School-based Professional Development Research Articles

Teacher Professional Development @scale: Achieving Quality and Sustainability in Zambia

This paper presents a conceptual model which explains the challenges of providing high quality sustainable, teacher professional development at scale. It provides a framework to support holistic thinking at a systemic level, applicable across different systems. It draws on sociocultural theories of learning and encourages the user to think about the knowledge and skills required by actors at different levels of the system and the structures required to support their learning. It brings together the needs of teachers, school leaders and Education Officers (at the County, District or Provincial level). The empirical evidence for this model comes from a seven-year programme of activity supporting school-based professional development in Zambia. Evaluation findings highlight the importance of the role of mid-level professionals (District and Provincial Officers) in ensuring the sustainability of gains made through development projects. This is important because the professional development needs of those supporting teachers are often neglected.

Okul Temelli Mesleki Gelişimde Hizmetiçi Eğitim İhtiyaçlarının Belirlenmesinde Öğretmenlerin Katılımının Etkisi ve Rolüne İlişkin Araştırma Bulgularının Değerlendirilmesi

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the findings regarding the impact and role of teachers' participation in determining teachers' in-service training needs within the scope of new approaches in school-based professional development. It can also be said that there has been an increase in studies aimed at defining the current situation regarding the impact and role of teachers' participation in determining teachers' in-service training needs and improving its effect on performance. As the relationship and interaction process between people in the organization intensifies, efforts to understand these relationships increase. In-service training helps organizations achieve their goals; It is important in increasing concepts such as quality, performance and efficiency. In-service training is a concept that should be emphasized. New approaches in school-based professional development and in-service training concepts remain up-to-date as frequently used concepts in the literature and in daily life. Since in-service training is defined as activities that aim to eliminate the difference between the qualifications possessed by the person working in any institution and the qualifications required by the job he is doing and to provide the relevant person with the desired qualifications; It is extremely important for individuals to be informed about the developments and changes in their fields and to keep up with new conditions. In this study, findings regarding teachers' opinions about the impact and role of teachers' participation in determining teachers' in-service training needs will be evaluated and the results will be tried to be conveyed. Key Words: School-Based Professional Development, Teacher, In-Service Training, Evaluation of Findings

Promoting 21st century pedagogy: can school autonomy and school-based professional development processes make a difference?

ABSTRACT Public schools are expected to ensure that students who graduate the kindergarten (for 5–6 year olds) through twelfth grade (for 17–18 year olds) system are adept in 21st century skills to be successful in the new workforce landscape. Hence, schools need to establish progressive teaching and learning processes that significantly differ from the traditional ones. Since learning environments designed for knowledge construction promote self-regulated and self-directed learners, the current study attempts to assess to what extent do teachers’ perceptions of their school’s autonomy and satisfaction with school-based professional development (PD) processes foster 21st century oriented pedagogy. Data were collected from 645 teachers in 64 Israeli public junior high schools through questionnaires. A positive association was found between teachers’ perceived school autonomy and their satisfaction with school-based PD processes. High teacher satisfaction with PD was positively associated with progressive pedagogy. Teachers’ satisfaction with PD mediated the effect of school autonomy on using technology in teaching, on 21st century pedagogical knowledge, and on teachers’ professional competence. School autonomy with the mediation of teachers’ satisfaction with PD processes makes a positive contribution to teachers’ professional competence, knowledge related to progressive teaching and the use of technology. Theoretical and practical implications are further discussed.

Okul Temelli Mesleki Gelişimde Hizmetiçi Eğitim İhtiyaçlarının Belirlenmesinde Öğretmenlerin Katılımının Etkisi ve Rolüne İlişkin Veri Analizinin İncelenmesi

The aim of this study is to examine the data analysis on the impact and role of distribution in the definition of maid training services within the scope of new approaches in economic development at school. It is also strong that there is an increase in current usage gaps and power to improve performance regarding the impact and role of reproduction in determining teachers' in-service training needs. The relationship and interaction process between people in the organization continues to intensify, and efforts towards this expansion continue to increase. In the plans of maid training options; It is important in changing concepts such as quality, performance and efficiency. Maid education is a concept that needs to be emphasized. New approaches to individual professional development at school and concepts of servant training remain up-to-date as concepts frequently used in the literature and in daily life. When in-service training is defined as an activity that aims to reduce the difference between the qualifications of the person working in any institution and the nature of what he does and to provide the desired characteristics; It is extremely important for them to be informed about the developments and changes in their fields and to keep up with new conditions. The results will be tried to be conveyed by examining the data on teachers' opinions about the scope and role of diagnosis in determining the in-service training needs of this potential capacity. Key Words: School-Based Professional Development, Teacher, In-Service Training, Data Analysis

