Professional Development Approach Research Articles

Professional development approaches and business educators’ job performance in tertiary institutions in Imo State

The study examined professional development approaches and business educators’ job performance in tertiary institutions in Imo state. It specifically focused on the relationship between in-service and on-the-job training approaches of professional development and the teaching and research performance of business educators in tertiary institutions. A co-relational research design was adopted in the study. The population of the study comprised 52 business educators in the two tertiary institutions currently running business education programme in Imo state. Data was collected from the respondents with the means of a structured questionnaire designed by the researchers. Data collected for the study was analyzed with mean (X) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r). Analysis of the data collected revealed that both in-service and on-the-job training have a very strong positive relationship with business educators’ job performance in tertiary institutions. Consequently, it was concluded that in-service and on-the-job training approaches of professional development play important roles in the performance of business educators in tertiary institutions. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that: government should come up with a compulsory policy that will coerce management of institutions to prioritize regular professional development of their employees; and Management of institutions should combine both in-service and on-the-job training approaches in the professional development of their employees.

Professional development for praxis transformation in early childhood education and care: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Despite the extensive international overview of in-service professional development in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), the majority of studies concentrate on short-term training programmes or workshops. The existing scientific literature suggests that these approaches have either minimal or no impact on effective ECEC transformation. Nevertheless, there is a growing global interest in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) approaches situated in the real professional context as a new avenue for praxeological processes. A systematic review of English-language empirical research published between 2018 and 2022 was conducted to identify the features and impacts of CPD approaches that have a significant influence on the transformation of ECEC practices and contexts. The synthesis and analysis of 17 studies yielded thought-provoking findings regarding the approaches, the transformation of ECEC praxis, as well as children and practitioners’ learning. This systematic review is a pioneering endeavour in identifying and synthesising empirical studies that facilitate a more in-depth understanding of the connection between effective CPD and praxis transformation in ECEC.

Ambassadors of professional development in teaching and learning in STEM higher education

Abstract In STEM higher education, lecturers need to assist learners in constructing understanding of complex scientific concepts by employing relevant teaching methods, tools, and technologies. A continuous professional development (CPD) of academic teaching staff in teaching and learning is indispensable to keep up with the development of STEM. Using a cascade-like approach in continuous professional development in teaching and learning, where lecturers are involved bottom-up as CPD-Ambassadors, makes it possible to address relevant STEM-specific teaching and learning issues and continuously improve teaching practice. At three international STEM-CPD Summer Schools for CPD-Ambassadors, the CPD-Ambassadors developed fifty CPD-User cases about organising professional development in teaching and learning at their own higher education institutions and promoting the importance of CPD in their local context. The analysis of the CPD-User cases shows that the most frequently addressed teaching competencies and attitudes foster student-centred teaching approaches based on constructivist educational views. A relationship is found with previously defined generally important teaching competences and attitudes for higher STEM education. The results indicate that a cascade-like, discipline oriented continuous professional development approach through CPD-Ambassadors is a promising approach in improving university teaching practice.

Extending Professional Identity Formation to develop academic faculty for a new medical school.

Academic health centers have a responsibility to foster professional development approaches and engagement environments for faculty to elevate both knowledge and sense of belonging as medical educators. This new educational methods submission depicts faculty development and engagement initiatives implemented at a single institution that were created and influenced by the psychological framework of Professional Identity Formation. The authors suggest ways that academic medical centers can draw upon the formation of these programs to best serve their faculty for cultivating development and engagement for professional growth.

Acceptance of virtual patients as a continuous professional development approach among practicing nurses in primary health care settings in a low-income country: a quasi-experimental posttest setup design

BackgroundVirtual patients are an educational technological approach used in healthcare education. Its distinctive features have rendered virtual patient technology appealing for the training of medical and healthcare students, particularly in the enhancement of clinical reasoning. Virtual patients are less often applied for continuous professional development for practicing healthcare providers, and there is a scarcity of studies exploring this possibility. This study aimed to assess the acceptability of nurses for using virtual patients as a continuous professional development approach.MethodThe study used a quasi-experimental posttest setup design. The study was conducted in ten primary healthcare settings in Rwanda. Among 76 nurses who consented to participate in the study, 56 completed the intervention and responded to the study questionnaire. Following a one-week program of continuous professional development on four non-communicable diseases, the study used a self-administered questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model 3 to collect data. Descriptive analysis served as the primary method for analyzing participants’ responses. The study also used a correlation test to assess the relationship of variables.ResultsAcross all items in the questionnaire, the median response tended towards either agree or strongly agree, with only a minority number of participants expressing strong disagreement, disagreement, or neutrality. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between perceived usefulness and behavior intention (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe findings indicate an acceptability and behavioral intention of adopting virtual patients as an alternative continuous professional development approach among nurses working at health centers in Rwanda or other locations with similar contexts.

