Professional Development Path Research Articles

DEVELOPING THE PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE OF GERMAN TEACHERS (EXPERIENCE OF TU BERGAKADEMIE FREIBERG)

Problem statement. Under the influence of European integration, globalisation and with the aim of building a single European higher education area, an important task for Ukrainian educators is to study the practical experience of foreign colleagues, in particular, in improving the pedagogical competence of teachers in higher technical education institutions. This study aims to investigate the issue of improving the pedagogical competence of teachers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg (where one of the authors is studying under a double degree programme). Given the high standards set by German society for teachers responsible for training young professionals, we consider it necessary to analyse in detail the features of the current system of teacher training in Germany in order to be able to improve the Ukrainian system of training/retraining of scientific and pedagogical staff for higher technical education institutions. The purpose of the article is to investigate the professional development path that German teachers go through; and to analyse the innovative methods and programmes that help them become not only specialists in their field, but also effective teachers. Through this research, we aim to contribute to the understanding of the education process in Germany and to identify practices that may be useful in the context of improving higher education in Ukraine. Conclusions. The developed German system of retraining and professional up-skilling of pedagogical staff (represented by state academies/in-service training institutes and special centres of teacher education within universities) is aimed at comprehensive support of teaching staff for their continuous professional growth as civil servants responsible for the quality training of young professionals for the needs of the leading EU state. It is important to note the urgent need to use the achievements of German experience in practical training and professional up-skilling of teachers in the Ukrainian system of training and retraining of pedagogical and scientific-pedagogical staff in the field of professional pre-university and higher education. The analysis of the process of improving the pedagogical competence of teachers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg gives grounds to assert that this task is key to ensuring quality education in higher education institutions. It is worth emphasising that the TU Bergakademie Freiberg actively invests in programmes for the professional development of its teachers. These programmes cover various aspects, ranging from technical updates to pedagogical innovations. The combination of professional up-skilling courses for teachers and supervision of students' internships is a clear indication of the dual form of education that is well organised in German society and is currently being actively implemented in Ukraine.

A feasible balance? The Italian teachers’ standpoint on assessment literacy, assessment practice, and teacher professional development

ABSTRACT The unprecedent times of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a relevant impact on schooling. In this context, identifying the features of effective and responsive teachers’ professional development paths in the assessment domain has never been as critical as it is today. However, despite the widespread interest in teacher assessment literacy and despite the efforts of educational policies and teacher education programs, research continues to show that teachers are generally underprepared to face assessment challenges. The present article reports on an explorative study aimed at examining teachers’ conceptions of assessment literacy, assessment practice, and professional development. Qualitative data are drawn from semi-structured interviews with 30 Italian primary school teachers. The descriptions of what they consider as assessment literacy and the qualities necessary for an effective assessment practice constitute the starting point for a wider discussion on the professional development drivers for being and becoming an assessment literate teacher.

Szkolnictwo zawodowe: obecne problemy i powojenne perspektywy

The article deals with the urgent issues of the vocational education development which are caused by the martial law in Ukraine. They touch the migration processes of students and teachers at vocational education institutions, financing and educational process organization. The data of the contingent dynamics of the students and teachers at vocational education institutions have been analyzed. It proves the number reduction of the students by 3.5 to compare with the pre-war indexes. We fix the stable tendency for lowering the quantity of the teaching staff. Among the reasons for the described situation within the teachers, one may identify the lack of the desire for professional retraining and a low level of professional mobility. Based on the analytical data, the map of the ruined/destroyed vocational education institutions has been formed. The analytical review provides the conditions to overcome the actual development issues of vocational education including systemic state support, recovery of the vocational education system and organization of an effectivenetwork of educational establishments, its re-orientation to the economic needs of war time, provision of the education content and quality which coincide with the current demands and the needs of labor market, formation of safe conditions for studying and learning, arrangement of psychological support of all educational process participants, stimulation and encouragement to realize non-linear paths of professional development of the teachers considering the present realties, involving higher informal and informative education.

