Teacher Workload Research Articles

Narrative Research on U-shaped Teacher Training: Based on Success Stories of the Education Graduates of Normal Schools in Western China

Based on Theory U, this study used narrative inquiry to analyze the success stories of 12 education graduates from three normal schools in western China, and analyzed their subjective meanings and interpretations in teacher training. It revealed that training and educational background are the foundation of successful teachers. It was found that successful teachers face challenges brought by continuous learning pressure, heavy teaching workload, fierce professional competition, and changing teaching environment. In order to overcome these challenges, the strategies and experiences they adopted are: firm educational beliefs; high self-control, self-discipline, self-confidence and self-improvement personality traits; make full use of existing resources, listen to suggestions and seek help and support, maintain positive psychological cues, build harmonious like-minded interpersonal relationships, gain self-efficacy and collective efficacy, and be flexible and self-adjusting.

The implementation of the fee-free secondary education policy in Ukerewe district, Tanzania: Teachers’ points of view on increased classroom workload

The implementation of the fee-free secondary education policy offers significant comprehension into teachers' points of view, particularly regarding workload challenges. Guided by Expectancy-Value Theory, this study explores teachers' points of view on the policy's implementation in the selected government secondary schools in Ukerewe District, Tanzania. A key focus is on whether the government sufficiently considered the increased teacher workload resulting from higher student enrolments. In this article, surveys, non-participant observations, and focus group discussions were utilised to collect first-hand information. This was complemented by documentary reviews for secondary data. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, while quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics. A five-point Likert scale was also designed to assess three hypothetical statements regarding teachers' points of view on the implementation of the policy. In this study, 90.63% of the teachers considered that their workload had significantly increased due to the surge in student numbers following the policy's implementation. The study concludes that the implementation process was flawed, as the government did not recruit additional teachers to meet the growing demand. The study recommends the government to invest in more educational resources and recruit additional teachers to better accommodate the expanding student population.

The Role of Teacher Feedback in Enhancing ESL Learners' Writing Proficiency

Teacher feedback plays a vital role in enhancing writing proficiency among ESL learners. This paper explores how different types of feedback—direct, indirect, formative, and summative—impact learners’ language development, with a focus on improving grammar, structure, and content in writing. By combining error correction with opportunities for learners to engage in self-reflection and revision, feedback helps students develop a deeper understanding of language mechanics and fosters learner autonomy. However, challenges such as the heavy workload for teachers, varying student receptiveness, and balancing constructive criticism with motivation are significant considerations in delivering effective feedback. This study also highlights case studies that demonstrate the practical application of feedback strategies in diverse ESL classrooms. Overall, the role of feedback in ESL writing instruction is essential for promoting sustained improvement and developing students’ confidence and independence in writing. The article concludes with recommendations for balancing personalized feedback with innovative teaching practices to enhance ESL learners' writing proficiency.

Evolving Trainee Participation in Radiologists’ Workload: A National Medicare-Focused Analysis From 2008 to 2020

PurposeIncreasing volumes and productivity expectations, along with practice type consolidation, may be impacting trainees’ roles in the work effort of radiologists involved in education. We assessed temporal shifts in trainee participation in radiologists’ workload nationally. MethodsAll US radiologists interpreting noninvasive diagnostic imaging for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries were identified from annual 5% Research Identifiable Files from 2008 to 2020 (n = 35,595). Teaching radiologists were defined as those billing services using Medicare’s GC modifier, indicating trainee supervision. Billed work relative value units were used to determine the percentage of teaching radiologists’ total workload with trainee participation. Mean trainee participation in workload was calculated for teaching radiologists overall and stratified by radiologist and practice characteristics determined using National Downloadable Files. ResultsThe percentage of radiologists involved in teaching increased from 13.6% (2008) to 20.4% (2020). Among teaching radiologists, mean total workload increased 7% from 2008 to 2019 and decreased in 2020 to 2% below 2008’s level; mean teaching workload decreased 19% from 2008 to 2019 and decreased in 2020 to 31% below 2008’s level. Mean trainee participation in teaching radiologists’ total workload decreased from 35.3% (2008) to 26.3% (2019) and 24.5% (2020). Teaching radiologists showed decreased mean trainee participation when stratified by gender, experience, subspecialty, geography, practice type, and practice size. ConclusionsThe percentage of US radiologists involved in resident teaching has increased, likely reflecting academic practice expansion and academic-community practice consolidation. However, a declining percentage of teaching radiologists’ total workload involves trainees; this dispersion effect could have implications for education quality.