Transformation of teachers through a collaborative-reflective training model: A case study on school-based professional development

With this study we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a collaborative and reflective school-based training model on the teachers’ professional transformation in a middle school in Turkey. This study emerged as a result of a need for this school to transform its instructional approach to the understanding by design (UbD) approach. Considering the needs of teachers for instructional design, a 1-year training programme was planned. Thirteen teachers from different subject fields in the school participated in this case study. The teachers prepared 4 UbD plans collaboratively under the coaching of the researchers, implemented them in the class, and participated in the reflection meetings after each implementation. While evaluation of plans showed their progress, focus-group interviews revealed that this training had changed the teachers’ instructional approach and developed their design skills. Additionally, even though there were some challenging issues such as intense workloads, time constraints, coordination problems, the teachers generally emphasised the contributions of studying UbD to their peer collaboration, classroom practices, and their students’ understanding and learning. We concluded that not only this collaborative and reflective training model but also the UbD itself had positive effects on teachers’ professional transformation.

Secondary School Principals' Perceptions and Support of Professional Development for Science and Mathematics Teachers in Zamfara State, Nigeria

This qualitative study sought to find out the perspectives of secondary school principals regarding their roles in organizing school-based professional development activities for science and mathematics teachers and the related challenges at school level in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Twenty secondary school principals were purposively sampled for the study from the four educational zones in the state. Collection of data was done through structured interviews, and data obtained were analyzed through content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that despite the crucial role of principals in promoting professional development, the majority of them do not fulfill their role optimally in this respect. Professional development activities organized by few principals are limited to workshops and seminars, and there are not sustained as ongoing opportunities. Challenges faced by principals in organizing school-based professional development include inadequate funding, lack of support from higher authorities, inadequate training of principals, and lack of motivation among teachers. The study concluded that, the poor involvement of principals in promoting professional development has significant implications on the quality of teaching and learning of science and mathematics in Zamfara State. The study recommends that government and education stakeholders provide adequate funding and support to principals to enable them organize sustainable and relevant professional development activities for teachers. Additionally, training and motivation programmes should be developed for principals to enhance their capacity in promoting professional development among teachers.

Life Orientation teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and skills in using a group investigation cooperative teaching approach

In this qualitative phenomenological study, we explored the pedagogical content knowledge and skills needed by Life Orientation teachers to implement a group investigation cooperative teaching approach. This study is based on constructivist theory and employed purposive sampling. Seven teachers from selected secondary schools in the Northern Cape province, South Africa, participated in face-to-face interviews. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis; it was supported by the literature review and by constructivist theory. Findings revealed that the participants' lack of adequate Life Orientation content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge has an impact on their teaching praxis. We found that challenges such as the lack of training in implementing group investigation prevent them from participating in such practice. It is therefore recommended that the Department of Basic Education develop strategic plans and training sessions to promote the use of group investigation as a school-based professional development initiative. Further research on group investigation to benefit in-service Life Orientation teachers may pave the way towards the establishment of professional collaboration as a sustainable practice among them.

School-based professional development training of teachers linked to increase in enrolment: evidence from Pakistan

School-based professional development training of teachers linked to increase in enrolment: evidence from Pakistan

The Creative Art Teacher as an Agile Facilitator

This paper examined instructional strategies for teaching visual arts in a Basic School in Ghana to ascertain the readiness of teachers for the implementation of the new curriculum. In doing so, the paper examines and discusses some best pedagogical practices in developed countries in a contextual analysis through which suggestions were made to help breed agile arts teachers in Ghanaian basic schools. It situates in a case study inquiry through unobtrusive observation by examining instructional pedagogies of visual arts lessons in a selected basic school. Results indicate that pedagogy was mostly teacher-centred than enacting competencies in learners. Blended learning strategies were scarce whereas a focus-group interview with learners revealed their obsession with smartphones but cannot harmonize it with their learning. It is feared that Ghana will be unable to bridge the gap between visual art education and the industry given the ineffective instructional strategies used by creative art teachers. The paper recommends that creative art teachers join professional associations to indulge in personal continuous professional development. A school-based professional development training for creative art teachers is suggested. Whereas policymakers are entreated to develop regulatory policies that would enable both learners and teachers to explore the use of smartphones to expedite learning. Keywords: Agile facilitator, Art education, Blended strategies, Curriculum, Visual art teacher DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-20-07 Publication date: July 31 st 2022

