Professional Development Intervention Research Articles

Comparative study of healthcare management and leadership skills of health management systems

The health care industry is characterized by constant advances to efficiently provide safe, effective, and high-quality services. Effective leadership is needed to steer and accelerate changes at all levels of the health system to realise the goals of the ongoing reforms in health care organisations. Because managerial and clinical workforces are equally represented in the health care sector, specific issues arise. This study explores the idea of leadership in light of recent efforts by healthcare organizations to pinpoint the essential skills and education needed by workforces in health management and leadership positions to do their jobs well. In order to accomplish organizational goals, a leader must be able to influence their subordinates' attitudes, convictions, and skills. Whether an organization performs well or poorly depends on it. Healthcare institutions need effective leadership to manage the changes in health service delivery. To make judgments based on the best available data, there was not enough information about the current situation of healthcare leaders. According to the study's conclusions, more research is needed to bolster the case for links between focused professional development interventions, individual competency of leaders with experience in clinical care and health management, and organisational success.

Developing empathy and support for students with the “most challenging behaviors:” Mixed-methods outcomes of professional development in trauma-informed teaching practices

This mixed-methods study investigated the learning and shifts in teaching practices that educators reported after participating in a trauma-informed schools professional development intervention. Training participants were 61 educators at a suburban U.S. elementary school. The year-long intervention included three after-school trainings, classroom coaching for a subset of teachers, and evaluation of school policies with administrators. Interview (n = 16) and survey (n = 22) data were collected. Quantitative results indicated that educators reported substantial shifts in their thinking and teaching practices. Almost half reported that their thinking shifted a lot and 55% reported that their practices shifted somewhat. Qualitative themes demonstrated increased understandings of trauma and secondary traumatic stress; increased empathy for students, families, colleagues, and compassion for self; enacting proactive strategies; reappraising interactions with students; increased collaboration with colleagues; and enacting self-care strategies as a result of participating in the professional development intervention. Results have implications for policy and practice, particularly the need for implementation and evaluation of trauma-informed approaches during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clinical care in hepatocellular carcinoma: A mixed methods assessment of experiences and challenges of oncology professionals.

Healthcare providers (HCPs) may face numerous dilemmas in optimally screening, diagnosing, and treating patients with, and/or at risk for, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to achieve a greater understanding of the challenges in HCC care which in turn could delineate HCP educational opportunities within this oncologic sub-specialty. A mixed-methods approach was used to identify practice gaps and clinical barriers experienced by US-based medical oncologists, hepatologists, oncology physician assistants, oncology nurse practitioners, and interventional radiologists involved in HCC care. The qualitative (semi-structured interview) and quantitative (survey) data collection approaches were deployed sequentially with findings subsequently triangulated. A total of 214 HCPs participated in this study. Analysis revealed challenges related to screening and diagnosing HCC, specifically in applying appropriate screening guidelines, and the optimal use and decisions related to diagnostic imaging and biopsy. Issues related to treatment selection included the application of existing HCC guidelines in treatment decision-making, weighing risk/benefit ratios of various antineoplastics regimens (i.e., tyrosine kinase inhibitors-TKIs, immunotherapy agents, chemotherapy), sequencing therapies, potential toxicity management, and optimally educating patients about their HCC. These findings highlight the educational needs of those involved in HCC care and provide a starting point for clinicians to both reflect on their practice and identify opportunities to enhance communication within the HCC team and between provider and patient. There is an opportunity to optimize continuing professional development interventions that address the identified gaps in clinical practice specifically related to teamwork and interdisciplinary communication.

Designing professional development for special education teachers: Effects on assistive technology competency in developing inquiry-based student experiences

The Professional Development (PD) intervention in this study introduced special education teachers to inquiry-driven practices utilizing assistive technology (AT) to support student diverse learning needs. The study followed multiple case study research design to examine changes in AT competency and mindset of three special education teachers participating in PD. Findings showed that the structure and content of PD supported development of special education teachers’ competency in designing AT-infused inquiry-based experience for students with disabilities. It also affected changes in teachers’ mindset from thinking about their students as incapable individuals to recognizing their academic abilities as they engaged in inquiry-based learning experiences.

Improved active participation among patients with severe acquired brain injury in early rehabilitation: Implementation of a professional competence development intervention.