Prevention of extremism and terrorism in schools: experience of the republic of Dagestan

The article presents the results of the study of preventive anti-terrorist educational work among students of general education schools of the Republic of Dagestan. It is noted that this work with school youth is carried out systematically and comprehensively with the participation of not only teachers, but also external subjects of preventive influence on adolescents from among representatives of law enforcement agencies, various ministries and departments authorised in the field of youth, information and state national policy, cultural and art figures, representatives of the official Muslim clergy, athletes, deputies, veterans of the Special Military Operation and other public opinion leaders. It was revealed that the main format of this work is a thematic preventive conversation with schoolchildren, that requires certain pedagogical skills and competencies. Using a formalised expert survey of school teachers and a series of research interviews, an assessment of the effectiveness of this activity was identified, as well as problems that hinder the improvement of the quality of anti-extremist educational work with Dagestani youth. Noting the importance and usefulness of this work, the interviewed teachers point to a number of problems and factors that reduce its effectiveness. The workload of teachers with "paperwork", frequent demands for various kinds of reports on the work done, formalism, holding events without taking into account the age and individual characteristics of students, incompetence, lack of understanding and support from the parent community, weak interest in such events from both teachers and schoolchildren and a number of other factors hinder the improvement of the quality of anti-terrorist educational work with Dagestani youth. It seems that the prevention of extremism and terrorism is part of the general educational impact of the comprehensive school institution on a child, raising him to be a moral, law-abiding and patriotic citizen. To improve the quality of this work, it is important to raise the authority of school teachers at the state level, since a teacher without authority is a bad educator for teenagers not only in the area of countering the spread of the ideology of extremism and terrorism, but also in the matter of spiritual, moral and patriotic education in general.

ON TOPICAL PROBLEMS OF THE MODERN SCHOOL: TEACHERS’ OPINION IN THE KOSTROMA REGION

This article presents the findings of a survey among school teachers conducted in Kostroma between April and May 2024. The objective of the study was to ascertain the level of satisfaction with their profession among teachers and to identify the most significant challenges they face in their work. The concerns expressed by the respondents could be grouped into the following categories: low income and low salaries, excessive teaching workload and a lack of free time; insufficient material and technical resources in schools in the region; and weak moral incentives for teachers. The results of the survey indicate that, in addition to financial concerns, teachers are also dissatisfied with the decline in their authority and status within society. Furthermore, the survey demonstrated that the material aspect is a significant but not a primary source of discontent among teachers. Their social status, which does not align with their qualifications, is a notable concern. It is also important that in underprivileged regions, the shortage of personnel has intensified, particularly in mathematics and the Russian language. Based on statistical data, media reports, and field observations, there seems to be a reluctance among young individuals to pursue careers in education. The teachers who participated in the survey reached a unanimous consensus on the necessity of implementing measures to enhance the material well-being of educators, upgrade the material and technical infrastructure of educational institutions, and reinstate the esteemed status of teaching professionals in society.

