Sample records for access professional development

  1. In Support of Access and Inclusion: Joint Professional Development for Science and Special Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brusca-Vega, Rita; Alexander, Jan; Kamin, Colleen

    2014-01-01

    Collaborative professional development of science and special educators leads to improved access and inclusion of students with disabilities. Yet, despite poor science achievement of students with disabilities, their increasing presence in general education science classrooms, and research that demonstrates effective teaching strategies for…

  2. Faculty Professional Development for Quality Online Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexiou-Ray, Jennifer; Bentley, Courtney C.

    2015-01-01

    Meaningful technology use in education continues to improve given an increase in access to available technologies and professional development. For educators, professional development has focused on approaches for technology use that foster content-specific best practices and improve student learning in traditional classroom formats. Meaningful…

  3. Combining apps targeting professionals and senior citizens to improve housing accessibility and influence housing provision policies.

    PubMed

    Helle, Tina; Iwarsson, Susanne; Lunn, Tine Bieber; Iversen, Mogens Holm; Jonsson, Oskar; Mårtensson, Knut; Svarre, Tanja; Slaug, Björn

    2015-01-01

    Two separate apps that address the increasingly important issue of accessible housing for senior citizens have been developed in different project settings. One of the apps was developed to facilitate the process for professional raters to assess housing accessibility in the context of individual housing adaptations. The other app was developed for senior citizens to raise their awareness of possible accessibility problems in their current dwelling and in other apartments within the available housing stock. Both apps were developed with a high degree of active user involvement in processes utilizing multiple state of the art methods. The results are two well accepted prototype apps perceived as user-friendly and appropriate for the intended user groups. By combining these two apps, our ambition is for the professional raters to benefit by gaining knowledge of their clients' perceived needs and desires, and for senior citizens to benefit by getting access to a database of professionally rated dwellings. The ultimate goal is the generation of sound knowledge reflecting the needs and desires of senior citizens and professional requirements regarding accessible housing as a means to inform and influence housing provision policies.

  4. Learning for Work and Professional Development: The Significance of Informal Learning Networks of Digital Media Industry Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campana, Joe

    2014-01-01

    Informal learning networks play a key role in the skill and professional development of professionals, working in micro-businesses within Australia's digital media industry, as they do not have access to learning and development or human resources sections that can assist in mapping their learning pathway. Professionals working in this environment…

  5. Minority Access to Professional Education: A Selected Bibliography.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Education Dept., Albany. Office of Higher and Professional Education.

    An annotated bibliography of more than 200 entries on minority access to professional education covers journal articles, professional association publications, institutional program and research reports, government documents, congressional hearings, conference proceedings, law review articles, and government agency reports. Citations, dated 1969…

  6. The Arctic Climate Modeling Program: Professional Development for Rural Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bertram, Kathryn Berry

    2010-01-01

    The Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) offered yearlong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professional development to teachers in rural Alaska. Teacher training focused on introducing youth to workforce technologies used in Arctic research. Due to challenges in making professional development accessible to rural teachers, ACMP…

  7. Developing an Oregon access management best practices manual.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-02-01

    This Report reviews an Oregon research effort to develop an Oregon Access Management Best Practices Manual. In particular, this research effort develops a resource to help transportation professionals quantify safety and operational effects of variou...

  8. Give Your Professional Development a Second Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheehy, Peggy

    2009-01-01

    Pursuing professional development (PD) is contractual for some, and oxygen for others. As technology has increased access to anytime-anywhere learning, many of the hurdles for conquering time and space constraints have been addressed with online learning in web-based classroom environments, webinars, and even some of the newer social networking…

  9. Transformative Professional Development through the Eyes of Jack Mezirow and Thomas Guskey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stahl, Leslie D.

    2012-01-01

    The key to improving education is the classroom teacher. Students must have skillful, highly effective teachers who have consistent access to on going professional development. NCLB offers guidelines for effective professional development. States interpret these guidelines and add their own varied legislative requirements. The current result is an…

  10. Using communication technology to support professional development in teaching science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sundberg, Cheryl White

    The impact of collaboration via communication technology on follow-up to on-site professional development was the central focus of this hypothesis-generating study. The study used a combination of quantitative methodology and qualitative methodology. A convenient sample of 18 teachers was drawn from 208 teachers in an existing professional development program in science in a southeastern state. The statewide professional development program focused on energy education with a strong emphasis on using technology to enhance learning. Data sources included E-mail messages, lesson plans, photographs, workshop evaluations, surveys, and the report of an external reviewer. The study focused on two on-site workshops, February and June 2000 that were designed to model constructivist pedagogy and instruct teachers in effective utilization of computer-based laboratories in science classrooms. Follow-up to the on-site workshops was facilitated with several communication technologies (Internet, E-mail, telephone, and mail). The research found E-mail was the preferred mode for follow-up to on-site workshops because of the convenience of the medium. Barriers to effective distance professional development were time constraints, equipment failure, and lack of consistent Internet access to teachers in rural and under-served areas. Teacher characteristics of the sample, teacher efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy did not appear to impact the use of communication technologies as a means of follow-up to on-site professional development workshops. However, teacher efficacy might have negatively impacted effective implementation of calculator-based laboratory technology in the classroom. The study found E-mail was the most convenient and efficient way to facilitate follow-up to on-site professional development. Teacher characteristics (efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy) did not appear to impact the use of E-mail to facilitate

  11. Widening Access; Developing an eLearning Resource for Health and Social Care Professionals Caring for Children and Young People with Cancer.

    PubMed

    McInally, Wendy; Pouso Lista, Maria J; McLaren, Natalia; Willis, Diane S

    2017-09-29

    Cancer is a key priority worldwide, and caring for children and young people with cancer requires a range of specific knowledge, skills and experience in order to deliver the complex care regimes both within the hospital or community environment. The aim of this paper is to disseminate work undertaken to design and develop pedagogical practice and innovation through an eLearning resource for health care professionals caring for children and young people with cancer across the globe. The work undertaken evaluated an existing cancer course (which has been withdrawn) that was developed and delivered through the Paediatric Oncology Nurses Forum, Royal College Nursing (Nurse Educators) and Warwick University. The evaluation consisted of 26 open and closed questions relating to the previous resource and was circulated to all health and social care professionals involved directly within specialist oncology services through the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group. Questionnaires were sent out to a convenience sample of 773 health care professionals and the response rate was 14%. The findings identified that the course was predominantly accessed by nurses, but other health care professionals also found it useful. Participants highlighted several areas where they believed content could be developed or was lacking. This included areas such as palliative and end of life care, nutrition, sepsis and teenagers and young people. This feedback was then used to develop a site dedicated to the care of children and young people with cancer.

  12. Professional development for primary science teaching in Thailand: Knowledge, orientations, and practices of professional developers and professional development participants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Musikul, Kusalin

    The purpose of this study was to examine an entire PD project as a case to understand the dynamic nature of science PD in a holistic manner. I used a pedagogical content knowledge model by Magnusson, Krajcik, and Borko (1999) as my theoretical framework in examining the professional developers' and teacher participants' knowledge, orientation, and practice for professional development and elementary science teaching. The case study is my research tradition; I used grounded theory for data analysis. The primary data sources were interview, card sort activity, and observation field notes collected during the PD and subsequently in teacher participants' classrooms. Secondary data sources were documents and artifacts that I collected from the professional developers and teachers. An analysis of the data led me to interpret the following findings: (a) the professional developers displayed multiple orientations. These orientations included activity-driven, didactic, discovery, and pedagogy-driven orientations. The orientations that were found among the professional developers deviated from the reformed Thai Science Education Standards; (b) the professional developers had limited PCK for PD, which were knowledge of teachers' learning, knowledge of PD strategies, knowledge of PD curriculum, and knowledge of assessment.; (c) the professional developers' knowledge and orientations influenced their decisions in selecting PD activities and teaching approaches; (d) their orientations and PCK as well as the time factor influenced the design and implementation of the professional development; (e) the elementary teachers displayed didactic, activity-driven, and academic rigor orientations. The orientations that the teachers displayed deviated from the reformed Thai Science Education Standards; and (f) the elementary teachers exhibited limited PCK. It is evident that the limitation of one type of knowledge resulted in an ineffective use of other components of PCK. This study

  13. Towards equity and sustainability of rural and remote health services access: supporting social capital and integrated organisational and professional development.

    PubMed

    Schoo, Adrian; Lawn, Sharon; Carson, Dean

    2016-04-02

    Access to rural health services is compromised in many countries including Australia due to workforce shortages. The issues that consequently impact on equity of access and sustainability of rural and remote health services are complex. The purpose of this paper is to describe a number of approaches from the literature that could form the basis of a more integrated approach to health workforce and rural health service enhancement that can be supported by policy. A case study is used to demonstrate how such an approach could work. Disjointed health services are common in rural areas due to the 'tyranny of distance.' Recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural areas and access to and sustainability of rural health services is therefore compromised. Strategies to address these issues tend to have a narrow focus. An integrated approach is needed to enhance rural workforce and health services; one that develops, acknowledges and accounts for social capital and social relations within the rural community.

  14. "Medical Education Online": A Case Study of an Open Access Journal in Health Professional Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Solomon, David J.

    2007-01-01

    Introduction: The development of the World Wide Web (WWW) has made it possible of small groups of colleagues or even single individuals to create peer-reviewed scholarly journals. This paper discusses the development of Medical Education Online (MEO) an open access peer-reviewed journal in health professional education. Description: MEO was first…

  15. Assessing the interactivity and prescriptiveness of faculty professional development workshops: The real-time professional development observation tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olmstead, Alice; Turpen, Chandra

    2016-12-01

    Professional development workshops are one of the primary mechanisms used to help faculty improve their teaching, and draw in many STEM instructors every year. Although workshops serve a critical role in changing instructional practices within our community, we rarely assess workshops through careful consideration of how they engage faculty. Initial evidence suggests that workshop leaders often overlook central tenets of education research that are well established in classroom contexts, such as the role of interactivity in enabling student learning [S. Freeman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111, 8410 (2014)]. As such, there is a need to develop more robust, evidence-based models of how best to support faculty learning in professional development contexts, and to actively support workshop leaders in relating their design decisions to familiar ideas from other educational contexts. In response to these needs, we have developed an observation tool, the real-time professional development observation tool (R-PDOT), to document the form and focus of faculty engagement during workshops. In this paper, we describe the motivation and methodological considerations behind the development of the R-PDOT, justify our decisions to highlight particular aspects of workshop sessions, and demonstrate how the R-PDOT can be used to analyze three sessions from the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop. We also justify the accessibility and potential utility of the R-PDOT output as a reflective tool using preliminary data from interviews with workshop leaders, and consider the roles the R-PDOT could play in supporting future research on faculty professional development.

