Online Professional Development Research Articles

Supporting teachers through online professional development: a small-scale qualitative study with teachers in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT The sudden transition to online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic compelled teachers worldwide to develop the skills necessary to contend with online education and execute effective teaching. Whereas several studies have investigated the professional development opportunities provided by educational institutions during this time, research on the effectiveness of engaging in such activities for higher education teachers in Bangladesh seems limited. This study explores Bangladeshi English teachers’ experiences of engaging in online professional development (OPD) and the impact it had on their teaching and professional learning during COVID-19. Data were collected using a qualitative survey distributed to twenty-five English teachers working at various public and private universities in Bangladesh. A thematic analysis demonstrated that teachers participated in both self-directed and institution-led professional development activities. While engaging in such activities was beneficial, teachers’ application of the knowledge in teaching and professional learning was hindered by an overload of online information, insufficient logistics facilities, and inadequate collegial support. The study recommended that designing cost-effective OPD and ensuring a collegial environment might inspire teachers to explore OPD opportunities. In addition, providing institutions with proper orientation and awareness would ensure better institutional support in executing OPD even in the post-covid-era.

Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Anticipations of Student Responses to Cognitively Demanding Tasks

ABSTRACT This study examines secondary mathematics teachers’ anticipations of student responses related to a series of cognitively demanding mathematics tasks from multiple mathematical domains presented in the context of voluntary and asynchronous online professional development modules. We analyze 283 anticipations made by 127 teachers to 17 mathematics tasks and present four distinct foci of teachers’ anticipations. Teachers participating in this study focused on actions students might take when engaging with the task — including the representations, strategies, and resources they might use — as well as aspects of students’ mathematical thinking, such as potential difficulties they might have, prior understandings they might use, and mathematical connections they might make. Teachers also attended to how students might react emotionally when presented with tasks and what actions they might take in advance or in response to their anticipations. We conclude with a discussion of ways our results can inform efforts to support improvements in mathematics teachers’ practice of anticipating.

Online Professional Development Course Helps Secondary Educators Increase Their Confidence in Teaching Evolution to Religious Audiences

Students with religious beliefs often find it difficult to accept the theory of evolution. It is important that educators feel comfortable addressing student questions on the compatibility of evolution and religion. We designed an online professional development course that taught the foundational principles of both evolution and religion in order to assist secular and non-secular educators in helping their students overcome religious barriers to evolution. This course increased the confidence of science educators to help students resolve perceived conflict between evolution and religion. Utilizing a reconciliation model will help religious educators drive science acceptance.

Who benefits and when? Understanding differential treatment effects of an online professional development program

The quality of educational experiences has a direct impact on children’s development and overall wellbeing. To ensure that children receive high-quality education experiences it is important that educators are trained in current best practices and feel efficacious in the implementation of these practices. Professional development (PD) has shown to be an effective mechanism for addressing educator knowledge and promoting feelings of self-efficacy. However, multiple barriers exist to delivering in-person PD (e.g., time and resource constraints). Online PD represents an attractive alternative for many educators, but the research on the effectiveness of online PD is mixed. The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a series of PD courses designed to promote positive youth development and identifies subgroups of educators who benefitted from the courses more than others. Results indicated improvement in feelings of self-efficacy around the implementation of practices to promote positive youth development, but new teachers in afterschool programs benefitted more than other educators.

Enhancing Teaching Skills of In-service English Teachers through Online Professional Development

The present study examined online professional development practices of in-service English teachers. A sample of 184 in-service English teachers from various levels of education in Turkey participated in the study through an online questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS to assess the teachers' utilization of the internet for professional development, classroom activities, and collaboration with others. The results revealed that the participants utilized the internet extensively for professional development and classroom activities, and collaboration with others. Furthermore, significant differences were found between participants' teaching levels and their use of the internet for collaboration, frequency of internet use and internet use for classroom practices, and ICT training experiences and use of the internet for overall professional development, classroom activities and collaboration. The findings suggest that in-service English teachers prioritized and benefited from online professional development practices and ICT training affected their use of the internet for such practices.

