Teacher Professional Development Programs Research Articles

Examining the social validity of the Double Check Online Program: Helping to scale-up professional development for culturally responsive practices

This paper presents social validity findings from a mixed methods study of educators who used a recently adapted online version of the research-based Double Check culturallyresponsive practices and student engagement program. Results from 41 participants indicated that the program was easy to use, prompted them to reflect on their own culture, and that they would continue using the website. Although most users reported they would recommend the program, participants indicated they would like a wider variety of examples and more guidance for novice teachers. Additional conclusions and recommendations for improving Double Check and other online teacher professional development programs are discussed.

Scope of Global Citizenship Education in the Secondary level School Subjects of Bangladesh: A Critical Review of the National Curriculum Framework 2021

Global citizens are actors who are able to proactively and sensitively solve local and global issues. Global citizens are not born but created through education. Therefore, Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is a much discussed topic in recent educational discourses for its potential role in creating active and responsible citizens who hold specific knowledge, values, skills, and attitudes – such as solidarity, tolerance, empathy to solve local and global problems. This study aims to explore how the different subjects of secondary level (grade 6 to 10) have been conceptualised in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2021 of Bangladesh to uphold the different knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes of GCED to create global citizens. We used qualitative content analysis to critically analyse the relevant part of NCF as a document. We juxtaposed and related the subject conceptualisations of the 10 subjects presented in the NCF with our GCED conceptual framework which is built on UNESCO (2015) provided GCED learning outcomes and Oxfam (2015) provided list of GCED knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. The findings show that the NCF has created a great deal of opportunities for the students to inculcate GCED knowledge, skills, attitude and values through all the ten subjects. The subject History and Social Science, because of its nature, incorporates the full set of GCED knowledge, skills, values and attitudes in their competency and subject-conceptualisation. After this subject, Digital Technology, Wellbeing, and English have incorporated GCED aspects the most. The rest of the subjects, Arts and Culture, Mathematics, Religion, Life and Livelihoods, and Bangla have also created some scopes for GCED. This study will help the researchers, policy- makers, and educators to bridge this policy document with detailed curriculum, textbooks, teacher professional development programs to evaluate the successfully translation and implementation of GCED in schools and training programmes that aim to create compatible citizens who can thrive in competitive and ever changing global contexts

How Do Praxis-Oriented Themes Inform the Unity of Language Teachers’ Beliefs, Practices, and Identities? A Narrative Inquiry

Abstract Praxis, according to the Vygotskian thoughts and tenets, entails the unity of and dialectical relationship between theory and practice. As a vital concept grounded in sociocultural theory, praxis has received increasing attention among language teacher education scholars, typically over recent years (e. g., Johnson et al., 2020, 2022). Yet, there remains scant research through the lens, thus requiring extended efforts from researchers. To join the existing literature and bridge the gap, we explored how praxis- oriented themes may inform the development of professional beliefs and practices between mentor-mentee duos through TESOL-related programs. In addition, we investigated how the development of beliefs and practices may, in turn, inform the mentorships and contribute to the identity development of these duos. We adopted the narrative inquiry method and captured the participants’ experiences and emotional episodes over their mentoring journeys. We reported a common developmental path along the two duos’ mentoring journeys, while they differed in a few places. These journeys were found to unfold through a 3E pattern with three distinct stages, each contributing to the evolution of their beliefs and practices. These stages were identified as enhancing learning, embodying the mentor, and embracing heritage and identity. Accordingly, three different types of identities, including learner and apprentice, mentee and novice researcher, and language teacher and Chinese culture embodiment, were identified in the stages. Our study provides valuable insights for language teachers and teacher educators by shedding light on praxis-oriented themes that can enhance teacher professional development programs.

Evolution of teachers’ and researchers’ praxeologies for designing inquiry mathematics tasks: the role of teachers’ beliefs

AbstractThis paper is focused on the collaborative work of two communities, one of teachers and one of researchers, during a teacher professional development program on the inquiry-based learning approach in mathematics, addressed to lower secondary school in-service mathematics teachers. We conceptualize the design of inquiry mathematics task as the boundary object on which the two communities work collaboratively. We aim to study the evolution of teachers’ and researchers’ meta-didactical praxeologies for designing inquiry mathematics tasks, with the Meta-Didactical Transposition framework, to understand if and how their collaboration favors their convergence toward shared components of final meta-didactical praxeologies. In the results, we show that this convergence is reached thanks to internalization processes of praxeological components for designing inquiry mathematics tasks, as a consequence of the learning mechanisms activated by the common work on the boundary object. In this paper, we address also the issue of understanding the complex relationship between teachers’ beliefs on inquiry mathematics tasks and the meta-didactical praxeologies of teachers and researchers. As a result, we propose a model in which the evolution of teachers’ beliefs is taken into account both as an agent and a consequence of the evolution of the meta-didactical praxeologies of the two communities involved in the teacher professional development program.