  16. Leading Professional Learning to Develop Professional Capital: The Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit's Facilitator Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Osmond-Johnson, Pamela

    2017-01-01

    Drawing on data from a mixed methods study of the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit's (SPDU) Facilitator Community, this paper highlights the potential of teacher-led professional learning in developing professional capital through engagement in teacher leadership. Analysis of survey, interview, and observational data revealed the…

  17. Distance Learning for Teacher Professional Development in Statistics Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meletiou-Mavrotheris, Maria; Mavrotheris, Efstathios; Paparistodemou, Efi

    2011-01-01

    We provide an overview of "EarlyStatistics," an online professional development course in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school teachers. The course facilitates intercultural collaboration of teachers using contemporary technological and educational tools. An online information base offers access to all of…

  18. Digital Revolution or Digital Divide: Will Rural Teachers Get a Piece of the Professional Development Pie?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broadley, Tania

    2010-01-01

    In order to sustain the rural education community, access to high quality professional development opportunities must become a priority. Teachers in rural areas face many challenges in order to access professional learning equitable to their city counterparts. In the current climate, the Federal government of Australia is committed to initiatives…

  19. A Face-to-Face Professional Development Model to Enhance Teaching of Online Research Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Knox, Carolyn; Strycker, Lisa A.; Walden, Emily

    2016-01-01

    To help students navigate the digital environment, teachers not only need access to the right technology tools but they must also engage in pedagogically sound, high-quality professional development. For teachers, quality professional development can mean the difference between merely using technology tools and creating transformative change in…

  20. Advancing the Practice of CRCs: Why Professional Development Matters.

    PubMed

    Behar-Horenstein, Linda S; Prikhidko, Alena; Kolb, H Robert

    2018-01-01

    Clinical research coordinators (CRCs) assume critical responsibilities central to the success of the research team. The complexity of their role requires essential professional qualifications. One barrier to professionalization, however, has been the inconsistent, or absent, competency-based training. This study explored participants' perceptions of training experiences designed to prepare them for the national certification exam. Focus group methodology was used to document their experiences. The findings showed that sustainable mentoring relationships developed, participant confidence levels increased, and anxiety about performance capacity diminished. Cognitive reframing of the work environment and CRC roles was facilitated by training that fostered sharing and social reinforcement of professional and personal identities. Findings from this study suggest that access to meaningful training and quality instruction supports the professionalization of CRCs.

  1. Innovative Professional Development: Expanding Your Professional Learning Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perez, Lisa

    2012-01-01

    To assume the role of technology leaders and information literacy specialists in their schools, librarians need access to the most current information. And, they do this by helping each other. There are many definitions, but professional learning networks (PLNs) involve sharing work-related ideas with a network of colleagues via various digital…

  2. Learning to teach mathematics with technology: A survey of professional development needs, experiences and impacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennison, Anne; Goos, Merrilyn

    2010-04-01

    The potential for digital technologies to enhance students' mathematics learning is widely recognised, and use of computers and graphics calculators is now encouraged or required by secondary school mathematics curriculum documents throughout Australia. However, previous research indicates that effective integration of technology into classroom practice remains patchy, with factors such as teacher knowledge, confidence, experience and beliefs, access to resources, and participation in professional development influencing uptake and implementation. This paper reports on a large-scale survey of technology-related professional development experiences and needs of Queensland secondary mathematics teachers. Teachers who had participated in professional development were found to be more confident in using technology and more convinced of its benefits in supporting students' learning of mathematics. Experienced, specialist mathematics teachers in large metropolitan schools were more likely than others to have attended technology-related professional development, with lack of time and limited access to resources acting as hindrances to many. Teachers expressed a clear preference for professional development that helps them meaningfully integrate technology into lessons to improve student learning of specific mathematical topics. These findings have implications for the design and delivery of professional development that improves teachers' knowledge, understanding, and skills in a diverse range of contexts.

  3. Evaluating New Zealand Early Childhood Education Professional Development: Access, Barriers and Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cherrington, Sue; Wansbrough, Deborah

    2010-01-01

    "Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki," the ten year strategic plan for early childhood education (ECE) in New Zealand, identified reviewing the delivery of professional development as one strategy for "promoting the effective delivery of 'Te Whariki'"(Ministry of Education, 2002, p. 15) within the overall goal of…

  4. College Prep and Access from the Perspective of Diversity College Admission Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bethea, Kathryn A.

    2016-01-01

    Studies have found that there is a college access gap for students of color in P-16 education. I utilize Perna's (2006) integrated college access model in exploring college admission's knowledge of college preparation in education. The present study uses qualitative questionnaires to measure diversity college admission professionals' (DCAPs)…

  5. How Accessible Are the Geosciences? a Study of Professionally Held Perceptions and What They Mean for the Future of Geoscience Workforce Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atchison, C.; Libarkin, J. C.

    2014-12-01

    Individuals with disabilities are not entering pathways leading to the geoscience workforce; the reasons for which continue to elude access-focused geoscience educators. While research has focused on barriers individuals face entering into STEM disciplines, very little research has considered the role that practitioner perceptions play in limiting access and accommodation to scientific disciplines. The authors argue that changing the perceptions within the geoscience community is an important step to removing barriers to entry into the myriad fields that make up the geosciences. This paper reports on an investigation of the perceptions that geoscientist practitioners hold about opportunities for engagement in geoscience careers for people with disabilities. These perspectives were collected through three separate iterations of surveys at three professional geoscience meetings in the US and Australia between 2011 and 2012. Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which individuals with specific types of disabilities would be able to perform various geoscientific tasks. The information obtained from these surveys provides an initial step in engaging the larger geoscience community in a necessary discussion of minimizing the barriers of access to include students and professionals with disabilities. The results imply that a majority of the geoscience community believes that accessible opportunities exist for inclusion regardless of disability. This and other findings suggest that people with disabilities are viewed as viable professionals once in the geosciences, but the pathways into the discipline are prohibitive. Perceptions of how individuals gain entry into the field are at odds with perceptions of accessibility. This presentation will discuss the common geoscientist perspectives of access and inclusion in the geoscience discipline and how these results might impact the future of the geoscience workforce pathway for individuals with disabilities.

  6. Transforming Professional Development to Professional Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Chelsea

    2014-01-01

    This article reviews teacher professional development norms as they are shifting toward collaborative practice. It is posed that passive and individual practices are inadequate to prepare teachers to integrate the academic skills that learners need for both workforce and college readiness. Promising practices in professional development are…

  7. Professional Development of Academic Library Professionals in Kerala

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathew, K. Susan; Baby, M. D.; Pillai, S. Sreerekha

    2011-01-01

    The paper aims to bring out the problems and prospects of the professional development opportunities of academic library professionals in the Universities in Kerala. The study is a part of research undertaken to survey the professional development activities and educational needs of library professionals in the major Universities of Kerala in the…

  8. Professional Environment for Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zascerinska, Jelena

    2010-01-01

    Introduction. Teaching and training are at the heart of the knowledge society where the continuing professional development of teachers and trainers provides the cornerstone for the development of a high quality education and training systems. The Aim of the Study. To identify a design of professional environment for teacher professional…

  9. HRD Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1998

    This document contains four papers from a symposium on professional development of human resource development (HRD) professionals. "Lifelong Learning and Performance: The Role of Key Qualifications in Human Resource Development" (Simone J. van Zolingen, Wim J. Nijhof) argues that, besides being of interest to employers, key…

  10. Barriers and facilitators to parents seeking and accessing professional support for anxiety disorders in children: qualitative interview study.

    PubMed

    Reardon, Tessa; Harvey, Kate; Young, Bridget; O'Brien, Doireann; Creswell, Cathy

    2018-01-25

    Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders experienced by children, but only a minority of these children access professional help. Understanding the difficulties parents face seeking support for child anxiety disorders could inform targeted interventions to improve treatment access. The aims of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing professional support for child anxiety disorders, and ways to minimise these barriers. A qualitative interview study was conducted with parents of 16 children (aged 7-11 years) with anxiety disorders identified through screening in schools. Barriers and facilitators were identified in relation to four distinct stages in the help-seeking process: parents recognising the anxiety difficulty, parents recognising the need for professional support, parents contacting professionals, and families receiving professional support. Barriers and facilitators at each stage related to the child's difficulties, the role of the parent, and parent perceptions of professionals and services. Findings illustrate the need (1) for readily available tools to help parents and professionals identify clinically significant anxiety in children, (2) to ensure that families and professionals can easily access guidance on the help-seeking process and available support, and (3) to ensure existing services offer sufficient provision for less severe difficulties that incorporates direct support for parents.

  11. Professional Development Strategies to Enhance Nurses' Knowledge and Maintain Safe Practice.

    PubMed

    Bindon, Susan L

    2017-08-01

    Maintaining competence is a professional responsibility for nurses. Individual nurses are accountable for their practice, as outlined in the American Nurses Association's Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Nurses across clinical settings face the sometimes daunting challenge of staying abreast of regulatory mandates, practice changes, equipment updates, and other workplace expectations. In the complex, evolving perioperative setting, professional development is a priority, and the need for ongoing education is critical. However, nurses' efforts to engage in their own development can be hampered by a lack of time, limited access to educational resources, or cost concerns. This article provides an overview of nursing professional development and offers some resources to help individual nurses maintain or enhance their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Copyright © 2017 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Teacher Professional Development that Makes an Impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borrego, H.; Ellins, K. K.

    2012-12-01

    Through four years of participation in the TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, an NSF-sponsored teacher professional development project, my knowledge of earth science and new pedagogical approaches has improved dramatically. In addition, I have received instructional materials, and learned how to access high quality online resources and use a variety of web-based tools. As a consequence, I have developed the confidence to use the TXESS model to deliver earth science professional development that makes an impact to other teachers in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. In this session, I will share my experiences as an earth science professional development provider and describe how I have used my own learning to help both teachers and students become more earth science literate. Earth science test scores at the elementary and secondary level throughout South Texas are consistently low in comparison to other regional areas in the state. The majority of the teachers lack the content-knowledge, confidence, or experience to teach earth science. My background as teacher combined with the TXESS Revolution experience helped me to understand the needs of these teachers and to identify teaching resources that would be useful to them. Using educational resources provided by the TXESS Revolution I have offered professional development topics such as Energy, Geologic Time and Stratigraphy, Water and the Cryosphere, Plate Tectonics, and Climate to about 125 South Texas elementary and middle school teachers. These trainings have helped improve the content knowledge of South Texas teachers and given them tools that they can use to guide student learning through authentic scientific research. In addition to providing professional development to teachers, I have been recruited to serve as the representative of the Offshore Energy Center for South Texas. This curriculum complements the TXESS Revolution educational resources by expanding the Energy education

  13. Professional Development. Issue Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keleher, Julia

    2017-01-01

    In this professional development research brief, the author sets forth the overarching considerations that should be kept in mind when conceptualizing professional development for educators working with neglected or delinquent youth (N or D). The brief begins by defining professional development and demonstrating why it is a critical support for…

  14. Achieving the Goals. Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of Education, Washington, DC.

    Goal 4 of the National Education Goals envisions that teachers will have access to programs for the continued improvement of their professional skills. This book examines what federal agencies are doing to enhance teacher preparation, presents information on career-long development, and offers program descriptions and contact names. The first…

