Professional Development Engagement Research Articles

The relationship between teachers’ engagement in school-based continuous professional development and their readiness for change in the Injibara City Administration primary schools of Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The general purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers’ engagement in school-based continuous professional development and their readiness for change in Injibara City Administration primary schools. This study used a correlation research design, and data was collected from randomly selected 95 primary school teachers in Injibara City Administration primary schools. The collected data is analyzed using a one-sample t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed that teachers were less ready to change their teaching practices. Furthermore, it was found that teachers’ readiness for change dimensions had a statically significant correlation with teachers’ engagement in continuous professional development at p<.05. Lastly, the findings of this study indicated that teachers’ experience in continuous professional development engagement is a significant predictor of their readiness for change. Therefore, the school leaders, stakeholders, government, and Woreda education office should do tasks that can enhance teachers’ readiness for change.

The inquirer, the sense maker, and the builder: Participant roles in an online working group designed to support inquiry-oriented instruction

In light of the expansion of student-centered instructional approaches in mathematics education and a brightening spotlight on instructional supports, we look to Inquiry Oriented Instruction (IOI) and explore instructors’ participation in an online working group designed to support the implementation of IOI. By coordinating the tenants IOI, the format and goals of the online working groups, and the analytic framing provided by the Instructional Triangle, three roles for the IOI professional development participants emerged: the sense maker, the inquirer, and the builder. This framing guided our study of participant role enactment in an online professional development setting. Here we detail two instructors’ approaches to IOI, the roles they played in in the online working group, and ultimately shed light on the intricacies of IOI and meaningful professional development engagement. Such findings support the growing bodies of research centered around IOI, corresponding professional development initiatives, and community formation in online professional development settings.

An American Business School’s Academic Advising and Professional Development Centers’ Early Pandemic Response

As colleges and universities around the world grapple with the continuing impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary for research to not only focus on student academic learning issues, but also test for maintained support of needed student resources such as Academic Advising and Professional Development Centers. Using the Senior Student Satisfaction Survey, two separate samples of graduating business undergraduates at a Mid-Atlantic University in the United States of America were surveyed, in late Spring 2019 (pre-pandemic) and late Spring 2020 (early pandemic). The goals of this study were two-fold. The first was to test for changes from pre-pandemic to early pandemic in seven student-related perception measures: attendance motivation, coursework challenge, professional development engagement, academic advising ease/quality, professional development ease/quality, business degree satisfaction, and perceived market value to potential employers. The second goal was to test for changes in the perceived relationships of five “independent variables”, i.e., attendance motivation, coursework challenge, professional development engagement, academic advising center ease/quality, and professional development center ease/quality, to two “dependent variables”, i.e., business degree satisfaction and perceived market value to potential employers. Comparing pre-pandemic (2019) to early pandemic (2020) perceptual change data, this study found that both the Academic Advising and Professional Development Centers handled these student-based perception variables from the surveys quite well. When the campus was suddenly closed due to the pandemic, both Centers successfully made quick adaptive changes to virtual models to handle initial student needs.

Reinforcing the Importance of Maintaining Internship Support for College Student Engagement and Anticipated Employment

The Covid-19 pandemic has created many challenges for universities around the world, including how to keep students engaged in their professional development, despite the challenges of remote learning and virtual student services. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the continued importance of Career Professional Development Center (CPDC) support (pre-pandemic to early stages of the pandemic) for business-related internships influencing student professional development engagement (PDE) and anticipated employment upon graduation. PDE encompasses typical CPDC resources (e.g., internship search support; involvement in student professional organizations (SPOs); professional development coaching; and job search assistance). A survey, the Senior Student Satisfaction Survey (SSSS) was deployed prior to graduation to business students. Using the SSSS, two separate samples of graduating business undergraduates at a Mid-Atlantic University in the United States were surveyed, in late Spring 2019 (pre-pandemic) and late Spring 2020 (early pandemic). Pre-pandemic survey results showed that students having at least one internship experience (versus none) were more likely to: join an SPO sooner; attend more SPO meetings/semester; complete their professional development sooner; and anticipate &amp;ldquo;by graduation&amp;rdquo; full-time employment. Despite the drop in survey participation due to the pandemic onset, results consistent with this were found with the early pandemic survey. Like other academic-related and campus services in the face of the pandemic, the business school CPDC is adapting to the new remote ways of operating and successfully transitioned their delivery mode to a 100% virtual model to meet the resource challenge of supporting student PDE. It is hoped that the ideas discussed will be useful to a wider audience.