Coherence: Policymakers, Districts and Schools’ Perspectives of Teachers’ Professional Development

Coherence is highly important in teacher education and professional development programs—the extent of shared vision between position holders contributes to the program’s success. Nevertheless, the research on shared vision and coherence has primarily focused on teacher training programs. Hence, in this study, we conducted 29 interviews with teachers, principals, and district and national superintendents of professional development to explore various perspectives among position holders in the education system. Teachers and principals stress the atmosphere in schools and the wholistic experience of a teacher within school, whereas the national and district superintendents focus on building personalized courses for each teacher. There are agreements regarding the significance of teacher motivation, peer learning and study of practice. This study explores the notion of coherence in professional development through a holistic perspective, providing practical implications for improving the way education systems promote teachers’ professional development.

Teacher Professional Development: A Systematic Literature Review on Strategies for Effective Continuous Learning

Developing teacher professionalism is a crucial element in improving the quality of education. In this study, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify effective sustainable learning strategies for teachers. Based on our analysis, we found that collaboration between teachers, experience-based learning approaches, use of technology in learning, skills-based learning approaches, institutional support, teacher knowledge and skills, quality teaching, and improved student learning outcomes play an important role in increasing the effectiveness of sustainable learning . These findings provide valuable insights for educational practitioners in developing effective and sustainable teacher professional development programs

Affordances and constraints of integrating esports into higher education from the perspectives of students and teachers: An ecological systems approach

This study aimed to investigate the perceived affordances of incorporating esports into higher education using an ecological systems approach that examined the multiple factors shaping behaviours at the individual, interpersonal, and organisational levels. A total of 40 participants, comprising 32 students and 8 teachers, were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. The data gathered from the interviews underwent qualitative analysis through the employment of thematic analysis methods. The results suggested that esports were perceived as having the potential to promote students’ skills development and foster an interactive learning culture. The study also identified constraints on esports integration at various levels, including student differences (i.e. in gaming interest, skills, attention, and physical capacity) and teachers’ insufficient knowledge (i.e. of esports and related pedagogy and content) at the individual level; concerns about the negative impacts of esports at the interpersonal level; and a lack of effective execution of university leadership at the organisational level. The results of this study offer valuable insights for education leaders into how to effectively exercise leadership in the context of esports. Specifically, the findings underscore the importance of developing professional development programmes for teachers to enhance their knowledge of the use of esports and related pedagogy and teaching content to improve the implementation of esports-based instruction.

Effective English teachers in online EFL learning: A post-pandemic reflection on students’ perspectives

In the framework of conventional academic settings, there have been a large number of studies on the qualities of effective teachers; however, studies in the context of online environments seem to be scarcely documented in the literature. This explanatory sequential mixed-method study of 224 secondary school students, 21 of whom were interviewed in detail, examined their perspectives on effective teacher characteristics in online EFL instruction. This study differed from earlier investigations of the qualities of effective teachers in terms of its research site and inquiry emphasis. The results of the surveys and interviews provided students’ judgments of effective teacher traits in terms of roles, professional abilities, personal qualities, and pedagogical expertise. According to the results of the polls, the most significant criteria for effective online learning management were instructors’ classroom management roles and their professional skills. The interviews stressed the importance of teachers’ qualities in managing classrooms and their pedagogical knowledge. In an online EFL instruction, students needed their teachers to scaffold them and explain what they should do with the lesson and the procedures they should follow for activities and assignments. In addition, the interviews validated teachers’ capacity to establish a favorable rapport with the students to facilitate their meaningful learning. As this study identified teachers’ professional abilities in managing online learning as a requirement, an online-learning-based professional development program for teachers is highly recommended as the most plausible alternative for the post-pandemic reflection of this current study.

