Professional Learning Process Research Articles

Exploring a practice theoretical tool-kit approach for studying professional and organisational learning processes: a pragmatist interpretation

ABSTRACT This article conceptually explores different practice theoretical vantage points in empirical studies of professional and organisational learning processes. Through an ethnographic study of a management development program in Denmark, possibilities and limitations of three different practice-theoretical approaches are considered. Firstly, learning processes are examined as professional identity formation through participation in the community of practice around the development program. Next, Schatzki’s practice-theoretical approach is applied, focusing on management as situated work practice. A third approach focusing on persons’ learning paths in professional and organisational practices is considered: Ole Dreier's concept of person is discussed as a further development of practice theories in line with Schatzki’s thinking. The article explores the epistemological and ontological stances taken by the three practice theories in relation to the study of learning processes. A pragmatist interpretation of a ‘tool-kit’ approach to operationalising different practice theoretical approaches in alliance is developed, considering how this can generate constructive analytical tensions for exploring and understanding learning processes.

Teaching phonics in context—stories of teachers’ practice and students’ outcomes

AbstractThis article presents the outcomes of a study conducted in Victoria, Australia, that recognised teachers’ knowledge and understanding of phonics teaching, and early literacy acquisition processes more generally. In total, 45 teachers and 220 students from the 18 focus schools who engaged in the reform initiative agreed to participate in this study. The questions posed considered understandings associated with the professional learning programme and processes that support the implementation of the phonics teaching and the impact this had on students’ literacy learning. We share the data used to map teachers’ stories of change and practice and some of the key factors, including structures, practices and attitudes, that influenced the implementation. The impact on students’ reading and writing outcomes throughout the reform process are also reported. Combined, the findings indicate that the teaching of phonic knowledge, integrated into rich contexts for learning, contributed to improvements in teaching and students’ early literacy skills. Furthermore, this study fills an important and common missing gap in professional learning as it explores implementation processes and practice in the classroom. The results inform continuing reform efforts and targeted research necessary to refine phonics teaching practice and further advance students’ literacy outcomes.

Clinical Supervision for Quality Education Delivery in Public Schools in Nigeria

This paper discussed clinical supervision for quality education delivery in public schools in Nigeria. Clinical supervision is a formal process of professional support and learning that enables individual practitioners to develop knowledge and competence, assume responsibility for their own practice, and enhance consumer protection and safety of care in complex clinical situations. Clinical supervision stands as the cornerstone of educational excellence in Nigerian public schools, offering a dynamic and transformative approach to elevate the quality of education delivery. The paper emphasized that clinical supervision can bring about quality education delivery in several key aspects which include: Professional Growth and Development, Contextual Adaptation, Innovative Pedagogies and Technology Integration, Quality Assurance and Standardization, Professional Collaboration and Peer Learning, Emotional and Social Well-being, Observation and Feedback, Assessment of Teacher Competencies and Reflective practices. Also, identified the impacts of clinical supervision on quality education delivery, which includes: Enhanced Teaching Practices, Professional Development, Increased Teacher Self-Efficacy, Alignment with Standards, Retention and Job Satisfaction, Technology Integration, Positive Student Outcomes, Promotion of Reflective Practice, Enhanced Collaboration, Leadership Development and Quality Assurance. It therefore concluded that clinical supervision emerges not merely as a pedagogical process but as a transformative force poised to elevate the landscape of education delivery in public schools across Nigeria. The paper likewise made some outstanding suggestions that; School Administrators should clearly define the objectives of clinical supervision, outlining specific goals for professional development, teaching improvement, and student outcomes. This clarity provides a roadmap for both supervisors and educators. Finally, Federal ministry of education should offer regular professional development opportunities aligned with the needs identified through clinical supervision. Provide access to workshops, training sessions, and resources to enhance educators' skills and knowledge.