In 2019, an educational programme was implemented in a sub-acute in-hospital neurorehabilitation clinic for patients with severe acquired brain injury (sABI). The programme was initiated to enhance staff competencies related to identifying and improving active participation among patients with sABI. The purpose was to evaluate the implementation effectiveness of the educational programme. Mixed methods were chosen to assess implementation effectiveness as perceived by staff and patients. A survey of the professional's experience showed an increase in perceived competence after each completed seminar and from before the first seminar to after the last completed seminar. These results were confirmed and elaborated through staff focus group interviews. The proportion of patients achieving active participation increased from 45% before to 75% after implementation (six of eight patients). Exploring the implementation effectiveness of the educational programme seemed clinically valuable and showed a promising and probable effect of an implementation process.

Promising Findings that the Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators' Program (CHIME) Strengthens Early Childhood Teachers' Emotional Resources: An Iterative Study.

Findings suggest that an eight-week mindfulness compassion-based program, Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME), is a feasible professional development intervention for early childhood (EC) teachers to support their emotion regulation and psychological and workplace well-being. We offer preliminary evidence that learning about mindfulness, self-compassion, and social-emotional learning supports EC teachers in strengthening their knowledge and application of practices to be more mindful and less emotionally reactive and emotionally exhausted at work. In analyzing both EC teacher feedback and survey data from two pilot studies, there was promising evidence that participating in CHIME enhanced awareness of emotions and the development of strategies to manage emotions. As CHIME is further developed and refined it will be integral to have collaborative engagement and participation from EC teachers and programs to ensure that learning these practices are relevant, helpful, meaningful, and sustainable.

Promoting a culture of inclusion: impact of professional development on teachers’ assistive technology practices to support early literacy

ABSTRACT Despite the efficacy of assistive technology (AT), many children with disabilities do not have access to AT and are not fully benefiting from inclusive preschool education. The current mixed-methods study examined a multi-faceted professional development (PD) intervention aligned with the CEC’s Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) Standards to increase general early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ use of AT to promote early literacy in young children with disabilities. The 24-week PD intervention included: (a) online modules, (b) coaching; and (c) a classroom kit of AT devices. Participants were six lead teachers, 10 teacher aides, and 34 children from six inclusive classrooms in two preschools. Quantitative methods included pre-and post- surveys, early literacy assessments, and classroom observations. Qualitative analysis explored data from focus groups and input from teacher adherence forms. Results revealed that (a) teachers’ AT knowledge, positive beliefs, and use; and (b) children’s use of AT and early literacy skills significantly increased pre- to post- intervention. Qualitative findings revealed themes relating to how teachers benefitted from the PD and the impact of AT on teacher instruction and child learning. Findings support innovative PD practices to build capacity of practitioners implementing AT as a responsive instructional strategy in inclusive classrooms.

Kindergarten Teacher Responses to a Contextualized Professional Development Workshop on STEAM Teaching

This study examined the supports and barriers encountered by kindergarten teachers when participating in a STEAM professional development (PD) workshop that took place in their own classrooms. This study draws on Practice-Based Professional Development framework and adult learning theories to guide the design of the workshop and analysis of results. A teacher focus group with five participants was conducted and analyzed through emergent coding. Teachers identified several supports and challenges when implementing strategies learned during the workshop, providing important insights on improving PD experiences in this innovative approach to education. This paper will present a reconceptualized approach to short-term PD interventions in STEAM that capitalizes on important best practices from recent coaching literature, yet maintains the low cost and time investments of traditional PD approaches. We describe participating kindergarten teachers’ responses to this PD intervention, as well as identify lessons learned to inform PD experiences in the future.

Metacognitive awareness and the zone of proximal intermediate phase mathematics teachers’ professional development

This paper investigates in-service intermediate phase mathematics teachers’ metacognitive awareness based on their engagement in a professional development intervention in two rural- and one township school in South Africa. Professional teacher development interventions should be structured and collaborative as teachers tend to revert to traditional modes of teaching when interventions are brief and sporadic. This research was scaffolded across the zone of proximal teacher development (ZPTD) as conceptualized by Warford (2011). The aim of the study was to investigate how metacognitive awareness facilitated intermediate phase mathematics teachers’ ZPTD, i.e., from their actual knowledge to “proximal development”. 10 intermediate phase mathematics teachers participated in the qualitative research (n=10). The professional development intervention was conducted on two consecutive Saturdays, infused with an adapted lesson study approach. The data was collected through (i) individual interviews, (ii) reflective prompts, (iii) observations, and (iv) reflective journals. The data from each data source were coded and categorized and were triangulated to answer the research question. Participants deemed the professional development intervention and the accompanying materials as supportive and showed increased metacognitive awareness of their personal teaching praxis during and after the intervention, hence growth along the ZPTD occurred.