The life and work of an artist-teacher in the Southern Urals as a manifestation of Social and Professional Heroism (based on biographical data about Victoria Mukhametovna Pitirimova)

The relevance of this study is due to the fact that the images of heroes reflect the values of society and realize the function of transmitting these values from generation to generation. The images contribute to the formation of ideological attitudes of society, and are a of spiritual support for both an individual and entire multiethnic nation. Outstanding artists are not only masters, but also teachers, mentors who convey not only knowledge, but also a worldview, national consciousness and ideals, the position of a citizen, educate spiritual and moral principles. The purpose of the study is the life and creative path of V. M. Pitirimova as a manifestation of the professional and social heroism of the artist-teacher in the difficult socio-economic conditions of life in Russia at the end of the XX-beginning of the XXI century. The object of research is the biography, the path of creative and professional development of Victoria Mukhametovna Pitirimova. The subject of the research is artistic and pedagogical techniques and methods used by Pitirimova Victoria Mukhametovna, her moral guidelines. The research is based on an interview with the main character of the study – V. M. Pitirimova, in which she gives an interpretation of her key creative and pedagogical achievements. In the course of the study, historical-systemic, historical-genetic, historical-biographical and diachronic methods were applied. Based on the materials obtained in the course of the study, an attempt is made to present the main milestones of the life and work of the artist and teacher Pitirimova Victoria Mukhametovna in the most complete and consistent way.The scientific novelty of the research lies in the introduction into scientific circulation of previously unexplored and unpublished information about the creative and professional achievements of Victoria Mukhametovna.

Elementary Teacher’s Conceptions towards the Incorporation of English in Their Teaching Practices

Teacher´s beliefs and conceptions of teaching English are an important area for the professional development path of primary teachers. Giving primary teachers opportunities to grow professionally and support their learning belongs to the wide variety of practices that can be implemented to foster early education today. To do that, the Colombian government has implemented different initiatives; however, through the exploration of literature, primary public-school teachers need more professional development opportunities to fulfill the objectives stated by the Ministry of National Education. This is why, the present study aims to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of elementary rural teachers involved in the incorporation of English in their teaching practices. A total of ten teachers were selected to be involved during a semester that lasts the implementation of the project. Through qualitative research under the exploratory paradigm, we identified frustration, motivation, and lack of expertise as the main perceptions that interfere the teaching practices of the selected population. Findings suggest that professional development strategies should be incorporated as an eventual strategy to foster the teaching practices in the classroom.

Professional Development for Young Teachers in Higher Education

With the implementation of university enrollment expansion policy, many young teachers have joined universities to play their academic value. This group of young teachers gradually as an important role in the university faculty, their professional level directly affects the school's teaching quality and scientific research level. However, their professional development path in schools is constrained by many factors such as low salary, promotion difficulties and no perfect training mechanism. This paper analyzes the current development situation of young teachers in China, describes their difficulties and dissatisfaction, and puts forward suggestions for reforming the development path of young teachers in universities.

On the Current Teacher Evaluation System in China Analysis Based on Compulsory Education Stage

As a kind of value judgment activity, teacher evaluation provides development impetus for teachers’ professional development, guides teachers’ development direction and expands teachers’ professional development path through the functions of encouragement, diagnosis and guidance of evaluation. At this stage, the teacher evaluation system in China’s compulsory education stage has evolved into a multifaceted, multi-angled and developmental evaluation system compared with the previous single, performance-oriented, award-and-punishment evaluation method. But at the same time, there are some defects, such as neglecting the stage of teacher development, valuing the quantity and quality, neglecting the delay of education effect, and valuing the form of evaluation and neglecting the feedback of evaluation. This paper analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the teacher evaluation system in the current stage of compulsory education in China, and the corresponding solutions are proposed. The teacher evaluation system in the compulsory education stage has reference value for teachers’ self-reflection and development to a certain extent. However, the evaluation system also has the disadvantages of neglecting teachers’ self-evaluation, imprecise and unscientific evaluation and inaccurate purpose and positioning, which hinder teachers’ ability and development. In order to bring the role of teacher evaluation in promoting teacher development into full play, people should respect the laws of teacher development stages, combine formative evaluation and summative evaluation, evaluate teachers from multiple dimensions, and the government will provide more financial assistance to improve the teacher development environment. Schools should attach importance to the role of teacher evaluation and feedback.