Global Perspectives on Teacher Professional Development: Navigating the Pandemic

Abstract Educational researchers, policymakers, and administrators agree that providing in-service teachers with high-quality professional development (PD) opportunities is essential to educational success. Despite the substantial sums invested in teacher PD by countries and jurisdictions, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious challenges to teacher learning around the world. As conventional face-to-face initiatives became impracticable (e.g., workshops, conferences, school-based PD) and the need to prioritize pandemic-specific topics intensified (e.g., emergency remote teaching), teacher PD was recast both formally (where and how teachers engaged in PD) and substantively (what teachers sought to learn from PD). Amidst the international upheavals caused by COVID-19, how have teacher PD infrastructures (policies, practices, theories) responded? For this Special Issue, we put this and other questions before a panel of PD scholars in six contexts: United States, Scotland (United Kingdom), Uruguay, Australia, United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong (SAR China). In their respective contributions, authors discuss issues such as the limitations of PD systems based on compliance and external accountability mechanisms, the need to center teacher motivation in existing PD frameworks, matters of access and equity, the importance of developing technological infrastructures for online and hybrid learning, problems of online safety and wellbeing, and more. The Special Issue shows that the uncertainty of today’s times requires new, global perspectives on PD design, implementation, evaluation, theory, and scholarship. To nurture agentic, highly motivated, and effective teachers for the pandemic era and beyond, countries and jurisdictions should think more creatively about how to best support teacher learning. Keywords: Teacher professional development, in-service teachers, COVID-19, comparative education

Shoulder to shoulder: why stance matters in instructional coaching

ABSTRACT Drawing on adult learning theory, this article proposes a coaching stance that is conducive to cultivating teacher agency and developing teacher effectiveness. As university-based teacher educators and literacy coaches in a large urban school district, the authors describe the evolution of three distinct coaching stances, based on a 3-year grant-funded school-based professional development effort. Using compelling vignettes and reflections from the field, the authors illustrate why the first two stances lack sustaining power; while the third one, that of a shoulder-to-shoulder stance, leads to productive coach/teacher collaboration and school-wide changes. Central to the effectiveness of this stance are 1), making student learning data accessible and meaningful to teachers; and 2), the positioning of the coach as a co-learner, thus turning the entire inquiry process as learning for everyone. This coaching stance is of value to teacher educators, coaches, designers of school leadership training programs – stakeholders who are interested in meeting the needs and demands of school-based professional learning communities.

The Influence of Sustained, School-Based Professional Development on Explicit Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction

This study sought to examine sustained, school-based professional development (PD) on explicit reading comprehension strategy instruction (ERCSI) and its influence on teacher knowledge and practice and on student outcomes. Eight teachers participated - four first-grade and two teachers each from second and third grade. At the beginning of the school year, the teachers in this study scored less than 50% on an assessment of the declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge of the strategies they were to teach. Through sustained PD that provided a six-lesson framework for explicitly teaching reading comprehension strategies and observations with feedback, the teachers scored higher with regards to knowledge about the comprehension strategies they were teaching. Teachers felt the PD changed their teaching, and they noted changes in their students’ reading behaviors.

Teachers' reflections on proposals for change in situated teamwork

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to investigate what characterizes individual teachers` reflections on proposals for change in situated teamwork sessions and discuss the potential for professional development that lies in teachers’ reflections. The teamwork sessions take place in the context of school-based professional development. Stimulated recall interviews (SRI) with teachers commenting on video recordings from their participation in teamwork form the empirical basis for the research. The sample consists of 17 teachers representing four teacher teams from different schools. We identified three primary types of reflection on proposals of change – comment and describe, extend and exemplify, and critical exploration. In the last type of reflection, when teachers critically explore, reflect and problematize existing practices whilst watching critical incidents that contain proposals for change, we identified tensions arising. The tensions emerged between teachers’ established practices grounded in national regulations (ex. national tests, exams, documentation) and their basic assumptions, values, and beliefs.

Supporting teacher learning about argumentation through adaptive, school-based professional development

Engaging students in mathematical argumentation supports language development and conceptual understanding because students use verbal and written language in coordination with mathematical representations to notice patterns, make claims, and create and revise explanations. This study adds to the limited research base on how teachers learn to facilitate discussions specifically aimed to develop students’ capacities to engage in argumentation. We analyze teachers’ sensemaking about supporting argumentation in the classroom through their participation in an adaptive professional development (PD) design. The PD was embedded in two elementary schools with upper grade teachers which enabled them to engage in iterative cycles of investigation and enactment within their own classrooms. Through collaborative lesson design and inquiry into students’ experiences, teachers attended to the language students produced as they tried to formulate conjectures and produce explanations and the classroom participation structures that supported them. Our results suggest shifts in how teachers understood their role. Both cases speak to the complexities teachers face as they try to realize the recommendations for enhancing language learning and provide insight into what “rich” discourse means.