Professional Development Engagement and Career Satisfaction of Agriscience Teachers

Teachers should possess a set of professional commitments, which includes active participation in professional development that leads to student learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between professional development engagement and career satisfaction. This study used a quantitative descriptive correlational research design. A purposive stratified sample of states and a census of teachers in those states were used. The Tailored-Design Method, using multiple points of contact with various modes was used to collect data with minimal survey error. There was a response rate of 72.5% (n = 892). The mean score for the professional development engagement was 118.3 (SD = 13.4; n = 858) on a 150 point scale. Agriscience teachers participated in workshops at a higher rate than any other type of professional development. Levels of implementation varied among types of professional development. The mean score for career satisfaction was 19.9 (SD = 4.4; n = 878) on a 25 point scale. Professional development engagement and career satisfaction had a moderate positive correlation (r = .34). These findings showed a high level of participation in professional development, especially workshops and a high level of career satisfaction. Recommendations for practice and future inquiry are provided.

Continuing Professional Development Engagement-A UK-based Concept Analysis.

Although much literature exists regarding the operationalization of the term engagement, this relates specifically to work/employee engagement and user, consumer, and scholarly engagement. There is no clear understanding of the term Continuing Professional Development (CPD) engagement for allied health professionals and Nurses and Midwives in the UK, although it is becoming a frequently used term. This raises the challenge of creating measures of the impact of CPD engagement. This concept analysis therefore sought to operationalize the term CPD engagement. A theoretical concept analysis was undertaken, as part of a Professional Doctorate, using Walker and Avant's Concept Analysis Framework. Literature was accessed via OVID, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, ABI INFO, and PsychINFO using search terms engagement, work/employee, user, consumer, scholarly engagement, CPD, and life-long learning. Defining attributes for CPD engagement included criteria based around the terms such as self-initiated, voluntary, applied, recorded, evaluated and shared, and continuation of learning beyond the initial activity. Antecedents focused around drive and availability of resources including time, money, and support. There are potentially many positive consequences of CPD engagement, such as job satisfaction, employee retention, and quality of service provision, that may be more easily investigated and measured against the attributes defined from this study, which indicates that CPD engagement is characterized by the following five criteria: (1) self-initiated; (2) rewarded (either intrinsically or extrinsically); (3) applied in practice; (4) recorded, evaluated, and shared with others; and finally (5) continues beyond the initial learning activity.

Exploring common correlates of business undergraduate satisfaction with their degree program versus expected employment

Using a complete data sample of 467 graduating business seniors, the authors successfully created a new three-item measure of student degree program satisfaction (bachelor of business administration [BBA] satisfaction). Significant positive correlates for BBA satisfaction included academic attendance motivation, advising ease and quality, course work challenge, professional development engagement, and two types of grading assessment learning perceptions (exam based and individual creative). Two types of expected employment by graduation were measured, having (a) a full-time job and (b) a full-time job consistent with major. The number of internships a student completed was a significant positive correlate for BBA satisfaction and both types of expected employment.

Personal Resilience as a Predictor of Professional Development Engagement and Career Satisfaction of Agriscience Teachers

The profession of teaching is inherently stressful. Resilience, or the ability to adapt and develop competence despite exposure to disruptive change, has been shown to be beneficial for teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine if personal resilience is a predictor of professional development engagement and career satisfaction of agriscience teachers. A census of agriscience teachers in four purposefully selected states was taken. Data were collected using the TailoredDesign Method, using multiple points of contact with multiple modes to minimize survey error. The overall response rate was 72.5% (n = 892). The linear combination of independent variables in a stepwise backwards regression model explained 13.7% of the variance of professional development engagement and 21.4% of the variance of career satisfaction. These findings suggested that increasing the resilience of agriscience teachers, specifically in the areas of positive: world and focused, could lead to increased engagement in professional development and career satisfaction, which has been shown to be a factor that increases teacher efficacy. Additional research is needed to explore how to increase the resilience of agriscience teachers and the relationship between teacher resilience and student outcome variables.

Toward understanding business student professional development engagement

ABSTRACTProfessional development engagement (PDE) is defined as the level of perceived undergraduate engagement in professional development activities. An 11-item measure of PDE exhibited a good reliability. Using a complete data sample of 467 graduating business undergraduates, four variable sets (student background or precollege variables, college-related variables, organization-related variables, and motivation-related variables) each explained significant incremental variance in PDE. Significant individual correlates of PDE included joining a student professional organization and motivation to attend business school. One outcome suggests that business schools need to leverage technology more aggressively to deliver professional development content both asynchronously and synchronously to more of their undergraduates.