Practical Research on Teacher Professional Development Paths Based on Digital Teacher Portraits

The Zhongliang Xiangyun Branch of Chengdu Longjiang Road Primary School, as a relatively young and inexperienced school, faced difficulties in guiding teachers towards suitable paths for their professional growth. To address this challenge and strengthen the teachers’ team, the school leverages its position as a key project school of digital teacher portraits in Wuhou District to conduct research on teachers’ professional growth paths. The study focuses on three directions, including teachers’ intelligent management path, teachers’ personalized research path, and teachers’ intelligent teaching implementation path. The school emphasizes the renewal of teachers’ education concepts and the improvement of their professional level, and develops a “Yunxin” teacher growth path planning map to construct a closed growth path through an all-round portrait of teachers. The school uses the intelligent management platform to realize paperless office work and to file teachers’ personal data and teaching resources online. Through the evaluation system of the digital teacher portrait platform, the school can effectively evaluate teachers’ work and establish a teacher development model. Furthermore, the school integrates both “offline centralized teaching” and “online personalized learning” to incorporate teacher classroom teaching data and student learning effect data into the important indicators of teacher “data portrait”. This integration promotes and supports teachers to carry out differentiated teaching, finally establishing a new model of “student-centered” intelligent education.

Comprehensive Test and Evaluation Path of College Teachers' Professional Development Based on a Cloud Education Big Data Platform

Teachers serve as carriers who shoulder the important task of improving the quality of education, and their professional level affects the quality of vocational and technical personnel training. At present, the professional growth of teachers in vocational colleges has attracted more and more attention from the society. This article studies the comprehensive test and evaluation path of college teachers' professional development based on cloud education big data platform. This article constructs a "supply-demand relationship" model between cloud education big data platform and college teachers' professional development, and expounds the comprehensive test and evaluation strategy of college teachers' professional development based on cloud education big data platform. This article constructs a comprehensive measure index system of influencing factors of college teachers' professional development, and weights the evaluation indexes based on AHM attribute hierarchy model. By optimizing the super-efficiency SBM model, it proposes a comprehensive evaluation method considering the temporal and spatial features of college teachers' professional development level, which is suitable for different professional teachers' professional development features. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the evaluation index system and evaluation model.

Research on “Internet+” Secondary School English Teachers’ Professional Development Strategy Based on SWOT Analysis

In the era of “Internet +”, the rapid development of information technology has also promoted the continuous innovation in the field of education. In recent years, scholars have begun to pay attention to the use of the Internet to promote teacher professional development, which provides a new path for teacher professional development, but at the same time, secondary school English teachers also face new challenges. Therefore, through SWOT analysis, this paper accurately grasps the strengths and weaknesses then provides relevant strategies for the professional development of English teachers based on opportunities and challenges of “Internet+” secondary school English teachers’ professional development.

Exploring the Critical Driving Forces and Strategy Adoption Paths of Professional Competency Development for Various Emergency Physicians Based on the Hybrid MCDM Approach.

The implementation of competency-based medical education (CBME) focuses on learners' competency outcomes and performance during their training. Competencies should meet the local demands of the healthcare system and achieve the desired patient-centered outcomes. Continuous professional education for all physicians also emphasizes competency-based training to provide high-quality patient care. In the CBME assessment, trainees are evaluated on applying their knowledge and skills to unpredictable clinical situations. A priority of the training program is essential in building competency development. However, no research has focused on exploring strategies for physician competency development. In this study, we investigate the professional competency state, determine the driving force, and provide emergency physicians' competency development strategies. We use the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to identify the professional competency state and investigate the relationship among the aspects and criteria. Furthermore, the study uses the PCA (principal component analysis) method to reduce the number of components and then identify the weights of the aspects and components using the ANP (analytic network process) approach. Therefore, we can establish the prioritization of competency development of emergency physicians (EPs) with the VIKOR (Vlse kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) approach. Our research demonstrates the priority of competency development of EPs is PL (professional literacy), CS (care services), PK (personal knowledge), and PS (professional skills). The dominant aspect is PL, and the aspect being dominated is PS. The PL affects CS, PK, and PS. Then, the CS affects PK and PS. Ultimately, the PK affects the PS. In conclusion, the strategies to improve the professional competency development of EPs should begin with the improvement from the aspect of PL. After PL, the following aspects that should be improved are CS, PK, and PS. Therefore, this study can help establish competency development strategies for different stakeholders and redefine emergency physicians' competency to reach the desired CBME outcomes by improving advantages and disadvantages.

