Preparation Programs Research Articles

Innovative Technology Integration in Teaching Practicum: Pre-Service Teachers' Mastery of the TPACK Framework at Universitas Widya Gama Mahakam Samarinda

Consider how Technology has been used in the teaching and learning process. This study aimed to explore PSTs' final practice in practicum integrated into Technology and how they solve the problem if they have it. This research was conducted at Widya Gama Mahakam University. This study focused on PSTs' competence when designing and using Technology in teaching final practice in practicum programs through the TPACK framework. The design of this study was a qualitative study that illustrates the PSTs' competence in integrating Technology in the final practice teaching in the practicum program through TPACK Framework. There were 22 PSTs of seven semesters as the participants. There were three items of instruments. Documents, interviews, Observation, and three PSTs were willing to be interviewees. The study result showed they plan the lesson well before teaching using Technology even though there are slight differences in their performance. The Technology they used, combined with pedagogy and content, varied depending on the state of equipment, facilities, PSTs' abilities, and student levels. PSTs also stated the involvement of supervising teachers was beneficial when they faced difficulties in teaching practice. The Researcher suggested that PSTs design their lesson plan effectively. The teacher preparation program prepares PSTs with technological education skills, and the school provides nondigital or digital technology support, student-centered software, and collaboration media tools.

Centering Equity within Principal Preparation and Development: An Integrative Review of the Literature

Throughout the globe, there is growing attention being paid to issues of equity and efforts to produce more equitable student learning outcomes in schools, and much of the scholarship internationally has begun to center school leaders as key drivers of more equitable conditions. Indeed, in the United States, persistent inequities in education have highlighted the need for K-12 principals who can effectively support diverse students. Effective leader preparation and development, particularly with a focus on equity, is crucial, as it equips school leaders with the knowledge and skills to create inclusive and equitable learning environments. U.S.-based research highlights that high-quality, equity-centered preparation programs can significantly impact student outcomes, emphasizing the importance of integrating equity-focused training in leadership development. However, we know less about the design of high-quality preparation programs oriented around equity, and scholars have noted that current programs are often ill-equipped to prepare equity-centered leaders. Therefore, this study provides an integrative review of the U.S.-based equity-centered principal preparation literature to extract learnings from several types of publications, including descriptive and empirical studies, literature reviews, and conceptual essays. This study provides insights into four key elements of equity-centered principal preparation and development: program vision, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. This review consolidates insights from the existing literature into a single, accessible article, offering valuable learnings for program faculty, others who prepare school principals, and researchers focused on equity-centered preparation. Additionally, while centered on the U.S. context, this review is likely to be of value to leadership preparation and development programs in other national contexts, particularly those that have more recently begun to form.

Bridging workforce skills gaps in rural America amid ‘the great resignation' by leveraging a triple helix collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted the job market through a surge in layoffs and the mass resignation of employees leading to the emergence of ‘The Great Resignation’. This study explores the perspectives of employers regarding skills gaps and hiring challenges with a focus on rural communities. A collaboration led by a prominent rural university department of Community and Workforce Development included industry partners, governmental agencies, a partner university, primary and secondary schools (K-12), vocational institutions, Chambers of Commerce, and Small Business Development Centers. Their objective was to examine the gap between employer needs and worker readiness. Leveraging the Triple Helix approach, a grant was awarded to fund a stackable pathway skills development program for high-demand industries in a rural five-county area. This program, the Industry Engaged Workplace Ready Program Model, is a two-phase, rapid-response approach for meeting emergent workforce needs by providing accessible training, education, networking, and mentoring to employable candidates. Findings revealed success in the program with mixed outcomes and room for program revision.

Taking Charge of Early Childhood Transitions: Preventing Challenging Behaviors Through Engaging Routines

During a school day, children make several transitions between activities, which can take away from instructional time and result in challenging behaviors. This study investigates the impact positive engagement and behavioral supports have on children’s behavior while transitioning. Participants ( N = 40; 77.5% Male; 92.5% Hispanic) were enrolled in the Summer Treatment Program for Pre-Kindergarteners, a school readiness program for children with externalizing behavior problems. Using a between-group, cross-over design, classrooms were randomly assigned to three conditions: (a) silent monitoring (i.e., children and counselors transitioned silently or quietly), (b) positive monitoring (i.e., counselors provided praise and children were allowed to talk), and (c) positive monitoring and engagement (i.e., counselors provided entertainment and praise). Results demonstrated significant differences in rule violations based on the transition condition, where groups receiving positive monitoring or engagement displayed fewer violations than those receiving silent monitoring. Implications for educator practices and school policies are discussed.

