Quality Educational Practices Research Articles

Factors influencing educators’ implementation of quality teaching practices in Australian engineering education

ABSTRACT Improving teaching quality within engineering education is a long-standing challenge, made more difficult by the complex economic, political, and social environment in which educators operate. Understanding the enablers and barriers to implementing quality educational practices from a holistic perspective is thus critical for developing evidence-based actions for improving practice. This study addresses the research question: ‘what key factors influence engineering educators’ implementation of quality educational practices, and how?’. Using Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice as the theoretical lens, interviews were conducted with 21 engineering educators from 11 distinct Australian universities. Conceptualising the field as the engineering departments of Australian universities, data were thematically analysed to identify key themes relating to capital (what is valued within the field) and habitus (characteristics influencing individuals’ perceptions). Five factors emerged relating to capital: knowledge of engineering subject matter, knowledge of quality educational practices, recognition of teaching quality, resource allocation for teaching, and collegial network. These interacted with four factors relating to educators’ habitus: role context, personal motivation towards teaching, subject and student characteristics, and institutional context. Recommendations for educational leaders include increasing the value of educational and industry acquired engineering knowledge, developing enhanced impact evaluation approaches aligned to recognition processes, and supporting engagement between educators.

Confronting new challenges: Faculty perceptions of gaps in current laparoscopic curricula in a changing training landscape

BackgroundOpportunities for residents to develop laparoscopic skills have decreased with the rise in robotic operations and the development of complex, subspecialized laparoscopic operations. Given the changing training landscape, this study aimed to identify laparoscopic surgeons' perceptions of gaps in current laparoscopic skills in general surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, and urology residency programs. MethodsLaparoscopic surgeons who operate with residents participated in semi-structured interviews. Questions addressed expectations for resident proficiency, deficits in laparoscopic surgical skills, and barriers to learning and teaching. Two authors independently coded de-identified transcripts followed by a conventional content analysis. ResultsFourteen faculty members from thirteen subspecialties participated. Faculty identified three main areas to improve laparoscopic training across specialties: foundational knowledge, technical skills, and cognitive skills. They also recognized an overarching opportunity to address faculty development. ConclusionsThis qualitative study highlighted key deficiencies in laparoscopic training that have emerged in the current, changing era of minimally invasive surgery. Key messageThis qualitative study identified laparoscopic educators' perceptions of deficiencies in laparoscopic training. Findings emphasized the importance of incorporating high quality educational practices to optimize training in the current changing landscape of laparoscopic surgery.

Perceived Quality Educational Practice for Children at Risk of Social Exclusion and Its Relation to Teachers' Training

Perceived Quality Educational Practice for Children at Risk of Social Exclusion and Its Relation to Teachers' Training

Training in Digital Skills in Early Childhood Education Teachers: The Case of the University of La Laguna

<p class="0abstract"><span lang="EN-US">Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become essential tools for the development of quality educational practices. The special situation of COVID-19 has evidenced the problem of the teacher training. This work investigates the perception of the future teachers of Early Childhood Education about the use of ICT and the policies developed by the Government of the Canary Islands regarding the provision of resources, materials and training. The study had a sample of 110 teachers in training from the University of La Laguna, the results showed agreement regarding the quality and quantity of training received, however, despite not showing interest in continuous training in ICT, they consider fundamentally mastering this competence to improve the quality of the educational response in the Canary Islands.</span></p>

Academics’ motivations in professional training courses: effects on learning engagement and learning gains

ABSTRACT Although professional training or development opportunities can help university academics to expand their competences and implement high quality educational practices, academics differ in the extent to which they engage in such learning opportunities and their resulting learning gains. A theoretical explanation for these differences involves their motivations in the form of achievement goals. Accordingly, in the current study we investigated the effects of academics’ achievement goals on their learning engagement and learning gains in professional development courses. Forty-eight German university academics completed assessments of achievement goals prior to course participation, their learning engagement during the course (three short assessments measuring: effort, learning intensity, risk-taking, elaboration, implementation, and persistence), and their learning gains afterwards. Latent growth curve modeling revealed a significant influence of achievement goals on the overall levels of learning engagement. Specifically, learning-approach goals led to more functional learning engagement while work-avoidance goals led to less functional learning engagement. Further analyses confirmed that academics’ achievement goals were related to the amount they learned, mediated by their learning engagement. These findings highlight the importance of supporting academics’ achievement goals to ensure quality learning experiences.