Gender distributions in New Zealand universities: guilt in Brotopia

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explain gender imbalance by theorising how guilt arises as an externally imposed negative emotion that subsequently impairs women's performance in the accounting academia.Design/methodology/approachThe method involves an analysis of gender distributions at junior and senior levels in New Zealand universities in 2019 and 2024 and relevant case studies of junior academics using unstructured interviews.FindingsThis paper unpacks the nuances of gender imbalance in a “gender-neutral” subject and provides empirical evidence that many women academics may internalise a sense of externally imposed guilt for various reasons. Such feelings of guilt, where they are imposed by workplace expectations and social constructions, may make women more concessionary with regard to a greater teaching workload substituting for research expectations. The more prolonged-term effect on career prospects of such substitutions as practiced in New Zealand may account for the imbalance that exists and seemingly will continue to exist.Originality/valueThis paper sets out first to discover the gender balance in accounting in universities in New Zealand. It contributes to the literature on gender and accounting education in understanding how negative emotions are externally imposed and become career-negating obstacles for women in the accounting academic.

Let’s get on-board: a practical framework for designing and implementing educational board games in K-12 classrooms

Educational board games are a promising tool for implementing game-based learning to improve the teaching-learning process. However, the absence of comprehensive scholarly guidance on designing educational board games impedes the effective implementation of game-based learning in classrooms. The sparsely available studies on game design frameworks often confine themselves to the design of the educational game itself, without including guidelines for the classroom integration of such games within the design framework. Additionally, the literature often neglects that teachers, burdened by limited time and excessive workload, are often the sole participants in the game design process. To address these gaps, we introduce a practical framework for educators to design and seamlessly integrate educational board games in their classrooms. Our approach prioritizes minimizing additional teacher workload while using game-based learning to foster student-led problem-solving sessions and game revision. Drawing from game design principles and existing literature on game-based learning, we propose a comprehensive framework that guides educators through the design and implementation of educational board games tailored for conducting problem-solving sessions. The framework is validated and refined using qualitative analysis of teacher and student feedback after its seamless integration into the regular mathematics instruction and curriculum of a Philippine K-12 high school. Results indicate positive student experiences and highlight the framework’s efficacy in promoting student engagement, learning outcomes, and teacher convenience. Thematic analysis of student feedback highlights key design preferences and game features that enhance student experiences in GBL sessions. The study contributes to the advancement of GBL methodologies by offering practical guidelines for independent use by educators and promoting exchanges between teacher colleagues. Overall, the proposed framework offers a systematic and feasible approach to designing and implementing educational board games, fostering effective learning experiences in diverse educational contexts.

Integrating online and offline teaching to promote creativity for STEM learners

This research extends previous findings by proposing an online and offline integrated teaching framework to enhance creativity for STEM learners. The framework integrates key elements from both modalities, featuring a combination of virtual and physical resources to support a comprehensive learning experience. The study introduces a "smart flowerpot" project as a practical application, detailing the instructional design, learning resources, and assessment strategies. It highlights the challenges in resource selection and the increased workload for teachers transitioning from traditional classroom settings. While the framework offers a promising approach, it acknowledges the need for empirical testing and consideration of external factors that may influence its effectiveness. The research advocates further exploration to validate the framework and its potential to transform STEM education.

‘Solving’ the curriculum resource ‘problem’? A critical policy analysis

ABSTRACT With the proliferation of the online curriculum resource marketplace, policy actors are increasingly looking to invest in curated hubs of ready-made resources. Policy discourses indicate this phenomenon is heralded worldwide as a panacea for improving teacher workload issues and student achievement. Focusing on Australia, this article examines how federal government recommendations for the provision of ‘evidence-based’ and ‘quality assured’ curriculum resources are likely to influence national directions for schooling. Engaging Bacchi’s [(2009). Analysing policy: What’s the problem represented to be? Pearson] What’s the problem represented to be? (WPR) framework, we scrutinise how curriculum resource provision is problematised in a key national policy document. This analysis brings to the fore the technocratic policy logics and highlights how these logics are implicit in the privileging of external knowledge actors as authorities in resource provision. This poses questions nationally and internationally about the streamlining of teachers’ curricular practices as a ‘solution’ to complex systemic issues.