A Systematic Review of Online Teaching Methods in Higher Education

Since the pandemic began, online teaching methods have received increased interest and review. Educators rapidly developed delivery techniques to meet the needs of students forced to become remote learners. Some of these methods were successful; others did not meet program objectives, especially in educator preparation programs (EPPs). The speed of changing to an online environment limited the ability of educators to research and adapt known evidenced-based practices. This systematic literature review provides research and insight into student-focused outcomes related to effective online teaching practices. Over 600 articles, across multiple disciplines were reviewed based on research and results using different techniques, pedagogy, and design in the online environment. The five main strategies, methods, or philosophies that most affected student outcomes in the online community were engagement, collaboration, beliefs, knowledge, and enactment of knowledge/practice. Each topic is discussed in depth and recommendations are made for effective online teaching and also specific applications to EPPs.

Walking the Talk: Engendering a “Community of Teachers” in an Educator Preparation Program in the Southern United States

Walking the Talk: Engendering a “Community of Teachers” in an Educator Preparation Program in the Southern United States

Rating writing: Comparison of holistic and analytic grading approaches in pre-service teachers

BackgroundIn a typical instructional setting, teachers are responsible for making ongoing decisions that involve judgments of students’ capabilities, knowledge, learning needs, and progress toward a certain pre-specified goal. However, there is a significant within-teacher as well as a great between-teacher variability in the actual determination of grades. Grades appear to be an amalgam of characteristics of a student, filtered through a range of teacher personality variables. AimsThe purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which pre-service teachers agreed on students’ grades in writing task between holistic and analytic grading approaches and how their individual characteristics and beliefs about features of assessment explained the variability in grading practices. SampleTeacher candidates (N = 231, 65% female) enrolled in a training program in 2020 and 2021 cohorts at the University of València, Spain, were asked to read two essays, identified by experts as being of low and high quality, and assign holistic and analytic grades. Resultsalthough teacher candidates provided grades consistently across the two approaches (intra-individual differences), there was a high variability in the distribution among participants (inter-individual differences). We found that, gender, area of specialization, attitudes toward feedback, and extraversion were significant predictors of grading variability. ConclusionThis study highlights the considerable variation in grading practices among pre-service teachers, indicating the influence of individual factors such as gender, specialization, feedback receptivity, and extraversion. Despite consistent grading within specific approaches, the inter-individual differences in scores were substantial. Due to the consequential nature of teacher grades, our findings offer important insights and have critical implications for teacher preparation and professional development programs.

Every Newborn-Reach Up Early Education Intervention for All Children (EN-REACH)- a parent group intervention for school readiness in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Tanzania: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundVulnerable children, including those with neuro-developmental delays and disabilities, often face barriers in accessing early primary education, thus hindering progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4.2. Evidence-based interventions are essential to enhancing inclusivity and establishing sustainable implementation strategies to address this challenge. This study, Every Newborn—Reach up Early Education Intervention for All Children (EN-REACH), builds on the previous Every Newborn- Simplified Measurement Integrating Longitudinal Neurodevelopmental and Growth (EN-SMILING) observational cohort study. This paper provides the protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of a parenting group intervention program for enhancing school readiness in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Tanzania, and an embedded process evaluation to inform scalability and feasibility.MethodsEN-REACH is a cRCT with at least 150 clusters to evaluate the impact of a parent training program led by trained parent-teacher facilitator pairs, focusing on children aged 4 ~ 6 years preparing for preschool. Approximately 500 participants from the EN-SMILING cohort at each site have been identified. A geographic information system will define ~ 50 clusters in each of the three countries, each with approximately ten parent–child dyads. Half the clusters will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The primary outcome is “school readiness”, assessed using the Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes tool. Secondary outcomes include Intelligence Quotient, child functioning, growth, visual, and hearing assessments. Data will be collected at baseline, and post-intervention data following implementation of the parent group intervention sessions over approximately 5 months. Quantitative data on coverage and quality care, combined with qualitative insights from children, caregivers, facilitators, and stakeholders’ perspectives, will be used to conduct a process evaluation applying the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. DiscussionThis protocol details a trial focused on enhancing school readiness and cognitive abilities in young children, inclusive of those with disabilities, aiming to bridge gap from home to early primary education. EN-REACH aims to provide insights into the effectiveness and acceptability of a co-designed disability-inclusive school readiness program in three countries, potentially impacting national and global policies for all children, including those with disabilities.Trial registrationThe trial was retrospectively registered on clinicaltrials.gov on 29 February 2024 (NCT06334627).