Data Scientist Professional Revisited: Competences Definition and Assessment, Professional Development and Education Path Design

Data Scientist Professional Revisited: Competences Definition and Assessment, Professional Development and Education Path Design

Possibilities of didactic engineering in training future specialists

The article discusses the possibilities of didactic engineering in preparing future specialists for independent professional activities. Didactic engineering is a methodology (theory, practice, diagnostics) of organizing activities to solve didactic problems using engineering methods (metric approach, modeling, numerical analysis, use of information and communication technologies). Within the framework of didactic engineering, the tasks of creating new effective didactic systems, teaching aids and diagnosing the quality of training of specialists working in a virtualreal environment are solved. This allows us to outline the path for rapid sustainable professional development of the student, establish key invariant abilities, determine the role of knowledge in solving professional problems, and generally reveal the reasons why some people solve professional problems more successfully than others. The authors, based on the theoretical and practical results of the study, highlight problematic issues in the adaptation of future specialists to independent professional activities and the need to implement innovative approaches. Based on the conducted research, a set of interrelated conditions aimed at increasing the level of readiness of future specialists to carry out innovative professional activities was put forward for discussion. The process of training and education of a student must be organized based on his personal professional interest, personal growth through the construction of a professional development trajectory. Consequently, in systems built within the framework of didactic engineering, it is necessary to introduce the category “complexity of problems”, since in the future this makes it possible to objectively assess the professional potential of a future specialist.

Research on the Path of Teacher Professional Development in the Context of Smart Education

Smart education is a new educational development model resulting from the high integration of information technology and educational development, which brings infinite vitality to educational reform. The article analyzes the challenges faced by teacher professional development in the context of smart education, and explores the effective path of teacher professional development from the perspectives of society, school and teachers. Teachers must change their teaching thinking and establish the concept of lifelong learning, so as to meet the challenges brought by the times.

What Potential Does an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) Have in Addressing the Learning Needs of Educators in Malta?

This paper reveals the potential benefits and challenges of using the Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) to support teachers’ learning needs. The IPDP is used by human resources management across different industries including education to assist in the planning of professional development and career paths. This strategic tool is used to recognise and document skills, knowledge and training options required to achieve short-term and long-term goals. Results of this study exposed potential benefits as being improved reflective practice; exposure to strategic planning; motivation to learn; and consideration of students’ needs. The potential challenges were recognised as being teachers’ negative attitudes towards PD; lack of experience in self-reflective practices and goal-setting; time restraints; imposed union directives; and teaching conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also examined the potential use of the IPDP by senior leadership teams. The results show that the IPDP could potentially promote community learning; goal-setting alignment with school development plans; alignment with student needs; and different forms of PD.

Continuing professional education experiences and expectations of nurses in Chinese military hospitals: A quantitative and qualitative study

BackgroundContinuing professional education (CPE) is important for maintaining the competencies of nurses. The evaluation of training needs is necessary for well-organized CPE programs. ObjectivesTo obtain a deeper understanding of the past experiences and future expectations of CPE among nurses in Chinese military hospitals in order to provide empirical support for planning effective CPE programs. DesignWe implemented a two-phase procedure to investigate the experiences and expectations of CPE. SettingsTwenty one hospitals across China. Participants382 nurses in quantitative study, and 20 nurses in qualitative study. MethodsSelf-designed questionnaire was used to quantitatively measure past experiences, willingness to participate, and future expectations of CPE via a cross-sectional study. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore the characteristics of CPE activities among military nurses. ResultsA total of 293 (76.7 %) participants had experience with CPE in the past, and 362 (94.8 %) were willing to take CPE in the future. The top five training items they wanted to learn about in the future were combat casualty care, emergency and critical care, military skills, trauma care in an austere environment, and specialist nursing. We identified the following 5 themes in the qualitative data: military missions, military training content, military medicine training content, training methods, and professional development paths. ConclusionsNursing administrators and educators should consider designing hierarchical, categorized CPE programs to meet the needs of self-development and professional growth among nurses.

