Professional Learning Program Research Articles

Promising Practices for Leadership Development: Exploring a Collaborative Professional Learning and Coaching Program

<p>Given the substantial impact school leaders have on school improvement, the imperative for continuous professional learning for leaders is evident. In this two-year action research study, researchers collaborated with a school division, forming a research-practice partnership, to design and explore a collaborative professional learning and coaching program. The primary objective of this program was to align with local leadership standards and foster leadership development. The central research question was: How does implementation of a collaborative professional learning and coaching program contribute to leadership development? Data were collected from district and school leaders and included pre and post surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The findings of this study indicate that district leadership practices show promising potential in fostering inservice opportunities for leadership development. These practices include the following: (a) ensure programs are sustained with a consistent focus, (b) utilize collaborative learning approaches, (c) assess growth through reflection and feedback, and (d) use action research to support continual improvement. This study aims to provide valuable insights to school districts and researchers regarding the implementation of sustained and job-embedded professional development for school leaders, with a specific focus on leadership development.</p>

Exploring teachers' understanding and implementation of STEAM: one size does not fit all

IntroductionIn recent years, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education has become an increasingly popular tool to promote student learning and engagement across disciplines. However, researchers and practitioners continue to note the lack of clarity around definitions of STEAM, its intended purpose, and the nature of discipline integration. In this paper, we explore teachers' understandings and implementation of STEAM as they participated in a teacher professional learning program.MethodsUsing a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed data from 4 years of program implementation with K-12 teachers across multiple schools and districts (n = 61).ResultsParticipants' understanding of STEAM was deepened through their involvement in the professional learning program, with many reflecting on their initial, often shallow, (mis)conceptualizations of STEAM. Using an integration continuum developed by the authors, we identified ways in which integration varied across the STEAM lessons teachers developed, contextualizing these findings within the changing educational landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, as teachers transitioned between remote, hybrid, and in-person instruction. Participants shared their reflections on the personal, professional, and contextual factors that supported and hindered successful STEAM integration.DiscussionWe found that, when provided with sustained, collaborative pedagogical and material support, teachers could successfully improve their understanding of STEAM and implement STEAM lessons tailored to their grade-level and disciplinary context. Our findings reinforce that teachers need support, autonomy, and flexibility to adopt an approach to STEAM integration that best fits their classroom and school context. We discuss the implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners working to provide effective STEAM teacher professional learning.

Teaching phonics in context—stories of teachers’ practice and students’ outcomes

This article presents the outcomes of a study conducted in Victoria, Australia, that recognised teachers’ knowledge and understanding of phonics teaching, and early literacy acquisition processes more generally. In total, 45 teachers and 220 students from the 18 focus schools who engaged in the reform initiative agreed to participate in this study. The questions posed considered understandings associated with the professional learning programme and processes that support the implementation of the phonics teaching and the impact this had on students’ literacy learning. We share the data used to map teachers’ stories of change and practice and some of the key factors, including structures, practices and attitudes, that influenced the implementation. The impact on students’ reading and writing outcomes throughout the reform process are also reported. Combined, the findings indicate that the teaching of phonic knowledge, integrated into rich contexts for learning, contributed to improvements in teaching and students’ early literacy skills. Furthermore, this study fills an important and common missing gap in professional learning as it explores implementation processes and practice in the classroom. The results inform continuing reform efforts and targeted research necessary to refine phonics teaching practice and further advance students’ literacy outcomes.

The effect of social support on attitudes towards inclusive education and self‐efficacy among pre‐service special education teachers in Egypt

AbstractThe primary socializing agents have been found to play a key role in shaping teachers' attitudes. In the realm of inclusive education (IE), one of the most extensively researched themes is teachers' attitudes regarding inclusion. Contrary to a plethora of attitudinal studies that are solely concentrating on describing teacher attitudes, the present study sought to investigate the perceived social support (PSS) perceptions of pre‐service special education teachers in terms of their attitudes towards inclusive education and their self‐efficacy beliefs (TSE). The population of this correlational research design study consists of 525 pre‐service special education teachers from six different colleges of education in Egypt's northern, central and southern big cities. Using a correlation technique and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, the research data were analysed. The findings revealed that the PSS scales' sub‐dimensions indicate having a significant and positive relationship with TSE as well as attitudes towards IE. In addition, research revealed that pre‐service special education teachers' PSS significantly predicted their TSE beliefs and attitudes towards IE. The study's findings reflect crucial implications for teacher education policymakers in addressing pre‐service teachers' needs of professional learning programmes that should include a career development stage targeted at generating socially supportive role models.