Creating School–University Partnerships in Urban Schools to Address Teacher Shortages

Partnerships among professionals within collegiate teacher preparation programs and school districts are needed to address current teacher shortages, especially critical in urban, high-needs schools. This research study showcases a collaborative model of teacher recruitment, preparation, and support that envisions and co-constructs reconceptualized roles, opportunities, and responsibilities for university faculties, supervising teachers, and teacher candidates. The concept is supported through a continuum of professional learning and reflection. The enhanced partnership model (EPM) for internship requires a partnership between faculties in teacher preparation programs and school districts to develop, engage, and evaluate an EPM for urban-school teacher preparation in multiple urban school sites in the southeastern United States. The goals of this innovative EPM revolve around recruiting diverse teacher candidates, collaboratively preparing them to focus on rigorous academic coursework as well as practical, classroom-based experiences, and retaining the new teachers. Employment data were accessed via administrative sources. A chi-square test of association was used to examine the relationship between participation in the EPM and employment (n = 158). The findings highlight that pre-service teachers participating in the EPM are 4.5 times as likely to be employed in a high-needs school, and 75% of those employed are still employed three years later. The implications of these results are shared.

Job Satisfaction and Teaching Effectiveness in Emergency Remote Teaching among Higher Education Faculty

In the rapidly evolving landscape of 21st century education, teacher preparation programs play a significant role in shaping the educators of tomorrow. This qualitative study aims to reveal both the opportunities and limitations of incorporating action research into experiential learning courses within teacher education programs. The researcher conducted a comprehensive thematic analysis to examine and categorize the participants' responses. Through in-depth interviews with 30 senior education students at Batangas State University, The National Engineering University, JPLPC Malvar, Batangas, Philippines, during the academic year 2021-2022, it was revealed that the opportunities arising from action research include enhanced teaching skills and pedagogy, problem-solving and reflective practice, collaborative learning and peer interaction, as well as professional growth and ethical awareness. Moreover, participants also encounter limitations, such as time constraints, resource accessibility, and ethical dilemmas. To address these challenges and capitalize on the opportunities, the study recommends strategies for improved time management, equitable resource access, and ethical training and support within teacher education programs. The study also suggests future research avenues, including longitudinal studies and comparative analyses, to further enhance action research's role in shaping the educators of the future.

If You Choose Not to Decide: A Survey of Online Field Experiences for Canadian Teacher Preparation Programs

Despite the rapid growth in online and distance learning in Canada, there does not appear to be much interest on the part of teacher education programs to evolve to meet the needs of future generations of teacher candidates. While understanding the notion that systemic change in tertiary education takes time, the steady growth of online and blended learning in Canada–and globally–combined with raised awareness of distance learning stoked by the COVID-19 pandemic should make educators and policymakers worry about failing to respond to a rapidly changing educational landscape. This paper highlights the status of distance and online field experiences provided by Canadian teacher education programs. In addition, we review program offerings to support in-service teachers, such as graduate certificate, degree, and diploma programs, as well as MOOCs offering free professional development. This study, a replication of a mixed-method study originally conducted in the United States and published as a technical report by Archibald et al. (2020)[1], found that a minority of teacher education programs offered online or blended field experiences. Further, we found that programs were slow to change these deficiencies due to institutional lack of resources, limited knowledge base, perceived lack of usefulness for their teachers’ future careers, and regulatory bodies discouraging online field experiences. This study highlights the dramatic need for programming in distance and online education. [1] This article is original, with some exceptions in the “Results” section.

Negotiations and reconciliations in the first year of teaching

This study investigates the lived experiences and developing identities of three secondary first-year teachers, exploring the practices each employed to reconcile expectations of teaching with their realities. Authors present distinct narratives synthesized from weekly reflections and interviews, identifying factors that supported new teacher reconciliation including a strong connection to community, healthy social emotional skills, and the recalibration of the role of curriculum. This study advocates for teacher preparation programs to recognize areas of misaligned expectations and provide support for new teachers in the construction of realistic views of teaching as essential to developing teacher identity and impacting retention.

