Professional Development Research Articles

Harnessing the power of peer dialogue to support GTAs’ professional development: Two reflective stories

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) have played an essential role in supporting teaching and learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) across the globe. Enhancing GTAs’ professional development (PD) is critical for ensuring the quality of higher education. The influence of peers in GTA’s PD has been widely acknowledged (e.g., Bale & Moran, 2020; Dobbins et al., 2021). However, there is limited research on the benefits of peer dialogue, one of the most accessible means of harnessing peer powers in GTAs’ PD. This qualitative study aims to explore how peer dialogue can contribute to GTAs’ PD. This study will use data from two narratives detailing the experiences of peer dialogue, completed independently by two senior GTAs in a UK-based university, who are also the first and second authors of this study. Through thematic analysis, the two researchers will first identify the themes of the data separately and then work together to synthesize the key themes from the data, to uncover the key benefits of peer dialogue in promoting GTAs’ PD. The findings of this study will add to the literature on the power of peers in GTAs’ PD and provide insights into the positive impacts of engaging in peer dialogue activities to promote GTAs’ PD. This study will have significant implications for GTAs interested in seeking PD opportunities and for stakeholders who support GTAs in higher education. By highlighting the benefits of peer dialogue, this study also underscores the need to create a supportive environment or platform for GTAs to be engaged in open and collaborative peer dialogue.

Enhancing Student Engagement and Belonging in Legal Education: The Impact of Personalized Teaching and Continuous Professional Development

This paper explores the development of effective teaching strategies within legal education, specifically in the UK, emphasizing personalized teaching, interactive learning techniques, and continuous professional development (CPD) of the teacher. Drawing on reflective teaching practices, this study investigates how personalized approaches—such as the correct pronunciation of students’ names and tailored feedback—foster student engagement and a sense of belonging. Additionally, the implementation of mock courtroom scenarios and technology-enhanced learning tools like VEVOX and Padlet are analysed for their role in promoting higher-order thinking and inclusivity. Continuous professional development informed the decolonization of the curriculum, challenging systemic inequalities in legal education. The findings highlight the importance of integrating personalized attention, interactive methods, and CPD to enhance student engagement, well-being, and the creation of equitable learning environments.

Enhancing Student Engagement and Belonging in Legal Education: The Impact of Personalized Teaching and Continuous Professional Development

This paper explores the development of effective teaching strategies within legal education, specifically in the UK, emphasizing personalized teaching, interactive learning techniques, and continuous professional development (CPD) of the teacher. Drawing on reflective teaching practices, this study investigates how personalized approaches—such as the correct pronunciation of students’ names and tailored feedback—foster student engagement and a sense of belonging. Additionally, the implementation of mock courtroom scenarios and technology-enhanced learning tools like VEVOX and Padlet are analysed for their role in promoting higher-order thinking and inclusivity. Continuous professional development informed the decolonization of the curriculum, challenging systemic inequalities in legal education. The findings highlight the importance of integrating personalized attention, interactive methods, and CPD to enhance student engagement, well-being, and the creation of equitable learning environments.

Epidemiology of food addiction among nursing and health technician students in Agadir, Morocco

ABSTRACT This study investigates food addiction among nursing students at the Higher Institute of Nursing and Technical Health in Agadir, Morocco, using a cross-sectional design. It employs the Yale Food Addiction Scale and a self-administered survey, selecting participants through proportional sampling across study levels and random selection within each level. Analysis includes univariate and multivariate logistic regressions, evaluating model using area under the curve (AUC). Among 451 participants (mean age 20.89 ± 3.71 years; 64.7% female), 19.3% exhibited food addiction. Physical activity (OR = 0.447; 95% CI [0.264–0.757]) and being underweight (OR = 0.336; 95% CI [0.124–0.915]) reduced risk, while anxiety and depression increased it (Yes; OR = 1.904; 95% CI [1.158–3.129]). The predictive model achieved an AUC of 0.6985, indicating strong discrimination. The study underscores the importance of psychological support and regular physical activity during students’ academic and professional training. Future studies should encompass diverse locations and institutions to enhance the findings’ generalisability beyond Agadir, Morocco.