A learning odyssey: the trials, tribulations and successes of the Educational Institute of Scotland’s further education and teacher learning representatives

For the past decade, I have been observing, researching and reporting on a group of Scottish further education lecturers and schoolteachers, who, through their trade union activities, have had a significant impact on their colleagues’ engagement with post-compulsory education and professional development. They are members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and are unpaid lay volunteers who are trained and accredited as Union Learning Representatives (ULRs). They have a specific remit of advising and guiding colleagues in all matters relating to post-compulsory education and professional development. The article will detail how from very humble beginnings this group has become an indispensable element of the Scottish education system. It will show how these ULRs, many of whom had not been involved in trade union or political activism, are now regarded as experts in the field of post-compulsory education and professional development. They regularly work with key stakeholders such as the Scottish Government, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and local authorities, and hold major positions within the EIS and on the General Teaching Council for Scotland. They have evolved as leaders within their institutions, the EIS and the Scottish education system more by accident than design. These developments indicate that they may well become key players in the construction and implementation of future local and national post-compulsory education and professional development policy. The article will be underpinned by the academic concepts of ‘wounded learners’, ‘organic intellectual growth’ and ‘emerging teacher leaders through professional development engagement’.

Testing a New Measure of Perceived Professional Development Engagement for Undergraduates

Abstract Professional development engagement (PDE) is the level of undergraduate engagement in professional development. Professional development (PD) is defined as “activities designed to help students prepare for a successful college-to-work transition.” This study tested a new 12-item measure of PDE for a complete-data sample of 437 undergraduate business students. The “did not use” response to an activity for each of the 10 CPDC items resulted in a surprisingly high aggregated loss of respondents. Results indicated that students who either never joined a student professional organization or never lived on or near Main Campus had a higher “did not use” response percentage.

Testing a New Measure of Perceived Professional Development Engagement for Undergraduates

Abstract Professional development engagement (PDE) is the level of undergraduate engagement in professional development. Professional development (PD) is defined as “activities designed to help students prepare for a successful college-to-work transition.” This study tested a new 12-item measure of PDE for a complete-data sample of 437 undergraduate business students. The “did not use” response to an activity for each of the 10 CPDC items resulted in a surprisingly high aggregated loss of respondents. Results indicated that students who either never joined a student professional organization or never lived on or near Main Campus had a higher “did not use” response percentage.

Assessment of Health Disparities Related Academic Preparation among Public Health Department Staff

Objectives: The overall goal of the research was to analyze health disparities and minority health academic preparation for individuals (n=90) employed within an urban health clinic. Demographic information was collected about respondents’ race, age, highest level of education and diversity training engagement. Methods: This quantitative case study utilized the Cultural Competence Assessment, which is designed to explore individual knowledge, feelings and actions of respondents when interacting with clients in health service environments. The instrument is based on the cultural competence model, and measures cultural awareness and sensitivity; cultural competence behaviors and cultural diversity experience and training. For reporting purposes, participants were divided into subgroups, clinical and non-clinical. This was completed to account for the variation in respondents’ level of education, type of client/patient interaction and opportunities for professional development engagement. Results: Most respondents stated their cultural diversity training was an employer sponsored program or continuing education through a professional organization, not academic coursework. Conclusion: The data obtained illustrates the need for health organization administrators to keep their employees abreast of cultural diversity to foster an environment conducive to eliminating health disparities.

Elementary teachers’ values and expectancies: reflections on professional experiences

This study investigated aspects of elementary teachers’ motivations to engage in science professional development and their views of science teaching. Participants (n = 20) attended a professional development program within a major university in the United States, but failed to complete it for various reasons. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Overall, study results showed that teachers had different views about the science professional development engagement, they responded in different ways to the structure and format of the program, and they had different teaching goals for their science teaching that matched or did not with the goal of the science professional development program. A good number of teachers found the science professional development experiences less valuable (especially certain elements of them) because of their mismatch between the professional development standards/expectations and teachers’ lack of science content knowledge. Implications for future professional development and science teacher education are discussed with respect to relationships with the current study findings.

Decentralisation of professional development: teachers' decisions and dilemmas

This study examines professional development activities under the omnibus Kentucky Education Reform Act and finds them lacking. It addresses three related questions. Are Kentucky teachers, in fact, in charge of their own professional development? What are the formats and foci of the professional development opportunities teachers are planning? How is professional development changing in the increasingly high–stakes environment created by the accountability movement? Analysis of professional development activities reveals systemic weaknesses that are counterproductive to improving teacher quality. Chief among these weaknesses are system–wide ignorance of alternative professional development activities and a failure to define professional development engagement beyond the cataloging of clock–hours or seat time. Analysis also reveals interesting differences in professional development according to school level and district size.