Professional Development Workshops Research Articles

Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence to Broaden Participation in Computer Science

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) was incorporated into a competitive programming event that targeted undergraduate students, including those with little programming experience. The competition incorporated a range of challenge design approaches that promoted meaningful interaction with generative AI system, even while keeping the challenge difficulty level to an appropriate level. An analysis of survey responses and competition data showed that this format lowered barriers to participation, successfully engaged students throughout the competition, and increased the likelihood that they would participate in a similar event. In an extension of this work, a professional development workshop for high school teachers is being developed, along with a contest for high school students. Participant surveys and logs of interaction with the contest and generative AI systems will be analyzed to measure the effect of generative AI on student self-efficacy and suggest ways to integrate generative AI instruction into computer science curriculum.

Supporting transdisciplinary STEAM practices: Integrating architectural modelling into mathematics education through a cross-cultural dynamic lesson plan (DLP) tool

This paper proposes a cross-cultural dynamic lesson plan (DLP) tool that could be adopted by teachers across different cultures to implement STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) education practices. An abundance of well-developed lesson plans is available to teachers on numerous Internet sites, but the cultural diversity of such lesson plans – i.e., difficulty to customize for alignment with local curriculum and lesson plan requirements, make it difficult for teachers to utilize and share these resources – due to the lack of flexible customizations for orientation with local curriculum and lesson plan requirements. This study suggests an approach to overcome such challenges by presenting the DLP tool to assist teachers’ STEAM teaching practices using GeoGebra for learning content elaboration. Our proposed transdisciplinary STEAM practice uses architecture as a real-life example that connects mathematics learning to culture and history through mathematical modelling. This study follows a design-based research approach to develop and implement DLP tool and its related design heuristic. Moreover, the study is examining how the DLP tool can be utilized with teachers cross-culturally and how it could support teachers in professional development workshops to design transdisciplinary STEAM lesson plans. The qualitative analysis of teachers’ artefacts developed during these workshops demonstrated the versatility of DLP tool to address cultural diversity in lesson planning through these STEAM practices applications. The emerging themes from this study show that regardless of participants’ cultures, using the DLP tool to implement transdisciplinary STEAM practices could support teachers in developing operational and shareable lesson plans.

Identifying and Responding to Gaps in Services for International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows to Enhance the Graduate Community and Promote Quality Research Outcomes

The growing enrollment of international students in doctoral science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in the U.S. has contributed to the need for an increase in specifically-designed programs, resources, and services that address the unique challenges of the international student population. When transitioning to the U.S. to pursue higher education, international students often experience obstacles, including language barriers, sociocultural challenges, and academic alienation, which significantly impacts the ability to successfully adapt to the new learning and living environment, oftentimes continuing throughout the duration of the program. Furthermore, international postdoctoral fellows engaged in STEM research fields may lack a sense of belonging due to similar barriers. The recruitment and retention of competitive international students and postdoctoral fellows directly impacts the quality and magnitude of research outcomes, while also enhancing and enriching the cultural diversity and experience of the graduate community. We use data collected from an international student and postdoctoral survey distributed to more than 65 students and 90 postdoctoral fellows as well as listening sessions to identify gap areas where additional resources are required and where modifications are needed to more productively serve the international population at Augusta University. Our findings indicate that international students and postdoctoral fellows experience more anxiety and isolation when they are not supported, personally, socially and academically, by their administrative leaders, faculty, peers, and surrounding community. Incoming students who were connected with current graduate students prior to their arrival to the U.S. experienced a greater level of support and were more confident and comfortable in their adjustment to society in the U.S. The implementation of additional events and experiences led by the responses of the international population, including research shadowing opportunities in on-campus laboratories, social gatherings connecting students and postdoctoral fellows of different cultures, writing circles and professional development workshops, and one-on-one sessions enhances community belonging and prioritizes personal and professional growth among this vulnerable student population. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Appropriacy of Supplementary Reading Assessment Tools and Materials Used In Public Elementary Schools

Given this substantial and transformative shift in teaching and learning paradigms, teachers serving as frontline encounter numerous challenges. These challenges are particularly pertinent in the context of the appropriacy of supplementary reading assessment tools and materials used in public elementary schools. This study employed a descriptive-evaluative research method to determine the appropriacy of the supplementary reading assessment tools and materials used in public elementary schools in the Division of Ozamiz City, School Year 2022-2023. Participants of this study were the Grade-4 reading teachers and pupils. The study underscored the need for enhancements in selecting and appropriating these materials for Grade 4 learners. A notable discrepancy was observed between the intended grade levels of the materials and the actual reading performance of the students. It is imperative to align materials with learners’ reading abilities to provide an appropriate level of challenge conducive to learning. Consequently, there is a pressing need for comprehensive reviews and revisions of reading assessment tools and materials used in Grade 4 classrooms. Additionally, offering professional development programs and workshops to augment teachers’ competencies in selecting and utilizing suitable reading materials is essential for addressing these challenges effectively and promoting better literacy outcomes among pupils.

