Perceptions Of Professional Development Research Articles

Human resources development: Evaluating perceptions against policy

The objective of sustaining smart, sustainable and cohesive inclusive growth, framed by the European strategy, is in line with the global commitments of the Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, an analysis of people’s attitudes towards social policy and perceptions of professional development in Poland against European development policy is crucial. The nationwide representative sample included 1,000 respondents aged 18-64. The study used principal component analysis (PCA), an approach for the multi-response optimisation. The results indicate that respondents’ evaluations are in line with the direction of EU labour policy, where their decisions correspond to the planned priorities oriented towards inclusion and cohesion. The PCA analysis showed that employee competencies and priorities for individual standing can be considered strongly correlated. Competencies were also found to be important for the platform to support systemic development. However, the items included in the analysis that are beyond the scope of the ESF+, although even correlated, are of lesser importance. The research results allow to expand knowledge on the perception of the development policy facets promoted by the EU, supplemented by themes of leadership or immigrants. The study may become a starting point for inclusive and cohesive working climate research.

University Faculty Perceptions of Professional Development: Impact and Effectiveness

University Faculty Perceptions of Professional Development: Impact and Effectiveness

Perspectives on Professional Development Among University and Community Pediatric Hospitalists.

Multiple professional societies have emphasized the importance of professional development for physicians. This qualitative study aimed to explore pediatric hospitalists' perceptions of professional development needs and to refine a framework for professional development in pediatric hospital medicine (PHM). We conducted four focus groups in April to May 2019 with 19 pediatric hospitalists at six clinical sites within a single institution. Participants identified key components of professional development including skill development, personal growth, career satisfaction, and individualization. Hospitalists agreed upon 8 domains of professional development: clinical excellence, advocacy, global health, health care administration, informatics, medical education, quality improvement, and research. They also identified missing the mentorship necessary to change their passions into career advancement, highlighted barriers and facilitators, and noted that an alignment in personally meaningful projects to what is meaningful to the institution was in everyone's best interests. Faculty programs should build infrastructure to aid pediatric hospitalists in achieving their career goals.

Lower-secondary school teachers’ perceptions of professional development in university-school collaboration

This quantitative study used a survey to investigate lower-secondary school teachers' (n = 177) perceptions of their professional development (PD) in university-school collaboration. The descriptive statistics show that teachers' perceptions of university-school collaboration are slightly negative although there are individual differences. The results of regression analysis indicate that university-school collaboration has a positive relationship with the impacts of PD and feedback for PD, and a negative relationship with barriers to PD. These results contribute to understanding teachers’ diverse perceptions of PD and the impact of university-school collaboration on various aspects of PD in the implementation of the decentralized policy.

Teacher Perceptions of Tier 2 Reading Interventions

Response to Intervention (RTI) was created to support student’ growth in reading while reducing the number of students requiring testing for disabilities. The aim of this study was to examine teacher perceptions of Tier 2 RTI reading interventions. Specifically, this study examined perceptions of professional development, data and progress monitoring, resources and support surrounding reading interventions. A quantitative, descriptive research design was utilized in this study. A total of thirty-six participants completed the survey. Results of the study help to support teachers as they continue the self-less act of shaping our future leaders.
 Keywords: MTSS, RTI, reading interventions, teacher perceptions

Professional Development Needs of English Teachers in Kazakhstan

The systematic work in the field of education in the Republic of Kazakhstan to increase the requirements for the quality of teacher training is directly related to advance training courses for teachers. Conducting research before the formation of courses for each group and taking into account individual requests allows us to build the learning process more effectively. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that special attention is paid to the potential benefits of professional needs analysis to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation with the study and teaching of English in Kazakhstani schools. This study presents the results of the needs analysis of Kazakhstani English teachers before the beginning of advanced training courses for teachers of English within the framework of the pedagogical development program developed by the Akmola Region English Language Teachers Association (ARELTA) and the Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in Astana. The purpose of the study is to collect data for the development of a curriculum for an advanced training course for English teachers within the framework of the project. The survey involved 328 respondents, all of them teachers of English from different regions of Kazakhstan. The performed analysis represents the English language teacher's perception of professional development needs and is critical for analyzing the needs and professional development of other teachers.