Using self-determination theory as a lens to create sustainable futures for teaching and education focused academics in higher education in Australia

ABSTRACT Australian higher education has faced both global economic and environmental challenges, including most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. To deliver in this resource constrained environment, academic workforce and academic roles are being reshaped. Teaching and education focused academic roles are rapidly increasing but come with opportunities and challenges. Opportunities include relief from research to concentrate on teaching which they do well and enjoy. Challenges include the dangers of unrelenting repetitive teaching workloads, lower status, uncertainty about promotion and parity of esteem. This study used Self Determination Theory to analyse the responses of nine teaching focussed academics and found the reality of the role was restricted autonomy, difficulties in evidencing individual competency and confusion about expertise. Teaching focussed academics expressed the importance of building communities distinctive from their disciplinary training. Higher education policy solutions are needed to build cultures where teaching focussed academics can overcome challenges and create sustainable career futures.

The impact of diet, physical activity, and sleep habits on obesity risk among female teachers in Lhokseumawe City

Unhealthy living behaviors and the double workload of female teachers have led to lifestyle changes that have an impact on the risk of obesity. This study aimed to determine the influence of diet, physical activity, and sleep habits on the risk of obesity among female teachers in Lhokseumawe City. This cross-sectional design research was conducted in Lhokseumawe City from November 2023 to April 2024 on 289 female teachers using multistage random sampling. Eating patterns were measured using a semi-FFQ questionnaire, physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), sleeping patterns using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and body mass index (BMI) using anthropometric measurements. Bivariate analysis uses the chi-square test and multivariate analysis with multiple logistic regression. The results show, Physical activity (p=0.023, RP=2.295) and fat intake (p=0.007, RP=0.484) influenced the incidence of obesity, whereas carbohydrate intake (p=0.622), energy (0.524), protein (0.225), type of food (0.066), and sleep patterns (0.138) did not affect the incidence of obesity among female teachers in Lhokseumawe City. Conclusion: Physical activity is a dominant risk factor for obesity. The risk of obesity was 2.295 times greater for female teachers who were not physically active.

Generative or Degenerative?! Implications of AI Tools in Pre-Service Teacher Education and Reflections on Instructors’ Professional Development

Despite existing research on AI applications in education (AIEd), the release of ChatGPT has disrupted the status quo in the educational landscape. Although this technology can personalize learning, decrease teacher workload, and offer access to a wealth of information, concerns around generative AI (GenAI) tools have emerged, including academic integrity, data accuracy, and bias in information. Given research highlights and acknowledging educators’ varied levels of awareness and conflicting views toward AIEd, two teacher educators (also authors of this paper) in the Faculty of Education at Brock University facilitated three workshops among different groups of teacher educators. The workshops focused on the emerging nature of GenAI tools, their affordances, and their implications for educators’ practices. Adopting a narrative inquiry approach, the authors describe the details of these workshops and present their reflections on the process of preparing for and facilitating them. Implications for teacher education research and practice are also presented and discussed.Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence in education (AIEd), teacher education, professional development, generative AI (GenAI)

Implementation of Catch-Up Fridays: A Case Study on Teachers' Experiences at the Davao Del Norte Division

The study focuses on the implementation of the "Catch-Up Fridays" program in the Davao del Norte Division, Philippines, aimed at addressing learning gaps among students exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd), this program dedicates every Friday to reading and writing activities, values, peace, and health education to enhance students' academic and holistic development. Despite its noble intentions, the program faces challenges in execution, notably in the provision of adequate resources and teacher training. This research explores teachers' experiences with the program, highlighting the additional burdens placed on them, such as the personal cost of photocopying materials due to inadequate resources. It also discusses the program's lack of structure, training, and differentiation, as assessed by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2). The study revealed themes in terms of teacher perspectives prior to the Catch-Up Friday program implementation, namely: educational impact, training and support, awareness and understanding. Moreover, three themes emerged for the challenges such as communication and coordination, teacher workload, and student engagement. Meanwhile, in terms of drawn insights, two themes appeared, namely: the importance of support and idealism and limitations. Furthermore, Theoretical frameworks such as Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Organizational Theory, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), Resource Dependency Theory (RDT), and Complexity Theory provide insights into the complexities of implementing educational interventions. By examining these challenges, the study aims to propose solutions to improve the "Catch-Up Fridays" program's effectiveness and support its goal of leaving no student behind.

