Professional Development Efforts Research Articles

Exploring the Impact of School Leadership on Professional Development in Panabo City Division, Philippines: A Mixed-Method Explanatory Research Study

This study investigates the relationship between school leadership and professional development in the educational setting of Panabo City Division, Philippines. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected through surveys of teachers and school leaders, while qualitative insights were garnered through focus groups and interviews. The data show that school leaders are widely regarded positively, with high mean scores indicating effective participation, supportive behaviors, and clear communication. Similarly, professional development efforts received excellent marks for continual learning, reflective practice, collaborative networking, and creative teaching methods. Statistical research shows a substantial positive association (r = 0.90, p < 0.05) between school leadership and professional development, highlighting the importance of leadership in creating a supportive atmosphere for teacher development. Qualitative findings reveal how supportive leadership behaviors such as resource allocation, collaborative learning communities, and appreciation of teachers' contributions improve professional development outcomes. These findings have practical significance for educational policymakers and school leaders looking to improve leadership practices and maximize professional development programs, which enhances teaching effectiveness.

Perspectives of Students and Teachers Form Continuing Professional Development: Challenge And Obstacle

Continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers is crucial for enhancing their professional capabilities, particularly in pedagogical skills. Despite its importance, several barriers and challenges impede the effective development of the teaching profession. This study aims to investigate these obstacles through the perceptions of elementary school students and teachers, providing insights into the current state of CPD in education. A survey method was used to gather data from 150 participants, including students and teachers, to explore their perceptions of CPD. The survey focused on various aspects of CPD, including educational practices, learning processes, professional development activities, and supporting mechanisms. The findings revealed significant differences in perceptions between students and teachers across the examined aspects. Teachers predominantly prioritized the learning process in their professional development efforts. Major obstacles identified included a lack of motivation and insufficient intervention for practicing teachers. Additionally, a critical challenge for teachers was the deficiency of high-quality resources necessary to conduct effective research in learning methodologies. The disparity in perceptions between students and teachers highlights the need for more targeted CPD programs that address the specific needs of educators. Enhancing motivation and providing adequate support and resources are essential for overcoming these barriers. Addressing these challenges can lead to more effective teaching practices and ultimately improve the quality of education. This study underscores the importance of understanding the barriers and challenges to CPD from both students' and teachers' perspectives. By prioritizing the learning process and addressing motivational and resource-related issues, stakeholders can better support the professional development of teachers, leading to improved pedagogical outcomes.

A Road Map for Planning Course Transformation Using Learning Objectives.

The Vision and Change report called for biology educators to transform undergraduate biology education. The report recommended educators transparently state what students should know and be able to do and create assessments to measure student learning. Using backward design, learning objectives (LOs) can serve as the basis for course transformation. In this essay, we present a roadmap for planning successful course transformations synthesized from the literature.We identified three categories of critical features for successful course transformation. First, establishing a sense of urgency and offering faculty incentives to engage in this time-consuming work creates a needed climate for change. Second, departments are empowered in this process by including key stakeholders, building faculty teams to work collaboratively to identify LOs used to drive pedagogical change, develop assessment strategies, and engage in professional development efforts to support the process. Third, there must be intentional effort to manage resistance and ensure academic freedom and creativity in the classroom. General recommendations as well as areas for further research are discussed.

Infusing Evidence-Based Instruction in Two Middle School Settings

This article reports on a project implemented to help middle school teachers provide evidence-based instruction and intervention to students with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) and mathematics difficulties (MD). Multiple sources—interviews, surveys, and field notes from formal and informal observations—were used to gather data on teacher perceptions and feedback on what worked and what did not in this professional development effort. We also examined the mathematics achievement of students with MLD and MD and compared their growth to that of their typically performing peers at the two participating schools. We highlight and discuss the key issues and concerns that emerged from this implementation study.

Broadening Participation in Biology Education Research: A role for affinity groups in promoting social connectivity, self-efficacy, and belonging.