Developing a Virtual Oral Inquiry Community for Teacher Educator Professional Learning: A Case Analysis

ABSTRACT Amid an international turn toward clinically based initial teacher preparation, the field of teacher education needs promising mechanisms to drive the professional learning of the teacher educators enacting the turn. This article introduces an example of one such mechanism by presenting and analyzing the case of a virtual oral inquiry community that supported the professional learning of three clinically based teacher educators affiliated with separate teacher preparation programs. Informed by the principles of andragogy, the inquiry community reformulated practitioner inquiry (the systematic, intentional study by educators of their own professional practices) into a new cycle of oral inquiry that teacher educators used to learn together across contexts. Practices associated with the teacher educators’ inquiry cycle (selecting common texts, returning to local practice, reconnecting, sharing problems of practice, and analyzing common texts in relation to local problems) generated both personal and collective impacts significant to their learning. The teacher educators developed a strong sense of interpersonal trust that made it possible for them to become vulnerable about their practices. Together, they developed shared understandings of problems of practice affecting clinically based teacher educators, which addressed a shared problem of professional isolation and enhanced their ability to sustain their professional learning over time.

Evaluation Policy Study of the Second Round of the Taiwan Teacher Preparation Program Evaluation.

This study focuses on the second round of Taiwanese teacher preparation program (TPP) evaluation (2012-2017) to analyze how evaluation policy shapes TPPs. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 stakeholders, which included professors, administrators, researchers, and staff involved in TPP evaluation. First, the findings revealed that neoliberalism influences evaluation policy and restricts the diversity of TPP development. Second, different evaluation approaches may be used to bring more inclusiveness and flexibility to evaluation standards. Third, evaluation plays an important role in TPP development, and a professional organization responsible for evaluation should be established in Taiwan in the future. To conclude, it is significant for TPP evaluation policy to consider policy ideology, evaluation standards, and program diversity to aid in improving the quality of teacher education not only in Taiwan but also internationally.

What does a history teacher do? Knowing, understanding, and enacting the work of teaching history

This study considers the questions, “How do teacher candidates conceptualize the relationship among historians, history teachers, and history students?” and “How is this understanding revealed in candidates’ representation of the work they do in classrooms as history teachers?” Using a case study approach, researchers gathered data from fifteen teacher candidates in a teacher preparation program in the Midwestern United States. The data consisted of participants’ responses to three questions (What do historians do? What do history teachers do? What do history students do?) and their selections of and rationale for including artifacts in a portfolio designed to showcase “who they are” as history teachers as represented by their developing pedagogical content knowledge in history. The researchers’ findings reveal a discrepancy exists between teacher candidates’ emerging beliefs about their responsibilities as teachers and the work that they chose to highlight after having completed clinical experiences. Specifically, the findings suggest a critical disconnect exists between what teacher candidates are taught about teaching history, what they believe about teaching history, and the opportunities that they have in clinical experiences to enact these ideas. This research highlights the central yet often unexamined role of emerging teachers’ epistemic understandings in shaping opportunities for pedagogical reform in history.

Assessing the effectiveness of complex programs for adaptation and preparation for the functioning of the biomechanical «human-prosthesis» system, taking into account the level of lower limb amputation

Abstract. The relevance of the problem of adaptation and preparation for the effective functioning of the biomechanical «human-prosthesis» system is dictated by the high need caused by the growing number of patients with lower limb amputations, both due to chronic diseases or domestic injuries, and due to trauma as a result of combat operations. Objective to evaluate. The effectiveness of complex adaptation and preparation programs for the functioning of the biomechanical «human-prosthesis» system, taking into account the level of lower limb amputation. Material and methods. 60 patients who underwent primary prosthetics at JSC CITO took part in the study, of which 26 patients had amputations at the hip level and 34 patients with amputations at the tibia level. All patients received comprehensive adaptation programs, including: stabilometric training on the COBS platform (Physiomed, Germany); practicing linear walking in a body weight unloading system on a treadmill and in a ceiling rail system; walking training on the «CMill» track (Physiomed, Germany and in the robotic complex «G-EO System» (Physiomed, Germany). The course of physiotherapy included: electrical myostimulation; shock wave therapy of the postoperative scar area; vacuum lymphatic drainage of the limb stump; local magnetic therapy of the limb stump. Results. Under the influence of the complex adaptation course, high clinical effectiveness was noted, which was manifested in achieving better functioning of the biomechanical «human-prosthesis» system and was confirmed by the high effectiveness of restoration of biomechanical, speed and coordination parameters of walking during podometric assessment of the walking stereotype. Also, as a result of the study, predictors of a favorable outcome were identified, both with any type of prosthetics, and specifically taking into account the level of amputation, and the optimal duration of the adaptation course was determined, taking into account the level of amputation. Conclusion: the use of developed programs for adaptation and preparation for the effective functioning of the biomechanical «human-prosthesis» system is a highly effective method of restoring patients after primary prosthetics of the lower limb and requires not only an integrated, but also a personalized approach to implementation, taking into account the level of amputation.

