Faculty Professional Development Research Articles

Exploring the adaptability of TeachABI as an online professional development module for high school educators

ObjectiveEducators often lack the knowledge and resources to assist students with acquired brain injury (ABI). TeachABI, an education module, was created to help elementary school teachers support students with ABI in classrooms. This study examined the adaptability of TeachABI for high school educators. MethodsA qualitative descriptive study explored high school educators' (n = 9) experiences reviewing TeachABI and its adaptability for high school through semi-structured interviews. The interview guide was informed by implementation and adaptation frameworks. Transcripts were examined using directed content analysis. ResultsTeachers felt TeachABI was a good foundation for creating a high school-based education module. Adaptations were highlighted, such as streamlining content (e.g., mental health) and strategies (e.g., supporting test taking), to better meet educator needs. ConclusionsUsing implementation science and adaptation frameworks provided a structured approach to explore the adaptive elements of TeachABI. The module was perceived as a suitable platform for teaching high school educators about ABI. InnovationTeachABI is an innovative, user informed education module, providing a multi-modal (e.g., case study, videos) and replicable approach to learning about ABI. Applying frameworks from different fields provides concepts to consider when tailoring resources to align with educator needs (e.g., grade, class environment) and facilitate innovation uptake.

Rural and remote pharmacists' perspectives of grey nomads with diabetes travelling in Australia.

The objective of the research was to explore rural and remote pharmacists' experiences of encountering grey nomads with diabetes. A qualitative Interpretive Description design was used to explore and capture the experiences of rural and remote pharmacists interacting with grey nomads who had diabetes. Data from the interviews were analysed thematically. The Pharmacy Guild of Australia was approached and through their membership rural and remote pharmacists were invited to participate in the research. Nine rural and remote pharmacists who had encounters and provided services to grey nomads with diabetes responded to be interviewed. The analysed findings established four major themes including: the influence of rural and remote locations on services; common problems encountered by the pharmacists; preparation for travel by grey nomads with diabetes; and pharmacists' preparedness to support grey nomads with diabetes. The findings of this study identified that pharmacists needed remuneration for services provided to grey nomads with diabetes. Also, further development of the My Health record and telehealth to include pharmacists would be advantageous for grey nomads who have diabetes. Pharmacists stated there was a need for further education and a continuing professional development module specifically designed for pharmacists on diabetes self-management that moved beyond medications. A pre-travel checklist for grey nomads with diabetes travelling in rural and remote Australia would benefit all stakeholders through better preparation of travellers with diabetes to self-manage, thereby reducing the demand for health services including pharmacies.

More frequent utilization of evidence-based teaching practices leads to increasingly positive student outcomes

IntroductionEvidence-based teaching (EBT) practices benefit students, yet our understanding of how frequently these strategies should be utilized in STEM courses is less established.MethodsIn this study, students (n = 894) of faculty who learned about how to implement EBTs from the Summer Institutes for Scientific Teaching were surveyed. The students rated the frequency of implementation of six types of EBTs after the course and completed a follow-up survey one year later to examine long-term outcomes.ResultsClass and student-level analyses indicated that students who reported being exposed to EBTs every couple of classes also reported that they learned more and had a higher ability to work in groups when compared to students who were exposed to EBTs less frequently.DiscussionThe results will help instructors and faculty development professionals understand how frequently EBTs should be incorporated when designing and modifying courses.

Facing the Challenge: Connecting Concepts to Practice to Improve STEM Faculty Professional Development

Facing the Challenge: Connecting Concepts to Practice to Improve STEM Faculty Professional Development

Adapting TeachABI to the local needs of Australian educators - a critical step for successful implementation.

Background The present study is the foundational project of TeachABI-Australia , which aims to develop and implement an accessible, nation-wide digital resource for educators to address their unmet acquired brain injury (ABI)-related professional learning needs. The aim of the present study was to identify the adaptations required to improve the suitability and acceptability of the TeachABI professional development module within the Australian education system from the perspectives of Australian educators. Methods The research design employed an integrated knowledge translation approach and followed the ADAPT Guidance for undertaking adaptability research. A purposive sample of eight educators eligible to teach primary school in Australia provided feedback on the module through a quantitative post-module feedback questionnaire and a qualitative semi-structured interview. Results Participants rated the acceptability of the module as 'Completely Acceptable ' (Mdn = 5, IQR = 1), and reported 'only Minor' changes were required (Mdn = 2, IQR = 0.25) to improve the suitability to the Australian context. Qualitative analysis of transcripts revealed three broad categories: (1) the usefulness of TeachABI , (2) the local fit of TeachABI , and (3) pathways for implementing TeachABI in the local setting. Recommended adaptations to the module collated from participant feedback included changes to language, expansion of content, and inclusion of Australian resources, legislation, and videos. Conclusions TeachABI is acceptable to Australian educators but requires modifications to tailor the resource to align with the unique schooling systems, needs, and culture of the local setting. The systematic methodological approach to adaptation outlined in this study will serve as a guide for future international iterations of TeachABI .

