younger teachers. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that teachers' positive emotions experienced in teaching predict perceived instructional efficacy during distance learning. Furthermore, teachers' positive emotions experienced in teaching and in the role of teacher predict teachers' changes in PE teaching during distance learning. Incremental beliefs predict perceived instructional efficacy during distance learning. Efforts on pre-service and in-service teacher training programs could help teachers strengthen emotional competencies and manage their stress in the classroom, both in normal educational contexts and in adverse conditions.

Development of an In-Service Teacher Training Program for Disaster Risk Reduction in a New Compulsory High School Geography Course in Japan

Development of an In-Service Teacher Training Program for Disaster Risk Reduction in a New Compulsory High School Geography Course in Japan

The degree of effectiveness of in-service teacher training programs from the teachers ’point of view in Ajloun Governorate

هدفت الدراسة التعرف إلى درجة فاعلية برامج تدريب المعلمين أثناء الخدمة من وجهة نظر المعلمين  في محافظة عجلون،  وقد تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي المسحي، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من(242) معلمًا ومعلمة في مدارس محافظة عجلون، وتمثلت أداة الدراسة باستبانة مكونة من(44) فقرة وتوصلت نتائج الدراسة أن درجة فاعلية برامج تدريب المعلمين أثناء الخدمة في محافظة عجلون من وجهة نظر المعلمين بشكل عام جاءت متوسطة بمتوسط حسابي بلغ(3.10). وأشارت النتائج أيضاً بأنه لا توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في متوسطات تقديرات أفراد عينة الدراسة لدرجة فاعلية برامج تدريب المعلمين أثناء الخدمة تعزى لمتغير الجنس، و لمتغير المؤهل العلمي على مستوى الأداة ككل، وعلى المستوى الكلي لجميع مجالاتها باستثناء مكان وزمان التدريب و تقييم التدريب، ولصالح فئة (أعلى من بكالوريوس). و لمتغير سنوات الخبرة على المستوى الكلي لجميع مجالات الأداة باستثناء التخطيط للبرامج التدريبية والأساليب والوسائل التدريبية  والأداة ككل ولصالح فئة (أقل من5 سنوات). و لمتغير البرنامج التدريبي على مستوى جميع المجالات باستثناء الأساليب والوسائل التدريبية ومكان وزمان التدريب وتقييم التدريب والأداة ككل ولصالح فئة (القيادة المهنية ERSP). الكلمات المفتاحية: درجة فاعلية، برامج تدريب، المعلمين، أثناء الخدمة

The Practice of Classroom Assessments during Curriculum Change: A Study of Inservice Teachers

The education ministry has refreshed the past school curriculum to the Freedom Curriculum or Kurikulum Merdeka. Ideally, the change of curriculum is alignment with the methods of assessment. In terms of assessments, there are three types highlighted in the new curriculum: diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. The question arises whether the teachers can really cope with the current issues in assessment. This research aimed to survey the teachers’ perceived skills in assessment and to examine the practices of classroom assessments dealing with the latest issues, including the assessment they used most. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The respondents were 276 teachers from various backgrounds. They were in-service teachers who joined the Teacher Certification Program managed by Universitas PGRI Semarang in the year 2022. Descriptive statistics was used to calculate the data. The results revealed that teachers reported being fairly skilled in doing assessments. However, several subskills in assessment need improvement. Among the three types of assessment, summative was mostly practised by teachers while teachers least frequently conducted the diagnostic. Based on the function, assessment of learning was mostly practised by teachers, while assessment as learning was the least frequently used. The in-service teacher training program curriculum must cover course materials in assessment to better equip teachers with the ability to execute various assessments.
 Keywords: Kurikulum Merdeka; classroom assessment; diagnostic; formative; summative

CHANGE IN THE PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF IN-SERVICE TEACHERS AFTER ATTENDING TRAINING PROGRAMMES

This study focuses on the changes taking place in the professional environment of the in-service teachers after attending in-service teacher training programmes. A sample of 60 in-service teachers of upper primary schools was selected from four districts of Himachal Pradesh viz. Shimla, Solan, Bilaspur and Kinnaur and survey method of research was used. It has been found in this study that after attending in-service teacher training programmes the in-service teachers have made changes in their professional environment and they apply their knowledge gained in the training programmes in the real class room situations. The current study is of utmost significance in terms of implementation of training in the real professional environmentof in-service teachers.

Professional Learning Communities in Private Schools in Bahrain and Oman: Reflection on Two Cases

Highlights This study explores features of professional learning community (PLC) models in the educational contexts in Bahrain and Oman. Findings based on the case studies of PLCs in two private schools in Bahrain and Oman, and theoretical input from international PLC literature has implications for policy and practice. Study recommends promoting PLC approaches in the Bahraini and Omani educational systems in pre- and in-service teacher training programs, adapting best international PLC practices to the specific educational contexts of Bahrain and Oman, preparing school principals to lead PLC in their schools, providing human and financial support to these communities, and making school cultures more collaborative. This study highlights the importance of the PLC approach, expands the existing conceptual/analytical framework, demonstrates how this approach is being used in two schools, and encourages other practitioners and researchers to embrace PLC.

The effect of social media on the development of students' affective variables.