  15. Conditions for Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Humes, Walter

    2001-01-01

    Examines aspects of initial teacher education and continuing professional development in Scotland against the backdrop of McCrone Report recommendations on teaching conditions. Discusses teachers' attitudes toward their own professional development; the nature of professional knowledge, skills, and values; and some principles to promote genuine…

  16. Assessment of the spatial accessibility to health professionals at French census block level.

    PubMed

    Gao, Fei; Kihal, Wahida; Le Meur, Nolwenn; Souris, Marc; Deguen, Séverine

    2016-08-02

    The evaluation of geographical healthcare accessibility in residential areas provides crucial information to public policy. Traditional methods - such as Physician Population Ratios (PPR) or shortest travel time - offer only a one-dimensional view of accessibility. This paper developed an improved indicator: the Index of Spatial Accessibility (ISA) to measure geographical healthcare accessibility at the smallest available infra-urban level, that is, the Îlot Regroupé pour des Indicateurs Statistiques. This study was carried out in the department of Nord, France. Healthcare professionals are geolocalized using postal addresses available on the French state health insurance website. ISA is derived from an Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2FCA). We have constructed a catchment for each healthcare provider, by taking into account residential building centroids, car travel time as calculated by Google Maps and the edge effect. Principal Component Analyses (PCA) were used to build a composite ISA to describe the global accessibility of different kinds of health professionals. We applied our method to studying geographical healthcare accessibility for pregnant women, by selecting three types of healthcare provider: general practitioners, gynecologists and midwives. A total of 3587 healthcare providers are potentially able to provide care for inhabitants of the department of Nord. On average there are 92 general practitioners, 22 midwives and 21 gynecologists per 100,000 residents. The composite ISA for the three types of healthcare provider is 39 per 100,000 residents. A comparative analysis between ISA and physician-population ratios indicates that ISA represents a more even distribution whereas the physician-population ratios show an 'all-or-nothing' approach. ISA is a multidimensional and improved measure, which combines the volume of services relative to population size with the proximity of services relative to the population's location, available at the

  17. A Model of Professional Development: Teachers' Perceptions of Their Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avidov-Ungar, Orit

    2016-01-01

    This research aims to evaluate the manner in which teachers perceive their professional development process. Forty-three teachers from Israeli schools participated in the study. I used a semi-structured interview to understand the teachers' perceptions about their professional development. The qualitative analysis identified two dimensions that…

  18. Research Committee Issues Brief: Professional Development for Virtual Schooling and Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Niki; Rose, Ray

    2007-01-01

    This report examines the types of professional development necessary to implement successful online learning initiatives. The potential for schools utilizing online learning is tremendous: schools can develop new distribution methods to enable equity and access for all students, they can provide high quality content for all students and they can…

  19. Authentic Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kenneson, Paula M.

    1999-01-01

    Choosing Higher Options in Community Education (CHOICE) Alternative School is devoted to professional development. This report documents the need for and planning of sustained and supported professional development for 4 staff members at the CHOICE Alternative School in Jamestown, New York. There was no focused plan or vision for staff development…

  20. Local in Practice: Professional Distinctions in Angolan Development Work

    PubMed Central

    Peters, Rebecca Warne

    2017-01-01

    Development workers employed by international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are commonly classified as national (local) or international (expatriate) staff members. The distinction is presumed to reflect the varieties of expertise required for the work and the workers’ different biographies. I examine the experiences of Angolans working in an international democratization program to demonstrate how some professionals at the lowest tiers of international development NGOs engage in social practices that strategically emphasize or conceal certain skills, kinds of knowledge, or family circumstances to fulfill industry expectations of “local staff.” Doing so allows them access to employment with international organizations and pursuit of a variety of personal and professional goals. These practices reinforce hierarchical inequalities within the development industry, however, limiting these workers’ influence over programmatic action. I argue that professional distinctions among development workers are social achievements and instruments of strategic manipulation by individuals and NGOs rather than accurate reflections of work or workers. The case study provides insight into the institutional reproduction of hierarchical inequalities and the complexly social reasons why those who suffer their limitations may act in ways that reinforce, rather than resist, unequal social structures. PMID:29430019

  1. Improving health care professionals' feedback on communication skills: development of an on-line resource.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Gill; Hayden, Sheila; Cook, Viv; Cushing, Annie

    2012-09-01

    This project aimed to develop an open-access on-line resource to assist health care professionals in providing effective feedback on patient-centered clinical and communication skills. The collaborative nature of the development of this learning resource is outlined and evaluation of its use is discussed. An inter-professional team of teaching staff from two London Universities employed a researcher to interview experienced clinical and academic health care professionals and gather examples of difficult feedback situations. Material was used to develop short video clips illustrating some common challenges in giving feedback on clinical and communication skills. Initial evaluation following use of the scenarios in workshops was undertaken by means of a "talking wall" technique. Evaluation indicated that the resource enhanced the learning experience by providing realistic and challenging scenarios to focus discussion. Inter-professional working and piloting the use of the video scenarios in workshops enabled the improvement and refinement of an on-line staff development resource on feedback. The on-line resource is now available as an open access learning tool, with eight scenarios and guidelines for providing effective feedback in the academic or clinical setting. It can be used for self-study or as part of a group training session. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Access to health care for undocumented migrant children and pregnant women: the paradox between values and attitudes of health care professionals.

    PubMed

    Ruiz-Casares, Mónica; Rousseau, Cécile; Laurin-Lamothe, Audrey; Rummens, Joanna Anneke; Zelkowitz, Phyllis; Crépeau, François; Steinmetz, Nicolas

    2013-02-01

    Access to health care for undocumented migrant children and pregnant women confronts human rights and professional values with political and institutional regulations that limit services. In order to understand how health care professionals deal with these diverging mandates, we assessed their attitudes toward providing care to this population. Clinicians, administrators, and support staff (n = 1,048) in hospitals and primary care centers of a large multiethnic city responded to an online survey about attitudes toward access to health care services. Analysis examined the role of personal and institutional correlates of these attitudes. Foreign-born respondents and those in primary care centers were more likely to assess the present access to care as a serious problem, and to endorse broad or full access to services, primarily based on human rights reasons. Clinicians were more likely than support staff to endorse full or broad access to health care services. Respondents who approved of restricted or no access also endorsed health as a basic human right (61.1%) and child development as a priority (68.6%). A wide gap separates attitudes toward entitlement to health care and the endorsement of principles stemming from human rights and the best interest of the child. Case-based discussions with professionals facing value dilemmas and training on children's rights are needed to promote equitable practices and advocacy against regulations limiting services.

  3. Redefining Professional Development. Newsletter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, 2006

    2006-01-01

    The research on effective professional development is consistent across many studies. Researchers Willis Hawley and Linda Valli (Westchester Institute for Human Services Research, n.d.), in their synthesis of the professional development literature, find that high-quality teacher development is as follows: (1) Informed by research on teaching and…

  4. Predictors of Professional Identity Development for Student Affairs Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pittman, Edward C.; Foubert, John D.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined whether professional involvement, supervision style, and mentoring predicted the professional identity of graduate students and new professionals in student affairs. Results of the study show that all three independent variables predicted the professional identity development of graduate students. Supervision style of a…

  5. The possible effects of health professional mobility on access to care for patients.

    PubMed

    Glinos, Irene A

    2014-01-01

    The chapter explains how health professional mobility impacts on the resources and capacity available within a health system, and how this affects service delivery and access. The contrasting experiences of destination countries, which receive foreign inflows of health professionals, and of source countries, which loose workforce due to outflows, are illustrated with country examples. The evidence opens the debate on how EU countries compete for health workforce, what this means for resource-strained, crisis-hit Member States, and whether there is any room for intra-European solidarity. The nexus between patient mobility and health professional mobility is moreover highlighted. This take on free mobility in the EU has received little attention, and while evidence is scarce, it calls for careful analysis when considering the possible effects of free movement on access to care in national health systems. The chapter reformulates the question on 'who wins' and 'who looses' from freedom of movement in the EU to turn our attention away from those who go abroad for care and instead focus on those who stay at home.

  6. Through the eyes of professional developers: Understanding the design of learning experiences for science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Higgins, Tara Eileen

    Professional development is important for improving teacher practice and student learning, particularly in inquiry-oriented and technology-enhanced science instruction. This study examines professional developers' practices and their impact on teachers' classroom instruction and student achievement. It analyzes professional developers designing and implementing a five-year professional development program designed to support middle school science teachers. The professional developers are four university-based researchers who worked with sixteen science teachers over three years, setting program goals, facilitating workshops, providing in-classroom support for teachers, and continually refining the program. The analysis is guided by the knowledge integration perspective, a sociocognitive framework for understanding how teachers and professional developers integrate their ideas about teaching and learning. The study investigates the professional developers' goals and teachers' interpretations of those goals. It documents how professional developers plan teacher learning experiences and explores the connection between professional development activities and teachers' classroom practice. Results are based on two rounds of interviews with professional developers, audio recordings of professional developers' planning meetings and videotaped professional development activities. Data include classroom observations, teacher interviews, teacher reflections during professional development activities, and results from student assessments. The study shows the benefit of a professional development approach that relies on an integrated cycle of setting goals, understanding teachers' interpretations, and refining implementation. The professional developers based their design on making inquiry and technology accessible, situating professional development in teachers' work, supporting collaboration, and sustaining learning. The findings reflect alignment of the design goals with the

  7. Developing an online professional network for veterinary education: the NOVICE project.

    PubMed

    Baillie, Sarah; Kinnison, Tierney; Forrest, Neil; Dale, Vicki H M; Ehlers, Jan P; Koch, Michael; Mándoki, Mira; Ciobotaru, Emilia; de Groot, Esther; Boerboom, Tobias B B; van Beukelen, Peter

    2011-01-01

    An online professional network for veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary educationalists, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) educationalists is being developed under the EU (European Union) Lifelong Learning Programme. The network uses Web 2.0, a term used to describe the new, more interactive version of the Internet, and includes tools such as wikis, blogs, and discussion boards. Focus groups conducted with qualified and student veterinarians within the project's five founding countries (The Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, Romania) demonstrated that online professional communities can be valuable for accessing information and establishing contacts. Online networks have the potential to overcome common challenges to face-to-face communities-such as distance, cost, and timing-but they have their own drawbacks, such as security and professionalism issues. The Network Of Veterinary ICt in Education (NOVICE) was developed using Elgg, an open-source, free social networking platform, after several software options had been considered. NOVICE aims to promote the understanding of Web 2.0, confidence to use social software tools, and participation in an online community. Therefore, the Web site contains help sections, Frequently Asked Questions, and access to support from ICT experts. Five months after the network's launch (and just over one year into the project) 515 members from 28 countries had registered. Further research will include analysis of a core group's activities, which will inform ongoing support for and development of informal, lifelong learning in a veterinary context.

  8. Holding personal information in a disease-specific register: the perspectives of people with multiple sclerosis and professionals on consent and access.