The reality of school-based professional development (lesson study) in education from the female teachers’ point of view

This study aimed to explore the perception of participants towards the reality of lesson study (LS) according to some variables (i.e. classroom practices, professional development (PD), assessment, and school support). Also it aimed to find out the differences between the mean scores of these participants in light of the foregoing variables. To this end, a questionnaire consist of 37 items on LS was conducted to a sample consists (198) who were selected from the Sharia sciences’ female teachers in public schools affiliated to the Education Department in Al-Kharj Governorate. Results of the study revealed that females of the participants Agreed that LS is key issue for the education mainly in the fields of classroom practices (CPF), professional development (PDF), and school support (SSF) and they somewhat agreed to the assessment field (AF). In addition, results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences at the level (0.05) about CPF, and AF according to (TEV), and there were statistically significant differences at the (α=0.05) about PDF and SSF according to the TEV. Also it revealed that there were no statistically significant differences at the same level on CPF, PDF, AS, and SSF according to the variable of the educational stage (ESV).

The Reality Of School-Based Professional Development "Lesson Study" In Education From The Female Teachers Point Of View

The Reality Of School-Based Professional Development "Lesson Study" In Education From The Female Teachers Point Of View

Maasai students’ encounter with formal education: Their experiences with and perceptions of schooling processes in Monduli, Tanzania

Employing an ethnographic research design, this study examined the Maasai students’ experiences with and their perceptions of formal schooling processes in Monduli, Tanzania. The study drew on classroom observations, interviews with four (4) heads of schools, and focus groups with 31 teachers and 70 students. The results demonstrated the predominance of teacher-centred and rote-learning approaches, as well as poor interactions between students and teachers in the classrooms. Equally, the results revealed not only tough and challenging school experiences for the Maasai students due to the lack of support from parents, long walking distances, and the absence of midday meals but also strong cultural tensions caused by difficulties in reconciling the requirements of the traditional life with those of the formal schooling. Alongside fundamental reforms in educational policies and practices, the findings suggest the need for school-based professional development programmes, which can sensitise teachers working in Maasailand to culturally responsive curricula and learner-centred pedagogies for the Maasai students in the classroom contexts.

Engaging Students and Families with STEM-based Expressive Therapy

ABSTRACT This study contains an investigation of a new expressive therapeutic approach (STEM-based expressive therapy). An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was utilized to explore how STEM-based activities provide a non-traditional expressive therapeutic approach to address children and family systems in school-based settings and professional development of Counselors-in-Training was explored. Findings indicated that there was increased family communication as a result of completing a STEM-based expressive therapy activity.

EFFECTIVENESS OF JAPANESE LESSON STUDY IN BUILDING A COLLABORATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY IN THE SCHOOL AS A MODERN STRATEGY FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA

School-based professional development is an appropriate way of tailoring professional development both to the needs of the individual teacher and of the school. Lesson Study (LS) is one of the models of school-based professional development. It is a professional learning method that is based on collaboration amongst teachers, in order to improve their professional development and students’ outcomes. The Saudi Ministry of Education, since 2015, started a pilot project that utilized LS in certain Saudi schools in different regions to meet professional learning needs. The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of LS as a model adopted for the professional development of Primary Schools teachers in four selected elementary schools in the Riyadh region in Saudi Arabia. The study is based on a quantitative research method using an online survey and are analysed using SPSS. Article visualizations:

Perceptions of the Key Stakeholders on Professional Development of Teachers in Rural Pakistan

Professional development (PD) has generally been associated with the learning opportunities teachers avail externally. However, the latest trends propagate grounding PD activities in the work place with the assumption that such shift will not only enable teachers to be engaged in ongoing learning but also help them to find contextual solutions for their specific issues. For other academics, however, PD refers to all the planned and unplanned activities which teachers avail to improve their practices. In this background, this research explored how relevant stakeholders in rural Pakistan perceive PD. Using a survey method and questionnaire tool, data were collected from teachers, school leaders, education department officials, and representatives of PD providers. The outcomes showed that majority of stakeholders associate PD to external learning opportunities provided to the teachers. In addition, there is a lack of shared understanding among different stakeholders with regard to the meaning of PD. These conclusions have implications for PD providers and educational reformers. Teachers should be oriented on latest trends in PD as well as supported to use the latest school-based PD models for their ongoing development.