Investigating the Role of Professional Development Interventions in the Development of Teaching Skills Among Primary School Teachers of District Swat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Primary education is the foundation for future education of children and teachers at this level are faced with the challenging task of shaping the potentials of young children in the right direction for creating the sound foundations of their future education. Hence, these teachers need to be much more dynamic and competent for fulfilling their uphill task. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the role of professional development interventions in the development of teaching skills among primary school teachers of district Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The objectives of the study were to; find out professional development interventions arranged for the teaching skills development of primary school teachers and investigate the role of professional development interventions in the development of teaching skills among primary school teachers. The population of the study was 2173 primary school teachers of District Swat. A sample of 348 participants was randomly selected for the study. A Likert scale questionnaire was developed, validated and pilot tested for data collection. The data were collected through self-administered questionnaire and analyzed with frequencies, percentages and chi square test of significance. The study found out the professional development interventions of the British Council Training for Teaching Skills of Teachers, Induction Training for newly recruited Teachers and CPD trainings for the development of teaching skills among primary school teachers and demonstrated the development in the skills of pedagogy, content, classroom management skills, communication skills, use of ICTs and assessment skills and practices among primary school teachers. The study further recommended the arrangement of need analysis, use of standard criteria and collaboration of stake holders for the professional development interventions of teachers.

Clinician and early childhood educator knowledge and advice given to parents regarding physical activity, screen time and sleep. An observational study

BackgroundGlobal guidelines regarding infant physical activity, screen time and sleep were released by the World Health Organisation in 2019. Clinician and Early Childhood Educator's knowledge and advice given to parents regarding this content is unknown. The aims of this study were to determine the advice given to parents regarding infant care. This will enable a baseline from which future interventions and multidisciplinary professional development can be compared and reviewed. Methods80 Clinicians (Medical, Nursing, Allied Health) and Early Childhood Educators from a local health district in NSW Australia completed an online survey. Medical records (N = 272) were also reviewed to determine if the documentation included advice in accordance with guidelines. FindingsStaff were aware that infant guidelines contributes to positive health outcomes (all >85%). Nursing entered the most information into the medical record with >80% of files containing general advice about infant physical activity and sleep. Only 30% of entries contained evidence of guideline specific information. Minimal entries from all clinicians contained information about screen time (2%). DiscussionThe majority of clinicians and Early Childhood Educators were aware of the content of the guidelines and the advice they report to provide is consistent. Medical record documentation regarding the specificity of advice provided is lacking. Application to practiceThis study provides a baseline from which professional development interventions aimed at increasing compliance to infant guidelines can be compared.

The Implementation of Cognitively Challenging Tasks: The Role of Science Teachers’ Professional Development and Teaching Experience

This study deals with the implementation of cognitively challenging tasks for students in science education following professional development interventions for teachers based on the theory of change. These tasks require non-routine behaviors and encourage students to work beyond instructions and accept a high level of responsibility. This study explores how the content of professional development, the duration of professional development, and the extent of the teaching experience of science teachers are associated with the implementation of cognitively challenging science tasks in science education. A secondary data analysis of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 data from three countries (Singapore, Lithuania, and South Africa) was conducted. Ordinal logistic regression (OLR) was used to predict an ordinal dependent variable (the implementation of cognitively challenging science tasks) according to the independent variables (the content of professional development, the duration of professional development, and the extent of the teaching experience of science teachers). The results of the OLR confirmed that the implementation of cognitively challenging tasks is associated with professional development content (improving students’ critical thinking or inquiry skills and science content) and the extent of the teaching experience of science teachers from the selected countries.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of data use professional development interventions