Characterization of physics and astronomy assistant professors’ reflections on their teaching: can they promote engagement in instructional change?

The development of reflective practitioners is one of four dominant change strategies in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) higher education literature. However, little research concerns the characterization of faculty’s reflections. Before professional development programs can effectively incorporate reflective writings as a tool for pedagogical improvement, it is necessary to first understand the current state of faculty’s reflections. To accomplish this goal, 98 physics and astronomy instructors were recruited from a teaching-focused professional development workshop and were asked to write a reflection on a self-identified challenging teaching experience.A combination of a priori coding to analyze the content and depth of the reflections, as well as in vivo coding to better capture instructors’ thinking were utilized. The majority of instructors wrote low-level reflections, wherein connections were not made between an instructors’ actions and the observed outcomes or the described experience was not centered on students’ outcomes or educational research literature. Approximately half of the instructors contemplated their own growth and the relationships with their students. However, only a small minority of instructors considered larger societal, cultural, or ethical factors. Plans created by instructors to address future, similar situations heavily relied on the instructors themselves, regardless of the depth of their reflections, and few planned to seek out knowledge from other resources such as peers or the education literature.This study indicates that instructors may not engage in the types of reflection that are considered to promote meaningful instructional change. Trends in the instructors’ plans show that ongoing support is necessary for them to effectively reflect and grow as practitioners. Overall, this work provides valuable insight into the poorly understood nature of faculty’s reflections and showcases the need for more research to fully characterize reflections across STEM disciplines and to better inform professional development.

A Nonrandomized Pilot Implementation Trial of the CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Project

ABSTRACT Purpose To determine the a) implementation of CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning), b) implementation process of CLASS PAL, and c) influence of the inner setting (i.e., school) and individuals (teachers and pupils) on the implementation of CLASS PAL. Methods CLASS PAL is a co-produced movement integration (MI) intervention that includes a professional development workshop for teachers and bespoke teaching resources. This study was a nonrandomized pragmatic pilot implementation trial using a mixed-methods design. Ten year-5 teachers and 232 pupils from seven state-funded UK primary schools participated. Data were collected over one academic year via mixed methods at multiple levels (school and individual) and timepoints. All qualitative data were analyzed using a priori thematic analyses, and quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Results Implementation: Teacher-reported MI activities were delivered on average 2 d·wk−1 (and once per day). The most frequently delivered activities were movement breaks (2.8 d·wk−1) and physically active routines (2.4 d·wk−1), with the majority lasting <5 min. One hundred percent of attendees rated both the professional development workshop and practical content of the workshop as “quite useful/very useful;” however, the resources on the website were only utilized by 30% of teachers. Implementation process: Teachers primarily amended personal resources, with only 5% of deliveries supported by resources from the CLASS PAL website/workshop. Inner setting/individuals: Teachers reported barriers including classroom misbehavior, curriculum pressures, and access to resources. Facilitators to MI included the intervention workshop and senior school leadership support. Conclusion Teachers receiving a low touch professional development and resource program reported regular implementation of MI. A key implementation strategy was teacher-level decisions. In relation to the influence of the inner setting/individuals, a range of factors which operated at pupil, school, and teacher levels were identified. Further work is required to understand how best to support MI implementation.

SBAE teachers’ perceptions of science integration and inquiry-based learning

The integration of science within an agricultural education classroom is very important. This study explored the influences CASE professional development institutes had on the teacher-participant’s perceptions of science integration and inquiry-based instruction. This study utilized a pre and post-test comprised of the integrative science survey and the inquiry-based teaching techniques. We attempted a census of all (N = 38) high school agricultural educators who were participants in the Principles of Agricultural Science-Plant (ASP) and the Agricultural Power and Technology (APT) CASE institutes. Overall, respondents had more positive perceptions of science integration and IBI following the CASE institutes. Teacher educators should incorporate inquiry-based teaching techniques and examples of integrating science into preparation programs and offer professional development workshops to practicing teachers. Future research should take a deeper look into the impacts of CASE institutes on teachers’ attitudes towards science integration and implementation of IBI in their classrooms. A larger population of teachers needs to be studied with the study taking a longitudinal approach to focus on the long-term implementation of IBI in the agricultural education classroom.