What a study of educator evaluation taught us about professional learning

After years evaluating teacher professional learning programs, researchers Andrew J. Wayne, Jordan Rickles, Mengli Song, Seth Brown, and Michael S. Garet describe a study that changed their perspective. The study’s takeaways about the design of teacher professional learning are important for everyone who seeks to create systems to support teaching and learning. The findings call attention to the value of streamlined, high-quality programs for improving performance outcomes for teachers and students.

From High Discipline Referrals to High-Engagement Classrooms: A Design-Based Approach to Creating a Campus-Wide Culture of Positive Learning Support for At-Risk Student Populations through Transforming Educators’ Instructional Teaming Practices

Instructional leaders in many school districts throughout the United States are increasingly confronted with spiraling numbers of discipline referrals from teachers who are unable to manage the off-task behaviors and discipline infractions of the growing percentages of diverse, academically at-risk students populating their classrooms. Many of these at-risk students, who come from families that are economically disadvantaged and have culturally rich and linguistically diverse backgrounds, have become stigmatized and minoritized by an education system whose curricula are often woefully inadequate in being able to meet the unique social and academic support needs of these diverse learners. This article profiles how one high school principal and his instructional turnaround leadership task force colleagues working in a high diversity urban school district utilized multi-leveled data analysis investigative thinking and innovative professional learning program design strategies derived from the education improvement science literature to implement a comprehensive intervention program for ninth through twelfth grade teams of core content teachers and their instructional supervisors. The specific goals of the intervention program were to: 1) change educators’ entrenched pedagogical thinking and instructional planning mindsets regarding the motivation levels and learning capabilities of the high discipline referral students who regularly engage in off-task disruptive behaviors in their classrooms; and 2) transform teachers’ instructional data teaming practices to better serve the academic learning support needs of the campus’s minoritized students. The design-based approach to instructional improvement employed in the high school case study leveraged the use of multiple cycles of new knowledge and skills acquisition, critical self-reflection, and immersive professional learning to assist educators in exploring how to engage together in authentic data teaming and data analysis–informed differentiated instructional planning to craft high-engagement classroom learning environments and interactive instructional units to effectively address the academic development and support needs of the campus’s diverse, at-risk learners.

Professional Learning Supporting Multilingual Children’s Social and Emotional Development in Diverse Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

AbstractThis research examined the conditions under which codesigned approaches to educator professional learning in multilingual, birth to five settings were accessible and supportive of children’s social and emotional development across diverse types of Australian early childhood services. The research sites, in the suburbs of a capital city, comprised a long day childcare center, two short term informal community creches for birth to 5-year-old children of migrants and refugees attending English classes, and a family hub short term informal community creche for children of Afghan refugees. Professional learning mentors visited the participating sites eight times for 2 h every 2 weeks for 16 Weeks in 2021, demonstrating resources and strategies to assist young children to identify their own and others’ emotions and engage with social settings. Over 20 weeks, 97 participants provided data, commencing before and extending after the professional learning program. Participants included professional learning mentors, staff and volunteers, parents, and children via observation. Using Reggio Emilia principles, the research identified that professional learning, flexibly delivered over time, enabled educators and volunteers to build their social and emotional development knowledge, and to try resources and strategies with children in their care. Recruiting educators who shared children’s home or community languages, in addition to professional learning, supported multilingual children to engage with emotional literacy resources, while still developing spoken English. The research affirmed that educators, volunteers, parents, and children benefitted from a sustained focus on children’s social and emotional development in the early childhood education and care settings.

Insights into professional learning for intensive Block Model: Lessons from a participatory evaluation for capacity building

We share lessons gained through supporting an institution-wide curriculum innovation via a post-graduate professional learning program. At the inception of the innovation, an intensive Block Model (BM) was unfamiliar to both the institution and its professional learning facilitators. The Graduate Certificate of Tertiary Education was re-modelled with BM as the heart of professional learning so academics would encounter BM as students. The program modelled BM principles, reinforced by meta-conversations to provide students with a reflective, immersive experience. Through a participatory evaluation, professional learning facilitators’ individual reflections were distilled to generate collaborative insights into academics’ capacity building for BM. Their lessons inform strategies to cultivate institution-wide capability-building including their own professional growth. Lessons shape the study recommendations. Recommendations originate from effectively engaging time-poor, diverse cohorts. (1) In recognition of the ease with which students can fall behind, embedding strategies to manage their time and stress helps to maintain a realistic study pace. (2) Authentic assessments provide students with useful products for their teaching. (3) Peer-feedback and examples of students’ work exposes them to how their colleagues present their work and illustrates good BM practices. (4) Modelling BM principles must be reinforced by meta-conversations to provide students with a reflective, immersive experience of the pedagogical principals. We observed that well planned efficiencies for students often provide consequent efficiencies for staff. These insights are captured in a model for scalable institutional-based professional learning practice. Capability growth flourishes at the intersection of action, reflection and evaluation. Professional collegial conversations are the catalyst for developing context-relevant professional learning.