Senior High School Heads’ Perception on Predominant Forms of Continuous Professional Development in Ghana

The purpose of the study was to find out the predominant forms of Continuous Professional Development for senior high school heads of public Senior High School/ Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (SHS/TVET) in Greater Accra Region of Ghana and their perception of Continuous Professional Development. A descriptive survey method was used, where a questionnaire was administered to the Heads (Headmaster, Assistant Head-Administration and Assistant Head-Academic) of SHS/TVET in the Greater Accra Region. The accessible population for this study comprised all heads of SHS/TVET in the Greater Accra Region. The target population consisted of all heads of public all SHS/TVET in the Greater Accra Region. A census was used to select all heads of public all SHS/TVET in the Greater Accra Region. A self-designed questionnaire with a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.85 was used for the data collection. Means and Standard Deviations were used to analyse data for the study. It was found that Conferences, workshops and academic programs are the predominant form CPD undertaken by the heads of public SHS/TVET and that the heads expressed that the performance of the Head is dependent on the perception of professional development. It was therefore recommended that the Ministry of Education to make policies as to enhancing sponsorships continuous Professional Development for senior high school heads in the management of the SHS/TVET.

Exploring Iranian EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Development: A Qualitative Study with University Teachers in Focus

Exploring Iranian EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Development: A Qualitative Study with University Teachers in Focus

Career counseling for college students: Assessment of an online and group intervention

There has been a growing demand for evidence-based interventions to help students prepare for the transition between university and the world of work. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a career counseling intervention, in groups and online, on the career adaptability resources and perceptions of professional development and employability of college students in the final stage of their undergraduate courses. The study was based on career construction theory and the theoretical model for professional development of college students. As a preliminary activity, the intervention was performed with a pilot group (n = 20), followed by the actual experiment with an IG (n = 14) and an N-TG (n = 14). Based on a detailed protocol, the intervention was applied for three months, with six weekly sessions and a follow-up session one month after the end of the intervention. Between the sessions, the participants were expected to accomplish directed tasks. Two observers were part of the experiment and elaborated reports of each session. The Linear Mixed Regression Model (LMM) and the Jacobson and Truax (JT) Method were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, comparing each participant with themself before and after the intervention. The results show that career counseling with graduating college students expands their career adaptability resources, and their perceptions of professional development and employability. The no-treatment group did not present an increase in the score's dimensions over time. Therefore, based on the study, career counseling interventions can be recommended for college students to promote proactive action to anticipate barriers and increase awareness of possibilities and work interests among participants.

Science Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Development via Environmental Education Programs

The present research explores whether environmental education practices and methods can serve as a professional development tool and help science teachers to transform theory into educational practice. To answer this question, the perceptions of 40 experienced science teachers implementing environmental education programs were explored. Activity theory was used as an analytical tool to illuminate how teachers relate science teaching to environmental education and to highlight the contradictions and tensions that develop due to the conflict between the dominant positivist model of science teaching and the child-centered model of constructivism adopted by environmental education. The analysis showed that environmental education has the potential to lead to the desired transformation if implemented in a way that is consistent with its principles and objectives. It can also support horizontal professional development efforts as it utilizes the very strong intrinsic and personal motivations of teachers that drive them to engage in environmental education programs.

Professional Development: Perception among School Librarians

ABSTRACTThe roles of school librarians as well as the needs of library users have been changing. To keep up with the changes, school librarians have been required to engage in professional development which enables them to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for the effective provision of services and programs to their clients. School districts formulate policies that provide guidelines on the professional development requirements and activities for school librarians but there have been concerns on the effectiveness and approach of professional development as outlined in the policies. Using Ball's policy cycle theoretical framework, the study analyzed professional development policies within schools and interviewed school librarians to understand their perception of professional development. Findings from the study will enable librarians and administrators within the school and districts to understand the current state of professional development and may also suggest effective and innovative strategies in professional development for school librarians.