PurposeProfessional development interventions (PDIs) are crucial for equipping teachers to use data effectively. Relying on previous studies reporting on such interventions, this paper aims to identify and synthesise the goals, dimensions and conditions of PDIs for data use. This paper also examines the evidence of the effect of such interventions on student outcomes.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors employ a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to analyse teacher PDIs for data use.FindingsThe results suggest that conceptual, practical and continual goals are identified in data use PDIs. Supported by conceptual, practical or normative tools, facilitators employ a variety of techniques in facilitating teachers’ data use through data teams or professional learning communities. The facilitation techniques include assessing needs, using models or modelling, observing performance, providing feedback, providing built-in time for reflection and brokering. Further, the results highlight the influence of several conditions that contribute to the success of the interventions. Finally, the meta-analysis shows a significant positive effect of the interventions on student outcomes, with an effect size of 0.17.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors' proposed framework should be empirically tested and validated through field studies in various contexts. Since the authors focussed on studies reporting data use PDIs for instructional purposes as well as providing the descriptions of the PDIs, the number of included studies was only 27 and represented only four countries. Of the 27, 10 studies were used for the meta-analysis and the results may be subject to publication bias. Seemingly, the result may be related to the authors' inclusion/exclusion criteria that only included peer-reviewed journal articles and excluded non-peer-reviewed studies such as theses or dissertations. This criterion potentially neglected some relevant studies.Practical implicationsPolicymakers interested in developing a data use PDI should take into account the various goals of data use PDIs, depending on policymakers' interests. Building teachers’ understanding of data use can be addressed by the practical goals. This can be conducted within a short period of time through training or courses, either in-person or online. This is appropriate for an initiation strategy for data use within schools. However, targeting specific skills and dispositional attributes around data use should adopt practical and continual goals. These types of goals require a PDI with a sustained duration embedded in teachers’ classroom practices; therefore, political and practical support is necessary.Social implicationsThe authors argue that the review findings contribute to knowledge and insights by presenting data use PDIs that support teacher learning, implementation and sustainability of data use practices.Originality/valueThis article provides a proposed framework for studying teacher PDIs for data use and sheds light on several goals, a variety of facilitation strategies and conditions and the effect of the interventions on student outcomes.

Professional Coaching as a Continuing Professional Development Intervention to Address the Physician Distress Epidemic.

Physician distress and burnout are reaching epidemic proportions, threatening physicians' capacities to develop and maintain competencies in the face of the increasingly demanding and complex realities of medical practice in today's world. In this article, we suggest that coaching should be considered both a continuing professional development intervention as well as an integral part of a balanced and proactive solution to physician distress and burnout. Unlike other interventions, coaching is intended to help individuals gain clarity in their life, rather than to treat a mental health condition or to provide advice, support, guidance, or knowledge/skills. Certified coaches are trained to help individuals discover solutions to complex problems and facilitate decision-making about what is needed to build and maintain capacity and take action. Across many sectors, coaching has been shown to enhance performance and reduce vulnerability to distress and burnout, but it has yet to be systematically implemented in medicine. By empowering physicians to discover and implement solutions to challenges, regain control over their lives, and act according to their own values, coaching can position physicians to become leaders and advocates for system-level change, while simultaneously prioritizing their own well-being.

Teachers’ actor-oriented transfer of movement pedagogy knowledge in physical education

ABSTRACT Background: Physical education (PE) teachers in practically all countries are expected to help their students develop movement capability. To achieve this objective, teachers need certain knowledge and competencies. The question of how PE teachers should develop their capacities to achieve this task has received only limited research attention. Aim: The broad objective of this paper is to contribute to the literature on how PE teachers can develop knowledge and competencies in the area of movement capability related to students’ learning. The specific aim is to identify aspects of the design of instruction in physical education that enhance teachers’ actor-oriented transfer of movement pedagogy knowledge, during a collaborative professional development intervention. Method: The study is an analysis of three conducted learning studies in PE at upper secondary schools in Sweden. The studies involved seven PE teachers from two different schools. Our empirical material consists of (a) notes from team meetings (n = 14), (b) lesson plans (n = 9), (c) video-recorded and transcribed lessons (n = 9), and (d) results of students’ learning outcomes (n = 9). Findings: PE teachers’ analysis of their own teaching sequences in teams supported their actor-oriented transfer of movement pedagogy knowledge, which developed their abilities to further elaborate their instruction in new teaching situations. Moreover, teachers gained insights into how to further develop the quality of instructional design as expansions of earlier experiences. Lastly, a relationship between PE teachers’ actor-oriented transfer and students’ increased learning of movements was found. Conclusion: Our conclusion is that collaborative professional development for PE teachers, which supports actor-oriented transfer, should be offered to enhance teachers’ movement pedagogy knowledge.

A structural equation model for determinants of instructors’ educational ICT use in higher education in developing countries: Evidence from Ethiopia

In recent years, there has been greater interest and commitment in developing countries to transform their higher education (HE) using ICT. Evidence shows that ICT is underutilized by instructors in these countries. However, a rigorous context-specific model which explains this observation is currently lacking. In this large-scale study, the causal relationships among institutional and individual determinants of HE instructors' ICT use were examined in order to develop a parsimonious model. Survey data were collected from 946 instructors who were randomly selected from six Ethiopian public universities. The results of the structural equation modeling analysis indicated that solely instructors' ICT competence and ICT attitude have a direct impact on their ICT use. The study did not find support for the hypothesized direct impacts of ICT vision and plan, professional development, support, and infrastructure on ICT use. The findings of the current study imply that in developing countries, instructors’ ICT use may be improved by intervening in their professional development. Future researches need to focus on designing and assessing professional development interventions that empower instructors with ICT competence and attitude.