The desire path: unleashing expectations, discussing apprehensions, and proposing a way forward for GAI use in higher education

Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the desire path of using GAI in higher education, including expectations, apprehensions, and the way forward. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study employs thematic analysis, scrutinizing 11 interviews with innovative higher education faculty. The methodology section details the utilization of GAI (Chat GPT) for conducting thematic analysis on interviews, showcasing academics' practical application of this technology for research purposes. Findings Stakeholders expect continuous improvement in technology, overdependence, advocate for gradual adjustment, and emphasize context-dependent technology utilization. Concerns encompass issues such as data reliability, ethical considerations, risks of undermining fundamental aspects, limitations in fully replacing human involvement, and worries about personal responsibility. Practical implications Recommendations include flexible regulations, data-driven decision-making, professional development, diverse stakeholder engagement, and promoting distributed responsibility. Originality/value This study offers valuable insights into the use of GAI in higher education, formulating policies that encourage innovation without hampering effectiveness.

Experiences of bullying among nursing students during clinical practice: a scoping review of qualitative studies

AbstractBullying in the clinical setting has become a significant issue for nursing students. The experience of bullying during clinical practice can negatively affect students’ mental and physical health, as well as their professional development. Nursing students are often targets of verbal abuse, intimidation, and discrimination from various individuals in the clinical environment. This behavior not only harms individual students but also affects the quality of patient care. The aim of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of bullying toward nursing students, identify research gaps, and offer recommendations for future research. This study employed a scoping review method, with articles sourced from four major databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The main keywords used included “bullying,” “nursing students,” “clinical practice,” and “verbal violence.” Inclusion criteria were studies with nurse participants, original research articles, and published within the last 10 years (2015–2024). Data were manually extracted using tables and analyzed through a qualitative descriptive approach. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria. This scoping review focuses on the findings of an exploration of the experiences of bullying experienced by nursing students, identifies research gaps, and provides suggestions for future research. Findings showed that nursing students experience various forms of bullying, including verbal violence and intimidation, often triggered by power imbalances in interactions with clinical staff and mentors. The impact of bullying is not only detrimental to students’ mental health, but also affects their academic performance and quality of learning. Research gaps found include a lack of studies on the direct relationship between bullying and clinical assessment outcomes, as well as a lack of understanding of effective strategies to address bullying. This study recommends the need for clearer anti-bullying policies and transparent reporting systems, as well as further research to explore the impact of bullying in the context of nursing culture and education system.

Experienced art therapists’ perceptions of the EDPP supervision model and its impact on their professional work and identity

ABSTRACT This qualitative study documented 14 experienced art therapists’ perceptions of their supervision experiences, professional identity, and development while engaged in the El Duende One-Canvas Process Painting (EDPP) supervision model. Four main themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the interviews: (1) the role of the canvas in supervision, (2) the model’s impact on professional development and identity, (3) the role of the group in the EDPP model, and (4) challenges during the supervision process. The discussion focuses on the canvas as an adjunct-internal visual supervisor supporting clinical work and the EDPP as a support for professional development and identity.

Biomechanical analysis and teaching strategies of complex movements in physical education teaching

This study suggests a new method for evaluating students’ ordinariness of movement in professional physical education by developing an assessment algorithm based on the biomechanical analysis of complex motions. The study aims to provide purposeful and data-driven techniques for assessing and optimizing movement ability in intricate physical tasks by utilizing higher motion capture and deep learning (DL) approaches, especially the Updated African Buffalo Optimization Based Deep Convolutional Neural Network (UABO-DCNN) categorization. The method includes collecting data utilizing high-precision movement capture equipment to research certain multifaceted movements, preprocessing trajectory data to extract kinematic, temporal, and spatial information, and increasing categorization algorithms with UABO-DCNN. The consequences specify that the algorithm can differentiate between normal and abnormal association patterns with outstanding accuracy. The UABO-DCNN model measures physical education teaching complex movements with accuracy (99.43%), precision (98.12%), recall (98.50%), F1-score (98.56%), and specificity (98.40%). Furthermore, the result is reliable, with a broader tendency toward instructive skill and individualized learning, which requires the development of physical education instruction actions by creating a culture of physical literacy and well-being. The implication of this employment includes an enhanced approach to promote optimal association skill increase in students, particularly for confronting complicated biomechanical measures.