EFL teachers’ perceptions on professional development for language proficiency maintenance and improvement

<span lang="EN-US">This case study investigated the phenomenon of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions of professional development (PD) related to language proficiency, which has become a critical issue in the field of EFL teaching and has played an important role in facilitating students to learn English well. Interview guides were employed as the main instrument to elicit information about PD activities related to language proficiency maintenance and improvement, comprising closed-ended and open-ended items. The participants of the study were six professional EFL teachers who have had 5 to 30 years of teaching experience, selected from high schools in a capital city in Indonesia. Data were analyzed descriptively to result in frequencies of importance levels and qualitatively to explore patterns of PD activities. The results showed that two factors affecting the participants’ acknowledgement of the importance of language proficiency PD activities: the need to maintain and improve language proficiency and the benefits of proficiency for teaching and learning. It is recommended that Indonesian EFL teachers develop self-awareness of the importance of improving their skills not only pedagogically but also professionally and realize that PD for language proficiency in particular is imperative to help them keep their professionalism high. </span>

Professional development short scale: Measurement invariance, stability, and validity in Brazil and Angola.

Professional development is the vital process in the workplace that comprises the growth and maturation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes arising from formal and informal learning at work throughout one’s life. The goal of this research was to present validity evidence and accuracy of the Professional Development Short Scale (PDSS) for different occupational categories. The research was conducted using four cross-sectional questionnaire surveys with convenience samples of different occupational categories (N = 2,547) in 41 cities throughout Brazil and Angola. The first study aimed to explore the factorial structure and internal consistency of the PDSS. The second study aimed to evaluate the cross-cultural validity and measurement invariance of the scale. The third study was to assess concurrent validity and predictive validity. The fourth study was to assess the test–retest reliability. The results indicated a one-factor structure, with six items for both countries’ datasets. This research pointed out the validity of the PDSS as regards its convergence-discriminant pattern with the General Self-Efficacy and Job Self-Efficacy Scales, and also, the relationship of the PDSS with relevant constructs (Bases of Power/leadership styles, In-role performance, Job Satisfaction, and Career Promotion). In this study, we provide psychometric validity of the Professional Development Short Scale to offer it as a resource to measure the construct and allow researchers to apply it in research models easily integrated to other constructs. We covered several different incremental approaches to ensure the scale validity. Besides showing temporal stability to ensure it can be applied from time to time, as one dynamic construct should, we also indicated that social desirability did not influence the measurement of the PDSS. Furthermore, the results indicate that the effects of the method do not generate undue confusion on the scale. Thus, the psychometric properties of the PDSS allow for recommending the use of the scale in extensive studies. This scale therefore contributes to contemporary professional development literature through the comparison of the perceptions of professional development in different professional categories and by providing organizational researchers with a tool to evaluate the effects and predictors of such construct.

Novice early childhood teachers’ perceptions of their professional development experiences: an interpretive phenomenological approach

ABSTRACT Professional development is an important tool for supporting early childhood teachers in implementing developmentally appropriate practices and child-guided instruction in the classroom. This phenomenological study explored five U.S. novice early childhood education teachers’ experiences with professional development. Specifically, we explored how these teachers’ perceptions of their professional development experiences were interwoven with individual-level characteristics and organizational-level features. Findings suggest that participating teachers’ self-efficacy and perceptions of school climate strongly influenced their perceptions of professional development. Participants described valuing hands-on learning opportunities and social support. All reported feeling unprepared for certain aspects of their role as an early educator; however, participants responded to these feelings differently. Findings have implications for improving induction and professional development for novice early childhood educators.

Inviting Schools in the United States of America and Hong Kong

This article is a follow-up on a previous quantitative study (Steyn, 2007) which explored key aspects that influenced the effective implementation of Invitational Education (IE) in schools in the United States of America (US) and Hong Kong (HK). This is a qualitative study in which an appreciative inquiry (AI) is used to explain staff’s positive perceptions of professional development (PD) programs on IE and strategies in which IE can be implemented. The findings explain how the first three phases of AI: discovery, dreaming and design manifest in the study. The following categories and subcategories emerged: The best practices (The role of leadership: setting the tone; the role of teachers: necessity to be actively involved in IE); and Dreaming and designing: recommendations for effective strategies to implement IE.