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION IN AN ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: INVESTIGATING TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is considered to be an external factor that affects teachers’ attitudes toward online professional development. Therefore, this study investigates the use of virtual communication in an online professional development program through the lens of teachers’ attitudes toward technology. This study was conducted in 15 schools across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A teacher training program called The Ta’alouf Inclusion Special Education, one of the initiatives of the Al Jalila Foundation (AJL), aimed to train teachers, promote inclusion, and support children with special educational needs and disabilities. Participants (teachers, school leaders, learning support assistants, social workers, and department heads) received 24 hours of virtual training sessions on numerous topics related to inclusive education and special educational needs and disabilities. A concurrent mixed-method approach was utilized to collect quantitative data from participants using an online survey and qualitative data using interviews. The study results reveal that the quarantine of COVID-19 did not affect teachers’ continued professional development. On the contrary, teachers felt the ease of using technology and the usefulness of the topics mentioned, which formed their positive attitudes toward using technology and led to their engagement and continuation of developing professionally either during or after the pandemic.

Are You Ready? Assessing the Impact of Online Professional Development on Health Professions Educators' Readiness and Knowledge for Online and Blended Teaching

Are You Ready? Assessing the Impact of Online Professional Development on Health Professions Educators' Readiness and Knowledge for Online and Blended Teaching

Supporting K-12 Educators’ Professional Development Continuity: A Forecasting Approach for Curating Online Resources for Emergency Preparedness Planning

This study, presented as a research poster for the 2023 AECT conference, identifies critical online professional development (PD) resources to support the PD continuity of about 38,000 K-12 educators as part of an emergency remote teaching (ERT) resource. The 2019, 2020, and 2021 academic year forecasting analyses showed 84 of the 537 online modules for ERT curation. The findings have implications for program evaluation in day-to-day operations and long-term emergency planning.

Exploring Teacher Motivation to Implement After an Online Professional Development by Using Expectancy-value-cost theory

This case study investigated the variations in teacher motivation to implement an instructional design model (Understanding by Design, UbD) after a seven-week online professional development (PD). Data were collected through a motivation scale and formative and summative reflection forms. Based on the quantitative results, teachers had high task value but differed in terms of their expectancy of success. Our qualitative findings produced two significant perceived costs behind doubted ability beliefs: First, teachers expressed difficulties in integrating the elements of the UbD into the centralised national curriculum, which they found to be intensive and confusing. Second, the lack of on-the-job support after PD programs negatively impacted teachers' expectancy of success. This study emphasises the importance of considering teachers' expectancy of success and task value before, during, and after PD programs, highlighting the need for tailored support and activities to enhance teachers' motivation and successful implementation of new learning in their classrooms.

EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of the Challenges of Technology-Based Professional Development

Pre-service teacher professional development could assume an urgent part in raising teaching quality and learning outcomes. Evolving technologies allow for new and different forms of professional development. However, teacher professional development opportunities are limited and outcomes are controversial. In this study, to capture the challenges of a technology-based professional development, the researchers examined teachers’ perceptions of the barriers to technology integration and instructional practices. Three hundred participants were recruited through an online survey- Technology-Based Professional Development Questionnaire. Through employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the researchers analysed the data. The results of the study indicated that the gap between information and the use of technology-based apparatuses was viewed as related with the difficulties confronting teachers with technology-based directions. Technology-literate teachers knew how to integrate their insight into their commonsense instructing and had higher students’ commitment and inspiration. In any case, technology-illiterate teachers had mechanical troubles that reduced their education. A few ramifications can be drawn from the review, for example, the requirement for teacher instruction projects to further develop teacher consciousness of new educational innovative learning strategies, and the significance of giving chances to get computerized proficiency. Our findings have both theoretical and practical implications for pre-and in-service teacher training programs. Based on these discoveries, suggestions for the plan of online professional development and gaps for future examinations are discussed.

Study of the Dilemma of Continuing Professional Development and Coping Strategies of University Teachers in Remote Areas of China

The continual production and dissemination of diverse information in this digital age is driving higher education institutions to innovate and integrate their knowledge. This further encourages teachers to continually update their professional development. However, as university teachers still encounter numerous difficulties this respect, the purpose of his study is to conduct in-depth qualitative analysis to explore this issue from four perspectives: peer support, external support, collaborative development, and continuous professional development online. By conducting in-depth interviews with 28 administrators and teachers from four northwestern universities in China, this research adopts qualitative methods to explore the current dilemmas in teachers' continuing professional development and information technology ability, and proposes corresponding improvement strategies based on the dilemmas. The results are expected to show that the needs of individual teachers are neglected, there is no plan for complete professional development, and there is a lack of outstanding university management talents in this information society. Therefore, it is suggested that a clear plan for the continuation of teachers’ professional development should be proposed, along with the establishment of a professional development center. At the same time, university teachers should take the initiative to enhance their personal growth, and university administrators’ foresight should not be ignored. The continuing professional development of university teachers in remote areas can only be achieved with unified cooperation in various aspects.