Discipline-based education research (DBER) has experienced dramatic growth over recent years, but with growth comes concerns about whether DBER efforts accurately represent the education landscape. By many measures, DBER does not feature a representative range of institutional contexts or a diverse array of voices. Numerous professional development efforts have sought to broaden DBER participation. However, few studies investigate factors that increase engagement by individuals from underrepresented contexts. Drawing on theory related to belonging, self-efficacy, and social learning communities, we investigated persistence in an affinity group aimed at engaging community college faculty (CCF) in biology education research (BER). CCF and CC contexts are dramatically underrepresented in BER in comparison to their central positioning in higher education. We conducted a 4-y study of CCF participants' sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and network connectivity. Our results suggest a relationship between social connectivity, belonging, and persistence in the community, indicating an increase of either of these factors may increase persistence. Self-efficacy increased alongside belonging within the affinity group, which correlated with belonging in BER broadly. These results might inform efforts to engage underrepresented groups of DBER scholars and suggest that such efforts go beyond provision of resources and skills, to focus on building social connections.

Teachers' perceptions of the epistemic aims and evaluation criteria of multiple text integration

The importance of intertextual integration in current information societies has led to extensive research on how to foster students' integration competence. Although teachers have a central role in promoting integration skills, research into their perceptions of intertextual integration tasks is still scarce. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore language arts teachers' views on the epistemic aims and evaluation criteria of intertextual integration. Fifty-four language arts teachers were asked to evaluate three integrated essays, supposedly written by students, that reflected typical violations of key integration quality criteria. In addition, they responded to open-ended questions about intertextual integration aims and evaluation criteria. Teachers successfully identified only about a third of the integration quality criteria violations that were embedded in the essays. Nonetheless, they collectively raised diverse evaluation criteria that addressed content selection and understanding, argumentation quality, source use and intertextuality, structure and organization, and language sophistication. Teachers' most prevalent aims were related to information processing and to the development of learners’ reading and writing skills. However, teachers also referred to knowledge-building goals. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed interrelations between teachers' perceptions of evaluation criteria and their integration aims. Overall, these findings demonstrate that language arts teachers have rich multiple-text integration task models. At the same time, they suggest that many teachers might not perceive intertextual integration as an opportunity for knowledge building and for developing learners’ critical thinking. The results of this study can inform professional development efforts to support instruction of intertextual integration.

Scientific Publication as a Sustainable Professional Development Effort from the Perspective of ES Teachers

Scientific Publication as a Sustainable Professional Development Effort from the Perspective of ES Teachers

Perspectives of African American Social Workers Regarding Clinical Licensure

ABSTRACT Purpose This study was undertaken to illuminate the perspectives of African American MSWs, both licensed and unlicensed, concerning clinical licensure. Method In 2022, but prior to the time of the Association for Social Work Boards (ASWB) report release, the primary author interviewed 20 African Americans with Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees regarding their desire and attempts to attain licensure. The participants were selected utilizing non-probability, convenience sampling methods and self-selected in response to invitations extended via social media platforms. The interviews took place via Zoom and were recorded and analyzed utilizing qualitative methods. Results The findings suggested that many interviewees do view the test as biased in favor of White women and that they attribute lower test pass rates of African Americans in part to this bias. However, additional concerns, including the costs and difficulty of multiple test-taking efforts, the time limit between MSW and licensure, and the dearth of information available to MSWs about licensing credentials, among others, were also cited. Respondents also identified, in some cases, limitations in social support, particularly in work settings, for their professional development efforts. Significantly, many participants identified problems with supervision – securing supervision, the focus/content of supervision, or both. Discussion and Conclusions Recommendations for steps to increase access to the test and to information about the test are offered. Importantly, discussion regarding avenues to supervision and mentorship is initiated. This study offers a first step in the process of engaging with African Americans about their own experiences with the licensing process.