Examining the support required by educators for successful technology integration in teacher professional development program

Examining the support required by educators for successful technology integration in teacher professional development program

Sceptical teacher and silent students: a case study of teacher changes during a teacher professional development programme

ABSTRACT This study focuses on an intervention programme designed to foster collectivity in classroom dialogue during sixth-grade language arts lessons, incorporating a coaching-based approach grounded in real classroom experiences. Specifically, we examine how this programme affected the beliefs and practices of a sceptical teacher in relation to increasing the participation of all her students in the classroom discourse. Centred on a case study of one teacher, the research uses multiple data sources, including video-recorded lessons and reflective interviews. The analytical approach is interpretative, taking into account the role of the researcher in influencing the observed phenomena. The intervention involved a video-stimulated reflection on a lesson leading to an impasse because the teacher could not work with all of the students due to her deficit beliefs about the students. In our analysis, a distinctive cyclical model encompassing six steps was introduced to delineate the evolution of the teacher’s beliefs. This model emphasises the crucial role a researcher plays in teacher learning, particularly in providing emotional support and aiding in the collaborative construction of teaching methodologies. Video recordings combined with ‘reflexive noticing’ made it possible for the teacher to recognise alternative interpretations of silent student interactions, thus challenging the previous deficit models. Recognising an impasse – an emotionally intense point of confusion – is essential in the process of belief alteration. The research suggests that while reflection is important, it alone is not sufficient; genuine change arises from teachers’ efforts to address and navigate confusion and impasse in their practices.

Philosophy-Infused Culture-Based Learning Models In Mathematics Education

The aim of this research is to explore and leverage the synergistic relationship between the philosophy of mathematics education and culture-based learning models. It seeks to investigate how philosophical perspectives can inform and enrich the development and implementation of culture-based learning models in mathematics education. Additionally, it aims to examine how integrating philosophical underpinnings can deepen students' comprehension of mathematical concepts within diverse cultural frameworks. Reading the entire paper is essential for anyone interested in advancing the field of mathematics education with a focus on cultural integration. This research explores the intricate relationship between the philosophy of mathematics education and culture-based learning models, offering valuable insights into how philosophical perspectives can enrich teaching practices within diverse cultural contexts. Moreover, it outlines crucial future research agendas, emphasizing the need for cross-cultural studies to identify universal and context-specific approaches, as well as the importance of equipping mathematics educators with the necessary skills through professional development programs. Overall, the paper provides a comprehensive roadmap for educators, researchers, and policymakers to promote inclusive and culturally relevant mathematics education, making it a must-read for those dedicated to enhancing educational practices in a diverse world. In conclusion, the integration of cultural elements in mathematics education is a dynamic field with promising future agendas. Cross-cultural research and teacher professional development programs are essential components for advancing the inclusivity and effectiveness of mathematics education in diverse contexts. By addressing these agendas, we can foster a more equitable and culturally responsive approach to teaching and learning mathematics.

Supporting the Development of Students’ Scientific Literacy

ABSTRACT Science teachers are increasingly encouraged to critically engage their students with scientific knowledge and expertise, with the expectation that such instructional practices will support the development of scientific literacy (SL). Drawing on Bildung framework, this qualitative study was conducted in Tanzania to explore how science teachers’ classroom practices facilitate the development of students’ SL. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations with science teachers and students from six secondary schools. The study has identified five instructional practices that were used to support students’ development of SL, namely guided reading, code-switching, educational print and visual aids, science experiments, and science projects. While there is evidence that the instructional practices used provided opportunities for students to contribute their thinking, experience and understanding to the science learning, the instructional practices were mostly print-based, paper-based and teacher-led, resulting in little engagement in active scientific thinking and literacy learning. Overall, the knowledge base developed by this study is of practical use to science teachers and educators in making decisions about appropriate instructional practices and what should be the regular focus of pre-service teacher education and professional development programs.

Development and Implementation of Training Resource Package for School Heads

This study aimed to develop a training resource package and implement and evaluate the training program for Western Visayas school heads based on their priority competency needs, according to the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH). Using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE) model, this descriptive developmental study identified the priority competency needs of school heads, assessed the quality of the Training Resource Package, measured participants' learning before and after the program, and evaluated their satisfaction with the training sessions, venue and accommodation, program management, and resource persons. Statistical analyses included mean and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test with a significance level 0.05. Results showed that school heads' needs covered learning assessment, teaching standards, school planning, professional development, learner discipline, school facilities, learning environment, teacher performance feedback, and learner achievement. A Training Design and Proposal encompassed program title, description, prerequisites, duration, management level, target participants, budget, activity requirements, funding sources, rationale, objectives, outputs, training methods, and action plan. The Training Resource Package was rated high quality (M=3.0). Among 104 randomly selected school heads from 21 School Divisions in Region VI, participants' competence increased from "highly competent" (M=66.99%) to "very highly competent" (M=96.19%) post-training, with a significant improvement (p=0.00 < α). Participants reported strong satisfaction with sessions (M=3.99), program management (M=3.99), venue (M=3.99), accommodation (M=3.98), and resource speakers (M=3.99). It is recommended that school heads should apply the competencies acquired from the training program to improve instructional supervision practices, enhance school leadership, and advocate for opportunities for teachers and staff to participate in similar training programs to foster continuous growth and improvement within the school community. Furthermore, as instructional leaders, school heads should design and implement relevant and needs-based professional development programs for teachers.