Situating Reflective Practice in Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Educators’ Professional Learning through Tinkering at Home

ABSTRACT From a social constructivist perspective, learning happens by way of engagement with other people and with objects in the environment, often through a process of play and exploration. The notion of tinkering illustrates this mode of creative play, which is relevant not only to youth learning but also to educators’ professional learning. In this study, we describe the experiences of a group of educators who participated in a professional learning program in the summer of 2020 that involved a series of activities for “tinkering at home.” Interviews focused on participants’ sense-making processes, the resources they sought out, and the facilitation choices they made if they included others in their tinkering. Thematic analysis revealed four characteristic features of the affective and relational flow of learning through tinkering: (1) generative openings, (2) multiple pathways for exploration, (3) impasse, and (4) resolution through social interaction. We discuss the implications of these themes for reflective pedagogical practice that is grounded in educators’ own experiential learning.

A new dawn or false hope? Exploring the early implementation of curriculum for Wales

ABSTRACT This discussion paper explores the evolution of Wales’ new national curriculum. Launched in 2022 and reflective of a new international trend in curriculum reform, Curriculum for Wales is founded on the idea that key decisions related to teaching and learning are best made in schools and at the site of practice. The principle of subsidiarity is championed as a way of empowering teachers and encouraging local ownership within the confines of a much broader national framework. But implementation of such curricula is not without difficulty. This paper reflects on early implementation and explores a number of familiar challenges, like how to ensure equity of experience in a system that actively promotes difference. It considers the strengths and weaknesses of decentralisation, and ponders the implications of curriculum reform, and its associated teacher freedoms, for both policymakers and the profession itself. A scarcity of resource that endangers not only curriculum realisation, but also the motivation of those responsible for making it work, is also contemplated. The paper concludes by plotting a possible way forward, and presents the case for a national professional learning programme to give teachers the confidence needed to make Wales’ curriculum vision a reality.

Working with trauma-affected young people in secondary schools: Exploring ‘self-care’ with pre-service physical education teachers

Working with trauma-affected youth in physical education (PE) can be a challenging and, at times, stressful and emotionally demanding process. Whilst little is known about how student trauma affects in-service teachers, even less is known about how it might impact pre-service PE teachers. The aims of this paper are therefore to (1) explore pre-service PE teachers’ experiences of working with students affected by trauma, and (2) consider the potential implications of this for their well-being. Through an online professional learning programme, we worked with three distinct groups of pre-service PE teachers ( n = 22). The workshops generated data through individual activities and group tasks that allowed participants to reflect on their experiences. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers had several encounters during their school-based placements with young people who may have experienced trauma. These experiences were felt by the pre-service PE teachers – both emotionally and physically. Pre-service PE teachers were encouraged to develop self-care strategies; however, our participants indicated that this was not always easy to do. That said, pre-service PE teachers were able to describe some of the strategies they engaged with to take care of themselves and safeguard their own well-being. Many of these strategies were relational and involved spending time with others – such as school colleagues (teachers and/or mentors) – who were available to offer both practical and emotional guidance and support. Thus, our findings reinforce the importance of pre-service teachers learning about self-care and emotional regulation as part of initial teacher education courses.

Non-specialist secondary mathematics teachers learning in study groups by engaging with activities of algebra

Teaching ‘out-of-field’ is a present obstacle in mathematics education in many countries, and developing professional learning programs aimed at upskilling non-specialist teachers is urgent. A teacher study group was established wherein two non-specialist teachers of mathematics (Years 7–10; aged 12–16) engaged with algebra to develop a deeper understanding of the subject and its teaching. The study group lasted one school year, during which the teachers actively participated in the learning. Multiple data sources were collected, including reflection forms, open-ended questionnaires, and a storytelling form. Analysis of the teachers’ solutions to a sample of algebra problems and self-reports suggests that the study group enabled teachers to acquire new knowledge/skills in mathematics pedagogy, gain a new understanding of how student thinking and understanding develop, adapt new classroom instruction strategies, develop ability/confidence in problem-solving, and develop new knowledge/ability in algebra. The study findings contribute to our understanding of supporting non-specialist mathematics teachers’ professional development.