Quality Improvement Management in Teacher Professional Development

This research aims to evaluate the professional competence of elementary school teachers in Binjai City and the effectiveness of teacher quality management programs and related initiatives in raising teacher competency levels. The term for this kind of study is qualitative descriptive research, and it is a way of gathering information about the people and events studied via written or spoken descriptions. It is based on the individual's background as a whole (holistic) rather than isolating the individual and the organization into variables and examining them. in the context of the whole. Reading various written materials, looking at images, pondering about items, seeing individuals in their immediate environment via interviews, and other activities are all part of the qualitative research design. Qualitative methods are used in this study to obtain data. Researchers often use observation, document analysis, and interviewing in qualitative research as data collection methods. The study's findings demonstrate (1) That the Binjai City Public Elementary School instructors are qualified educators. The quality of instructional materials is correlated with the professionalism of teachers. Professional instructors construct high-quality education or learning processes for students to enjoy participating in the learning process and for school graduates to develop human resources of the highest caliber. (2) In general, educators at Binjai City Public Elementary Schools use a variety of instructional strategies, such as technology-based learning and cooperative learning. (3) Although cooperative learning and technology-based learning are the two learning methodologies that educators constantly use to carry out the teaching and learning process, many Binjai City Public Elementary School instructors have certifications and pursue further education.

Educational ideals and classroom realities: Developing teachers' concepts of dialogic pedagogy in real-world contexts

Professional learning processes aim to change teachers' pedagogical concepts, yet this process is obscure and understudied. Building on a conceptual change perspective, this study explored teachers’ concepts of dialogic pedagogy that emerged during professional development. The year-long process included 17 teachers, coaches, and researchers codesigning dialogic language arts lessons. Thematic analysis was used to map teachers' concepts and to investigate forces shaping them. Findings show teachers' concepts are embedded within classroom affordances and constraints and are influenced by broader educational contexts. Implications for teacher conceptual change include emphasizing pedagogical tensions, advancing practice-oriented designs, and adapting academic concepts to classroom contexts.

Engineering educators’ professional learning for educational change in a PBL-base and cross-institutional programme in Africa: a Q-study

ABSTRACT This study explored engineering educators’ perspectives on their professional learning in a pedagogical development programme with the ultimate goal of achieving educational change in African countries through the adoption of PBL methodology. This study was based on a three-year-long programme organised by a Danish university through an Erasmus programme with the participation of diverse institutions across Africa. Q methodology was adopted with 40 participants to explore both individual and collective subjective views of supporting factors for professional learning. Q-factor analysis resulted in three prevailing group-based opinions, which respectively emphasised 1) improvement of teaching competence and student benefits in terms of employability, 2) personal benefits in terms of job opportunities and 3) institutional support leading to confidence in PBL implementation. The results suggest that individual awareness and effort, as well as institutional support, is essential for the facilitation of educators’ learning as an outcome of pedagogical development. It is concluded that pedagogical development efforts should consider the complexity of engineering educators’ professional learning process and that this has implications for the future organisation of professional learning programmes in general and the format of cross-institutional collaboration in particular.

Medical Educator Teaching Portfolio: A Brief Yet Necessary Consideration

Evaluation of medical teacher performances is necessary to build better educational goals in training medical students into qualified physicians. Portfolio is widely used in any field of education, including medicine. The use of portfolio in evaluating the medical teacher performance may help finding the best way possible to improve the quality of medical education. Medical educator teaching portfolio (METP) could be implemented by analyzing the institutional context while maintaining its main component of evaluation, personal professional development, learning process, and additional features. The challenges of implementation of METP including human resources, funding, workloads, and technology should be addressed by faculty members to overcome. Consideration of the importance of METP shows how far we strive for ensuring the best quality for education in medical institution. Keywords: medical teacher, evaluation, portfolio, medical education

Bibliometric Analysis of Teacher Leadership Using VOSviewer

This article aims to identify publications on the teacher leadership theme comprehensively. The publication data is from articles, reviews, and English and comes from the Scopus database from 1993 to 2022. The keyword used in the data search is "teacher leadership." The investigation found 753 documents later used as the basis for conducting Bibliometric studies. This Bibliometric analysis method uses Vosviewer software. All data is classified by trend; country; organization; source; author, relationship between authors; and teacher leadership research hotspots which were then analyzed using the Vosviewer software. The main findings of the study include: the trend of teacher leadership publication continues to increase, and the future direction of teacher leadership research will concern two domains, namely: new word/phrase domains connected to teacher leadership, such as COVID, leadership style, self-efficacy, diversity, school principal, evidence, professional learning, community; and domain teacher leadership research processes or methods such as mix-method, instrument, questionnaire, and data processing. The findings of this study can be used as one of the materials for making decisions related to improving teacher leadership publications.