Enhancing the role of pedagogical beliefs in TPACK-based professional development

Professional development programs that aim to enhance the use of educational technology in higher education have become a priority in many countries. However, educators’ pedagogical beliefs may present a barrier to the successful outcomes of these programs and are often overlooked. This paper presents a professional development approach designed to make explicit educators’ pedagogical beliefs in regards to educational technology. The outcomes of the study will provide insights into strategies to address educators’ beliefs about teaching, learning and students in general, as a launching pad for improvements in practice to occur.

Hassle and Tussle: The Challenges of Teachers in Carmen National High School

This research paper provided a concise overview of the study that aimed to understand and address the challenges of teachers at Carmen National High School. The research aimed to explore the challenges of teachers, particularly how the prevailing obstacles significantly impacted their instructional capabilities. It entailed assessing in-person teaching experiences, coping strategies for challenges, improvement efforts, and insights gained from these encounters. Anchored in David Kolb's Experiential Theory, the study employed phenomenology to subjectively explore conscious experiences. It identified emerging themes among the challenges, coping mechanisms, and educational insights, shedding light on the complex landscape of teaching. Through participant responses, challenges such as understanding the different learning styles of students, staying up to date with learning technology, and the lack of effective communication with students were revealed. Coping mechanisms included creating engaging lesson plans for students as well as behavior and classroom management. Educational insights encompasshaving the right attitude in teaching,professional development, and acknowledging students’ characteristics. The conclusion discussed implications for stakeholders and proposed future directions for customized professional development, enhanced communication, and student-centered approaches, emphasizing the significance of fostering an inclusive, technology-enhanced learning environment and contributing to ongoing educational research.

Approaches for sustainable professional skill development for vocational education students in Thailand.

This article presents a research study that aims to explore sustainable approaches for developing professional skills in vocational education students in Thailand. This is the second phase of the research, which utilizes a qualitative research methodology. The key informants in this study are administrators of vocational education institutions, teachers, and students currently enrolled in vocational education institutions in Thailand, totaling 36 participants. The research uses a purposive sampling method and snowball sampling method. Data collection methods include document analysis, in-depth structured interviews, and observation. The results of the interviews are analyzed, and the content analysis is summarized. The research process consists of 4 steps: 1) literature review, 2) data collection, 3) data analysis, and 4) verification and confirmation. The research findings highlight several key considerations, including: 1) factors influencing the development of professional skills among vocational education students, such as curriculum design, support and counseling, practical training in workplaces, interactive learning, problem-solving and analytical thinking skills development, practical learning, and supportive learning environments, 2) approaches for sustainable professional skill development involve employing the appropriate approaches for self-development. The steps include setting clear goals and plans, active learning and training, technology skill development, experiential learning, problem-solving skill development, participation in professional activities, self-reflection, and continuous self-improvement. These approaches aim to enhance the competencies of vocational education students, ensuring quality and efficiency as part of lifelong learning and sustainable development.

Feasibility of Remote Coaching With Early Interventionists: NDBI Strategies in Part C

Early intervention supports infants and toddlers with confirmed or suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in achieving optimal outcomes, and caregiver-implemented NDBIs are recommended as a developmentally appropriate intervention approach for very young children and their families. Research highlights discrepancies between early interventionists’ perceptions of their practices and their observed practices, possibly contributing to implementation gaps. Remote coaching is a viable method of supporting early childhood professionals’ use of recommended practices, yet limited research has examined remote coaching with early interventionists in community systems (e.g., Part C). The current feasibility study explored differences between early interventionists’ reported and observed practices and compared bug-in-ear versus video review coaching methods with early interventionists working with families of toddlers with confirmed or suspected ASD. Results demonstrated (a) early interventionists reported higher quality practices than observed, and (b) remote coaching is a community-viable professional development approach in supporting early interventionists’ use of recommended practices.

Rethinking critical thinking, diversity and Indigenous awareness from a Blackfoot perspective

ABSTRACT Through this article, I critique the notion of critical thinking as it is mobilized in our education systems as an entry point for challenging the equity, diversity and inclusion lens that typifies professional development approaches which will illuminate why other approaches are needed. Using my own lived experiences as an Indigenous woman, I provide clarity on the concept of Indigenous relationality and the potential it has an alternate pathway for the embodiment of antiracist education that draws on Blackfoot ontological responsibilities and constructions of what it means to be a fully relational human being as understood from Blackfoot ways of knowing.