ImageSTEAM: Teacher Professional Development for Integrating Visual Computing into Middle School Lessons

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its teaching in the K-12 grades has been championed as a vital need for the United States due to the technology's future prominence in the 21st century. However, there remain several barriers to effective AI lessons at these age groups including the broad range of interdisciplinary knowledge needed and the lack of formal training or preparation for teachers to implement these lessons. In this experience report, we present ImageSTEAM, a teacher professional development for creating lessons surrounding computer vision, machine learning, and computational photography/cameras targeted for middle school grades 6-8 classes. Teacher professional development workshops were conducted in the states of Arizona and Georgia from 2021-2023 where lessons were co-created with teachers to introduce various specific visual computing concepts while aligning to state and national standards. In addition, the use of a variety of computer vision and image processing software including custom designed Python notebooks were created as technology activities and demonstrations to be used in the classroom. Educational research showed that teachers improved their self-efficacy and outcomes for concepts in computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence when participating in the program. Results from the professional development workshops highlight key opportunities and challenges in integrating this content into the standard curriculum, the benefits of a co-creation pedagogy, and the positive impact on teacher and student's learning experiences. The open-source program curriculum is available at www.imagesteam.org.

Predicting Robotics Pedagogical Content Knowledge: The Role of Computational and Design Thinking Dispositions via Teaching Beliefs

This research aimed to investigate the structural relationships among teachers’ computational thinking (CT), design thinking (DT), robotics teaching beliefs, and robotics pedagogical content knowledge (RPCK). A total of 98 in-service and pre-service teachers who participated in a robotics teaching professional development workshop served as the sample of the study. A survey including the Computational Thinking Scale, the Design Thinking Disposition Scale, the Robotics Teaching Beliefs Scale and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge–Robotics Scale was conducted after the workshop. A confirmatory factor analysis was employed to validate the measurement constructs, and Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was utilized to examine the relationships among the factors. The results revealed that both CT and DT dispositions could positively predict teachers’ robotics teaching beliefs, which subsequently predicted their RPCK. Moreover, a direct positive relationship between CT and RPCK was identified, while such a relationship was not evident for DT. The model demonstrates the critical role of CT in shaping teachers' beliefs and pedagogical strategies of robotics teaching, and provides insights into the indirect influence of DT. Finally, the Model of Robotics Teaching Professional Development (MRTPD) was proposed to profile how to promote teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of robotics teaching from their CT and DT dispositions.

“Everybody Was Included in the Conversation”: Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Engagement in Transdisciplinary STEM Learning in Diverse Elementary Schools

This qualitative interview study examines STEM integration in three diverse elementary schools through the eyes of the teachers and instructional coaches (n = 9) who facilitated the transdisciplinary Box Turtle Model-eliciting Activity (MEA). Prior to implementation, participants attended a full-day professional development workshop in which they experienced the MEA in school-based triads of principals, coaches, and teachers. The educators then implemented the MEA with elementary students from across multiple grade levels. We used the guiding principles of productive disciplinary engagement in our analysis of educator interviews to interpret participants’ perceptions of how an MEA encourages elementary students to (a) problematize real-world scenarios, (b) direct their own learning, and (c) collaborate through meaningful academic discourse. Educators also identified challenges to integrating STEM in elementary classrooms. The Box Turtle MEA offered more equitable access to STEM by positioning students as authorities and providing space for them to be accountable to themselves and others in solving an authentic, real-world problem.

Classroom observational data: a professional development tool for introductory college mathematics instruction

Two groups of mathematics faculty, one from a four-year college and one from a two-year college, redesigned their respective introductory college mathematics courses following presentation of observational data regarding how faculty had been teaching the courses. This presentation emphasised how infrequently faculty teaching introductory college mathematics employed recommended pedagogical practices. This work was part of a multi-year federal grant project designed to increase the numbers of underrepresented students majoring in STEM disciplines. While the two teams developed very different redesigned course activities, in both instances the primary motivation for initiating the work was the information provided to faculty in a professional development workshop regarding how they had previously been observed teaching the mathematics content and how infrequently they utilised the pedagogical practices recommended by STEM education experts. The paper also highlights faculty resistance to curricular reform and enumerates some ways of addressing this resistance. The paper also discusses why faculty from two-year and four-year institutions resisted working together on course redesign and provides recommendations for future efforts addressing course redesign.