Ambulatory total hip and knee arthroplasty: a literature review and perioperative considerations.

Total joint arthroplasty (TJA), particularly for the hip and knee, is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures. The advancement/evolution of surgical and anesthesia techniques have allowed TJA to be performed on an ambulatory/same-day discharge basis. In this Continuing Professional Development module, we synthesize the perioperative evidence that may aid the development of successful ambulatory TJA pathways. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for ambulatory or fast-track TJA articles. In the absence of direct evidence for the ambulatory setting, we extrapolated the evidence from the in-patient TJA literature. Patient selection encompassing patient, medical, and social factors is fundamental for successful same-day discharge of patients following TJA. Evidence for the type of intraoperative anesthesia favours neuraxial technique for achieving same day discharge criteria and reduced perioperative complications. Availability of short-acting local anesthetic for neuraxial anesthesia would affect the anesthetic choice. Nonetheless, modern general anesthesia with multimodal analgesia and antithrombotics in a well selected population can be considered. Regional analgesia forms an integral part of the multimodal analgesia regime to reduce opioid consumption and facilitate same-day hospital discharge, reducing hospital readmission. For ambulatory total knee arthroplasty, a combination of adductor canal block with local anesthetic periarticular infiltration provided is a suitable regional analgesic regimen. Anesthesia for TJA has evolved as such that same-day discharge will become the norm for selected patients. It is essential to establish pathways for early discharge to prevent adverse effects and readmission in this population. As more data are generated from an increased volume of ambulatory TJA, more robust evidence will emerge for the ideal anesthetic components to optimize outcomes.

Educators’ understandings of digital classroom tools and datafication: perceptions from higher education faculty

Research has shown that critical data literacies development for educators is seldom a core component of most campus conversations about datafication, even as extractive, datafied systems become pervasive throughout the higher education sector. This article outlines findings from an international, qualitative, Comparative Case Study (CCS) of university professionals teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic. It overviews beliefs and barriers shaping educators’ responses to datafication and focuses specifically on their perceptions of faculty development opportunities related to digital classroom tools and to datafication more broadly. The article presents insights into how faculty understands higher education’s contemporary datafied infrastructure and highlights participants’ voices about faculty professional development and critical data literacies. Based on our findings, we recommend formal faculty development and broader professional learning conversations as a means of enhancing faculty awareness and agency within the higher education sector.

A Phenomenological Study of Intensive Experiential Learning for University Faculty Professional Development

Background: College students need the ability to generalize and apply solutions through reflective practice. University faculty need professional development to use authentic cases to prepare students for the future. Purpose: This study was to explore the experiences of faculty through a year-long professional development program that included a field experience contextually focused on natural disasters. Methodology: This phenomenological study used personal interviews with faculty about the essence of the shared experience. Data were analyzed through open coding, axial coding, and theoretical triangulation from Kolb’s experiential learning model. Findings/Conclusions: Participant interviews yielded 32 codes that were categorized into 12 themes and theoretically triangulated into the four components of Kolb’s experiential learning model: Experience, Reflection, Generalization, and Application. The concrete experience themes were connection to disasters, to other faculty, and new perspectives. Faculty reflected on their expertise, the importance of engaging experiences, and new realizations. Generalization broadened disciplinary perspectives and connections. Faculty gained teaching applications, including leadership concepts, and humanizing science. Implication: Professional development for faculty using experiential learning can improve teaching capacity for the next generation to solve complex problems of social, economic, and health concerns within communities.

Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Anticipations of Student Responses to Cognitively Demanding Tasks

ABSTRACT This study examines secondary mathematics teachers’ anticipations of student responses related to a series of cognitively demanding mathematics tasks from multiple mathematical domains presented in the context of voluntary and asynchronous online professional development modules. We analyze 283 anticipations made by 127 teachers to 17 mathematics tasks and present four distinct foci of teachers’ anticipations. Teachers participating in this study focused on actions students might take when engaging with the task — including the representations, strategies, and resources they might use — as well as aspects of students’ mathematical thinking, such as potential difficulties they might have, prior understandings they might use, and mathematical connections they might make. Teachers also attended to how students might react emotionally when presented with tasks and what actions they might take in advance or in response to their anticipations. We conclude with a discussion of ways our results can inform efforts to support improvements in mathematics teachers’ practice of anticipating.

Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Self-Paced Professional Development Modules for Adult Education Instructors

Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Self-Paced Professional Development Modules for Adult Education Instructors

Identifying the Competency Model Dimensions of Faculty Members (Case Study: Farhangian Universities in Tehran)

Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify and delineate the competency model dimensions essential for faculty members at Farhangian Universities in Tehran. This research aimed to explore the specific competencies necessary to enhance the effectiveness and professional development of faculty in an educational setting. Methodology: This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to gather data from 29 faculty members across various departments at Farhangian Universities in Tehran. Participants were selected using purposive sampling to ensure a diverse representation of experiences and perspectives. Theoretical saturation was achieved to ensure the comprehensiveness of the data collected. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts and identify key themes and categories representing faculty competencies. Findings: Five main themes representing essential faculty competencies were identified: ethical competencies, scientific competencies, research competencies, communication competencies, and information technology competencies. Each theme comprised several categories detailing specific competencies, such as individual integrity, pedagogical expertise, research skills, interpersonal communication, and technological proficiency. Conclusion: The study highlighted a comprehensive set of competencies required by faculty members at Farhangian Universities in Tehran to effectively fulfill their educational roles. These competencies span across ethical considerations, scientific knowledge, research capabilities, communication skills, and technological adeptness. Addressing these competencies through targeted development programs could significantly enhance faculty performance and, consequently, student learning outcomes. Keywords: Faculty Competencies, Farhangian, Qualitative Research, Higher Education, Faculty Development, Educational Technology, Ethical Competencies, Scientific Competencies

Historically Underrepresented Graduate Students’ Experiences at a U.S. Majority Serving Institution: A Narrative Analysis

Aim/Purpose: This study explored the experiences of a group of historically underrepresented graduate students at a research-intensive university to understand their perceived supports and barriers to academic persistence and success and how these related to their background, socioeconomic status, language, and cultural differences. Background: Attending graduate school can provide learning in specialized disciplines, creating opportunities for career advancement and gains in income. Under-represented students (i.e., underrepresented minorities, females in STEM, first-generation students, part-time, and international students) often encounter additional barriers in graduate school, such as a lower sense of belonging, imposter phenomenon, or microaggressions. However, they may find emotional support through family and friends and mentor support through faculty and advisors. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was used to understand how these graduate student success factors acted as supports and barriers to motivate students to reach their optimal potential. Methodology: In this qualitative narrative study, interview transcripts from fourteen graduate students studying at an R1 university in the United States were restoried into narratives. For the typographic analyses, themes emerged from the individuals’ stories. Similarities in the data were organized into categories, and relationships were sought between the categories. For the rhetorical analyses, short storylines developed from these cases were used to derive opposition statements and syllogisms. Contribution: This study illuminates the graduate student experience through novel analytical methods and a well-regarded psychological theory – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – tied to graduate student success factors. Although each person’s graduate experience is unique, the study findings lead to recommendations to enhance the graduate student experience for all students. Findings: Case analyses revealed nine major themes linked to students’ backgrounds, socioeconomic status, language, and cultural differences: (1) mentor support, (2) sense of belonging, (3) financial support, (4) peer support, (5) community, (6) imposter phenomenon, (7) microaggressions, (8) family obligations, and (9) access and opportunity for academic research and writing. Recommendations for Practitioners: Universities can better support graduate students by providing better professional development for faculty to serve as mentors, using a cohort-based model for better peer support, financial counseling for graduate students, better mental health services and access, more parental support considerations, and more opportunities for research experiences. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers will gain a more nuanced understanding of individuals’ circumstances – particularly those students who have many complicating life circumstances (e.g., enrollment status, family, finances, citizenship) – by collecting and analyzing qualitative data. Mixed methods, using validated instruments, could also enhance our understanding of graduate education. Impact on Society: Universities that follow the recommendations in this study will enhance the experiences of graduate students, likely increase graduation rates, and contribute to a more educated and more diverse workforce. Future Research: For universities that have already implemented some of the suggested support structures (e.g., mentor professional development, cohort programs, and financial counseling), future research could investigate their utility to graduate students.