Effectiveness of In-Service Training Programs: A Narrative Approach of Teachers Professional Development at Girls Secondary Level

This research study aims to unravel the influence of in-service training programs on the teaching-learning process of secondary school teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study argues that teachers play a critical role in shaping the future of their students, and the quality of a nation's academic performance is linked to the quality of its teachers. Thus, it is essential to improve the quality of teacher education. Qualitative narrative research was employed in this study. The researcher selected five public girls' secondary schools through convenient sampling in district Mardan. The researcher selected ten secondary school teachers, and participants were selected using a random purposive technique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted following the saturation level of the interview questions. This research study furnished valuable findings with reference to in-service training that will assist in transforming teachers with sophisticated and constructivist teaching-learning processes. This research study accomplished recommendations at the teacher-educator level, policy level, teacher level, and student level. It's recommended that teachers should focus on reflective thinking and teacher group discussions in an attempt to make a more effective classroom. Teacher educators should empower teachers by reshaping their naive and traditional teaching practices. Realistic efforts need teachers' professional development with follow-up supervision by competent and dedicated trainers.

How to form shared objects to enhance university-school collaboration? A cultural-historical activity theory perspective.

University-school (U-S) collaboration has proven to be an effective approach for teacher professional development, but it could be hampered by the lack of shared objects. To understand how shared objects are formed in U-S collaboration, this research established a university-school collaborated Change Laboratory in W primary school based on cultural-historical activity theory, which is under the background of Chinese teaching research activity. Recordings of meetings throughout the year were transcribed into texts and coded, and then analyzed via the method of grounded theory and contradiction analysis. The findings reveal that, in comparison to previous studies regarding shared object formation process, this study identified an special phase named "experimental object," which highlights the significance of experimentation in U-S collaboration. Also, multiple contradictions are recognized as the driving force for shared object formation which would gradually transform into fundamental conflicts between tools. The main contradictions identified include those between scientific and daily concepts, university culture and school culture, as well as new experiment and old routine. The current study implicates that U-S collaboration is an expansive learning process to acquire unknown knowledge, which necessitates both parties engaging in exploration and experimentation together. Furthermore, shared object formation within U-S collaboration requires participants to focus on developing teaching tools while consciously undergoing changes in aspects such as logic of thinking, culture and routine.

Simulation, Storytelling, and Pediatric End-of-Life Care: A Continuing Professional Development Approach for Nurse Residents.

Background: Providing end-of-life (EOL) care to pediatric patients and their families is challenging. Newly licensed nurses, especially those working with the hematology/oncology population, have little to no experience providing the specialized care needed for the dying child. An evidence-based continuing professional development activity provided a novel approach to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and comfort levels of nurse residents related to pediatric EOL care. Method: A high-fidelity simulation module of a pediatric oncology patient at the EOL was embedded into a 12-month nurse residency program. The module employed several teaching strategies including a storytelling approach. Results: Thirteen pediatric nurse residents participated in the program. While the evidence-based intervention increased participants' EOL care knowledge, their overall attitudes, and comfort levels remained unchanged. Discussion: EOL simulation with a storytelling approach is a highly valuable method of teaching new nurses how to care for a dying patient. Additional studies are needed to explore how to increase the comfort levels of new nurses in the delicate population of pediatric hematology/oncology.

Fostering Higher Order Thinking Skills in Mathematics Learning: A Scoping Review of Teacher Development Initiatives

This community service program aimed to enhance both the understanding and application of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTs) in mathematics instruction for participating teachers. Employing a targeted professional development approach informed by the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework, the program equipped 21 mathematics teachers from Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran (MGMP) in Aceh Tengah District, Indonesia, with the necessary knowledge and pedagogical strategies to foster and cultivate high-level thinking skills in their students. The program demonstrably improved teachers' knowledge, skills, and commitment towards implementing HOTs-oriented instruction. While areas like solving HOTs questions necessitate further attention, the overall results suggest success, paving the way for continued advancements in promoting deep-thinking and problem-solving skills in mathematics education. Analysis of the data reveals a positive impact of the program on teachers' understanding of HOTs. While areas such as problem-solving and critical thinking require further development, the program evidently achieved its goals of raising awareness, knowledge, and application skills related to HOTs. Building upon this foundation, future interventions can delve deeper into these advanced skills, further empowering teachers to cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in their students.