Assessment and Evaluation of Teachers’ Performance and Professional Development

Teacher performance is critical for student academic success, yet many teachers still need additional support to develop their professional competencies fully. This study aimed to address this gap by developing a targeted professional development program for teachers designed to enhance teacher performance. Using a research and development (R&D) design, the study involved 352 teachers from three divisions in Ilocos Norte, selected through Slovin’s formula and stratified proportionate random sampling. Additionally, 21 teachers and 3 professional development program implementers participated in focus group discussions, while 8 experts validated the program’s content. Data were gathered using teacher performance rating forms, interview guides, and content validation instruments and were analyzed through mean scores and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that while teachers generally perform satisfactorily according to professional standards, there is still room for growth. Teachers expressed that participating in more research-based and needs-driven professional development programs would help them further enhance their skills. Based on these findings, experts developed and validated a program as highly suitable for implementation. It is recommended that the program be adopted widely to improve teacher performance and support continuous professional growth.

Homophobia and Racism in the Classroom: Secondary School Teachers' Coping Methods in Relation to Their Level of Religiosity

Teacher training, professional development, and existing research on the teaching of controversial issues all largely relate to teacher preparation for lessons on topics known in advance. However, teachers often cannot anticipate spontaneous, explosive student remarks and must address them without advance preparation. This mixed-methods study performed a qualitative and quantitative examination of the most common types of student statements that teachers encounter, their methods of action, their educational goals, and their concerns and needs in facing this challenge. In an online questionnaire, 160 Israeli Jewish secondary school teachers were presented with two scenarios, one regarding a homophobic statement in the classroom and the other regarding a racist statement. The questionnaire asked whether the teachers had encountered a similar statement in their classrooms, and if so, to describe the statement and their response. In addition, it posed closed questions to the teachers regarding the appropriate course of action in each scenario and their educational goals in similar cases. Data was analyzed using the N-Vivo software, and variable-by-variable matrices were produced in order to examine the findings according to the teachers’ stated levels of religiosity. The research findings indicated that most teachers encounter homophobic and racist statements. Regardless of their degree of religiosity, they usually choose not to ignore explosive statements, instead facilitating a class discussion alongside disciplinary treatment and one-on-one conversation if necessary. The teachers’ goals were first and foremost liberal-democratic, and national-religious goals were at the bottom of the ranking. The exception was found among religiously devout teachers, who ranked religious values first, followed by tolerance, discussion culture, and critical thinking. The teachers’ primary concern was the issue of backup, followed by fear of dismissal and shaming on social media. The study demonstrates that explosive statements are not a rare phenomenon and may hurt a variety of groups in Israeli society. The findings reflect the need for a process of moral and social self-reflection in Israeli Jewish society, a reexamination of training and professional development programs for teachers, and a reevaluation of the current research focus on structured and prearranged discussions. The study points to the commonality between teachers in various streams of education, all of whom prioritized acceptance of the other and pluralism, as reflected in the prominence of tolerance and other liberaldemocratic educational goals. In an era of increased polarization and extremism in Israel and worldwide, it is important to prepare teachers to combat homophobic and racist statements and train students for a tolerant democratic discourse.

Teacher professional development and inquiry-based instruction: literature review

Innovative strategies can revolutionise student learning if implemented properly. Nonetheless, teachers need sufficient training to do this. Therefore, teacher professional development programmes should be reviewed to see if they provide sufficient training for teachers to effectively implement inquiry-based instruction, since it is considered one of these innovative methods. This paper synthesises the existing literature on teacher professional development for inquiry-based instruction from the fields of education and social science between 2001 and 2022. The EBSCO host library, Scopus, Science Direct, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, Linked Papers, and Taylor & Francis data bases were used for this review. The titles, abstracts, keywords, and publication dates of the selected records were converted into Microsoft Excel, where they were then reviewed to identify the publications that were in line with the scope of the study. A total of 135 studies, including articles and dissertations, were reviewed for this study. The findings of this study provide insight into the gaps in the existing literature on inquiry-based instruction and teacher professional development, as well as suggestions for potential areas for further research.
 Keywords: education field; innovative methods; inquiry-based instruction; social studies; teacher development

Inclusive Education Topics Teachers Learned at Teacher Professional Development Programmes: How Did They Benefit?