    PubMed

    Baird, W; Jackson, R; Ford, H; Evangelou, N; Busby, M; Bull, P; Zajicek, J

    2009-02-01

    To determine the views of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and professionals in relation to confidentiality, consent and access to data within a proposed MS register in the UK. Qualitative study using focus groups (10) and interviews (13). England and Northern Ireland. 68 people with MS, neurologists, MS nurses, health services management professionals, researchers, representatives from pharmaceutical companies and social care professionals. People with MS expressed open and altruistic views towards the use of their personal information to facilitate service provision and research, placing trust in responsible guardianship and legitimate use of their information. Participant's proposed that people with MS should be able to select their individual level of involvement in a register using levels of consent. It was agreed that access to the register should be governed by a guardianship committee composed of a range of stakeholders. People with MS did not wish their details to be used by marketing agencies and did not consider this a legitimate use of their data. Whilst participants were positive of the role a register could play in promoting research, participants felt that access to data by pharmaceutical industries should be administered by the guardianship committee. People with MS are concerned should their employers be able to access their personal information. Professionals were more cautious than people with MS in their approach to the use of patient personal data within a register. Whilst all stakeholders were positive of the benefits of an MS register, development of such a resource must incorporate robust data security and guardianship measures in order to ensure that, whilst opportunities are maximised, risks to the privacy of individuals and legal challenges to professionals are avoided.

  9. Online professional development for digitally differentiated nurses: An action research perspective.

    PubMed

    Green, J K; Huntington, A D

    2017-01-01

    Professional development opportunities for nurses are increasingly being offered in the online environment and therefore it is imperative that learning designers, nurse educators and healthcare organisations consider how best to support staff to enable Registered Nurses to capitalise on the resources available. Research participants explored educational strategies to support digitally differentiated nurses' engagement with professional development activities in an online environment through a participatory action research project that collected data over a 16 month period through six focus groups before being analysed thematically. The reality of work-based, e-learning while managing clinical workloads can be problematic however specific measures, such as having a quiet space and computer away from the clinical floor, access to professional development resources from anywhere and at any time, can be effective. A 'one-size-fits-all' approach to resources offered will not meet the needs of diverse staffing groups whereas heutagogical learning offers tangible benefits to Registered Nurses seeking professional development opportunities in this context. Apparent proficiency with technological skills may not reflect a Registered Nurse's actual ability in this environment and face-to-face support offered regularly, rather than remedially, can be beneficial for some staff. Implementing specific strategies can result in successful transition to the online environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Access to livelihood assets among youth with and without disabilities in South Africa: implications for health professional education.

    PubMed

    Lorenzo, Theresa; Cramm, Jane Murray

    2012-05-23

    This study compared access to 5 livelihood assets among disabled and non-disabled youth, to inform health professionals on inequities related to disability and to monitor the transformation agenda aimed at creating an inclusive society. Fieldworkers interviewed 989 youth (18 - 35 years; 523 (52.9%) disabled youth (DY), 466 (47.1%) non-disabled youth (NDY)) at 9 sites in 5 South African provinces. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics and livelihood assets. Chi-squared and t-tests were used for comparisons. Doctors at hospitals and nurses at clinics are health professionals most frequently seen. Far fewer DY than NDY attended and completed school. Unemployment was markedly more common among DY than among NDY. Barriers to accessing employment for DY were poor health and lack of skills development, and a lack of job opportunities for NDY. Both groups received the same amount of support from immediate household members, but significantly more NDY received support from extended family, friends, partners, and neighbours. They spent significantly more time engaging in all free-time activities. NDY reported more access to bathrooms, phone, and newspapers, as well as public services and the business sector. Participation and access were limited for both groups because of inaccessible public transport. This paper shows that DY have a greater struggle to access livelihood assets than non-disabled peers. The Disability Studies Academic Programme at the University of Cape Town is an initiative that seeks to take specific focused action with disability organisations in order to address the inequities faced by disabled youth to ensure their inclusion in development to the same degree as their non-disabled peers.

  11. A Digital Ethnography of Medical Students who Use Twitter for Professional Development.

    PubMed

    Chretien, Katherine C; Tuck, Matthew G; Simon, Michael; Singh, Lisa O; Kind, Terry

    2015-11-01

    While researchers have studied negative professional consequences of medical trainee social media use, little is known about how medical students informally use social media for education and career development. This knowledge may help future and current physicians succeed in the digital age. We aimed to explore how and why medical students use Twitter for professional development. This was a digital ethnography. Medical student "superusers" of Twitter participated in the study The postings ("tweets") of 31 medical student superusers were observed for 8 months (May-December 2013), and structured field notes recorded. Through purposive sampling, individual key informant interviews were conducted to explore Twitter use and values until thematic saturation was reached (ten students). Three faculty key informant interviews were also conducted. Ego network and subnetwork analysis of student key informants was performed. Qualitative analysis included inductive coding of field notes and interviews, triangulation of data, and analytic memos in an iterative process. Twitter served as a professional tool that supplemented the traditional medical school experience. Superusers approached their use of Twitter with purpose and were mindful of online professionalism as well as of being good Twitter citizens. Their tweets reflected a mix of personal and professional content. Student key informants had a high number of followers. The subnetwork of key informants was well-connected, showing evidence of a social network versus information network. Twitter provided value in two major domains: access and voice. Students gained access to information, to experts, to a variety of perspectives including patient and public perspectives, and to communities of support. They also gained a platform for advocacy, control of their digital footprint, and a sense of equalization within the medical hierarchy. Twitter can serve as a professional tool that supplements traditional education. Students

  12. Who Provides Professional Development? A Study of Professional Development in Qatar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freeman, Donald; Reynolds, Dudley; Toledo, Will; Abu-Tineh, Abdullah Mohammad Hamdan

    2016-01-01

    This paper argues that understanding what is offered as professional development frames what matters in English language teaching in a national education system. Analyzing these offerings articulates the values and perceptions of the work environment in which teachers live professionally. The "Learning4Teaching" ("L4T") project…

  13. Supporting Literacy in Preschool: Using a Teacher-Observation Tool to Guide Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNerney, Shelly; Nielsen, Diane Corcoran; Clay, Phyllis

    2006-01-01

    Teachers involved with professional-development opportunities inevitably differ in their content knowledge, access to resources, and instructional practices. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a standardized assessment observation tool, selected to gather summative information for grant-evaluation purposes about preschool teachers'…

  14. A Space Science Teacher Professional Development Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Limaye, Sanjay S.; Pertzborn, Rosalyn A.

    Recent adoption of state/national science education standards by school districts in the US has created a need for effective teacher professional development in space science at elementary middle and high school level. Particularly at the elementary and middle school levels majority of teachers teaching the Astronomy/Space Science content have had little education in the area regardless of when they obtained their certification. To meet this growing need the Office of Space Science Education has developed a program to offer teachers background content knowledge through summer workshops and periodic school year meetings for a small number of teachers from Wisconsin and Illinois. The program has included lectures by experts tours of observatories (professional and amateur) science museums and planetariums and on-line learning. A highlight of the program has been introducing teachers to hands-on observing through remotely accessible telescopes. Another aspect has been to make them aware of the many resources available to them through NASA missions. The most significant benefit for the teachers however has been the creation of a peer group and the support it offers in sharing curriculum and lesson plans. This effort has been supported by a NASA/IDEAS grant

  15. Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benson, Chris, Ed.

    2000-01-01

    This serial issue contains 12 articles on the theme of "Professional Development," specifically about how teachers in the Bread Loaf Rural Teacher Network (BLRTN) are fostering their own and each other's development as teachers. The BLRTN consists of approximately 260 rural teachers in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky,…

  16. Quality Assessment of Clinical Practice Guidelines Developed by Professional Societies in Turkey

    PubMed Central

    Yaşar, Ilknur; Kahveci, Rabia; Baydar Artantaş, Aylin; Ayhan Başer, Duygu; Gökşin Cihan, Fatma; Şencan, Irfan; Koç, Esra Meltem; Özkara, Adem

    2016-01-01

    Background Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances. There is a limited number of studies on guidelines in Turkey. The quality of Ministry of Health guidelines have formerly been assessed whereas there is no information on the other guidelines developed in the country. Aim This study aims to assess the quality of CPGs that are developed by professional societies that work for the health sector in Turkey, and compare the findings with international guidelines. Methodology Professional societies that work for the health sector were determined by using the data obtained from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined for selecting the CPGs. Guidelines containing recommendations about disease management to the doctors, accessible online, developed within the past 5 years, citing references for recommendations, about the diseases over 1% prevalence according to the “Statistical Yearbook of Turkey 2012” were included in the study. The quality of CPGs were assessed with the AGREE II instrument, which is an internationally recognized tool for this purpose. Four independent reviewers, who did not participate in the development of the selected guidelines and were trained in CPG appraisal, used the AGREE instrument for assessment of the selected guidelines. Findings 47 professional societies were defined which provided access to CPGs in their websites; 3 of them were only open to members so these could not be reached. 8 CPGs from 7 societies were selected from a total of 401 CPGs from 44 societies. The mean scores of the domains of the guidelines which were assessed by the AGREE II tool were; Scope and purpose: 64%, stakeholder involvement: 37.9%, rigour of development: 35.3%, clarity and presentation: 77.9%, applicability: 49.0% and editorial independence: 46.0%. Conclusion This is the first

  17. Quality Assessment of Clinical Practice Guidelines Developed by Professional Societies in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Yaşar, Ilknur; Kahveci, Rabia; Baydar Artantaş, Aylin; Ayhan Başer, Duygu; Gökşin Cihan, Fatma; Şencan, Irfan; Koç, Esra Meltem; Özkara, Adem

    2016-01-01

    Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances. There is a limited number of studies on guidelines in Turkey. The quality of Ministry of Health guidelines have formerly been assessed whereas there is no information on the other guidelines developed in the country. This study aims to assess the quality of CPGs that are developed by professional societies that work for the health sector in Turkey, and compare the findings with international guidelines. Professional societies that work for the health sector were determined by using the data obtained from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined for selecting the CPGs. Guidelines containing recommendations about disease management to the doctors, accessible online, developed within the past 5 years, citing references for recommendations, about the diseases over 1% prevalence according to the "Statistical Yearbook of Turkey 2012" were included in the study. The quality of CPGs were assessed with the AGREE II instrument, which is an internationally recognized tool for this purpose. Four independent reviewers, who did not participate in the development of the selected guidelines and were trained in CPG appraisal, used the AGREE instrument for assessment of the selected guidelines. 47 professional societies were defined which provided access to CPGs in their websites; 3 of them were only open to members so these could not be reached. 8 CPGs from 7 societies were selected from a total of 401 CPGs from 44 societies. The mean scores of the domains of the guidelines which were assessed by the AGREE II tool were; 64%, stakeholder involvement: 37.9%, rigour of development: 35.3%, clarity and presentation: 77.9%, applicability: 49.0% and editorial independence: 46.0%. This is the first study in Turkey regarding quality appraisal of guidelines developed by

  18. Continuing Professional Library and Information Science Education for Advancing Equity of Access.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roy, Loriene; Lee, Seung-ah

    Equity of access is one of the American Library Association's (ALA's) five key action areas. Discussions of digital divide issues sometimes sound confusing and unfocused; however, the digital divide issue provides information professionals with the opportunity to discover more about their own skills and potential, to understand more about library…

  19. Standards and Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zengler, Cynthia J.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the professional development that has taken place in conjunction with Ohio adopting the College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards. The professional development (PD) has changed over time to include not only training on the new standards and lesson plans but training on the concepts defined in the…

  20. Integrating professional behavior development across a professional allied health curriculum.

    PubMed

    Tsoumas, Linda J; Pelletier, Deborah

    2007-01-01

    Professional behaviors are an integral part of clinical practice in all allied health and medical fields. A systematic process for instruction, the education, and development of professional behaviors, cannot be taught in the same way that memorization of human anatomy or medical terminology is taught. One cannot expect professional behaviors to just appear in an individual upon graduation and entry into a health care field. Professional behavior development is an essential component of physical therapy professional education and is clearly defined through the guiding documents of the American Physical Therapy Association, which include 'A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education,' 'Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapists,' and the 'Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.' Building a comprehensive and progressive curricular thread for professional behaviors can pose a challenge for a professional program and the core faculty. This paper will present a curricular model of weaving professional behaviors into a core entry-level professional curriculum using a specific curricular thread, activities for different levels of students, and assessment at each point in the path. This paper will demonstrate the potential for universal application of a professional behaviors.