An exploratory study of Chilean early childhood teachers’ professional learning communities

ABSTRACT Researchshows that Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) foster teachers’professional learning. However, there is little knowledge about theirimplementation among early childhood (EC) teachers in Chilean andLatin American contexts. This article seeks to characterize two PLCscomposed of EC teachers and to analyse, from the participants’perspectives, the experience as a professional learning process. Froma qualitative perspective, a multiple case study was developed. 27 ECteachers participated, 12 from PLC 1 and 15 from PLC 2. Datacollection included nonparticipant observations, interviews and focusgroups. Data were analysed by an open coding process based ongrounded theory. The results show that each PLC highlighted differentaspects related to pedagogical practice, self-care practice, trustand close relationships, and institutional validation. From theteachers’ perspective, PLCs contribute to professional learning, interms of fostering complex and critical reflective practice, andcollaborative conceptual learning that promotes not only knowledgeacquisition and construction but is also empowering for teachers.Practical and investigative implications are discussed.

Developing Scholar Activists

A qualitative descriptive approach was followed in the research, starting with a theoretical conceptualization of scholar activism within doctoral education as a basis for further inquiry. Seventeen doctoral candidates described how they conceptualized and applied the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate's (CPED) Framework for the Emerging EdD Activist to their experiences in an online program. Study respondents gave accounts of growing confidence to engage in active, vocal advocacy, which they attributed to their new knowledge and understandings gained through participation in the program. However, for some mid-career students, increased vocal advocacy in the workplace was perceived as endangering career prospects. The data draw attention to the complexity of the professional learning process, calling into question the current input-output model of activism. Further research is necessary to develop a greater understanding of the relationship between a developing scholar-activist and the impact of the EdD and precisely how that can be measured. The findings from this study have implications for program developers and doctoral students wishing to become scholar-activists and agents of change.

Exploring middle-level school leadership styles through role-play simulations

PurposeThe study's main goal is to investigate different leadership styles that characterize middle-level leaders, the intermediate leadership tier of role holders in school, as they practice leadership scenarios through active participation in a professional learning process of role-play simulation, using a social-ecological approach.Design/methodology/approachThirty middle-level leaders from different Israeli high schools and districts participated in the study during an M.A. course in an educational leadership program. The authors used qualitative analysis to examine role-play simulations of leadership scenarios based on group debriefings. This content analysis was conducted within a two-dimensional theoretical framework composed of leadership style theory and a social-ecological model.FindingsThe study findings address four main leadership styles: authentic, transformational, participative and transactional. Regarding their appearance within different social-ecological layers, the interpersonal layer was the most salient one with a prominent appearance of transformational and authentic leadership styles. On the organizational and communal layers, authentic leadership was more prominent. The study findings demonstrate multidimensionality in both the leadership styles and social-ecological layers, as different styles appeared in different layers concurrently.Practical implicationsThe findings may help articulate the nature and characteristics of middle-level school leadership. They may also provide relevant theoretical content and instructional strategy to develop simulation-based preparation programs for middle-level leaders.Originality/valueThe study findings highlight unique leadership characteristics of middle-level school leaders and suggest a contextual perception of their leadership styles within a social-ecological framework.

Excavate Spiritual Power in History and Explore Innovative Practice for the Future – Research on Curriculum Teaching and Innovation Ability Training

For science and engineering students, how to carry out curriculum ideological and political education is a very important research topic. The course makes full use of the rich red cultural resources of the Soviet Area, excavates ideological and political materials from history, integrates the Spirit of the Soviet Area into the whole process of professional course learning, faces the challenge of future scientific and technological development to the cultivation of professional talents, advocates the craftsmanship spirit, explores the practice of cultivating innovative ability, and cultivates the red and professional social director builders and successors through the "two combination and double promotion" curriculum reformation.

"Where do I even start?" Recommendations for faculty diversifying syllabi in ecology, evolution, and the life sciences.