Exploring Chinese higher vocational college teachers’ perceptions of reading and teaching reading in English

The current article presents the findings of a qualitative study which focused on six Chinese higher vocational college teachers’ evolving understandings of reading and teaching reading in English through a three-month teacher professional learning programme. Methods of data collection included questionnaire, professional learning conversation, classroom observation and reflective practice. Results showed that a skill-based view was the mainstream understanding of reading and teaching reading in English. Through the teacher professional learning programme, however, there was a shift in the participants’ perception from a skill-based to a social-practice perspective of reading and teaching reading in English. Accordingly, the focus of teaching shifted from language to language and content integrated instruction with criticality development as a key component. The findings indicated that higher vocational college teachers were capable of weaving between a skill-based and a social-practice perspective of language and literacy practices while highlighting the need for cultivating a social-practice perspective in order to develop higher vocational college students as whole persons as locally grounded and globally minded citizens with critical minds. A more significant implication was that it was possible to empower higher vocational college students by enlightening teachers through a systematic teacher professional learning programme.

Direct and moderating impacts of the CARE mindfulness-based professional learning program for teachers on children’s academic and social-emotional outcomes

Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) for teachers can improve classroom interactions, teacher mindfulness, and well-being, yet whether teacher focused MBIs also benefit children remains largely unexplored. This cluster randomized trial with 36 urban elementary schools, 224 K-5th grade teachers (M age = 41.5) and 5200 children (M age = 7.7 years, tested direct and moderated effects of the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) professional development program on eight child academic and social emotional outcomes, most teacher-reported. Positive effects of CARE were found for engagement in learning, motivation for learning, and reading competence. CARE was unexpectedly related to increased conflict. CARE teachers initially low in mindfulness reported children as higher on engagement, motivation, reading competence, and math competence compared to children of control group teachers low in mindfulness. Unexpectedly, CARE teachers high in mindfulness at baseline reported children as lower in social skills compared to high mindfulness teachers in the control condition.

The impact of Geospatial Inquiry lessons on student interest in science and technology careers

AbstractAdvances in online geospatial technologies (GST) have expanded access to K‐12 classrooms which has implications for the support teachers require to effectively integrate GSTs to promote learning. Previous studies have shown the impact of GST‐integrated lessons on student engagement, spatial thinking skills, and/or content knowledge; however, most of these studies have been small in scope and scale and frequently focus on the affordances of the technology, without addressing the context of the implementation and student characteristics for whom GST is most impactful. We attempt to address some of these gaps. Our program scaled an effective GST‐focused professional learning and development program to a national audience through a facilitator development model. This paper explores the student characteristics and lesson factors that resulted in student interest in science and technology and careers in those fields. After teaching a Geospatial Inquiry lesson created during a teacher workshop, teachers (n = 82) submitted the lessons and surveys on the implementation of Geospatial Inquiry lessons. The implementation surveys and lessons were scored for alignment to the principles of high‐quality Geospatial Inquiry. Students (n = 1924) completed a post‐lesson retrospective survey and indicated the extent to which their perceptions and attitudes toward science and technology changed because of the lesson. Results indicate that teacher GST performance is associated with increases in student outcomes. Students with previous exposure to science activities were more likely to have increased interest and excitement in science and careers in science but decreased interest in technology careers. Students who had previous exposure to technology activities had increased interest and excitement in technology and careers in technology but decreased interest in science careers. Geospatial Inquiry lessons also had a significant impact on students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. After participating in the lessons, students who identify as female reported higher engagement and interest in science and higher interest in science careers. Students who identified as Black or Hispanic also reported higher interest and excitement in science and technology, and students who identified as Black reported marginally higher interest in science careers.

Investment in Teacher-Education Versus Teacher-Educational Research for Effective Teacher-Professional Learning

Purpose: This systematic research paper provides a comprehensive review of studies and literature on three terms i.e., teacher education, teacher professional learning and teacher education research more specifically in the context of the Tanzania education system. One of the most important aspects identified in teacher education in recent years is teacher educational research despite being yet overlooked. Teacher educational research creates a better juncture through which a gap between teacher education and teacher professional learning is bridged and the two present well with one another.
 Methodology: The analysis used 45 articles related to the three aspects, published in ten years between 2012 and 2022. The findings indicate that through teacher education, teacher professional learning is up-to-date and kept on track by equipping and updating teachers with contemporary knowledge and teaching practices.
 Findings: In Tanzania, teacher professional learning is mostly done in form of workshops and seminars that few teachers from various educational institutions are allowed to attend. In addition, the integration of teacher education research content in teacher education is considered one of the approaches to facilitate teachers’ (both pre-service and in-service) capacity to draw on a wide knowledge base through teacher professional learning.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy And Practice: Generally, the main focus of teacher education research should be to understand how teachers develop and acquire knowledge, and investigate the diversity of experiences in learning to teach, thus contributing to teacher professional learning program design.