Compétences clés des futurs enseignants de FLE : l’apport des textes littéraires choisis

Understanding of literary texts and cultural knowledge acquisition are not the only objectives of French or Francophone literature courses that are part of the university program for future FFL teachers. Reading excerpts of literary texts allows students to develop their key skills, especially their cultural awareness and expression, but also their ability to communicate in a foreign language which is the fundamental goal of language teaching. This study presents an example of pedagogical mediation during which various skill sets (global, professional, key, etc.) are being developed through a number of selected lite­rary texts. Pedagogical mediation is understood as a thoughtful process during which students develop the self-awareness in the role of foreign-language and foreign-culture mediator by acquiring the skills necessary for their personal and professional growth, using the full potential of literary texts. At the same time, by deepening the receptive language skills, reading of texts develops also the productive language skills, i.e. speaking and writing, and to the awareness of students’ didactic thinking. Students’ lesson plans show the level at which they are at the moment on their professional skills development path.

A Global NDE 4.0 Roadmap - From the journey to its creation towards a pathway for its sustainability and evolution an updated perspective

Regardless of its local name, fahrplans, hoja de ruta or feuille de route, Roadmaps through time have been instru-mental for guiding and thrusting sociocultural, economic, technological and even political changes around the world. When recently a diverse community of NDE 4.0 stakeholders, dispersed over continents and industries, began to interact and bring together a series of common challenges and collaboration initiatives, two questions materialized from those early interactions: “Does the integration of a global NDE 4.0 roadmap is feasible?” and “Does creating such global roadmap truly matters?”. This presentation, and its associated article, aims to provide an answer to both questions by succinctly portraying: 1) The journey to a create a Global NDE 4.0 Roadmap, understanding it as a milestone initiative, through a process that comprised from the mapping of the NDE 4.0 national ecosystems to the definition of a strategic path to reinforcing a Global NDE 4.0 Ecosystem. 2) The pathway for its sustainability and evolution through the integration of specific reinforcing mechanisms and processes since its early design. By merging strategy and innovation, our purpose is also to contribute with the global NDE community by provid-ing valuable practical insights related with: 1) Using and adapting the global NDE 4.0 roadmap to specific needs in order to create specialized roadmaps by industry or geographic region, that are both feasible and relevant. 2) Presenting a strategic sustainability perspective towards the future that may serve as guidance and inspira-tion to keep those specialized roadmaps relevant and useful 3) Integrating the human perspective into NDE 4.0 through professional and personal development paths and certifications, and finally 4) Outlining an agenda of future research aligned with the purpose of NDE 4.0 of contributing to creating a safer and more sustainable word.

‘I don’t want to be a teacher’: a collaborative autoethnographic inquiry into the construction of university ELT instructors’ professional identity

ABSTRACT Believing teachers as agents who actively make meaning about their professional identities, we depict the construction of our identity as three mid-career female English language teachers. Anchored by collaborative autoethnography (CAE) and arts-based educational research (ABER) approaches, we explored and reflected on our lived critical incidences significant to our professional learning and identity development. By expressing and reflecting upon literary and visual data that we concurrently collected and iteratively analysed, we are becoming more aware of how our identity as ELT instructors has been historical, socio-culturally, and institutionally shaped and reshaped. Our collaborative work has helped us to forecast our future professional development paths and inspired us to extend the collaborative research that promotes community capacity building among us and the wider academic community.

Teaching Professional Development and Learning Career Paths: Autobiographical Narrations by Science Teachers from Chile

Different studies show that personal, social and educational aspects, among others, interact in the continuous learning of teachers, with certain specificities in science teachers. A study was conducted with teachers who participated in the Program of Scientific Inquiry for Science Education (ICEC) of the Ministry of Education, in a university in the center of the country, using a biographical-narrative study with micro-stories. The professional development of science teachers and some learning generated from the Covid 19 pandemic was described. For this purpose, the study was conducted in two cases, asking about the story of being a teacher in Case 1, and, about the story of being a teacher in the pandemic in Case 2. Case 1 showed the place of initial teacher training in the biographies, the relationship between professional and personal learning, as well as the transcendental and social meanings of the teaching profession. Case 2 showed the prominence of collective and individual professional learning in contexts of crisis, as well as the new definitions of the professional role. These findings are discussed in relation to learning ecologies, personal learning environments, and inquiry in professional development.