Diversifying curricula is of increasing interest in higher education, including in ecology and evolution and allied fields. Yet, many educators may not know where to start. Here we provide a framework for meeting standard curriculum goals while enacting anti-racist and anti-colonial syllabi that is grounded in the development of a sustainable network of educators. In addition to highlighting this professional learning process and sharing the list of resources our group has developed, we provide suggestions to help educators highlight contributions of minoritized groups, explore multiple ways of knowing, and perform critical assessments of foundational views of life and environmental science fields. We further discuss the key classroom dynamics that affect the success of such anti-racist and anti-colonial initiatives. The retention and success of minoritized students in ecology and evolution depends on whether we address injustices in our fields. Our hope is that our fellow educators will use this paper to catalyze their own efforts to diversify their courses.

Consultants & Trainees Active Participation in Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT): Tumor Boards can Play a Major Role in the Achievement of their Academic Professional Development Goals

We wish to share with the readers of this scientific journal our experiences and observations regarding educational gains achieved by the consultant faculty and trainee postgraduate residents via active participation in multidisciplinary team (MDT) Tumor Boards. The rapid modernization of teaching methodologies is being observed in both postgraduate residents and faculty professional education learning processes. Contemporary literature is increasingly depicting academic work which is being directed towards the exploration of both educational and social determinants of health care [1]. Several socio-economic factors have been discussed across the globe which have an impact on the health care systems [2]. Researchers argued over the fact that the leading factor for a positive outcome is socioeconomic wellbeing especially for patients with diseases, like cancer, diabetes mellitus, etc. If we critically evaluate the curriculums designed on the principles of traditional problem-based learning and case-based learning, they are very well-established students centre approaches, but on their merit, they failed to provide a holistic picture of the patient care [3].

집단상담 수퍼비전 경험에 관한 탐색적 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore both the intermediate-level group counselors’ helpful experiences in the group counseling supervision session and the essential meaning of what changes. Methods 11 group counselors were interviewed individually from September 2019 to March 2021. Some of them with a second-degree counseling license participated in the group counseling supervision at least five times. Others were in the process of obtaining a first-degree counseling certification. Data were analyzed through Giorgi’s phenomenological method and the analysis led to a total of 66 semantic units, 16 sub-categories, and 6 categories and 3 themes. The results are as follows. Results First, the participants joined the group counseling supervision session with expectations that they would be able to gain a deeper understanding of group work and receive the confirmation of the supervisor when functioning as a group counselor. Because training for certification for counselor does not comprehensively cover how group counseling is operated in actual, the participants reported they faced difficultes in carrying them out. Secondly, what the participants experienced were helpful of this supervision is that by adjusting to the previously-burdedsome supervision work and applying the supervisor’s feedback to real intervention, they could experience professional development. Finally, changes as a group counselor in this process were that the participants deeply trusted the group members and understood themselves, as well as they got to form the sense of identity as the supervisor. Conclusions These results are meaningful in that they provide specific implications on the professional learning process and development of intermediate-level group counselors by means of analyzing the helpful experiences gathered from counselors who participated in group counseling supervision session.

Combining education scenarios and modalities: the contextual dimension of health sciences professors’ learning ecologies (Combinando escenarios y modalidades de formación: la dimensión contextual de las ecologías de aprendizaje del docente universitario de ciencias de la salud)

ABSTRACT Professional learning processes occur in many scenarios in which there are a variety of different elements that play key roles. The concept of learning ecologies is particularly useful for understanding how these complex processes happen, although it is still an embryonic line of research whose potential has not been fully explored. The objective of this study was to identify the elements of the contextual dimension of learning ecologies. This qualitative research was performed via a case study. Five professors of the health sciences field at the University of A Coruña constitute the case. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and analysed using Atlas.ti software. The results showed that there were three key elements in the contextual dimension: Activities, Interactions and Resources. Being aware of the components that make up their own ecology will help professors maintain and enhance it and, therefore, help them achieve their learning objectives.