The Impact of Marital Status on Work-Life Balance Considering Covid-19 Pandemic at Midlands State University

Objectives: Researchers sought to investigate how spousal relationships of employees affect the management of employment commitments and social life responsibilities during the coronavirus pandemic within a state university. Specifically, researchers desired to explore how employees struggled with work-life balance during covid-19 pandemic, ascertain any work-life balance benefits brought about by the covid-19 pandemic among host organisation employees and measure differences between marital status and level of work-life balance of employees. Methods: The study was anchored on multi-methodology research conceptualization, embedded research design, and critical realism paradigm. A sample size of 40 research subjects selected through a controlled quota sampling method was used for the study. Correspondingly, primary data was collected using a semi-structured interview guide and structured questionnaire. The main data analytical tools used were inferential statistics and thematic headings. Results: Available evidence from the study indicates that participants struggled to balance employment commitments and social life responsibilities during the coronavirus pandemic. Telecommuting resources were scarce and stumbling blocks in professional development efforts were faced. The study also revealed that the pandemic helped research subjects to improve their digital skills in the workplace. Conclusions: Given the above observational evidence, the management of the host organization might need to offer sufficient telecommuting resources and a policy framework that guides such flexible work arrangements. A holistic picture of the subject matter can also be understood through a longitudinal study design with a bigger sample size.

Assessing the state of technology education in primary schools: a systematic review of the last 2 decades

This study reports on a systematic review of the current status of technology education in primary schools and the terminology used in the fields of technology and engineering education. Additionally, this review highlights crucial aspects of teaching and learning that must not be overlooked when outlining the current state of technology and engineering education, such as students’ and teachers’ personal factors, classroom communication, and teacher professional growth. Following PRISMA guidelines, two electronic databases were reviewed, Web of Science and Education Resources Information Center. The literature search identified a total of 1206 papers, 125 from Web of Science and 1081 from ERIC. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 papers were selected and evaluated in depth. The results show that research on technology education in primary schools is a growing field of interest but fragmented in focus. Our review is the first to indicate the wide range of technology and engineering education definitions. We also highlight the large heterogeneity of studies focusing on students’ and teachers’ personal factors and classroom interactions, a finding that may be explained by the unclear concepts and aims of technology and engineering curricula. This study contributes to and supports research and policymaking to better understand the current status, heterogeneities, and challenges in technology and engineering education in primary schools. In addition, we provide first insights to support professional development efforts targeting teachers’ technology acceptance and improvement of their technology-related teaching practices.

Teacher professional development: ''Be a force for good''

The teacher's lack of understanding of the use of technology in the classroom seems to be inversely proportional to the Merdeka Curriculum which requires teachers and students to be able to keep up with technological developments. Therefore, training on the use of the Canva application as a learning medium for elementary school teachers in Magelang was carried out as teacher professional development effort. The aim of this community service is to train elementary school teachers so they can develop their professionalism in developing interactive learning media that suits students' needs in the current era. By carrying out this community service in three different schools with a total of 22 participants, several stages were carried out. These stages consist of analyzing community problems, identifying problems, finding solutions to problems, preparing activities, implementing activities, evaluating activities and results. The evaluation results of this training activity showed that not only can the participants become more familiar with the Canva application, they are also trained to be able to design learning media in the form of presentations and videos using Canva. The participant satisfaction survey also showed positive results, in fact all participants agreed that they would continue to use Canva as a technology for designing learning media in the future. The root of this solution will certainly have an effect on the students' understanding of the participants later. If students have good academic achievements, they will become the next generation of the nation who can solve problems in this country, including poverty. However, this study was also conducted as a form of community service report which hopefully still can be a guideline and reading material for researchers regarding community service out there.

Internship Program Receives Return on Investment From Nurse Professional Development Efforts.

Our current economy necessitates attention to nursing professional development programs that positively impact the fiscal budget. This project evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the patient care internship program designed to attract and retain nursing talent in a Midwest hospital system. Nurse leaders partnered with nursing faculty to recruit student nurses and prepare them to transition to the registered nurse role. The program had cost savings to the organization greater than $200,000 over a 2-year period.