A state-of-the-art review of Canadian literature on teacher professional learning and leadership (2010-2020)

ABSTRACT This article presents a state-of-the-art review of the last decade (2010–2020) of research on Teacher Professional Learning and Leadership produced by researchers in Canadian universities and published by peer-reviewed journals indexed in Web of Science or Scopus database. The review aims to succinctly summarize key ideas, themes, and findings during the decade from 2010 to 2020 from Canadian research and to assist in identifying the major trends, strengths, and gray areas in the Canadian research. Thirty-one articles were selected for their specific focus on teacher professional learning and leadership. We present our findings using three broad thematic headings. First, evidence from examples of approaches to teachers’ professional learning and leadership in Canada, includes sub-sections on: teachers’ professional learning and leadership development programs; and teachers’ organizations and professional learning. Second, processes for developing professional learning and leadership and intended outcomes, includes sub-sections on: professional capital; social capital, collaborative learning, and professional learning communities; mentoring; teacher voice and agency; de-privatizing teaching practice; building relational trust; distributed leadership; and ethical leadership and decision-making. Third, professional learning informing educational change, policies, and practices, includes sub-sections on: educational change; technology; teacher evaluation and accountability; assessment practices; and diversity, inclusion and multi-culturalism.

Learning to see complexity: teachers designing amidst indeterminacy

ABSTRACTScholars have called for considering professional learning (PL) through the lens of complexity. One lens for operating amidst complexity is design. Designers thrive in complexity because of the responsive nature of their work; a designer develops their practice in response to a particular situation, adapting as it changes. Thus, a design lens is useful for navigating complexity in teacher learning and practice. As a designer, a teacher learns and practices in a classroom amidst complex nested systems. Design calls for seeing beyond traditional, linear practice; experimenting with new approaches; and adjusting those approaches in response to the situation’s feedback loops. In this article, we illustrate the relationship among complexity, design, and PL through examples from four teachers who participated in a design-centred PL program before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program aimed to support teachers in a creative design approach to address a problem of practice. Analysis highlighted that when teachers needed to learn and practice amidst complexity, it was difficult to see possibilities outside of traditional practice and to perceive feedback from the situation. Our analysis suggests that a focus on finding non-traditional approaches and listening to disruptive feedback might support teachers to learn and practice amidst complexity.

Professional learning communities under test-based accountability: evidence from an Israeli intervention programme

ABSTRACT Test-based accountability (TBA) draws on a managerialist ideology that emphasises standards, constant measurement, and external motivation for improvement. It stands in sharp contrast to the idea of professional learning communities (PLCs) that aim to mobilise teachers’ internal motivation and willingness to cooperate with peers to facilitate a joint, self-reflective inquiry process of pedagogical improvement. The Israeli education system has adopted TBA policies. To determine how this affects a professional learning programme focused on reflective inquiry, we analysed staff discussions recorded in 180 PLC meetings in 17 schools. The study suggests that TBA not only narrows the curriculum and the repertoire of pedagogical practices used by teachers but also constrains the ability of teacher professional learning to counterbalance these negative consequences.

Engineering educators’ professional learning for educational change in a PBL-base and cross-institutional programme in Africa: a Q-study

ABSTRACT This study explored engineering educators’ perspectives on their professional learning in a pedagogical development programme with the ultimate goal of achieving educational change in African countries through the adoption of PBL methodology. This study was based on a three-year-long programme organised by a Danish university through an Erasmus programme with the participation of diverse institutions across Africa. Q methodology was adopted with 40 participants to explore both individual and collective subjective views of supporting factors for professional learning. Q-factor analysis resulted in three prevailing group-based opinions, which respectively emphasised 1) improvement of teaching competence and student benefits in terms of employability, 2) personal benefits in terms of job opportunities and 3) institutional support leading to confidence in PBL implementation. The results suggest that individual awareness and effort, as well as institutional support, is essential for the facilitation of educators’ learning as an outcome of pedagogical development. It is concluded that pedagogical development efforts should consider the complexity of engineering educators’ professional learning process and that this has implications for the future organisation of professional learning programmes in general and the format of cross-institutional collaboration in particular.