  1. Introducing Online Training in an Early Childhood Professional Development System: Lessons Learned in One State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone-MacDonald, Angi; Douglass, Anne

    2015-01-01

    Online educational opportunities provide improved access to high quality professional development for the early education and care workforce. Online and technology mediated learning can create sustainable education and development opportunities for states when face-to-face training is financially prohibitive. This study examined one state's…

  2. Planning Considerations for Afterschool Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradshaw, L. Daniele

    2015-01-01

    Professional development is vital to the success of afterschool programs. Effective professional development enhances afterschool program quality by facilitating staff performance and knowledge; in addition, professional development is vital for improving student learning outcomes (Bouffard & Little, 2004; Hall & Surr, 2005; Joyce &…

  3. Professional Competence and Continuing Professional Development in Accounting: Professional Practice vs. Non-Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Brid

    2017-01-01

    In 2004, the International Federation of Accountants introduced International Education Standard 7 (IES 7), requiring all member professional accounting bodies to adopt mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) schemes. IES 7 places responsibility on individual accounting practitioners to maintain, develop and certify appropriate…

  4. Developing the Developers: Supporting and Researching the Learning of Professional Development Facilitators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perry, Emily; Boylan, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Research on teacher professional development is extensive but there are fewer studies about the practitioners who facilitate professional development. Here we report on a pilot programme for professional development facilitators rooted in a cycle of action research. Informed by a categorisation of professional knowledge and skills of facilitators,…

  5. Indiana State University Professional Development School Partnership: Systemic, Symbiotic, and Solution-Oriented

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Libler, Rebecca

    2010-01-01

    The Indiana State University Professional Development Schools (ISU PDS) Partnership sprang from the convergence of two strong needs: (1) the need for real life practice in the way of extended clinical experiences for teacher education students in schools of practice; and (2) the need on the part of the schools in the community to have access to…

  6. An Examination of Effective Professional Development Characteristics in Professional Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strickland, Crystal Y.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the extent to which professional development practices in professional learning communities are consistent with research-based principles of effective professional development. Additionally, the study investigated potential differences in the content focus, active learning, coherence, and…

  7. Development of professional expertise in optometry.

    PubMed

    Faucher, Caroline

    2011-04-01

    Development of professional expertise is the gradual transition from novice to expert within a profession. Studies on expertise in the profession of optometry have never been published. However, many studies have been performed in other health professions (e.g., nursing, medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy). This report is an overview of the development of professional expertise that will highlight some applications for optometry. A 5-level scale of professional expertise development, divided into 2 parts, is described. The first part is the progression of students during their professional studies (novice, intermediate, competent). The second part is the professional development occurring during the practice years (advanced, expert). Personal and collective efforts are required to foster the progression toward expertise. Great interest for the profession, motivation, and deliberate practice are individual attitudes that help this progression. The "optometric community of practice," by means of university (professional) training, continuing education, and collaboration between colleagues, also contributes to this process. Professional development is an integral part of the Optometric Oath. Each clinical case is a potential learning experience contributing to one's professional development. Optometrists' attitudes are predominant factors in the progression from one level to another. Copyright © 2011 American Optometric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Professional Development Initiative. Proposal for Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University (NJ1), 2004

    2004-01-01

    With the support of the Education Cabinet, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation launched the Professional Development Initiative in early 2004. The Initiative's Implementation Work Group focused on four key areas to enhance North Carolina's system of professional development for K-12 teachers. Those areas were: (1) Professional Development Online…

  9. Developing professionalism: dental students' perspective.

    PubMed

    Ashar, Abid; Ahmad, Amina

    2014-12-01

    To explore the undergraduate dental students' insight of their professionalism development through Focus Group Discussions (FGD). Constructivist approach using qualitative phenomenological design. Fatima Memorial Hospital, College of Dentistry, Lahore, from April to June 2011. Four FGDs of 1st year (8 students), 2nd year (6 students), 3rd year (6 students) and 4th year (6 students) enrolled in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program were conducted to explore how they have developed various elements of professionalism namely altruism, accountability, excellence, duty and service, honor and integrity, and respect for all; and how professionalism can be further developed in them. The FGDs were audio taped, transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. Triangulation of themes and trends were done through content analysis by relating to their respective frequency of quotes. Data verification was done through audit by second author. Role models and social responsibility were the main reasons in the students' professionalism development thus far with personal virtues and reasons; religion; and punishment and reward contributing to a lesser degree. Training contributed least but was deemed most in furthering professionalism. Excessive workload (quota) and uncongenial educational environment were considered detrimental to the cause. Formal planning and implementation of professionalism curriculum; selection of students with appropriate attributes; control of hidden curriculum, including effective role models, good educational and working environments will foster professionalism among dental students maximally.

  10. Professional Development: Then and Now

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bolt, Susan

    2012-01-01

    Technological developments have altered pedagogies in classroom teaching but approaches to teacher professional development have remained largely unchanged. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evolving learning process that spans the last decade and draws from three different investigations into professional development. The author…

  11. Professional Development: Setting the Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watts, Gordon E.; Hammons, James O.

    2002-01-01

    States that professional development programs, though they run the gamut from fledgling to comprehensive, have developed over the last three decades as a result of the rapid growth of the community college. Examines some of the early struggles of the professional development movement and discusses future challenges. (AUTH/NB)

  12. Observation Tools for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malu, Kathleen F.

    2015-01-01

    Professional development of teachers, including English language teachers, empowers them to change in ways that improve teaching and learning (Gall and Acheson 2011; Murray 2010). In their seminal research on staff development--professional development in today's terms--Joyce and Showers (2002) identify key factors that promote teacher change.…

  13. How to be a good professional: existentialist continuing professional development (CPD)

    PubMed Central

    Mulvey, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    This article reflects on the construct and practice of continuing professional development (CPD) and its significance for the professional careers workforce. The article presents the idea of the CPD triad and considers how professional bodies, employers and individuals can each benefit from a practitioner's ongoing commitment to continuing professional development. The tension between the practitioner's quest for lifelong learning is set against professional body demands, leading to the conclusion that these are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Consideration is given to propositional, practical and procedural knowledge, and to overall competence. The article explores an existentialist approach to professional learning, and concludes that, along with personal agency, this could usefully be adopted by career practitioners to weather turbulent times. PMID:24009404

  14. Professional Development Policies and Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of the Interior, Washington, DC.

    This memorandum sets forth policies, objectives, plans and programs for providing opportunities to professional staff for development of their technical and managerial skills. Section titles are: Policy and Objectives; Methods of Achieving Objectives; Cooperative Determination of Training Needs, Professional Development Plan; Agency Financial…

  15. Career Mapping for Professional Development and Succession Planning.

    PubMed

    Webb, Tammy; Diamond-Wells, Tammy; Jeffs, Debra

    Career mapping facilitates professional development of nurses by education specialists and nurse managers. On the basis of national Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards, our education and professional development framework supports the organization's professional practice model and provides a foundation for the professional career map. This article describes development, implementation, and evaluation of the professional career map for nurses at a large children's hospital to support achievement of the nursing strategic goals for succession planning and professional development.

  16. Missouri Professional Development Guidelines for Student Success.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Missouri State Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City.

    These guidelines help professional development chairs, administrators, and teachers collaboratively plan for the ongoing skill development and content acquisition of staff members. Section 1, "Missions, Mandates, and Regulations for Professional Development," describes the mission of professional development as supporting teachers in…

  17. Tailoring Professional Development for IT Staff

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haile, Christine E.; Trubitt, Lisa

    2007-01-01

    Professional development has become an increasingly important topic among information technology (IT) professionals in higher education, but what does it mean to engage in professional development activities? How does an institution create an initiative that meets broad organizational goals while taking into account the specific needs of the…

  18. Teachers as Researchers: Supporting Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gennaoui, Michele; Kretschmer, Robert E.

    1996-01-01

    Contrasts traditional professional development and a teacher-as-researcher project implemented at the Saint Francis de Sales School for the Deaf. Discusses ways the project influenced the professional development of teachers, the effects on the school community of group collaboration among diverse professional staff, support mechanisms required,…

  19. Designing Professional Development That Works.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birman, Beatrice F.; Desimone, Laura; Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.

    2000-01-01

    By studying survey data from 1,000 teachers participating in a Title II workshop, researchers identified three structural features (form, duration, and collective participation) that set a proper context for professional development. Three core features of professional-development learning experience include content focus, active learning, and…

  20. Creating Professional Learning Communities: The Work of Professional Development Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doolittle, Gini; Sudeck, Maria; Rattigan, Peter

    2008-01-01

    If professional learning communities offer opportunities for improving the teaching and learning process, then developing strong professional development school (PDS) partnerships establish an appropriate framework for that purpose. PDS partnerships, however, can be less than effective without proper planning and discussion about the aims of those…

  1. An Examination of the Relationship between Professional Development Providers' Epistemological and Nature of Science Beliefs and Their Professional Development Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia Arriola, Alfonso

    In the last twenty years in US science education, professional development has emphasized the need to change science instruction from a direct instruction model to a more participatory and constructivist learning model. The result of these reform efforts has seen an increase in science education professional development that is focused on providing teaching strategies that promote inquiry learning to learn science content. Given these reform efforts and teacher responses to professional development, research seems to indicate that whether teachers actually change their practice may depend on the teachers' basic epistemological beliefs about the nature of science. The person who builds the bridge between teacher beliefs and teacher practice is the designer and facilitator of science teacher professional development. Even though these designers and facilitators of professional development are critical to science teacher change, few have studied how these professionals approach their work and what influence their beliefs have on their professional development activities. Eight developers and designers of science education professional development participated in this study through interviews and the completion of an online questionnaire. To examine the relationship between professional development providers' science beliefs and their design, development, and implementation of professional development experiences for science teachers, this study used the Views on Science Education Questionnaire (VOSE), and interview transcripts as well as analysis of the documents from teacher professional development experiences. Through a basic interpretive qualitative analysis, the predominant themes that emerged from this study suggest that the nature of science is often equated with the practice of science, personal beliefs about the nature of science have a minimal impact on the design of professional development experiences, current reform efforts in science education have a

  2. The Professional Responsibilities of Professional Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhode, Deborah L.