Promoting hands-on science learning globally with low-cost lab kits through Women Supporting Women in the Sciences

Women Supporting Women in the Sciences (WS2)-ws2global.org-is an international initiative unifying and supporting graduate- and professional-level women and allies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), while providing outreach to elementary- and secondary-level students. WS2 has been involved in the development of professional development workshops intended to empower university women and promote STEM careers. In their most recent venture, WS2 distributed low-cost physics and materials science lab kits that were designed virtually by international teams. These kits are relevant to elementary and secondary school students across the world, with initial focus on local schools in eastern Africa. In this Backstory, part of the WS2 leadership team (Dr. Joyce Elisadiki, Dr. Cecilia Rolence China, and Dr. Jill Wenderott) discusses how the Lab Kit Initiative came together and highlights outcomes and lessons learned from this project.

Professional Development Workshop on Global Citizenship Education Experiences of University Teachers

The purpose of the study was to assess the experiences of teachers about professional development workshop on global citizenship education (GCE). The workshop as a research method (Ørngreen & Levinsen, 2017) was used for conducting this study. The workshop was of 04 days duration. Twenty-one regular university teachers were participants of the workshop. No prerequisite experience with GCE was required for attending this workshop. The workshop involved sessions on thematic dimensions and learning domains of GCE, integration of GCE in the curriculum and teaching-learning process at the university level, and facilitating safe and productive dialogue in various learning environments. Field notes and the feedback form were used to collect data about the workshop content and the experiences of the workshop participants. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The study results showed that the faculty members found the workshop content relevant and useful, and the workshop instructional experiences and the arrangements as helpful and effective. It is recommended to adjust the training content and duration according to the needs of the faculty members in future workshops. The study results may be helpful to arrange professional development opportunities for university teachers in future.

Meaningful Assessment Approach and Reporting

In the context of learning assessment, wherein the central focus is on improvement, the profound utility of reflection emerges as a potent tool to encourage learners to reflect on the content, process, and their own values. The authors in this issue elucidated some effective ways for acquiring insights into learners’ experiences. Leveraging their extensive experience in non-credit education, Stitt-Bergh et al. (2024) contribute significantly to the assessment community by presenting an effective assessment approach (well-crafted learning outcomes, learning outcome-focused survey questions, and appropriate direct assessment of learning) for noncredit continuing education courses. Smith et al. (2024) used word clouds on students’ reflections to provide formative assessment feedback to students. The integration of structured prompts not only offers undergraduate students a framework for thoughtful reflection but also serves as an effective approach to understanding the nuances of student learning. Applying reflection to a faculty’s professional development workshop, Singer-Freeman & Verbeke (2024) shared how they effectively measure the impact and identify change needs through a three-question survey.

Scaffolding in genre-based L2 writing classes: Vietnamese EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices

Abstract The facilitative role of scaffolding has been highlighted by research with empirical evidence on learners’ engagement in classroom interaction and their uptake of teacher instruction but the body of empirical research focusing on genre-based pedagogical approaches for Vietnamese learners as second language (L2) writers remains relatively limited. The present study extends this line of enquiry by investigating how five experienced EFL teachers at two Vietnamese colleges apply scaffolding strategies in genre-based L2 writing classes and how teacher professional development workshops shifted the teachers’ beliefs about such an approach to teaching EFL writing. Data were collected from 30 classroom observations (10 before and 20 after the workshops) and five individual semi-structured interviews with the teachers. A content-based approach was adopted for qualitative data analysis. Findings show that the teachers used a much wider range of scaffolding strategies, with questioning and giving feedback being the most frequently-used strategies, in their EFL writing classes compared to those observed before the workshops. The study further shows that there were remarkable changes in the teachers’ beliefs about genre-based L2 writing pedagogy and that they highly valued the potential impact of this approach on learners’ uptake in writing skills. Implications for second language writing pedagogy and teacher professional development will be discussed.