Tracer Study of Education and Graduate Program Alumni (2016–2022) at Surigao Del Norte State University

Educational institutions strive to produce graduates who are competent and competitive both domestically and globally. This graduate tracer study investigated the employment outcomes of graduates from the College of Teacher Education (CTE) and Graduate School (GS) Programs from SY 2016-2022. Data collection methods included Google forms, surveys, and phone calls. Of the 2846 CTE graduates, 2491 (87.75%) were traced, and of the 659 GS graduates, 550 (83.45%) were traced. Findings revealed that CTE graduates were predominantly single females aged 24 or younger, who typically began working as permanent teachers at the Department of Education (DepEd) 2-3 years post-graduation, earning a base salary of P15,000–25,000. They generally served in these roles for 4-6 years. Conversely, GS alumni were primarily married men in their 30s, employed in permanent supervisory or managerial roles at DepEd, with monthly earnings between P25,000 and P50,000. Graduates reported that their university degrees were economically relevant and provided significant financial advantages. CTE graduates indicated that job satisfaction was more influenced by workplace interactions and environment than salary. The study suggests enhancing the use of social media to encourage graduate participation in tracer studies and recommends ongoing professional development for faculty to improve educational programs and prepare graduates with highly employable skills. Addressing job satisfaction disparities may require targeted interventions to improve educational programs, expand career development opportunities, and foster supportive work cultures tailored to each graduating class's needs.

What do the teachers want? A targeted needs assessment survey for prospective didactic training of psychiatry medical educators.

Physicians and psychologists at psychiatric university hospitals are assigned teaching tasks from the first day of work without necessarily having the prerequisite training in teaching methods. This exploratory survey provides a needs-based analysis for the prospective didactic training of physicians and psychologists at psychiatric hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. An online questionnaire was distributed at medical schools via email in German-speaking countries in Europe. All physicians involved in teaching medical students at psychiatry faculties were eligible to participate in the survey. Participants were further requested to recruit eligible participants (snowball sampling). Responses were analyzed descriptively, and differences between groups were calculated using nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests (p<.05). Overall, 97 respondents (male=55, female=42; mean age= 40.6) from 19 medical schools completed the survey. The respondents consisted of 43 residents, 39 specialists, 6 chief physicians and 9 psychologists. Of the respondents, 97.6% rated didactic competence as either highly relevant or rather relevant for teaching medical students. The highest overall interest was shown for bedside teaching (mode=4; IQR: 2-4) and error culture (mode=3; IQR: 2-4). Respondents expressed the highest training needs for topics regarding presentation and communication (mode=3; IQR: 2-3). Resident physicians were significantly more interested in bedside teaching (U=362.0, p=0.004) and roleplay (U=425.0; p=0.036) than specialist physicians, who were more interested in examination didactics (U=415.0; p=0.022). Chief physicians displayed significantly deeper interest in group dynamics (U=51; p=0.023) than specialist physicians. In-person training was preferred by a majority of respondents, and 27.4% preferred online/web-based training. The majority of physicians and psychologists at psychiatric university hospitals considered professional development for faculty to be helpful for teaching medical students. Bedside teaching and error culture management were the most desired teaching topics for training medical teachers. Tailored educational interventions are recommended, with target-oriented priorities for different hierarchical levels.

Does Entrepreneurship Education ensure Entrepreneurial Competencies? -An Omani Higher Education Perspective of Faculty Professional Development Program

In the scenario of Omani Higher Education, populating the eco-system with ‘Certified Entrepreneurship Educators as trainers’, along with allied organizations that enable entrepreneurship in Oman is a necessity that needs to be addressed. A ‘Certified Entrepreneurship Educators’ program is a professional development workshop that had precisely been conceptualized for this reason in Oman and has served the purpose to this end. Specifically, the program had been proposed to raise awareness about innovation, including new scientific theories and newer pedagogies for benchmarking as well as expanding the knowledge to learn, “Teaching Entrepreneurship’ as a subject-area to teachers at varied skills levels. Furthermore, the content and concepts of the program had focused on enhancing the innovation value chain to improve the perspectives of the learners from not just being “small businesses” but aspire themselves to be “creative enterprises.” The Information that was captured in the process of delivery of this modular faculty development program was the first step to the development of a set of competencies. These competencies when tested can imbibe trainable skill set for a result-oriented and enhanced learning outcome-based faculty development program. The professional development program was a customization of an international experts’ modular approach to cater to needs. of the local environment. Capacity-Building on Competencies was the value expected to be captured and this paper reviews some competence development frameworks and their implications for stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Commitment to inclusion: The importance of collaboration in gender equity work.