This study employed a single case study design involving twenty-two basic schoolteachers from the Ga East Education Directorate in Greater Accra, Ghana. Through interviews, we examined the inclusive education (IE) topics covered in professional development (PD) programmes and the resultant benefits for teachers. The findings demonstrate that IE PD programmes focused on sensitising teachers to IE policies and practices, identifying students with Special Education Needs (SEN), and fostering collaboration among teachers, headteachers, and special education (SPED) coordinators. Notably, participants derive substantial benefits from these programmes, acquiring knowledge on SEN identification, developing a willingness to embrace students with SEN, enhancing teacher agency, and fostering collaborative partnerships among teachers, headteachers, and SPED coordinators to better support students with SEN. The study’s findings underscore the imperative for comprehensive support from diverse education stakeholders in organising ongoing, practical, and hands-on IE PD programmes for Ghanaian basic schoolteachers.

Repackaging Character Literacy and Numeracy-Oriented RADEC Learning Model Through Teacher Professional Development Program

A number of literature state that numeracy and literacy skills are the initial capital for every individual to be able to learn. However, it is known that teachers still experience difficulties in teaching character, literacy and numeracy to students in the learning process. This research was conducted to transfer abilities to teachers to design learning with student worksheets which integrate the Read, Answer, Discuss, Explain, and Create (RADEC) learning model. The research model used in this research is Educational Design Research (EDR) since in the research an intervention will be carried out in the form of a workshop on preparing RADEC-based learning designs at Private Elementary Labschool UPI Purwakarta while in several previous studies EDR was also conducted through interventions such as professional development activities in the form of workshop. At the workshop stage itself, numeracy indicators were explained in detail and thoroughly with guidance from the Guide to Strengthening Literacy and Numeracy in Schools. In relation to numeracy, teachers' understanding of numeracy competency is still not comprehensive but on the other hand, surprisingly the teachers were able to integrate numeracy indicators in the lesson plan of non-mathematic subject. Overall, through RADEC learning model, all teachers be able to select appropriate spoken, written, or visual texts or resources based on their individual students' needs and interests. As a result, they can make the necessary changes to the syllabus's contents; choose the best methods, approaches, and techniques to use; plan the most appropriate activities to carry out; and select, design, or adapt the teaching materials.

Analyzing the Impact of Teacher Training and Professional Development Programs on the Implementation of Blended Learning in Elementary Schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

This research study aims to determine the attitudes of practicing school teachers towards blended learning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study involved 369 elementary school instructors recruited and trained in 2017 through the Teacher Induction Policy. The data analysis revealed that teachers had favorable attitudes towards integrated learning and the efficacy of blended learning in education and knowledge acquisition. However, the study also highlighted the significant challenges faced by educators when training via blended learning. The findings highlight the need for more effective and flexible teaching methods to ensure the success of blended learning in the education sector.

Empowering Tomorrow A Systematic Approach to STEM Education Pedagogy for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals and Students' Conceptual Understanding

The purpose of this research was to compare three different approaches to STEM education in terms of their impact on students' retention of STEM concepts and their ability to apply those concepts in real-world contexts: project-based learning, problem-based learning, and inquiry-based learning. Sixty (60) students in 9th grade made up the study's research sample. A cooperative teacher assisted them in their education. Two groups were formed from the participants. In contrast to the experimental group, which received training based on STEM concepts, the control group received more conventional methods of instruction. A 2x3 factorial design was utilised in the quantitative and experimental studies. We used the conceptual understanding in STEM subjects test (CUSST) to quantify students' grasp of STEM concepts. The study's primary findings indicated that STEM instructional strategies increased students' conceptual comprehension. All three phases of teacher preparation (pre-service, induction, and in-service) should incorporate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) instructional practices into the science curriculum and training modules. The incorporation of STEM fields has the potential to enhance science education programmes, methodology, textbooks, and curricula. Stakeholders may be able to use this study as a springboard to investigate current teacher professional development programmes for gaps.