¿Qué podemos aprender de la escuela innovadora para la formación inicial y permanente del profesorado? Propuesta de investigación

Initial and in-service teacher training is signalled as one of the fundamental keys for the improvement of the educational system. However, for this to happen, teacher training must be linked to quality educational practices. In this paper, qualitative research on educational innovation through the principles of Grounded Theory is claimed to be an effective way to build a theory on educational innovation which is both valid and useful to positively transform the educational system.

SongMakers: An industry-led approach to arts partnerships in education

ABSTRACTReported benefits of arts partnerships with schools range from improvements in students' motivation and engagement in learning to teachers' increased confidence in teaching the arts, and strengthened school and community relationships. Yet, in the scholarship on arts partnerships to date, limited critical attention has been given to the impact of programs primarily driven by government supported industry-based imperatives. There may be legitimate concerns that, in primarily servicing economic or employment needs, industry–school partnerships overlook social and interpersonal aspects of learning in favor of goal-orientated skills training to meet “the market.” This article informs arts education policy and industry directions by acknowledging this concern and reporting on the outcomes of an industry–schools partnership where industry “training” appears to be leveraging a number of more holistic student learning outcomes. Jointly funded by industry and government, SongMakers is an Australian artist in residence program that aims to improve the export potential of Australia's contemporary music industry and contribute to the implementation of a contemporary music curriculum. It involves professional songwriters and producers with international recording experience working as mentors to students who create and produce new music in intensive two-day workshops. This article outlines how the program is demonstrating emergent positive impact not only on students' music knowledge and skill development, and understanding of the contemporary music industry, but on engagement, confidence in learning, and self-efficacy. It does not argue that all industry programs can or will achieve such impacts, but that diverse kinds of arts partnerships in schools can contribute to a viable ecology of quality educational practice in the arts.

Development of Social and Emotional Skills through Intervention Programs among Adolescents

In teenagers groups where there are positive interrelations, activities are more effective, thus the social climate, the level of socialization and interpersonal relationships are directly determined by positive and constructive learning experiences and influence the school adjustement of 9th graders in high school environment. Socio-emotional imbalances can occur at any age over the time spent by the student in this context, being however more frequently in the transition from one stage of education to another, because these transitions require student's readjustment to new educational needs. The purpose of educational research aimed to analyse the relationship between establishing and maintaining dificulties of 9th graders’ positive interpersonal relationships and their status within the class by means of sociometric techniques, qualitative methods, educational climate analysis in school activity. In this respect, our research was focused on experimenting an intervention program to improve the interpersonal relationships of these students. The lower interpersonal relationships skills of 9th graders, the more will be reduced the quality and frequency of positive and constructive learning experiences, leading to emotional and behavioral disturbance and academic adjustment imbalances. Frequency and quality of constructive learning experiences are, significantly, the positive predictive factor not only for academic achievements, but also for socio-emotional equilibrium of adolescents, experiences that bring them satisfaction, success in relationships with others. At the 9th graders the conflict states are strongly influenced by the degree of communication and cooperation between them. In this paper we intend to exceed the investigation stage and accede to formative and improvement intervention level towards identification of feasible solutions for a quality educational practice, able to provide counselling of students concerning optimal preparation for social life. We discuss scientific and educational implications of these results for understanding the development of social and emotional skills among adolescents and for educational practices designed to promote this development.