The use of social media is incomparably on the rise among students, influenced by the globalized forms of communication and the post-pandemic rush to use multiple social media platforms for education in different fields of study. Though social media has created tremendous chances for sharing ideas and emotions, the kind of social support it provides might fail to meet students’ emotional needs, or the alleged positive effects might be short-lasting. In recent years, several studies have been conducted to explore the potential effects of social media on students’ affective traits, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and so on. The present paper reviews the findings of the exemplary published works of research to shed light on the positive and negative potential effects of the massive use of social media on students’ emotional well-being. This review can be insightful for teachers who tend to take the potential psychological effects of social media for granted. They may want to know more about the actual effects of the over-reliance on and the excessive (and actually obsessive) use of social media on students’ developing certain images of self and certain emotions which are not necessarily positive. There will be implications for pre- and in-service teacher training and professional development programs and all those involved in student affairs.

AN INQUIRY OF EFL TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT IDENTITY FORMATION THROUGH THE PERSPECTIVES OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS

This study is an exploration of how critical incidents shape teachers’ assessment identity. Through a narrative analysis based on data collected from seven teachers, four assessment-related critical incidents in the career of these teachers were identified. They include the early education experience before the participants joined the teacher training programs, the time spent in formal teacher training programs, in-service teacher training programs, and major promotions in their careers. The study urges teacher training institutions and professional development programs to acknowledge and devote an important part of their curriculum and learning activities to more localized, ongoing and sustained professional development for teachers, accentuating that attention should also be directed to nurturing teacher assessment identity right from pre-service teacher education and during in-service professional development programs. Teachers should also be encouraged to develop the habit of frequently reflecting on their assessment identity formation.

Enhancing Oral Academic English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) through self-regulated Listening to Authentic Educational Podcast

This study investigated the role of self-regulated listening practice to authentic lecture podcast in improving oral English for instructional purposes. It employed an experimental study design complemented by qualitative tools. The participants (56 teachers) were drawn from a population of upper secondary school subject area teachers. The data was generated through classroom observation scheme and in-depth interview. Independent sample t-test and thematic analysis were employed to analyze the quantitative data (from the observation) and qualitative data (from the interview) respectively. The results showed that a combined use of listening to authentic lecture podcast and self-regulated listening strategies play an important role in improving English language deficiency of teachers for instructional purposes across discourse functions of lesson introduction, definition, elaboration, hypothesizing and use of discourse markers. The discourse functions of questioning remain largely unaffected. The positive results have promising educational implications suggesting the possibility of using this package of intervention in pre-service and in-service teacher training programs to enhance EMI teachers’ oral English for instructional ends.

Awareness of Co-Teaching Administration among Teachers of Resource Room Program

Collaborative teaching (co-teaching) is a method of providing educational services to students with learning disabilities (LDs) in general education classes, and it also reduces educational dispersion as a result of these students joining remedial instruction in special education programs. This descriptive research aimed to identify the level of awareness of co-teaching among teachers of resource room program (RRP). A total of 162 Omani teachers of RRP responded on a co-teaching scale. This scale consisted of 28 items distributed into five domains related to the concept of co-teaching, as well as co-teaching models, in addition to the elements, benefits and requirements of co-teaching. The results indicated that, according to the means and standard deviations of the scale domains, the teachers’ awareness of co-teaching was as follows: a low level of awareness of the elements, requirements and models of co-teaching, a moderate one of the benefits of co-teaching, and a high one of the concept of co-teaching. The outcomes of the t-test also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the teachers’ awareness attributed to their specialization and teaching experience. This research recommended reconsidering the pre-service and in-service teacher training programs in Oman to align with the philosophy of co-teaching and raising awareness of it among Omani teachers and educational leaders.

Early childhood educators’ conceptions of the environment: a ‘funds of knowledge’ approach

Despite the growing awareness of the environmental crisis, few studies have examined how early childhood educators conceptualise the environment and the funds of knowledge they draw upon to describe these. Using ‘funds of knowledge’ as a theoretical lens, this study explores how early childhood educators in Malta describe the environment. Guided by a qualitative case study methodology, data were collected via semi-structured interviews with five early childhood educators and one head of school. Following Hedge’s funds of knowledge framework, the themes that emerged from the data were divided under three sections: centre-based funds of knowledge, that encouraged romantic images of nature and an understanding of the environment as place; community-based funds of knowledge, that helped participants value nature and the quality of the environment; and family-based funds of knowledge, based on personal experience and their relationship with the environment. If taken into consideration, these findings may contribute to the design and implementation of initial and in-service early childhood teacher training programs that focus on the implementation of environmental education programs in the early years, based on educators’ prior conceptions.

Teacher Resilience and Covid-19 Seismic Disruptions: The Nigerian Experience

COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant problems have unleashed severe seismic disruptions on most countries of the world and have brought to the fore the fragility of most systems of the underdeveloped countries, particularly educational sector. Teachers, one of the educational stakeholders, were seemingly neglected during the COVID-19 seismic disruptions and this neglect could have far reaching impact on their cognition, psyche, self-esteem, motivation and confidence if not accorded attention against future happenings. This research therefore takes a deep dive into how COVID-19 has influenced teachers’ lives, especially secondary school teachers’ resilience; commitment, adaptability, confidence and the social support they received during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in both rural and urban Nigeria. It also examines the essence of boosting resilience in teachers to promote learning, proffer and employ mitigation techniques and combat COVID -19-like situations in school environment in relation to what their cognition, skills and dispositions are with regards to novel and emergency happenings in the future. The study adopts the mixed method design using qualitative and quantitative methods of data gathering via oral interviews and questionnaires. It thereafter compares the resilience exhibited between rural based teachers and urban based teachers. The findings have implications for pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes, curriculum design, government and society engagement and teacher burn-out and attrition.