OCCURRENCE OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) IN WOMEN OF LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY TREATED IN MANAUS, AMAZONAS

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a significant etiological factor for several types of cancer, including cervical carcinoma, with 80% of cases of cervical cancer occurring in Latin America. In Brazil, cervical carcinoma is the third most prevalent cancer among women, and the northern region and the state of Amazonas have the highest incidence in the country. However, not all women benefit from cervical cancer screening measures. Most women in the LGBTQIA+ community do not seek gynecological health services since they often face barriers related to female homosexuality when accesing sexual health services. Using PCR, this study perfomed the molecular detection and genotyping of HPV in thirty-six patients (20 homosexual and 16 bisexual women) from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Samples of the cervical epithelium were taken during the preventive examination and genotyping was perfomed to detect HPV 16, 18, 31 and 58. Of the thirty-six patients analyzed in this study, 88% of bisexual women (n=14) and 60% of homosexual women (n=12) tested positive for HPV. The HPV 18 genotype was the most frequent among the findings. The results indicate that homosexual and bisexual women are more vulnerable to HPV infections due to the lack of more specific gynecological care directed to this group, which includes the lack of training of professionals to deal with the particularities of this population group. Therefore, more HPV screening studies for LGBTQIA+ women and improved training for specialized health professionals are needed.

Complex Instruction: developing teachers’ professional knowledge and practice in Brazil

ABSTRACT ‘Programa de Especialização Docente Brasil’ (PED Brasil) is a learning and professional development program in mathematics or science education for primary or secondary in-service schoolteachers. Designed to be a teacher education program that addresses issues related to educational quality and equity in racially, socially, and academically diverse Brazilian schools, PED Brasil intended to craft a program with a signature pedagogy that could be capable of shaping the ways of thinking and acting in the teaching profession. PED Brasil does it by integrating different dimensions of knowledge and demonstrating various aspects of professional practice, considering the democratic society we aim to build. In this paper, we analyse how PED Brasil has adopted Complex Instruction as its signature pedagogy.

Context Responsive Leadership to Explain X/Twitter for Professional Development Scale Scores

Context Responsive Leadership to Explain X/Twitter for Professional Development Scale Scores

Growing our own: enabling PGR teachers to flourish in authentic ecosystems

Postgraduate researchers who teach (PGR teachers), or Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a valuable role in global Higher Education, being a central part of the teaching workforce. PGR teachers are noted, amongst other things, for their ability to relate closely to students, bringing research-informed perspectives and providing effective and nuanced support to students in a massified HE sector. However, in spite of their longstanding presence, they are ubiquitously described as being in a ‘liminal space’ in the literature, and as early career colleagues, often have less professional experience and reduced agency to make pedagogical decisions, all whilst experiencing precarity and other challenges relating to occupying an impermanent role. Professional development opportunities for PGR teachers are reasonably widespread but do they enable the best way for PGR teachers to grow and thrive in their teaching work? This Afterword, drawing on the contributions of authors in Issue 4 of the JPPP, considers how PGR teachers are deploying the outcomes of professional learning, and where the ‘best space’ might be for them to develop and evolve as practitioners. It reflects on the structure and rationale established in the Warwick Postgraduate Teaching Community and argues for the support and initiation of similar PGR communities of practice across the sector, as being optimal spaces for PGR teachers to thrive, learn and grow with peers.

Pandemic preparedness of Egyptian community pharmacists and potential facilitators to the successful implementation of a community pharmacy coronavirus disease 2019 referral service: a cross-sectional survey.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in an increased need for essential community services including new roles for pharmacists. Globally, community pharmacists are a highly accessible point of contact for referral. To assess the preparedness of and facilitators to community pharmacists referring patients with suspected COVID-19 symptoms for testing. A cross-sectional survey was administered using a structured questionnaire to 1023 pharmacists (one respondent in each pharmacy) in Egypt between 17 and 30 May 2020. Pharmacists who had received pandemic referral training were significantly more familiar with the referral system in comparison to those who had not (n = 180; 17.6% vs. n = 841; 82.4%, P = .014). Case referral was significantly associated with the referrer (n = 161, 15.8%), demographics of region (P = .001), graduation year (P = .035), and gender (P = .015). The vast majority of respondents identified facilitators to referring, namely university-level teaching (n = 984, 96.7%), continuing professional development (n = 958, 94.3%), smartphone app (n = 809, 80.5%) or telephone hotline (n = 933, 91.5%), IT access (n = 861, 84.7%), and managing patients' attitudes through the media in terms of the importance of declaring symptoms to (n = 998, 97.7%) and cooperating with (n = 977, 96.2%) referrers. Pharmacists' lack of preparedness to engage with the referral process and related roles contributing to tracking the national COVID-19 infection rate could be mitigated by the provision of facilitators suggested by respondents. These included improved cooperation from local healthcare authorities, educational interventions, technological solutions, and the use of the media. Demographics associated with pharmacists' attitudes to referral, and hence the reliability and validity of the national infection rate, demand further investigation.