Students’ perceptions of their first experiences of secondary-school science in New Zealand

In this article, I report a two-year study of working closely with science teachers and examining perceptions of Year 9 (12–13 year olds) students in 13 New Zealand secondary schools. The Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) was used. The questionnaire was administered to 327 students in the first year and 362 students in the second year to find out their perceptions of their preferred learning environments in order to compare this with their perceptions of the actual situation. The data were used to plan improvements in learning environments through a teacher professional learning process by redesigning programmes and encouraging changes in students’ classroom behaviours. Co-constructive learning strategies and reshaping of lessons to include current topics were used as tools to encourage students’ expression of opinions, personal relevance and shared control in their learning. After each subsequent year-long intervention, the CLES was re-administered to reveal that there had indeed been an improvement. The research is distinctive because it is a learning environment study in New Zealand schools examining students’ psychosocial perceptions related to their first-year experiences of science at the secondary level.

Teacher Professional Development in Education 4.0: The Role of ePortfolios and Open Badges

ePortfolios and Open Badges support learners in taking responsibility for the learning process. When they choose ePortfolio tools by themselves, it supports a continuous learning perspective. Open Badges are used for the accreditation of competences that are demonstrated in ePortfolios. The concept of Open Badges is also used as a guiding and scaffolding tool in learning processes. Consequently, this is a case study in which ePortfolios and open badges were implemented in a professional learning and competence demonstration process with Vietnamese teachers in the EMVITET project. The project took three years, during which teachers learned to implement innovations in their pedagogy, technology and learning ecosystems in their teaching practices. Finally, the ePortfolios were assessed, and accreditations were given. The results of this case study show that teachers demonstrated their competences well in their ePortfolios. However, there are some areas of development in guiding and combining ePortfolios and Open Badges while supporting teachers’ careers and continuous learning.

SELF-DIRECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPROACH: A CHALLENGE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN PAKISTAN

The purpose of this article is to investigate the provisions for secondary school teachers' self-directed professional development in Pakistan. Professional growth is vital for all professions, but it is especially crucial in the teaching profession because it directly influences generational change. Continuous professional development is necessary to update teachers’ knowledge and skills, and to enable them to meet new challenges of the changing demands of learners. Self-directed professional development is the way to help instructors improve their expertise and skills in teaching. Adult learning ideas, such as learning according to one's needs and interests, were adopted to self-directed professional development. In situations where resources are scarce, budget allocation for education is lesser than requirement, and number of students are more than ideal self-directed professional development is very much important. While exploring the provision of self-directed professional development in secondary school teachers where it is seen as positive and motivational for other teachers, there are some challenges faced by self-directed teachers. The challenge for secondary school teachers is to perceive their development as a success in professional learning and teaching process that may enhance the quality of their teaching. These challenges must be reported to school administration as well as policymakers to minimize these challenges and set a proper mechanism to consider self-directed professional development as positive and value demanding for a teacher. Keywords: Self-directed professional development, secondary school teachers.

Qualitative study of the learning and studying process of resident physicians in China

BackgroundClinical medical education is essential in physician training. This study developed recommendations for medical residency course design on the basis of the perspectives of learners in China and how they interact with their environment. The central research topic was the professional development and learning process of residents, including the obstacles that hinder and factors that promote their learning, their views on existing teaching methods, interaction between teachers and medical teams, and suggestions for designing future residency training programs.MethodsThis study had a qualitative research design. Interviews were conducted between July and October 2019 with 17 specialist residents and 12 assistant general practitioner residents from the department of education of the hospital. The participants were recruited from Qingyuan People’s Hospital in Guangdong Province, China. The interview outlines focused on the following four themes: clinical learning experiences and reflections on learning, experience of interaction with patients, experience of working with other medical personnel, and future learning directions.ResultsTo overcome challenges in clinical learning, the residents mainly learned from their teachers and focused specifically on their own experiences. Regarding teaching methods and designs in clinical medicine, the residents preferred large-group, small-group, and bedside teaching and reported that bedside teaching enables the resolution of clinical problems, initiates self-learning, and improves diagnostic thinking. They disliked teachers with low teaching motivation or who were reluctant to interact with them and favored teachers who had strong teaching skills and respect for their students.ConclusionsThe residents suggested that clinical and active learning must be the main learning method for developing general medical competencies. Residency training must be conducted in an environment that facilitates residents’ learning and meaningful learning activities. The interdependent symbiotic relationships in the education ecosystem can serve as a reference for designing residency courses.