Long-term Professional Development Research Articles

Impact at the student level: a study of the effects of a teacher development intervention on students' mathematical thinking

This research was conducted to study the impact on students of a long-term professional development intervention in mathematics for teachers in a low-wealth, urban school district. The emphasis in this assessment design was on obtaining a more accurate picture of student's problem-solving performance which challenged us to raise our expectations about student success from improved standardized test score data to an approach that focused on the way students think about mathematical tasks. The design used in this assessment provides a framework for considering teacher development and student assessment simultaneously. Results show that students taught by project teachers performed better in both classroom problem-solving activities and task-based interviews than students taught by nonproject teachers. In addition, there were major differences in the problem-solving behaviors of the two groups. Experimental students (students of project teachers) displayed greater mathematical confidence, and were more likely to see mathematics as a powerful way of thinking about the real world and approach mathematics as such.

What do teachers really know about work? professional development through education-industry links

Widespread industry and award restructuring, technological change and competency-based approaches to career entry and progression have brought about significant changes in the Australian (and world) labour market. These changes have led to changes in expectations of the aims and purposes of education. Important connections have been established between education and industry to address these changes. Teachers are seen to be vital in not only developing greater understanding about industry needs and expectations but also in the transfer of those workplace-related skills and competencies to their work with students. Concerns have been expressed about teachers' knowledge and abilities to make this link effectively. This has resulted in a significant focus being placed on teacher professional development programmes that increase teachers' understanding about the world of work. The article examines the concept of teachers' work in terms of its appropriateness in understanding wider work issues. The article also discusses the value added to teachers’ work through an examination of the experiences of teachers involved in a year-long industry placement programme. The article concludes that a long-term professional development programme such as the Teacher Release to Industry Programme (TRIP) described here not only builds on teachers' existing skills and competencies but more importantly highlights that the skills and competencies held by teachers are not dissimilar to those required by students for effective entry into the workforce.

Professional development as the pursuit of professional standards: The standards-based professional development system

This paper outlines an emerging system for professional development based on profession-defined standards and values. Over the past ten years or so, teacher associations have demonstrated that the profession has the ability to reach a consensus on teaching standards without imposing uniformity of style. These standards indicate that the profession can lay down long-term professional development goals and priorities for its members. With this capacity, the teaching profession now has the credentials to run its own infrastructure for professional learning, directed to enhancing and rewarding attainment of professional standards. The emerging system has the potential to overcome major limitations in traditional systems of in-service education for teachers: the lack of clarity about what teachers should get better at; the lack of incentives in the form of advanced career steps based on the attainment of high teaching standards and the low level of personal ownership teachers felt for the in-service education system.

Yuk! Peanut Butter Again, Avoiding Instructional Monotony

This article presents a rationale for instructional variety based on the differences in the learning style of the students and on the objectives of the curriculum. A models of teaching approach for planning is described. A long-term professional development plan to implement teaching models for instructional variety is presented. (MT)

Exploring clinical supervision as instrument for effective teacher supervision

This paper examines clinical supervision approaches that have the potential to promote and implement effective teacher supervision in Nigeria. The various approaches have been analysed based on the conceptual framework of instructional supervisory behavior. The findings suggest that a clear distinction can be made between the prescriptive and collaborative clinical approaches of clinical supervision. The prescriptive clinical supervision is authoritative in nature while the collaborative approach is facilitative in nature. Based on the findings the research suggests that a collaborative clinical approach is applied to enhance effective teacher supervision. The collaborative clinical approach could furthermore foster an enabling environment that will enhance reflective practice and the long-term professional development of the teacher.