Building a valuable professional development course: instructor effort vs. perceived student value of activities in an online biotechnology course

Providing undergraduate and graduate students with the appropriate preparation for transitioning to careers in their field after graduation is a key goal of higher education institutions, with many programs employing professional development workshops or courses to assist students and provide hands-on skills in this area. Although a wide variety of activities could benefit students, instructor and career specialist time is limited. Here, we describe an online biotechnology professional development course for undergraduate and graduate students, covering career exploration and the job search process, and the students’ perceptions of the activities offered based on survey data. Overall response to the course was positive, with students at various stages of their education indicating appreciation of most of the course assignments. Interestingly, students ranked the activities that took the most instructor time, namely review of application materials, mock interviews, and career panels, as the most valuable for their personal development. The career exploration aspects of the course influenced students to be open to new possibilities. However, students struggled to make time to complete the assignments for a fully online, largely asynchronous course. Discussion of the value of the course activities, their relevance to social cognitive career theory and cognitive information processing, and suggestions for smooth implementation are provided.

Effectiveness of Teachers Training Program in Enhancing Teaching Competence of Public Primary School Teachers in Ilemela Municipality, Tanzania

The study aims to investigate the Effectiveness of Teachers Training Program in Enhancing Teaching Competence of Public Primary School Teachers in Ilemela Municipality, Tanzania. The problem of this study was answered by the one research questions; TCPD training programs in enhancing teaching competence. The study was guided by the Social Cognitive Theory. The current study employed convergent design under mixed research methods approach. The target population consisted of various stakeholders, including 81 public primary schools, 1,047 teachers, 19 Ward Education Officers, 81 head teachers, and 8 District quality assurers making total number of 1155 population. The sample size for the current study consisted of 16 public primary schools, 192 teachers, 16 head teachers, 6 Ward Education Officers (WEO), and 2 District School Quality Assurers (DSQA), totaling 216 respondents. Questionnaires, interview guides, and document analysis guides were used to collect data from respondents. Data collection instruments were validated by MWECAU research experts. A pilot study was conducted in two public primary schools. The reliability of questionnaires for Likert-type items was estimated using Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient whereby r= 0.889 for teachers while that of qualitative established through peer debriefing and triangulation. The study adhered to ethical considerations throughout the research process. Descriptive statistics were analyzed quantitative data using SPSS version 26. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study found that the TCPD is highly effective in improving teaching competence through focused training on classroom management, instructional design, differentiated instruction, student engagement, and technology integration significantly improved their teaching skills. The study concluded that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) effectively Enhanced Teaching Competence of Public Primary School Teachers in Ilemela Municipality to the high extent. The study recommended that a similar training program should be implemented regularly to equip teachers with up-date skills and knowledge.

INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY AND LITERATURE IN HUMANISTIC HEALTH TRAINING: EFFECTS OF TEXTS ON THE HUMANIZATION OF CARE

Given the need to develop educational practices that transcend technical knowledge, promoting ethical reflection and empathetic understanding of patients, this study aimed to analyze how the use of literary texts in health education can promote the humanization of care, integrating digital technology to maximize educational impact and improve the training of professionals. The proposal explores the potential of digital technologies to maximize educational impact and improve the training of future health professionals. A mixed methodological approach was used, with qualitative and quantitative analyses, applied in the discipline of Nursing in Women's Health at a private university in São Paulo. The research was conducted remotely, due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, and involved 58 undergraduate nursing students. During the study, students read and discussed the works The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Little Doctor through the Google Classroom platform. The activities included guided readings, weekly discussions, and questionnaires to assess the impact of the readings on students' understanding and practice in relation to the humanization of care. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant increase in student participation and depth of reflections after the introduction of literary texts, while qualitative analyses highlighted the importance of literature in fostering a more empathetic and humanized perspective in health practice. It is concluded that the integration of literary texts, mediated by digital technologies, proved to be effective in improving the understanding and practice of humanization in care, contributing to a more sensitive and reflective professional training.

An inquiry on the on-the-job training experiences of accounting interns

This study examines the experiences of accounting interns during their On-the-Job Training (OJT) program in accounting firms, banking institutions, and government agencies. The research participants, who graduated from the accountancy program in 2022-2023, have completed the OJT program and are currently employed. Using the cognitive apprenticeship theory, the researchers explored the experiences of interns in their PJT. During their OJT, the accounting interns experienced immersive training, practical application, and interactions with colleagues. The on-the-job training experiences of the Accounting Interns contribute to their overall professional development and personal growth through building professionalism, developing workplace skills, employing adaptive resilience, and cultivating reflective learning. The OJT experiences prepare the Accounting Interns for their current job because they have developed positive workplace behaviour and efficiency. The challenges encountered by the Accounting Interns during OJT are unrelated or unfamiliar tasks, problems with social skills, difficulty in task organization, and difficulty adjusting to work culture and protocols. Accounting Interns cope with the challenges during their OJT through self-initiated learning, seeking help from colleagues, building confidence, time management, and observing professionalism. Furthermore, the OJT program combined academic knowledge with practical skills to improve students' career readiness. The experience prepared them for professional challenges in their fields. The findings of this study contribute to the exploration of the accountancy students during their OJT. Moreover, other students can find ways on how to deal with encountered problems as they undergo the OJT program.