A Synthesis of Professional Development Targeting Literacy Instruction and Intervention for English Learners

An important way to address the literacy needs of English learners (ELs) is to ensure that ELs receive evidence-based literacy instruction and intervention. To support teachers’ implementation of this instruction and intervention, it is necessary to provide effective professional development (PD). In this systematic review, we synthesized 19 studies that investigated PD on literacy instruction and intervention for ELs. Findings revealed that although PD often targets teachers’ implementation of literacy instruction, PD is less likely to focus on teachers’ implementation of literacy interventions for ELs experiencing reading difficulties. Nonetheless, PD programs typically resulted in positive changes in teachers’ knowledge and practices. However, only 12 of the studies reported on student outcomes. We conclude with research and practical implications related to PD for teachers of ELs that is responsive to the needs of ELs.

Teacher Engagement Scale for Professional Development

Teacher professional development aims to bolster effective instructional practices that enhance student learning. The development of the Sustained Investment and Teacher Engagement Scale for Professional Development (SITES-PD) grew out of a need to understand how teachers respond to opportunities for professional learning in ways that contribute to skill improvement. One hundred and eight elementary teachers participated in a sustained professional development coaching intervention. Prior to and following the intervention, data were collected from multiple sources (e.g., teacher report, blind classroom observations). For the development of this instrument, coaches rated teacher engagement with opportunities for professional learning. Exploratory factor analysis reveals a one factor solution and that a summed composite of eight items is appropriate. Reliability and validity results suggest the SITES-PD instrument may be a useful tool for investigating the underlying mechanisms that mediate the efficacy of teacher professional development interventions.

A Blueprint for Teacher Design Teams to Create Professional Development Interventions

An effective way to stimulate teachers’ engagement and involvement in educational innovations is by employing teacher design teams (TDTs, Vangrieken et al, 2013). The design activities that TDTs engage in should be chosen carefully, and a facilitator should be available to support the TDTs (Becuwe et al, 2016). So far, little attention has been paid in the literature to the nature and role of such design activities (Vangrieken et al, 2013; Brouwer et al, 2012). Therefore, the goal of this paper is to provide guidelines for the design activities of TDTs aimed at teachers’ professional development. A series of design activities to support TDTs in five secondary schools in the Netherlands was constructed and evaluated through audio recordings of each session, logbooks, and interviews about teachers' perceptions of the design process and activities. In this article, we present and discuss the resulting blueprint for TDT activities aimed at teachers’ professional development.

Implementation of an e-Learning course in physical activity and sedentary behavior for pre- and in-service early childhood educators: Evaluation of the TEACH pilot study

BackgroundChildcare-based physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) interventions have traditionally used in-person training to supplement early childhood educators’ (ECEs) knowledge and confidence to facilitate physically active programming for the children in their care. However, this method of delivery is resource-intensive and unable to reach a high number of ECEs. The purpose of the Training pre-service EArly CHildhood educators in PA (TEACH) pilot study was to test the implementation (e.g., fidelity, feasibility, acceptability) of an e-Learning course targeting PA and SB among a sample of pre-service (i.e., post-secondary students) and in-service (i.e., practicing) ECEs in Canada.MethodsA pre-/post-study design was adopted for this pilot study, and implementation outcomes were assessed cross-sectionally at post-intervention. Pre-service ECEs were purposefully recruited from three Canadian colleges and in-service ECEs were recruited via social media. Upon completing the e-Learning course, process evaluation surveys (n = 32 pre-service and 121 in-service ECEs) and interviews (n = 3 pre-service and 8 in-service ECEs) were completed to gather ECEs’ perspectives on the e-Learning course. Fidelity was measured via e-Learning course metrics retrieved from the web platform. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data, and thematic analysis was conducted to analyze qualitative data.ResultsModerate-to-high fidelity to the TEACH study e-Learning course was exhibited by pre-service (68%) and in-service (63%) ECEs. Participants reported that the course was highly acceptable, compatible, effective, feasible, and appropriate in complexity; however, some ECEs experienced technical difficulties with the e-Learning platform and noted a longer than anticipated course duration. The most enjoyed content for pre- and in-service ECEs focused on outdoor play (87.5% and 91.7%, respectively) and risky play (84.4% and 88.4%, respectively).ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate the value of e-Learning for professional development interventions for ECEs. Participant feedback will be used to make improvements to the TEACH e-Learning course to improve scalability of this training.