Remote teaching and learning for teacher candidates: mentor teacher perspectives

PurposeThis study offers implications for remote mentoring within school university partnerships based on a qualitative study focused on how three experienced mentor teachers within a long-standing Professional Development School (PDS) partnership adapted to remote mentoring during emergency remote teaching in the 2020–2021 school year.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through interviews with three teachers and analyzed following qualitative methods to identify themes. Data is presented in case studies describing their remote mentoring practices.FindingsFindings indicate that in the context of strong school–university partnerships, these mentor teachers were successful in adapting their mentoring of teacher candidates to a remote modality and that the benefits to collaborators within the partnership were like those documented in traditional, in-person mentorship. The challenges these teachers overcame include establishing relationships and providing adequate supervision.Research limitations/implicationsThe results offer rich insights into the experiences of mentor teachers when conditions necessitate a change in instructional modality and create implications for innovation in mentorship of teacher candidates, particularly in remote mentorship settings.Practical implicationsSchool–university partnerships should be maintained during emergencies because of the benefits to all partners, most notably to prek-5 students. We recommend that articulated agreements be revisited and modified to address potential future emergencies. The value of establishing and maintaining strong PDS partnerships should not be undervalued during times of emergency.Social implicationsTeacher preparation programs can sustain the important work of educating teachers through challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic most effectively when they work in partnership with prek-12 schools. Use of technology in innovative ways, such as remote mentoring, can support teacher preparation when in-person clinical experiences are limited.Originality/valueThis study offers initial data on remote mentoring, an innovative mentoring approach which has, to this point, been the subject of limited empirical investigation. Additionally, as remote educational opportunities for prek-5 learners increase, teacher preparation programs may choose to utilize remote mentoring in PDS programming, making this data of particular value.

Characteristics of practica in early childhood education: Variation in criteria for placements and mentor educators

ABSTRACT Practicum experiences, a critical feature in educator preparation programs, provide preservice educators opportunities to incorporate theory and practice in classrooms while under the supervision of a mentor educator. Although general descriptions of high-quality practicum experiences are provided by professional organizations and accrediting bodies, state licensing and differences across educator preparation programs contribute to variation in these experiences, which in turn have implications for the early childhood workforce. To provide a data-based understanding of program-level requirements for practicum experiences, the current study collected survey data from 227 early childhood higher education programs across 48 states in the U.S. The survey included questions about practicum placement settings, requirements and additional criteria for practicum placement sites, mentor educator requirements, age of children in the classroom, and intensity of practicum experiences. Results show that higher education programs allow several different types of placements with most programs using public school placements. Types of program and ages of children in the classroom were most frequently reported as required criteria and partnerships and feedback were most frequently reported as additional considerations in the determination of placement sites. Mentor educator education and license criteria varied by the age of the children for the practica. Higher education programs varied in the number and hours of practicum offered with more practicum hours in early elementary, kindergarten, and pre-k classrooms than in infant and toddler classrooms. The variations in characteristics and criteria for practicum placements across educator preparation programs are discussed, including implications for early childhood educator preparation programs and future research.

KeyBank awards $300,000 for disaster preparation program.

KeyBank awards $300,000 for disaster preparation program.

Performance Enhancement Strategies For Badminton Athletes: A Systematic Review

Badminton has become one of the most popular sports globally, with competition intensifying at various levels of competition. This research aims to conduct a systematic review of the strategies used to improve the performance of badminton athletes. By understanding effective strategies, coaches, and athletes can improve their preparation and performance in competition. A systematic method was used to identify and analyze literature related to training strategies, nutrition, recovery, and psychological aspects that affect the performance of badminton athletes. Relevant articles were searched through academic databases and reliable reference sources. Predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select studies that met the review objectives. The results of the review showed that various strategies have been used to improve the performance of badminton athletes. These strategies include physical training methods, game tactics, nutritional interventions, recovery strategies, and psychological approaches. Some strategies were found to have a significant effect on improving athlete performance, while others require more research for further validation. In the context of improving the performance of badminton athletes, this review concludes that various training strategies, the use of modern technology, nutrition, recovery, and psychological approaches can be effective in improving athlete performance. The importance of implementing these strategies in athletes' training and preparation programs cannot be doubted. However, it should also be kept in mind that the use of appropriate strategies should be tailored to the needs of the individual and the phase of competition preparation. Further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the specific strategies that are most effective in the badminton context, as well as to validate these findings in a practical setting. Keywords: Badminton, Performance, Strategy, Systematic Review