Online Adjunct Faculty Perceptions of Professional Development to Support Personal and Professional Academic Growth During COVID-19

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand what online adjunct faculty value as support services, specifically professional development opportunities, provided by their respective higher education institutions. Method: This qualitative narrative inquiry study centered on exploring perceptions and experiences of online adjunct faculty members from higher education institutions and their experiences and expectations of professional development (PD), prior to and during COVID-19. Results: The study resulted in the identification of possible improvements and enhancements to existing PD content that would further support faculty personal development, mental health, wellbeing, and academic growth. Conclusions: This study reminds us that there are numerous variables, including unforeseen crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that need to be considered when developing, implementing, and presenting PD for online adjunct faculty professional and personal growth. Because faculty want to be listened to and heard, the PD development and implementation process needs to be interactive to support online adjunct faculty, regardless of whether the university is for-profit or not-for-profit. Implication for Practice: The results based on online adjunct faculty experiences could lead to updating professional development opportunities employed in different higher education institutions to promote faculty self-actualization and ultimately, student success.

Career Adaptability, Perceptions of Professional Development and Employability: A Mediation Analysis

Abstract The objective of this study was to test the mediating role that Perception of Professional Development has in the relationship between Career Adaptability and Perception of/Expectation of Employability among undergraduate students. A total of 1.105 students (57% of women) participated in the investigation, all from different undergraduate courses and institutions. The instruments used had evidence of validity, and data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results supported the research hypothesis and corroborate previous empirical studies. The model showed good fit for the data as to the hypothesized model (X2/df=0.65; CFI=0.94; TLI=0.94; RMSEA=0.05; indirect effect=0.31). The confirmation of the mediating relationship contributes to the understanding of the processes related to Perception of/Expectation of Employability among undergraduate students. Impacts on the career planning of undergraduate students and subsidies for Higher Education management are some of the practical implications of this study.

Exploring teachers' perceptions of professional development: The case of Kosova

Research into teacher professional development (PD) highlights the importance of scrutinizing features that make PD effective. While PD effectiveness is investigated in high-income countries, exploring the landscape of PD in low-income countries undergoing paradigm shifts in education is substantial as it may engender new perspectives or confirm existing stances on PD effectiveness. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of sixteen EFL teachers from Kosovo who attended a 100-hour professional development program. Interviews, reflection accounts, feedback forms and an external report were used to explore teacher views on, firstly, the effectiveness of the PD in developing professional knowledge and skills and, secondly, the relevancy of the PD to their capacity building. Data revealed that teachers found the PD relevant due to the new knowledge and skills they acquired which led to change of classroom practice and beliefs. Teachers disclosed that the most relevant aspects of the PD program were the content, scaffolded learning, collaboration opportunities and high quality trainers.

Why Professional Development Matters: A Case of College Teachers in Karachi

The predominant teachers’ professional development practice in Pakistan can be stated as limited, fragmented, short termed, and pre-packaged as it occurs on margins of having more focus on training sessions rather than problem-solving. This qualitative research aims to share the results of a small-scale study, involving 12 college teachers working in public sector institutions on their perceptions of professional development and the support they get from their educational institutions. It then proposes a three-branched solution that includes: (a) government and institution supported PD; (b) availability and delivery of multiple PD approaches based on the needs assessment of the teachers; and (c) on-going follow-up and evaluation of teachers’ professional development system to suit the local context. This study recommends that effective PD, if considered wisely, can become the process through which educators can examine thoughtfully and critically the purpose, role, structure, and organization of the institutions concerning the increasingly diverse students and communities they serve. The educational field in Pakistan needs a new ethics for PD; one that is sincerely supported and reflected in the educational policies of the country.

Dyslexia knowledge, perceived preparedness, and professional development needs of in-service educators.

The purpose of this study was to investigate New Jersey educators' dyslexia knowledge and misconceptions, professional development perceptions and needs, and perceived preparedness regarding teaching students with dyslexia. A second purpose was to investigate what factors predicted New Jersey educators' knowledge about dyslexia. A total of 705 in-service educators completed a survey about their dyslexia knowledge, perceived preparedness, and professional development perceptions. Participants had accurate overall knowledge about dyslexia, but some prevailing misconceptions were still present. The greatest predictor of dyslexia knowledge was years of experience in working with students with dyslexia. Reading specialists, educators with greater perceived preparedness and those educators who had training in multi-sensory approaches to instruction had significantly more dyslexia knowledge than other educators. Approximately half of the participants felt prepared to teach students with dyslexia and that working with students with dyslexia prepared them the most. Participants perceived that multi-sensory approaches were the most effective professional development and their undergraduate education was the least effective. Most participants were in support of further professional development on the topic of dyslexia. Implications for in-service educators' professional development and future research directions are discussed.