    1999-01-01

    A discussion of the professional responsibility of law schools focuses on the need to highlight professional issues within the curriculum, pro bono policies, access to and delivery of legal services to those who need them, equal access to legal education, and more effective treatment of issues related to race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual…

  3. Partnering for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis-Duerr, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    Literacy specialists are often overlooked when determining the professional development needs within a school, and yet they are arguably the school's best resource to empower teachers with professional growth to meet state mandates. How can literacy specialists be supported to increase their knowledge and skills so that all educators' and…

  4. 76 FR 32968 - Proposed Extensions and Waivers: National Center To Enhance the Professional Development of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-07

    ... quality of special education personnel training and professional development. The goal is to help ensure... access to, and greater participation and progress in, the general education curriculum in the least... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA No. 84.325F] Proposed Extensions and Waivers: National Center To...

  5. Fostering Collaboration with Families of Children with Disabilities: Online Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collier, Margo; Kingsley, Karla V.; Ovitt, Brigid; Lin, Yi-Ling; Romero Benavidez, Juliette

    2017-01-01

    Technology has reshaped conceptions of professional development by increasing access to information, enabling sustained follow-up efforts, and fostering teacher reflection and collaboration. Drawing on theoretical models of parent involvement and an ethic of caring, this study examined the perceptions and attitudes of educators toward…

  6. Online Professional Development: A Primer

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bates, Meg S.; Phalen, Lena; Moran, Cheryl

    2016-01-01

    Many teachers are turning to online professional development to meet their learning needs, but the vast array of available opportunities may be overwhelming. This article provides a framework for making sense of common online teacher learning opportunities. It also suggests situations where online professional development may be most useful and…

  7. Developing Professionalism in Business School Undergraduates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Timothy S.; Amer, Tarek S.; Ng, Pin T.

    2014-01-01

    The authors explore the importance of developing professional behavior among business students and introduce a program designed to incentivize professionalism during undergraduate study. The Professionalism Recognition Program was established to promote, recognize, rate, and reward the students' professional conduct in a flexible and widely…

  8. Twitter and Physics Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nadji, Taoufik

    2016-01-01

    The advent of Twitter® and other social media services of its type ushered in a new era of professional development in education. This article addresses how a group of users have been employing Twitter to conduct professional development sessions that would benefit their participants by advancing their pedagogical approaches to learning and…

  9. Implementing School-Based Professional Development in Kentucky.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Patricia L.; Stallion, Brenda K.

    1996-01-01

    Data from elementary and secondary principals and teachers identified six recommendations for improving school based professional development: (preparing an articulated mission; planning for professional development at the school and practitioner level; implementing the plan; providing broad support for professional development; building and…

  10. Chapter 2: Effective Professional Development--What We Now Know Calls for Professional Development for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bechtel, Pamela A.; O'Sullivan, Mary

    2006-01-01

    There are many factors that affect the design of effective professional development (PD) programs. This review of literature focuses on some of the theoretical models used to explain teacher change, the contextual factors that impact teacher behaviors and curricular change, and the role of continuous professional development in changing teaching…

  11. Literacy-Related Professional Development Preferences of Secondary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Shara L.; Lee, Elizabeth A.

    2014-01-01

    A survey of 100 teachers in one Ontario school board examined their literacy-related professional development preferences. The majority preferred short durations of literacy-related professional development. A small number did not want any literacy-related professional development. The most preferred forms of professional development were shared…

  12. Professional Development in Adult Basic Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marceau, Georges

    2003-01-01

    Addresses the professional development needs of adult basic education instructors. Describes federal and state resources for professional development. Recommends field-based research, reflective practice, and learner-centered instruction. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

  13. Conceptualizing and Evaluating Professional Development for School Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldring, Ellen B.; Preston, Courtney; Huff, Jason

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we present a review of the field of professional development for school leaders. The paper sets out a framework for defining what professional development is, articulates criteria to define "high quality" professional development, and describes goals for professional development. It then critiques the research on…

  14. Designing and Implementing Online Professional Development Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kleiman, Glenn; Dash, Terry; Ethier, Denise; Johnson, Kirsten; Metrick, Susan; Treacy, Barbara

    2000-01-01

    This report provides useful information for those who are planning to incorporate online learning into professional development programs, as well as those who will design and implement online professional development activities. The Education Development center, Inc. (EDC) Center for Online Professional Education is continuing to explore this new…

  15. [How do immigrant women access health services in the Basque Country? Perceptions of health professionals].

    PubMed

    Pérez-Urdiales, Iratxe; Goicolea, Isabel

    2017-09-12

    To determine the perception of health professionals working in alternative health centres on the barriers and facilitators in the access by immigrant women to general public health services and sexual and reproductive health in the Basque Country. Basque Country. Analysis of qualitative content based on 11 individual interviews. Health professionals working in alternative health centres of Primary Care and sexual and reproductive health. Data collection was performed between September and December 2015 in four alternative health centres. After transcription, the units of meaning, codes and categories were identified. Four categories emerged from the analysis, which represented how the characteristics of immigrant women (Tell me how you are and I will tell you how to access), the attitude of the administrative and health staff ("When they are already taken care of"), the functioning of the health system (Inflexible, passive and needs-responsive health system), and health policies ("If you do not meet the requirements, you do not go in. The law is the law") influence access to health services of immigrant women. This study shows that there are a considerable number of barriers and few facilitators to the access by immigrant women to public health and sexual and reproductive health services in the Basque Country. The alternative health centres were presented as favouring the improvement of the health of the immigrant population and in their access. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

  16. Personal, Professional Coaching: Transforming Professional Development for Teacher and Administrative Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patti, Janet; Holzer, Allison A.; Stern, Robin; Brackett, Marc A.

    2012-01-01

    This article makes the case for a different approach to the professional development of teachers and school leaders called personal, professional coaching (PPC). Personal, professional coaching is grounded in reflective practices that cultivate self-awareness, emotion management, social awareness, and relationship management. Findings from two…

  17. Physiotherapists' stories about professional development.

    PubMed

    Pettersson, Anna F; Bolander Laksov, Klara; Fjellström, Mona

    2015-01-01

    A professional career may extend over a period of 40 years. Although learning is a feature of professional competence, little is known about learning and development after professional entry education. Narrative inquiry was used to understand how physiotherapists learned and developed over time, and stories from a purposeful sample of 12 physiotherapists were collected. Stories were thematically analyzed with regard to key elements related to learning and development, and common themes were identified across stories. Four themes emerged from the analysis where physiotherapists learned and developed in working life: (1) facing challenges; (2) contrasting perspectives; (3) drawing on hundreds of educators; and (4) building on personal experience. Non-formal ways of learning in working life may help physiotherapists learn and develop confidence, communication strategies and different approaches to treatment. Besides reflection on personal experience and patient encounters, learning and development may be promoted and supported by taking on challenges and changing settings.

  18. Rewriting Professional Development: Professional Learning Communities in an Urban Charter School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glasheen, Gregory J.

    2017-01-01

    This study challenges traditional professional development models, in which teachers are positioned as receptacles for knowledge and "best practices". This type of professional development devalues the local knowledge teachers possess, their theories of practice (Lytle & Cochran-Smith, 1994), and their ability to reflect on their…

  19. On Teacher Professional Development: Improving Professional Qualifications and Membership in Professional Teacher Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sobkin, V. S.; Adamchuk, D. V.

    2015-01-01

    The article examines issues related to the professional development of teachers. The presented material is structured according to four main themes: teacher self-assessment of their professional competence; their attitude toward traditional forms of training; their participation in events organized by the educational community and associations;…

  20. Transportation safety professional development clearinghouse

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-02-01

    Throughout private and public work settings, employee professional development is regarded as critical to grooming future leaders and to attract and retain talented employees who will enable the company or agency to achieve its goals. Professional de...

  1. Considering Professional Identity to Enhance Agriculture Teacher Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shoulders, Catherine W.; Myers, Brian E.

    2011-01-01

    The professional identity secondary agriculture teachers display can affect their receptiveness and interest in different professional development events, yet is often overlooked when designing professional development because it is not included in the consensus of proven methods of professional development design and delivery (Desimone, 2009).…

  2. Evidence-Based Principles for Using Technology-Enhanced Learning in the Continuing Professional Development of Health Professionals.

    PubMed

    Scott, Karen M; Baur, Louise; Barrett, Jenny

    2017-01-01

    Increasingly, health professional training involves the use of educational technologies through what is broadly termed "Technology-Enhanced Learning" (TEL). TEL includes hardware, such as computers and mobile devices, and software, such as software applications (apps), learning management systems, and discussion boards. For many years, TEL has formed an integral part of health professional programs and is growing in acceptance, if not expectation, in postgraduate training and continuing education. TEL generally aims to be flexible, engaging, learner focused and interactive, and may involve collaboration and communication. It offers many benefits for learning and teaching, whether used on its own or in conjunction with face-to-face teaching through blended learning. The ubiquity of mobile devices in clinical settings means TEL is ideal for busy clinicians, both as learners and teachers. TEL enables participants to learn at a time and place that is convenient to them, so learners living in geographically dispersed locations can access standardized courses. To realize these potential benefits, we recommend that those developing TEL programs for health professionals take a systematic approach to planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. To that end, we propose 10 principles: clarify purpose and conduct a needs assessment; allocate adequate time and technology; incorporate proven approaches to improve learning; consider the need for a skills component; enable interaction between learners and with others; create different resources for different groups; pilot before implementing; incorporate measures to retain learners; provide opportunities for revision to aid retention; and evaluate learning outcomes, not just satisfaction.

  3. A Measure of Professional Identity Development for Professional Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tan, Chin Pei; Van der Molen, H. T.; Schmidt, H. G.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to create a new scale with a validated construct to measure professional identity development in students being prepared to become new practitioners. Using the new survey instrument (named the Professional Identity Five-Factor Scale), data were collected from a polytechnic with students enrolled in a wide range of…

  4. The Effects of Professional Development on Universal Design for Instruction on Faculty Perception and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Hye Jin; Roberts, Kelly; Delise, Danielle

    2017-01-01

    The authors conducted professional development (PD) for university personnel, focused on Universal Design for Instruction (UDI), over three days during a summer institute. The UDI-focused PD provided 20 hours of training across six content areas: (a) UDI, (b) accessible distance education and assistive technology, (c) student and faculty rights…

  5. Continuing professional development and the charity paradigm: interrelated individual, collective and organisational issues about continuing professional development.