Symposium 1: Analyzing Special Needs Support through Networks and Learning Analytics in Primary Education

In this short paper, analytical issues of networked learning are related to special needs support and learning analytics research in primary education. Very brief suggestions for these analytical issues are discussed for the networked learning research field to continue to expand upon. In part, the discussion is intended to form the underpinnings of a work-in-progress research project with cross-disciplinary networked connections across multiple universities. Currently, teachers are faced with an expansion of their professional role that may be too economically demanding, which may result in consequences that is not beneficial for children with special needs. Researchers that aim to study inclusive education face the challenge to represent findings in a way that does not increase workload for teachers in primary education. Any failings in this regard may strengthen the intertwining of educational results and economical interest, which to a large extent could be considered as opposed to networked learning theory, dualistically separated from pedagogical concerns. The inclusive goal of addressing diversity for children with special needs may be promoted by providing an educational setting with networked connections that enhances variation to modes of behavior, by addressing specific and contextual strengths and challenges of students appropriately. With learning analytics, specific and contextual strengths and challenges of students might be easier to highlight with new database schemas, algorithms, and user interfaces to represent networked data. Radical behaviorist methodology may further emphasize specific contextual findings from primary education through strictly defined events of behavior, which may be of interest to the networked learning research community to further expand upon. Thus, this paper proposes suggestions for networked learning research of primary education, with approaches commonly implemented in special education, such as radical behaviorist methodology. The suggestions are based on networked consequences from three social dimensions: political, economic, and technology-developmental. 1 The political dimension is discussed through the notion of inclusive education for children with special needs and its current state, 2 the economic dimension is discussed through the 21st century role expansion of teachers, 3 the technology-developmental dimension is discussed through learning analytic research and its connection to bodily and biological associations. This dimension is especially noteworthy, as learning analytics is currently underutilized in primary education research as opposed to common higher education research.

ANALISIS SWOT PENGGUNAAN CHAT GPT DALAM DUNIA PENDIDIKAN ISLAM

Chat GPT is an artificial intelligence tool that has sparked debate regarding its implications for the world of education. Researchers use a qualitative method with a SWOT analysis framework approach to describe the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT, as well as discuss its opportunities and threats to Islamic education. Its strengths include the use of advanced natural language models to generate reasonable answers, the ability to improve itself, and the provision of personal and real-time responses. Thus, ChatGPT can enhance access to information, facilitate personalized and complex learning, and reduce the teaching workload, making processes and tasks more efficient. Its weaknesses include a lack of deep understanding, difficulty in evaluating the quality of responses, the risk of bias and discrimination, and a lack of high-level thinking skills. The threats to education include a lack of contextual understanding, threatening academic integrity, promoting discrimination in education, democratizing plagiarism, and the decline of high-level cognitive skills.

Exploring Artificial Intelligence as a Remedy to the Heavy Teaching Workloads Caused by Massification of Ugandan Public Universities