Despite decades of faculty professional development programs created to prepare women for leadership, gender inequities persist in salary, promotion, and leadership roles. Indeed, men still earn more than women, are more likely than women to hold the rank of professor, and hold the vast majority of positions of power in academic medicine. Institutions demonstrate commitment to their faculty's growth by investing resources, including creating faculty development programs. These programs are essential to help prepare women to lead and navigate the highly matrixed, complex systems of academic medicine. However, data still show that women persistently lag behind men in their career advancement and salary. Clearly, training women to adapt to existing structures and norms alone is not sufficient. To effectively generate organizational change, leaders with power and resources must commit to gender equity. This article describes several efforts by the Office of Faculty in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to broaden inclusivity in collaborative work for gender equity. The authors are women and men leaders in the Office of Faculty, which is within the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine dean's office and includes Women in Science and Medicine. Here, we discuss potential methods to advance gender equity using inclusivity based on our institutional experience and on the findings of other studies. Ongoing data collection to evaluate programmatic outcomes in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will be reported in the future.

Learning to Integrate STEM Into Physical Education Through Asynchronous Professional Development Modules

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand nine physical education (PE) teachers’ experiences with an asynchronous professional development module focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration, and the barriers they perceived to integrating STEM into PE. Methods: Semistructured interviews, pre- and post open-ended questionnaires, and discussion board posts were analyzed through a collaborative coding process. Trustworthiness was increased by using a peer debriefer, multiple coders, negative case checks, and data triangulation. Results: Four themes describe the experiences of PE teachers learning to integrate STEM into PE: teacher’s knowledge about technology and STEM, barriers to PE teachers in integrating STEM, “We’re already integrating STEM,” and issues in professional development. Discussion/Conclusion: STEM integration is possible if PE teachers are provided time and opportunities to work with content experts to learn STEM concepts and have STEM be a by-product of PE lessons rather than the sole focus of the lesson.

A virtual debriefing professional development module for nurse educators

A virtual debriefing professional development module for nurse educators

Creation of A Mixed-Reality Simulator Professional Development Module to Attend to the Unique Needs of International Teaching Assistants in Active Learning Classrooms

International teaching assistants (ITAs) bring cultural perspectives and language diversity to university programs. However, ITAs can be underserved through traditional professional development initiatives. A mixed-reality teaching simulator module was created to attend to the unique needs of chemistry ITAs and prepare them for active learning instruction. To create the module, seven ITAs were interviewed about their professional development needs. ITAs most commonly wanted to practice asking and answering student questions, engaging disengaged or disrespectful students, and navigating language difficulties with students. The mixed-reality simulated teaching module provided opportunities for ITAs to rehearse one or more of the three focus areas. Three ITAs tested the simulator and reported that using the simulator for professional development with cultural and linguistic layers would be beneficial both to existing and new ITAs. These research findings set the foundation for generating a transformative set of training materials that institutions can use to reduce teaching anxiety and increase the effectiveness of ITAs in the classroom, thus enhancing student learning through more effective active learning instruction.

Facilitating Meditation Practice in the Higher Education Classroom: A Conceptual Framework

The practice of meditation in higher education classrooms has gained interest as an intervention to assist students with stress, focus, and academic performance. However, relevant literature on actual teaching and learning methods to facilitate meditative techniques remains sparse. Five areas, including professional development for faculty, how to introduce meditation, and the selection of meditation techniques suitable for the classroom, are explored as avenues for additional research. Drawing upon recent scholarship, a Classroom Meditation Facilitation Framework (CMFF) is posited as a conceptual roadmap to help faculty and instructors interested in implementing classroom meditation. The framework outlines five sequential steps in the process, emphasizing the need for faculty to establish personal meditation practices, better understand student vulnerabilities, recognize the importance of inviting students and creating inclusiveness environments, and using active teaching geared toward emerging adults to sustain motivation and interest.