Integrating theory, experience and social learning in a professionalisation trajectory aimed at developing primary school teachers’ diversity competences

ABSTRACT Although diversity in the classroom offers new opportunities for learning and can be a source of inspiration, teachers often experience a diverse student population as challenging. Teachers at five primary schools engaged in a professionalisation trajectory, in which teacher learning teams, supported by researchers, developed educational approaches for making use of the diversity in the classroom, and thus improving the teachers’ diversity competences. Starting point was the notion that diversity is a positive and multidimensional phenomenon. The professional development approach chosen was a combination of Experiential learning, Social learning and Theoretical learning (EST learning). We investigated to what extent and how this EST professional development approach contributed to an increase in teachers’ diversity competences. Members of the learning teams (N ≈ 20) completed questionnaires, and repeated interviews were conducted. Different trajectories originated, which mainly differed by the starting point chosen: experimenting, exchanging experiences, or reflecting on and translating theory. The most important learning outcome was awareness of multidimensional diversity in the classroom. For the participants the learning team was the most important source of (social) learning in this. Future research should examine how theory as a source for learning can take shape more effectively.

Providing Professional Development Approaches for Novice Lecturers: A Case of One Chinese University

Providing Professional Development Approaches for Novice Lecturers: A Case of One Chinese University

Multi-Tiered Systems of Educator Professional Development: A Systematic Literature Review of Responsive, Tiered Professional Development Models

Teachers and clinicians report feeling underprepared to implement evidence-based behavior supports. As such, effective models of professional development that lead to improved outcomes for all individuals are required. Critical components of high-quality professional development include explicit instruction, modeling, practice, direct feedback, and, potentially, individual coaching. However, delivering all components may be resource intensive. Professional development approaches that extend the tiered logic of multi-tiered systems of support to adult learning may address these challenges. In such models, universal professional development is provided to whole-staff groups on specific skills using explicit instruction, modeling, practice, and feedback. Data are then collected and used to inform targeted, individualized supports. The current systematic literature review addressed a gap in the literature by identifying, summarizing, and appraising 20 published studies that examined tiered, responsive professional development models. While consistent practices were identified (e.g., group didactic training at Tier 1 and coaching at Tiers 2 and 3), the form and shape of specific interventions at each tier differed across studies. The same was observed in the data-based decision-making processes employed to determine the need for additional trainee support. Practical implications to inform the ongoing examination of tiered responsive professional development models are discussed.

A systematic review of the literature on lesson study in Germany: a professional development approach under the radar of research?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to systematically review the history and current state of lesson study (LS) in Germany. In particular, this paper describes the development of LS over time and its stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachConducting a systematic literature review, we searched three scientific databases and Google Scholar, examined 806 results and included 50 articles in our final sample, which we analyzed systematically.FindingsThe spread of LS in Germany can be divided into three phases, characterized by their own LS projects as well as their own ways of understanding LS. Although interest in LS has increased significantly in recent years, it is only present at a small number of schools and universities in Germany if compared internationally. Furthermore, this paper identifies the so-called learning activity curves as a tool frequently used for observation and reflection that appears to be unknown outside German-speaking countries.Originality/valueThis paper may act as an outline for countries without large-scale LS projects and with limited support from policymakers. The experience from Germany demonstrates the outcomes and challenges that can arise in such a situation and shows how unique LS features and proceedings have emerged.

Effective Approaches to Teacher Professional Development in Thailand: Case Study

This research aimed to investigate effective approaches to teacher development as a meaningful form of professional development (PD). The objective was to assess the impact of teachers&amp;rsquo; learning as an approach to PD and to summarize best practices. The study involved teachers from two primary schools who participated in the Healthy School Empowerment Project, a four-year collaborative learning initiative designed to support educators in improving classroom instruction and enhancing school performance. The findings revealed the most effective approaches for professional development and enhancing teachers&amp;rsquo; learning include establishing the school as a professional learning community (PLC), implementing teacher-as-learner programs, providing coaching by master teachers, and fostering teacher networks. Bottom of Form

Supporting chemistry teachers’ formative assessment with a three-dimensional learning progression

ABSTRACT International science education reforms seek to support teachers in using everyday assessment to draw out and work with student ideas; however, developing these instructional practices requires time and support. This paper investigates how a professional development program supported high school chemistry teachers to learn about formative assessment design with a learning progression for modelling energy. Five high school chemistry teachers participated over the course of one academic year, attending bimonthly school-based sessions in which they designed, enacted, and reflected upon formative assessment tasks. We used qualitative methods to analyze recordings of professional development meetings, videorecorded classroom observations, and interviews. Findings suggest that the professional development approach supported teachers’ learning about tools and routines of formative assessment with the learning progression, and in turn, they were able to apply this learning in their classroom practice.