Refinement of an instrument measuring science teachers’ knowledge of language through mixed method

Teachers must know how to use language to support students in knowledge generation environments that align to the Next Generation Science Standards. To measure this knowledge, this study refines a survey on teachers’ knowledge of language as an epistemic tool. Rasch modelling was used to examine 15 items’ fit statistics and the functioning of a previously-designed questionnaire’s response categories. Cronbach’s alpha reliability was also examined. Additionally, interviews were used to investigate teachers’ interpretations of each item to identify ambiguous items. The results indicated that three ambiguous items were deleted based on qualitative data and three more items were deleted because of negative correlation and mismatched fit statistics. Finally, we present a revised language questionnaire with nine items and acceptable correlation and good fit statistics, with utility for science education researchers and teacher educators. This research contributes a revised questionnaire to measure teachers’ knowledge of language that could inform professional development efforts. This research also describes instrument refinement processes that could be applied elsewhere.

Iterating toward change: Improving student-centered teaching through the STEM faculty institute (STEMFI).

One of the primary reasons why students leave STEM majors is due to the poor quality of instruction. Teaching practices can be improved through professional development programs; however, several barriers exist. Creating lasting change by overcoming these barriers is the primary objective of the STEM Faculty Institute (STEMFI). STEMFI was designed according to the framework established by Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior. To evaluate its effectiveness, the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) tool was used before and after an intensive year-long faculty development program and analyzed using copusprofiles.org, a tool that classifies each COPUS report into one of three instructional styles: didactic, interactive lecture, and student-centered. We report the success of our program in changing faculty teaching behaviors and we categorize them into types of reformers. Then, thematically coded post-participation interviews give us clues into the characteristics of each type of reformer. Our results demonstrate that faculty can significantly improve the student-centeredness of their teaching practices in a relatively short time. We also discuss the implications of faculty attitudes for future professional development efforts.

The mediating role of concepts for collective reasoning about integrating play, teaching and digital media in preschool: A potential for enabled agency for early childhood teachers

An international contemporary challenge for early childhood teachers is to integrate digital media in preschool. Research indicates that teachers have concerns regarding the use of digital media in preschool, especially in relation to play. In this study, we explore how an early childhood education and care (ECEC) work team takes on this challenge when, in focus group conversations, discusses digital media in relation to a theoretical framework with principles and implications for understanding play and teaching in preschool. We adopt a sociocultural perspective when examining the mediating role of theoretical concepts for reasoning about the integration of digital media in ECEC. The findings illustrate how the concepts mediate an understanding of (i) play and teaching as responsive activities with a focus on the importance of sharing the same digital media references (ii) play and teaching activities as building on a mutual frame of reference, which is a challenge as children have different experiences of digital media than adults, (iii) play as including fluctuations between “as if” and “as is” and something that must include fantasy and an openness, with digital media contributing to or hindering such openness, and (iv) how teaching can take shape in mutual activities where mutual experiences of digital media can be used as a starting point for teaching. Implications for professional development efforts and teacher agency are discussed.

Development and Validation of a Self-Assessment Instrument for Measuring TPACK Ability of Scientific-Based Chemistry Teachers

This research aims to establish the validity and reliability of a novel self-assessment instrument designed to quantify the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) abilities of chemistry teachers implementing a science-based approach. The study employs a Research and Development (RD) framework, utilizing the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model. The development process involved two subject matter experts for initial validity testing, followed by a panel of 18 expert reviewers for further validity assessment, and a reliability testing phase involving 50 active chemistry teachers. Initial validity assessment yielded Aiken's V coefficient values of 0.92 and 0.96 for the two experts, demonstrating high agreement on the instrument's content validity. Further validation by the expert panel resulted in an average Aiken's V coefficient of 0.94, indicating excellent consensus on the instrument's relevance and applicability. Reliability testing exhibited a satisfactory level of consistency, with Aiken's V coefficient values ranging from 0.52 to 0.64 for the seven TPACK domains (PK, CK, TK, TCK, TPK, PCK, TPACK). Consequently, the developed self-assessment instrument exhibits both robust validity and reliability in evaluating TPACK abilities of science-based chemistry teachers. The findings recommend the instrument's utility in facilitating better understanding of TPACK abilities in this context, contributing to the body of research on pedagogical tool development and supporting professional development efforts among scientific-based chemistry educators.