Culturally- and Linguistically-Responsive Online Teacher Learning Professional Development

This literature review explores the landscape of online teacher learning and professional development (PD) that is responsive to cultural and linguistic differences. The researchers, a diverse group of doctoral students, instructors, and teacher educators, are motivated by the need to address racial inequities and disparities exacerbated by the recent pandemic. The review aims to understand the theories and conceptual models used in responsive online teacher preparation and PD, the utilization of technology and its affordances, and the intentional targeting of specific groups for responsive teacher preparation and PD. The study followed a systematic approach, resulting in the selection of 27 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The findings highlighted the significance of socioculturally inspired theories, frameworks, and practical models in addressing inclusivity. They, in turn, influenced various tools used to reduce barriers, create online communities, enhance accessibility, and promote engagement. Accordingly, the review also revealed that to foster inclusivity, intentional efforts were required to involve teachers from minority, majority, and international communities. The implications emphasized the importance of teacher preparation and PD in establishing responsiveness, refuting deficit thinking, and capitalizing on cultural and linguistic assets. They also underscored the need for equity in the design of online teacher training and professional development. Finally, the review concluded with the various ways AI could be looped into the process.

Equipping Extension Professionals to Lead Volunteer Systems: An Evaluation of an Online Course

Extension professionals enter their role with content-specific expertise; however, experience in volunteer leadership and management competencies is often limited. This study focused on the effectiveness of the Achieving the Extension Mission Through Volunteers (AEMTV) course in preparing professionals to use the Identification, Selection, Orientation, Training, Utilization, Recognition, Evaluation (ISOTURE) model to learn and apply volunteer systems concepts in a cohort-based online learning environment. We used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess how the course impacted participants and the programs they lead. Data from 127 participants indicated they increased their knowledge, improved volunteer systems, and influenced the quality of programming delivered in communities. Our research confirmed that the ISOTURE model (Boyce, 1971; Dolan, 1969) continues to be an effective framework for learning and applying volunteer systems management practices. We recommend that Extension collaborates across states to formalize and create additional online professional development relevant to all program areas to elevate Extension’s impact nationally.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Online Professional Development for Rural Middle-School Science Teachers

ABSTRACT In rural, geographically dispersed school districts, access to high-quality face-to-face professional development (PD) is challenging. Our study developed and compared the effectiveness of an online PD for middle-school science teachers working in remote, rural areas of Kansas with an evidence-based traditional face-to-face PD with the goal of supporting change in teachers’ conceptual understanding and self-efficacy in utilizing Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), change in instructional practices, and overall student content learning. Fifteen rural middle-school science teacher participants were randomly selected to participate in the online or traditional PD, then taught the Toward High School Biology curriculum to their 504 middle-school students. Findings aligned with our hypothesis that online PD is as effective as traditional in improving student content knowledge related to the curriculum. Teachers’ instructional practices in using Next Generation Science Standards improved, as did their use of student-centered instruction and making science relevant to the lives of their students. Our study supports the importance of designing PD that effectively and economically brings teachers in isolated and diverse rural communities together.

Elementary teachers’ experiences in online professional development for literacy-focused computer science instruction for all learners

ABSTRACT Background & Context This research focused on an online professional development (PD), the Inclusive Computer Science Model of PD, to support integrating computer science and computational thinking for all learners into K-5 literacy instruction. Objective This research was conducted to understand elementary teachers’ perceptions of the PD. Method We used a qualitative case study methodology to collect multiple sources of perception-focused data from 10 purposefully selected participants in the PD and used a general inductive approach to data analysis. Findings Three themes emerged that focus on teachers’ perceptions, with multiple considerations for how teachers viewed the concept of computer science, the potential for students with disabilities to participate in computer science instruction, and how they considered UDL in this instruction Implications Findings have implications for the potential of computer science integration into elementary literacy instruction and how teachers may independently use computer science instruction that supports all learners in their future teaching.

Developing and Evaluating an Online Professional Development Model on Academic Writing Conventions and Norms in English

This study aimed to determine non-native speakers of English academics’ knowledge and awareness of conventions and norms of academic writing (AW), to develop an online professional development model addressing all disciplines, and to evaluate the effect of this model on their AW performances with their views on the model. The study was based on the mixed methods evaluation design. The participants were nine academics in educational and social sciences at a state university in Turkey. An online professional development model encompassing eight themes related to AW was developed. Data were collected through pre- and post-tutorial semi-structured interviews and writing tasks. Textual and content analyses were used for the qualitative data, and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was performed for quantitative analysis. The results showed that before the tutoring, the participants acknowledged various difficulties regarding AW conventions and norms. The data after the online asynchronous tutoring showed that explicit instruction increased the participants’ knowledge and awareness, and the proposed model contributed to their writing performances, and promoted their AW skills. However, participants’ hedging use was found limited to modal verbs use. Paraphrasing tasks also showed significant differences between before and after tutoring writing tasks. Participants highlighted the importance of long-term implementational writing instruction.