Improving Elementary Pre-Service Teachers’ Science Teaching Self-Efficacy through Garden-Based Technology Integration

School gardens and outdoor learning spaces are increasingly available to support authentic, student-centered exploration in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Integrating technology tools into school garden spaces in alignment with modern agricultural practices can support inquiry-based learning in which students engage in science practices such as collecting and analyzing data. However, educators currently lack the necessary knowledge, skills, and instructional support to enact technology-rich, garden-based STEM learning experiences. The Garden TOOLS program was designed to support teachers in leveraging technology to support inquiry-based teaching (IBT) in outdoor learning spaces. In this paper, we examine the impact of combining Garden TOOLS professional development workshops with lesson plan implementation in a practicum setting on elementary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) science teaching self-efficacy. We administered the STEBI-B pre- and post-intervention and assessed change in the STEBI-B subscales, personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE), and science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE). Participants included thirty-nine elementary PSTs enrolled in a 300-level science methods course in the rural Midwest. Garden TOOLS professional development workshop participants saw a statistically significant increase from pre- to post-workshop in their PSTE. Participants who also implemented the Garden TOOLS lesson showed both an increase in PSTE and STOE.

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

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

A Professional Development Workshop: Applying the Race and Culture Guide to Reduce Bias in Medical Teaching Cases.

Clinical teaching cases are a cornerstone of health professions education programs, but cases historically have lacked diversity and have the potential to reinforce essentialism. In this article, we describe the creation, implementation, and feasibility assessment of a professional development workshop aimed at integrating an existing bias reduction tool into discussion and revision of teaching cases. Six 60-minute workshops were held introducing "The Race and Culture Guide for Editors of Teaching Cases" to different health profession education programs wherein all participants worked in small groups to critique and edit two sample teaching cases. To assess initial feasibility, facilitators completed a facilitator evaluation survey to capture experiences after the first three workshops. Due to positive feedback, workshops were continued, and participants completed a participant evaluation survey to understand learner impact. Facilitators (n=6) identified the workshop as addressing an important need, highlighted the value in small-group format, and noted their ability to facilitate future sessions. Participants (n=18) rated the workshop as useful, effective at challenging biases, and would recommend the workshop to others. The purpose of this study was to understand the feasibility of implementing a discussion-based workshop integrating a bias reduction tool. Initial feasibility and acceptability assessments demonstrate that this workshop.

Integrating Primary Source Analysis in Remote Teaching of Earth and Environmental Science During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning, and obstructed social connections and spatial awareness. To rectify, an interdisciplinary curriculum integrated remote teaching of earth and environmental science with primary source analysis. Two professional development workshops trained 20 teachers and librarians who designed 17 cross-curricular activities for 540 students. In semi-structured interviews, the participants reflected that primary source analysis engages students in active learning and inquiry, develops critical thinking, provides multiple perspectives, and advances spatial skills by investigating real-world situations. Teachers concluded that teaching with primary sources enhances instruction and saves their time because activities can be adapted for any mode of instruction.

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES USED BY TEACHERS TO ENHANCE THE LITERACY DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AT RISK FOR SPEECH DISORDERS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

The purpose of this study was to establish the phonological awareness instructional strategies used by teachers to enhance literacy development. This research was steered by the Phonological Awareness Theory. The study used a quasi-experimental design. Two groups of subjects were used: one is the control group, which did not participate in the treatment program. The other was the experimental group, which participated, in the given treatment. The study was conducted in Kiambu County, Kenya. Purposive sampling was employed to select 4 preschools and 40 preschool children. 8 teachers were randomly chosen from the selected preschools. Data was collected through interview schedules, tests, and questionnaires. Data was analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The study found that almost all the teachers did not apply clear-cut planned instructional strategies to increase the preschool learner’s phonological awareness skills, such as pointing out the individual sounds in words or highlighting the number of syllables in words. The teachers, additionally did not apply authorized early literacy methods, such as stimulating phonological awareness activities. The study concluded that phonological awareness, ideally, is a broad skill that focuses on phonemes and for that reason, the preschool learners did not need to know the graphemes to be able to develop phonological awareness. The study recommended that there is a need to assess teachers’ literacy instructional practices and the resources they use in the classrooms to enhance literacy development. Preschool teachers should focus on working on a range of activities with children who are at risk for speech disorders to enhance their linguistic and literacy development. The Ministry of Education, Science & Technology (MoEST) needs to provide trainings/ seminars/ continuous professional development (CPD) workshops for Early Childhood Education (ECDE) teachers where strategies/ best practices for teaching reading can be outlined. During such trainings, teachers can share their best practices and help one another overcome problems in the teaching of reading and writing.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0081/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>