The Impact of an Empowerment Evaluation Approach on Teachers’ TPACK-P Proficiency Levels

In South Africa, there is a strong recognition of the affordances of information and communications technology (ICT) in science teaching and learning. A key indicator for the effective use of ICT is the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers with TPACK-Practical (TPACK-P) being an important iteration related to teacher enactment of this knowledge. The purpose of this research study was to capture, portray and develop the TPACK-P proficiency levels of five Physical Sciences teachers using an empowerment evaluation (EE) approach. This study adopted a mixed-methods case study design within a pragmatic research paradigm. The existing TPACK-P levels of teachers were established by administering a questionnaire and doing classroom observations of teachers using ICT in their practice. Following a professional development programme informed by principles of EE, the same TPACK-P questionnaire was used to determine if there was a change in the teachers’ TPACK-P proficiency levels. Classroom lesson observations were also conducted at this stage to establish shifts in the competency of teachers when integrating ICT into their teaching. The results of this study showed that the EE approach that guided the professional development of the Physical Sciences teachers was effective in improving their TPACK-P proficiency levels and in empowering them to be more confident and competent when integrating ICT into their teaching. This suggests that the EE approach can be modelled in professional development efforts involving small groups of teachers.

Eğitim Kurumlarında Görevli Eğitim Yöneticilerinin Mesleki Gelişimlerinin İncelenmesi

The aim of this study is to examine the professional development of education managers working in educational institutions. Education management has the responsibility and power to shape the future of a country. The responsibility of education managers is considered quite important in this respect. For this reason, it is necessary to acquire the behavior, attitude, skills and knowledge of educational managers with the programs to be applied. Managerial tasks that are started without developing professional positive attitudes and behaviors and the necessary professional developments may cause incorrect behavior. In education management, which is not considered a profession in itself, it leads to the lack of job preparation trainings before starting the job. Research conducted on personal development and educator qualifications in the educational management process has shown that the quality of educational managers, professional development efforts produce positive effective results in terms of the success and transformation of the educational institution. In this context, the necessity of increasing and diversifying the managerial effectiveness and professional competencies of education managers has become a necessity Key Words: Educational Institutions, Educational Administrators, Professional Development

Navigating Policy and Local Context in Times of Crisis: District and School Leader Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: To examine how federal/state-level policy guidance and local context have influenced district and school leader responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how these external/internal factors might provide a window into K-12 crisis leadership and policy sensemaking more broadly. Research: Investigating two districts over two years (2020-2022), data gathered include 39 hours of interviews with K-12 leaders (n = 41) and teachers (n = 18), federal/state-level policy documents (N = 64) governing these districts, and school staff responses to the Comprehensive Assessment of Leaders for Learning survey (N = 111). Drawing theoretically upon sensemaking, crisis leadership/management, law/policy implementation, and organizational theory, these data were analyzed using both inductive and deductive coding over several phases. Findings: In tracing the confluence of federal/state-level guidance and local capacities, we find both influenced K-12 leaders' sensemaking and subsequent responses to COVID-19. However, districts that possessed adequate expertise and organizational resources were better positioned to respond to the crisis, whereas those lacking such capacities experienced increased anxiety/stress. Conclusion: We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic provides a new window into the critical external/internal factors influencing K-12 leader sensemaking and subsequent responses to crises more broadly. We also discuss the potential role intermediate service agencies might play in the development of a stronger crisis response infrastructure for associated districts and schools. Finally, we point out how principal preparation programs and professional development efforts could prospectively address such crisis-related challenges faced by K-12 leaders.

Teacher Learning and Professional Development: Views and Practices of Georgian and Turkish Teachers of English

By the time they graduate from their initial teacher education programs, most teachers are equipped with the basic information and skills they may need to begin their classroom practice – including content knowledge, theories about the teaching and learning process, and various instructional strategies and techniques. However, the process of becoming a teacher does not end there. The most successful teachers are also lifelong learners who continuously work to improve their subject-related knowledge, understand how they can reach their students most effectively, and keep up with new developments in education. Considering the need for teachers to be aware of the concept of teacher learning and their beliefs that impact their practice in that regard, this comparative study will explore and report initial findings of what Georgian and Turkish teachers of English understand from the concepts of “teachers as learners” and “teacher learning,” and what kinds of professional development activities and efforts they are involved in as part of what they think these concepts constitute and require.