<b>Avaliar para intervir: um modelo educacional para alunos com necessidades especiais</b>

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1984686X6534Como é sabido, a educação prende-se com a alteração dos comportamentos de um indivíduo no sentido de se lhe provocar aprendizagem. Contudo ,muitos educadores têm dificuldade em considerar estratégias que facilitem essa mudança e, por conseguinte, correm o risco de assistir ao insucesso de alguns dos seus alunos. No caso dos alunos com necessidades especiais(NE) é imperativo que se considere um processo que permita que eles possam ser expostos a uma educação apropriada que tenha em conta as suas características, capacidades e necessidades. Com este fim em mente, neste artigo pretende-se explanar um modelo que possibilite chegar a intervenções eficazes através de uma observação/avaliação criteriosa do aluno e dos seus ambientes de aprendizagem. Este modelo, designado de Modelo de Atendimento à Diversidade (MAD) tem como objetivo fundamental a promoção de práticas educativas de qualidade, monitorizando o progresso de um aluno e, consequentemente, ajustando o ensino às suas respostas com base nas suas capacidades e necessidades.Palavras-chave: Modelo de atendimento à diversidade; Necessidades especiais; Necessidades educativas especiais.

Teaching skills for students: our future educators

The future of medical education is under increasing strain from a paucity of clinical educators with formal teaching experience and time to fulfil their teaching roles. 'Teaching on the Run' (TOR), is a programme aimed at improving the quality of teaching by medical educators. We hypothesised that the completion of the TOR programme by senior medical students would increase student awareness of quality educational practice, thereby improving their competence and confidence in teaching and assessing their peers. Seventeen senior medical students who participated in the TOR programme completed before and after questionnaires based on the key outcomes of the programme. All students were invited to participate in a focus group session to explore their attitudes and experiences of having completed the programme. Seven students chose to participate. The TOR increased students' perceived ability to apply educational principles, plan learning activities and to provide feedback. During the focus group session students expressed an appreciation that the medical school was genuinely interested in improving the quality of their teaching and learning. However, the programme did not improve students' confidence in assessing their peers. We found that the TOR programme may provide a foundation from which future medical educators may be trained. In particular, these students seem to have developed some understanding of the principles of adult learning, and may be better prepared to plan and deliver a teaching session. This augurs well for the future of medical education, which depends on the emergence of a new generation of trained medical educators.

As práticas educativas de qualidade como fator de normalização escolar na educação infantil

This intellectual production pursues a greater understanding of the issues that pervade the educational scene, especially the quality practices in early childhood education. Investigations are necessary to understand the desire for governance and quality in childhood education, as well as teaching practices of quality and control that occur in school spaces. Quality educational practices are perceived within this framework of government power relations. Quality is not understood as the desire and need of each subject within their social and cultural context, but rather within a perspective of widespread political, economic, social and cultural desires, resulting in a unification that attaches to national educational quality. Thus, the objective is to investigate the legislation and other theoretical frameworks, the school environment and how quality of education plays out in regulatory practices at the kindergarten level, to understand how standardization and school control through governance takes place

Using teacher stories to reveal quality educational practice: An Eastern Cape experience

Abstract The University of Fort Hare Distance Education Project set out to improve qualifications of primary teachers in rural and township schools in the Eastern Cape of the Republic of South Africa. At the culmination of an 11-year AUSAid collaboration between the University of Fort Hare and University of South Australia a research project to reveal quality educational practice was undertaken. Using oral histories as the methodology, teacher stories were gathered through a sequence of interviews and classroom observations. This collection of oral histories constitutes the basis for the paper. Its research focus has been the science and mathematics practices of eight teachers who typify the many hundreds who participated in the project. This paper explores the use of oral history as a methodology for documenting quality educational practice.

Universal Design for Early Childhood Education: Ensuring Access and Equity for All

This article introduces the framework of Universal Design for Early Childhood Education (UDECE). The goal of the framework is to synthesize best practices within the field of early childhood education and special education, providing a template to support access and equity for all children. The UDECE framework includes examination of issues of access, the provision of high quality educational practices, and issues of accountability for success and equity. By placing the needs of all children at the core, UDECE extends philosophies embracing full inclusion into pathways through which this goal can be supported.