    PubMed

    Munro, Kathleen M

    2008-11-01

    This paper aims to highlight some issues and tensions that currently challenge the profession, individual nurses and their employers when considering the need for continuing professional development. The Nursing and Midwifery Council states the professional requirements for continuing professional development. However the nature and type required seems to be determined by the individual on the one hand and the organisation on the other, rather than an integral part of professional activity within the context of work. This can lead to a mismatch between personal and organisational goals. Views emerged from participants in a previous case study that focused on learning through work, about support available to nurses for professional development. The perceptions of nurses and their managers about learning through work were explored, using semi structured interviews, picture mapping and structured interviews. The 'Charity Paradigm' is presented as an outcome of major issues within an organisation. It underpins negative perceptions of individuals about employer support of continuing professional development. It is suggested that there is a need for collaborative collective approaches to structured development in order to meet both individual and organisational needs. This is also advocated in order to achieve life long learning and transformational learning within an organisation. The tension between individual personal ambitions and employer demands can adversely affect the professional development of the practitioner and the organisation that employs them. The personal perspectives of nurses and managers about learning within their organisation are therefore important to acknowledge in terms of positive and negative influences. It is also necessary to recognise the contribution of the employer as well as the identifiable charitable contribution of individual practitioners and the input from external contributors to the organisation.

  6. Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science: Lessons Learned for Blended, Scaffolded Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellis, T. D.; TeBockhorst, D.

    2013-12-01

    Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science (TINES) is a NASA EPOESS funded program exploring blended professional development for pre- and in-service educators to learn how to conduct meaningful inquiry lessons and projects in the K-12 classroom. This project combines trainings in GLOBE observational protocols and training in the use of NASA Earth Science mission data in a backward-faded scaffolding approach to teaching and learning about scientific inquiry. It also features a unique partnership with the National Science Teachers Association Learning Center to promote cohort building and blended professional development with access to NSTA's collection of resources. In this presentation, we will discuss lessons learned in year one and two of this program and how we plan to further develop this program over the next two years.

  7. Governing mobile technology use for continuing professional development in the Australian nursing profession.

    PubMed

    Mather, Carey Ann; Gale, Fred; Cummings, Elizabeth Anne

    2017-01-01

    The rapid growth in the use of mobile technology in Australia has outpaced its governance, especially in healthcare settings. Whilst some Australian professional bodies and organisations have developed standards and guidelines to direct appropriate use of social media and mobile technology, clear governance arrangements regarding when, where and how to use mobile technology at point of care in nursing are currently lacking. This paper analyses how the use of mobile technology by nurses at point of care is governed. It highlights the existence of a mobile technology paradox: an identified inability of nurses to access mobile technology in a context where it is increasingly recognised that its use in situ can enhance nursing practice while contributing to mobile learning and continuing professional development. While the recent release of the Registered Nurse Standards for Practice and accompanying Standard for Continuing Professional Development provides some direction regarding professional standards to support the use of mobile technology for mobile learning, we argue a more inclusive approach is required if emerging technologies are to be fully embraced. We describe how an implementation framework, underpinned by more detailed standards, guidelines and codes, could enable the nursing profession to be leaders in embedding mobile technology in healthcare environments nationally and globally. The prevalence of mobile technology in Australia has outpaced its governance in healthcare environments. Its limited availability at point of care is hindering nursing practice, mobile learning and continuing professional development. We discuss the emergence of mobile technology and impediments for its use by nurses in situ. We analyse the professional codes governing nursing, outlining potential reforms to enable implementation of mobile technology at point of care by nurses.

  8. Facilities as teaching tools: A transformative participatory professional development experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, Eric A.

    Resource consumption continues to increase as the population grows. In order to secure a sustainable future, society must educate the next generation to become "sustainability natives." Schools play a pivotal role in educating a sustainability-literate society. However, a disconnect exists between the hidden curriculum of the built environment and the enacted curriculum. This study employs a transformative participatory professional development model to instruct teachers on how to use their school grounds as teaching tools for the purpose of helping students make explicit choices in energy consumption, materials use, and sustainable living. Incorporating a phenomenological perspective, this study considers the lived experience of two sustainability coordinators. Grounded theory provides an interpretational context for the participants' interactions with each other and the professional development process. Through a year long professional development experience - commencing with an intense, participatory two-day workshop -the participants discussed challenges they faced with integrating facilities into school curriculum and institutionalizing a culture of sustainability. Two major needs were identified in this study. For successful sustainability initiatives, a hybrid model that melds top-down and bottom-up approaches offers the requisite mix of administrative support, ground level buy-in, and excitement vis-a-vis sustainability. Second, related to this hybrid approach, K-12 sustainability coordinators ideally need administrative capabilities with access to decision making, while remaining connected to students in a meaningful way, either directly in the classroom, as a mentor, or through work with student groups and projects.

  9. A Grounded Theory of Professional Learning in an Authentic Online Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teräs, Hanna; Kartoglu, Umit

    2017-01-01

    Online professional development (OPD) programs have become increasingly popular. However, participating in professional development does not always lead to profound professional learning. Previous research endeavours have often focussed on measuring user acceptance or on comparing the effectiveness of OPD with a face-to-face delivery, but there is…

  10. Access to and support for continuing professional education amongst Queensland nurses: 2004 and 2007.

    PubMed

    Hegney, Desley; Tuckett, Anthony; Parker, Deborah; Robert, Eley

    2010-02-01

    This paper reports on the findings of a prospective exploratory study related to nurses' self-reports of continuing professional education access and support. The data were gathered by two postal surveys undertaken in 2004 and 2007 each which sampled 3000 nurses of the 30,000 nurse members of the industrial body - Queensland Nurses' Union. The response rates were 44.9% and 39.7% for 2004 and 2007, respectively. Over 85% of the nurses reported they had access to continuing professional education activities. However, it is apparent that the majority of these activities are either partially or completely self-funded. Further, between 2004 and 2007 the amount of financial support provided by employers for continuing education and training activities has decreased significantly. While there were differences between 2004 and 2007, the major barrier to be able to attend continuing professional education were financial (could not afford the fee involved; could not afford to take unpaid leave to attend). Another major barrier in both 2004 and 2007 was having the time to undertake the activity. Analysis for differences between nurses in different geographical locations indicated that distance remains a major barrier for nurses in rural and remote areas. These quantitative findings were supported by the qualitative findings on nurses' work where 'education and training' was, overall, the fifth highest ranked issue requiring further attention. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Patient and professional views of open access hysterosalpingography for the initial management of infertility in primary care

    PubMed Central

    Wilkes, Scott; Rubin, Greg; Crosland, Ann; Hall, Nicola; Murdoch, Alison

    2009-01-01

    Background Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is recommended as a first-line investigation for tubal assessment of infertile women. This investigation is not routinely available to GPs. Aim To explore the perceptions and attitudes of patients and health professionals to open access HSG for the initial management of infertile couples in general practice. Design of study A nested qualitative study using in-depth interviews with GPs, fertility specialists, and infertile couples. Setting Northumberland, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Gateshead. Method Participants were 39 interviewees: 12 GPs, five fertility specialists, and 13 infertile couples (nine interviewed with their partner). Results Four themes emerged: personal factors; will it benefit patients, GPs, and fertility specialists?; professional factors; does it fit the role of a GP?; local context; do the skills exist in general practice?; and wider context; will it benefit the NHS? GPs who had used open access HSG, felt it was appropriate for general practice and would continue to use the service. All GPs, fertility specialists, and infertile couples who had experienced open access HSG wished the service to remain in place. The main barriers to its uptake were: infrequency with which infertility presents; lack of clarity on perceived responsibilities; difficulty keeping up to date, including assimilating guidelines; low clinical priority; and lack of support in authoritative guidance. Conclusion Providing GPs with open access to HSG would allow a full initial assessment of the infertile couple and refer women with blocked tubes directly to tertiary care. While there is general support for the provision of such a facility, the majority of GPs perceive its use as being by a limited number of GPs who have a special interest in infertility. The study findings can inform future development of infertility services at the interface between primary and secondary/tertiary care. PMID:19401016

  12. Integrating ICT in Kenyan Secondary Schools: An Exploratory Case Study of a Professional Development Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tondeur, Jo; Krug, Don; Bill, Mike; Smulders, Maaike; Zhu, Chang

    2015-01-01

    This study explores the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Kenyan secondary schools. Specifically, it is a case study of four schools with no previous access to ICT. The professional development programme from which data for this study were drawn was designed to support teachers learning to integrate ICT in the…

  13. Teachers' Experience from a School-Based Collaborative Teacher Professional Development Programme: Reported Impact on Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Svendsen, Bodil

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to find out how science teachers who have participated in a one-year school-based collaborative teacher professional development programme, perceive the programme's impact on their professional development. Constant comparative analysis was used on data from three schools to generate the findings in this study. The…

  14. Improving Teachers' Assessment Literacy through Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koh, Kim H.

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the effects of professional development on teachers' assessment literacy between two groups of teachers: (1) teachers who were involved in ongoing and sustained professional development in designing authentic classroom assessment and rubrics; and (2) teachers who were given only short-term, one-shot professional development…

  15. Learning processes in the professional development of mental health counselors: knowledge restructuring and illness script formation.

    PubMed

    Strasser, Josef; Gruber, Hans

    2015-05-01

    An important part of learning processes in the professional development of counselors is the integration of declarative knowledge and professional experience. It was investigated in-how-far mental health counselors at different levels of expertise (experts, intermediates, novices) differ in their availability of experience-based knowledge structures. Participants were prompted with 20 client problems. They had to explain those problems, the explanations were analyzed using think-aloud protocols. The results show that experts' knowledge is organized in script-like structures that integrate declarative knowledge and professional experience and help experts in accessing relevant information about cases. Novices revealed less integrated knowledge structures. It is concluded that knowledge restructuring and illness script formation are crucial parts of the professional learning of counselors.