Analysis of Turkish Language Teachers’ Posts in Facebook Groups in terms of Professional Development: A Case Study

This study investigated Turkish Language teachers’ posts in a Facebook group regarding professional development during an academic year. This study was designed to be a case study, which employed qualitative research methods. The teachers whose posts were the most relevant to professional development were selected among the three Facebook groups with the highest number of members. The teachers’ posts shared during the 2019-2020 academic year were obtained by document analysis. We analyzed the data qualitatively with content analysis. The codes were processed and analyzed by using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020 program. The posts generated 393 codes, and the content analysis revealed 36 categories and six themes. We determined the frequency of the codes for each theme and category. The six themes were “Material,” “Content Knowledge,” “Teaching Process,” “Other,” “Official Process,” and “Culture and Art” from the most frequent to the least frequent. Through the posts in a Facebook group, we determined codes that supported Turkish teachers’ professional development and provided suggestions for online professional development.

Synchronous online English language teaching for young learners: insights from public primary school teachers in an EFL context

This study explored teachers’ perceived benefits, issues and their responses to the issues when conducting synchronous online English language teaching (SOELT) for young learners via the lens of Bourdieu’s (1986) capital framework. A mixed-methods design using in-depth interviews and a Likert-scale survey was adopted to investigate the perceptions of 124 Vietnamese EFL teachers in different public primary schools in Vietnam. Quantitative analyses revealed teachers’ little access to economic capital as compared to social and cultural capital when conducing SOELT. Content-based analyses of interview data show that conducting SOELT for young learners increased teachers’ access to social and cultural capital in the form of 1) enhanced online pedagogical skills, 2) greater awareness of the potential of technologies for online teaching and professional development, and 3) increased collaboration among colleagues and students’ parents. However, the lack of economic capital created issues for implementing SOELT. Notably, teachers’ perceptions appeared to be contradictory because they reported good access to social and cultural capital, but they stated multiple issues related to the access to these two types of capital. The interviews also revealed teachers’ adoption of two strategies to resolve emergent SOELT issues: approach coping and avoidant coping strategies. Besides, the results show that teachers’ degrees of access to capital were not associated with their background characteristics. The results overall indicate benefits and issues of SOELT that are both common to online education and specific to the characteristics of young learners.

Japanese elementary teachers’ experiences during online professional development regarding involvement of immigrant parents in physical education

The purpose of this study was to analyse Japanese elementary school teachers’ learning experiences during professional development (PD) regarding immigrant parental involvement in physical education (PE) at public schools in Japan. Based on andragogy theory, this study used an explanatory case study research design. Nine Japanese elementary teachers participated in the study. Data were collected from digital portfolios about immigrant parental involvement in PE, self-reflective journal logs, and semi-structured online interviews. Three major interrelated and complex themes were constructed from the data analysis: (a) digital portfolios as a problem-based learning tool, (b) transformative learning experience regarding communication with immigrant parents, and (c) the need for Kenshu (teacher training) for all elementary school teachers. The findings suggest that the PD focusing on immigrant parental involvement in relation to PE allowed teachers to transform their practices and perceptions in order to minimize psychological, cultural, and social distance from immigrant parents. This study may help teachers, school administrators, and researchers develop new insights and motivation to integrate the concept of immigrant parental involvement regarding PE into the PD systems of public elementary schools in order to enhance teachers’ problem-solving knowledge and skills.

A steep hill to climb: lessons from professional development on inquiry creation

PurposeIn the Fall of 2020, three teacher educators in Ohio collaborated on a three-month long online professional development series on how to write Focused Inquiries, a la the Inquiry Design Model (IDM).Design/methodology/approachThe authors detail the contents of the six group professional development (PD) sessions and share the lessons that the authors learned as a result of leading this training.FindingsGiven this study’s mixed results, the authors often came back to the questions of “maybe it was us? Maybe it was the pandemic? Maybe there wasn’t enough training? Or maybe IDM creation isn’t a skill that all teachers possess and maybe that’s ok?” The authors share the struggles with these questions and situate all of this within the current culture wars raging around schools today.Originality/valueFinally, the authors offer the current approach to inquiry training for teachers that situates inquiry creation later in the process after significant structured introductory work.