Influence of Emerging Trends in Human Resource Management on Employee Performance of Nandi County Government, Nandi County, Kenya

There has been a rise of many emerging trends and issues in all sectors and organizations globally, and the human resource management field was not an exception. Therefore, this study sought to establish the influence of emerging trends in human resource management on employee performance within the Nandi County Government. The study was guided by the following objectives: to assess the influence of professional development and to determine the influence of information technology on employee performance. The findings of the study would enable the county government to understand how emerging trends influenced the performance of their employees and served as a reference point for prospective researchers. The study was anchored on the theory of performance and resource-based theory. It adopted both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The study design was descriptive research design, and the target population was 222. The sampling adopted included stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The sample size of the study was 143, determined using the Yamane method. Structured questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect data, which were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and linear regression. The analyzed data were presented in tables, charts, and graphs. The study found that professional development emerged as a significant influencer, with a coefficient of 0.402 and a standardized coefficient of 0.421, suggesting a positive influence on employee performance through investments in professional growth. This influence is supported by a high t-value of 4.612 and a p-value of .000. Information technology similarly demonstrates a notable influence, with a coefficient of 0.383 and a standardized coefficient of 0.392. The statistical significance is reinforced by a t-value of 3.286 and a p-value of .000. The study concluded that employees perceived training programs related to the management information system positively. Further, the study concluded that there is a strong commitment among employees to pursue higher academic qualifications, indicating a culture of continuous learning within the Nandi County Government. The study recommended that comprehensive continuous learning programs be developed and implemented to encourage and support employees in pursuing higher academic qualifications and professional certifications. It also recommended that customized managerial training programs should be created to align with the specific competencies needed in the Nandi County Government Enhancing the IT infrastructure and accessibility in the County Government.

Science teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning related to content and procedural goals

AbstractScience teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning are a vital component of teachers' professional competence and are often assumed to impact classroom practice. To date, these beliefs have been predominantly investigated regarding teaching and learning in general or for a particular science subject (e.g., physics). It remains to be determined whether these beliefs are similar across different goals within a subject. The study reported addresses this question by investigating and comparing beliefs about teaching and learning regarding two prominent main goals of science education: content goals that refer to scientific phenomena, laws, theories, and disciplinary core ideas and procedural goals that refer to scientific procedures and practices. To that end, data from 170 German teachers were collected in 2019 and 2020 with an online questionnaire. After modeling the data and assessing the quality of measurement via Rasch analysis techniques, subsequent t‐tests were employed to compare beliefs. Results reveal that science teachers' beliefs vary between both main goals. For instance, teachers believe that achieving procedural goals requires primarily doing science with lesser relevance of discussing and elaborating with students explicitly the rules and strategies for engaging appropriately in scientific practices (e.g., control of variables strategy). In contrast, teachers believe that for achieving content goals, explicit instruction about corresponding conceptual knowledge is of higher relevance. Furthermore, the analysis reveals differences in teachers' beliefs about their own abilities. Teachers typically believe they are more able to teach and deal with content goals compared with procedural goals. The differences reported may help to understand research on teachers' classroom practice and can inform teacher training and professional development.

Exploring a Collaborative Synchronous Online Learning Environment in an Initial Language Teacher Education Program

This qualitative study explores pre-service language teachers’ experiences in a collaborative synchronous online course in language teacher education program in Turkey. A course was designed to equip pre-service language teachers of English with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively incorporate technology into their teaching and self-learning practices. Adopting a generic qualitative inquiry design, data were collected over 14 weeks from 63 pre-service EFL teachers through weekly reflection papers, online surveys, and face-to-face follow-up semi-structured interviews. The study found that technology-enhanced collaborative online course had a positive influence on participants’ engagement, interaction, and professional development with participants perceiving the course experience positively. The findings suggest that collaborative online courses, when they are effectively taught, can be a valuable professional development opportunity in initial language teacher education programs.