Universities worldwide, particularly public universities in Uganda are facing a dilemma in which their massification has far outstripped the growth of their academic service delivery capacity, especially their actual teaching staff size. Consequently, most lecturers are struggling with heavy teaching workloads resulting from large class sizes of 100 to 300 or more students created by massification per course unit, especially at the undergraduate level. These workloads have overstretched most lecturers’ ability to teach effectively and limited their career growth by keeping them too busy to conduct research and participate in community service. The dilemma is faced at the time when Industry 4.0 has developed Artificial Intelligence (AI), which can execute different tasks, including teaching tasks in much the same way as human beings perform them. Drawing on the AI job replacement theory complemented by UTAUT and TOE, this study employed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey involving 325 respondents (deans, heads of department [HODs] and lecturers) randomly selected from five randomly selected public universities to analyse awareness of the teaching tasks AI can execute to reduce faculty members’ workload without replacing them, acceptance of AI to perform these tasks, and hindrances to its adoption. Findings from the descriptive analysis indicate that at least 74% of the deans, HODs, and lecturers were highly aware of the teaching tasks AI can perform. Most of these respondents accept AI to perform such teaching tasks that do not involve a human touch as an online search for research and lecture content, lecture dictation, student assessment and evaluation, and grading of marks. They, however, did not accept AI to execute teaching tasks that involve the human touch such as lecture planning, facilitating tutorials and discussions, assessing students’ interpersonal weaknesses that affect learning, and feedback provision. These findings allude to a need to adopt AI to execute only the teaching tasks it is accepted to perform and leave to the lecturers all the tasks they do not accept to perform. Adopting AI this way is bound to relieve the teaching workload allocated to lecturers as massification intensifies. The findings indicate, however, that AI adoption is hindered by different factors, including lack of strategic, ethical, and policy guidelines, and lack of funds and skills required to operate it. These findings point to a need for the management of Uganda’s public universities to adopt AI by lobbying the government for more funding, mobilizing necessary funds internally, training faculty members in using AI, and encouraging all of them to accept it by explaining the role it is capable of playing in reducing workloads and erasing their fear that AI could replace them

Workload and the crisis in Australian school teaching

The teaching profession in Australia is in crisis. There is a dramatic shortage of teachers and little prospect of significant improvement in the years ahead. This commentary gives an insider view of what is wrong with the teaching profession. The crisis is a complex problem with complex causes. This view is necessarily partial, with a focus on Queensland, and on teacher workload as a cause of the workforce crisis.

An In-Depth Literature Review of E-Portfolio Implementation in Higher Education: Processes, Barriers, and Strategies

This literature review examines the implementation of e-portfolios in higher education, with a focus on the implementation process, potential barriers, and strategies for overcoming challenges. This review seeks to provide instructional designers and higher education instructors with design strategies to effectively implement e-portfolios. Through an analysis of seventeen studies, we identified six common steps in the implementation process, including identifying a purpose, stakeholders, and platform, conducting workshops, creating e-portfolios, and evaluating the project. The implementation process also raised eight concerns, including concerns related to technology, policy, pedagogy, artifact quality, privacy, student motivation, academic integrity, and teacher workload. To address these concerns, existing strategies suggest that successful implementation requires training and policy support, student-centered pedagogy, criteria for assessing artifacts, privacy and data protection, feedback, anti-plagiarism measures, and shared successful models.

Role Expectations, Constraints, and Strategies: A Case of Departmental Heads in Vhembe West District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Departmental heads (DHs) in primary schools have multiple roles and responsibilities to fulfil. They are expected to perform diverse roles that are not only limited to being class teachers but also as supervisors, coordinators, and departmental managers. Most of them do not receive formal training to become DHs, how to perform these roles, or how to respond to the challenges accompanying these roles and responsibilities. This study aims to establish strategies to manage constraints that prevent departmental heads from fulfilling their roles effectively within the Vhembe West District of Limpopo Province. The study employed an interpretive paradigm to understand the social realities that DHs experience at school. The study was conducted within the Theory of Constraints (TOC). The research design of this study was a multiple-qualitative case study. The population of the study was all DHs in Elim, Soutpansberg East, and Vhuronga Two (2) Circuits. Purposeful sampling was employed to draw a sample of 9 DHs. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview schedule and document analysis. The data was analysed thematically. Findings from this study revealed, amongst others, the following: the roles of all participants in monitoring, curriculum management, coordination, and planning activities to enhance the implementation of the curriculum. This study recommended, among others that DHs should be excluded from being full-time classroom teachers, and policymakers should reduce the current teaching load of DHs. The study contributes to the empowerment of DHs in their roles despite the huge workload of teaching and supervising teachers in their departments. This is possible through employing distributive leadership wherein they solicit the skills of senior teachers to assist them, thereby enhancing shared leadership, collective action, and collaborative decision-making. Keywords: Constraints, Departmental Heads, Departmental Head roles and responsibilities