  16. An Innovative Model for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMurray, Sharon; O'Neill, Susan; Thompson, Ross

    2016-01-01

    This paper considers an innovative model of continuing professional development in addressing the needs of children with literacy difficulties, namely the Special Educational Needs Continuing Professional Development Literacy Project. Stranmillis University College, in partnership with St Mary's University College, Belfast secured £4.06 million…

  17. Taiwanese Early Childhood Educators' Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Ching-Yun

    2008-01-01

    This study was designed based on a qualitative paradigm to explore the professional development of Taiwanese early childhood educators. The method of phenomenology was employed. The main research question addressed was "How do early childhood educators construe their professional development experience?" Seven Taiwanese early childhood…

  18. Development of a strategic model for integrating complementary medicines into professional pharmacy practice.

    PubMed

    Ung, Carolina Oi Lam; Harnett, Joanna; Hu, Hao

    2017-08-03

    Traditional medicine (TM) and complementary medicine (CM) products have played an increasingly important role in the business of pharmacy for over two decades in a number of countries. With a focus on the quality use of all medicines including complementary medicines, there have been a number of initiatives to encourage the integration of TM/CM products into professional practice. Recent studies report that many of the barriers that prevent such integration remain. To explore the pharmacists' perspective regarding how barriers to the integration of TM/CM products into the professional practice of pharmacy could be resolved. Purposive sampling and snowballing were used to recruit 11 registered pharmacists who had worked in community pharmacy for a minimum of 6 months to participate in one of 3 focus groups. Focus group questions informed by previous studies, explored participants' perspectives on the actions required to support professional services related to TM/CM products. Pharmacists proposed that five key stakeholders (professional pharmacy organizations, universities, government, pharmacy owners, and pharmacists) enact 4 developments that require a collaborative effort ("education and training", "building the evidence base", "developing reliable and accessible information resources", and "workplace support for best practice"). Manufacturers of TM/CM products were not identified by pharmacists as collaborators in these developments. Collectively, the findings from this study support a strategic model to guide the integration of TM/CM products into the professional practice of pharmacy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The Use of Micro-Blogging for Teacher Professional Development Support and Personalized Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Saress Ellerbe

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to look at how teachers use micro-blogging, in this case Twitter (www.twitter.com), for their own personalized professional learning and how effective Twitter is as a professional development (PD) tool. In order to measure the effectiveness of the tool, the researcher first gleaned nine essential…

  20. Professional Learning Communities: Assessment--Development--Effects.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hipp, Kristine Kiefer; Huffman, Jane Bumpers

    This presentation addresses three topics: (1) the assessment of professional learning communities in schools; (2) the design and development of professional learning communities in schools; and (3) the effects of professional learning communities in schools. The purpose of this brief document is to share descriptions, processes, and materials…

  1. Rural school nurse perception of book studies as an effective method for professional development.

    PubMed

    Gray, Lorali

    2014-05-01

    School nurses who serve public school districts in rural Northwest Washington face barriers in accessing Continuing Education (CE) for professional development as they often practice in remote, isolated school communities. Acknowledging these barriers, the author discusses the inclusion of book studies within an existing training structure as an innovative method of providing professional development. By utilizing training that is already attended by rural school nurses, CE can be enhanced without incurring additional travel, cost, or training time. The school nurse's perception of the effectiveness of book studies as a CE method was examined per a descriptive, qualitative program evaluation. Over a period of 5 years, evaluation and feedback data from 12 rural school nurses were compiled from nine individual school nurse book study evaluations and one general satisfaction survey. Findings indicated overall school nurse satisfaction and belief that school nurse book studies are an effective and beneficial method for the delivery of professional development--a method that promotes collaborative learning and collegiality, informs practice, and provides insight into the broader health and social issues impacting today's students.

  2. Professional Development across the Islands of the South Pacific: A Perspective of a Blended Learning Facilitator

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffmann-Dumienski, Kamila

    2016-01-01

    Access to information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming an increasingly important factor for education and training in the South Pacific region. While many studies have examined the attitudes and understanding of educators towards using ICT in their profession and for their professional development, studies that specifically deal with…

  3. Take Charge of Your Personal and Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goble, Carla B.; Horm, Diane M.

    2010-01-01

    The need for professional development is universal, whatever a person's profession. Professionals must continually enrich their knowledge and increase their sense of professionalism over the course of their careers so as to implement current research-based practice. Early childhood professional development brings to the forefront the significance…

  4. Managing School-Based Professional Development Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Eric C. K.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a model to assist school leaders in managing the professional development activities of teachers. The model illustrates the important role of principals in promoting continuing professional development (CPD), chiefly by cultivating a collaborative learning culture and formulating policy.…

  5. Personal Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Sumathi; Gledhill, Igle; Hartline, Beverly K.; Lakhdar, Zohra Ben; MacLachlan, Anne J.; Mack, Kelly; Mehta, Anita; Wu, Ling-An; Zhang, Hong

    2009-04-01

    Three workshop sessions on personal professional development were held during the Third IUPAP Women in Physics Conference. These were designed to teach participants about planning for career success, "survival skills," negotiation, and ways to transition into scientific leadership positions in their own countries.

  6. Developing a bilingual "persian cued speech" website for parents and professionals of children with hearing impairment.

    PubMed

    Movallali, Guita; Sajedi, Firoozeh

    2014-03-01

    The use of the internet as a source of information gathering, self-help and support is becoming increasingly recognized. Parents and professionals of children with hearing impairment have been shown to seek information about different communication approaches online. Cued Speech is a very new approach to Persian speaking pupils. Our aim was to develop a useful website to give related information about Persian Cued Speech to parents and professionals of children with hearing impairment. All Cued Speech websites from different countries that fell within the first ten pages of Google and Yahoo search-engines were assessed. Main subjects and links were studied. All related information was gathered from the websites, textbooks, articles etc. Using a framework that combined several criteria for health-information websites, we developed the Persian Cued Speech website for three distinct audiences (parents, professionals and children). An accurate, complete, accessible and readable resource about Persian Cued Speech for parents and professionals is available now.

  7. Continuing professional development: best practices.

    PubMed

    Filipe, Helena P; Silva, Eduardo D; Stulting, Andries A; Golnik, Karl C

    2014-01-01

    Continuing professional development (CPD) involves not only educational activities to enhance medical competence in medical knowledge and skills, but also in management, team building, professionalism, interpersonal communication, technology, teaching, and accountability. This paper aims at reviewing best practices to promote effective CPD. Principles and guidelines, as already defined by some professional societies and world organizations, are emphasized as core actions to best enhance an effective lifelong learning after residency. The personal learning plan (PLP) is discussed as the core of a well-structured CPD and we describe how it should be created. Fundamental CPD principles and how they are integrated in the framework of every physician's professional life will be described. The value of systematic and comprehensive CPD documentation and assessment is emphasized. Accreditation requirements and professional relationships with commercial sponsors are discussed.

  8. Strategies for Teaching Regional Climate Modeling: Online Professional Development for Scientists and Decision Makers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walton, P.; Yarker, M. B.; Mesquita, M. D. S.; Otto, F. E. L.

    2014-12-01

    There is a clear role for climate science in supporting decision making at a range of scales and in a range of contexts: from Global to local, from Policy to Industry. However, clear a role climate science can play, there is also a clear discrepancy in the understanding of how to use the science and associated tools (such as climate models). Despite there being a large body of literature on the science there is clearly a need to provide greater support in how to apply appropriately. However, access to high quality professional development courses can be problematic, due to geographic, financial and time constraints. In attempt to address this gap we independently developed two online professional courses that focused on helping participants use and apply two regional climate models, WRF and PRECIS. Both courses were designed to support participants' learning through tutor led programs that covered the basic climate scientific principles of regional climate modeling and how to apply model outputs. The fundamental differences between the two courses are: 1) the WRF modeling course expected participants to design their own research question that was then run on a version of the model, whereas 2) the PRECIS course concentrated on the principles of regional modeling and how the climate science informed the modeling process. The two courses were developed to utilise the cost and time management benefits associated with eLearning, with the recognition that this mode of teaching can also be accessed internationally, providing professional development courses in countries that may not be able to provide their own. The development teams saw it as critical that the courses reflected sound educational theory, to ensure that participants had the maximum opportunity to learn successfully. In particular, the role of reflection is central to both course structures to help participants make sense of the science in relation to their own situation. This paper details the different

  9. "Out of the box" professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2015-04-01

    At a recent AAPT meeting, I was part of a conversation about professional development that focused on conferences. We discussed the current meeting structure used by AAPT and some alternative formats. This discussion added greatly to my own understanding of new ways for teachers to receive their professional development. This conversation also began my friendship with Kelly O'Shea, a physics teacher from New York. She is also a blogger (check her out at https://kellyoshea.wordpress.com) and an innovative educator. Through my relationship with Kelly, I have grown in my own knowledge of two "out of the box" ways teachers are getting their professional development.

  10. Twitter and Physics Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nadji, Taoufik

    2016-11-01

    The advent of Twitter® and other social media services of its type ushered in a new era of professional development in education. This article addresses how a group of users have been employing Twitter to conduct professional development sessions that would benefit their participants by advancing their pedagogical approaches to learning and teaching physics. The diversity within this group is something to both note and celebrate because it includes minorities, women, and physics educators the world over.

  11. Grounding our practice in nursing professional development.

    PubMed

    Dickerson, Pamela S

    2014-07-01

    The Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice is foundational to the work of nurses in a continuing professional development role. Use of the practice and professional performance aspects of the standards supports both quality of learning activities and the continuous growth process of nurses engaged in this area of practice. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  12. Professional Development: What Works. Second Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zepeda, Sally J.

    2012-01-01

    This top-selling book will serve as the compass and road map to your school's professional development journey. A comprehensive and authoritative resource you will go to again and again, this book helps guide principals, directors of professional development, school/district committees, and other leaders in creating an effective professional…

  13. Teachers' Professional Development: A Theoretical Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Postholm, May Britt

    2012-01-01

    Background and purpose: The article reviews studies that focus on the professional development of teachers after they have completed their basic teacher training. Teacher professional development is defined as teachers' learning: how they learn to learn and how they apply their knowledge in practice to support pupils' learning. The research…

  14. The Principal as Professional Development Leader

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindstrom, Phyllis H.; Speck, Marsha

    2004-01-01

    Individual teachers have the greatest effect on student performance. Principals, as professional development leaders, are in the best position to provide teachers with the professional development strategies they need to improve skills and raise student achievement. This book guides readers through a step-by-step process to formulate, implement,…

  15. Professional Development in Technology at High Achieving Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Kevin D.

    2017-01-01

    This study analyzed educators' perception of professional development offered through schools in the area of technology implementation and tried to define its perceived effectiveness in meeting the professional development conceptual framework defined by Gardner, Baker, Vogt, and Hodel in "Four Approaches to Professional Development".…

  16. Improving Professional Development Systems: Recommendations from the Pennsylvania Adult Basic and Literacy Education Professional Development System Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belzer, Alisa

    2005-01-01

    The recommendations from a two-part, formative evaluation of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education professional development system are reported here. The first phase of the evaluation studied the relationships between the vision for professional development held by planners and facilitators and the ways in which participants…

  17. Teachers' Professional Lives and Continuing Professional Development in Changing Times

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Sylvia Yee Fan; Choi, Pik Lin

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a qualitative study about how teachers entering the profession at different times over the last five decades made sense of their professional lives and continuing professional development (CPD) experiences against the backdrop of the CPD policy infrastructure and wider educational context in Hong Kong. The life history method…

  18. Continuing professional development crediting system for specialists in laboratory medicine within 28 EFLM national societies.

    PubMed

    Topic, Elizabeta; Beletic, Andjelo; Zima, Tomas

    2013-01-01

    Continuing professional development (CPD) with corresponding crediting system is recognized as essential for the laboratory medicine specialists to provide optimal service for the patients. Article presents results of the survey evaluating current CPD crediting practice among members of European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM). A questionnaire had been forwarded to presidents/national representatives of all EFLM members, with invitation to provide information about CPD programmes and crediting policies, as well as feedback on individual CPD categories, through scoring their relevance. Complete or partial answers were received from 28 of 38 members. In 23 countries, CPD programmes exist and earn credits, with 19 of them offering access to non-medical scientists. CPD activities are evaluated in all participating countries, regardless to the existence of an official CPD programme. Among participating members with mandatory specialists' licensing (22/28), CPD is a prerequisite for relicensing in 13 countries. Main categories recognized as CPD are: continuing education (24 countries), article/book (17/14 countries) authorship and distance learning (14 countries). The highest median score of relevance (20) is allocated to professional training, editor/authorship and official activities in professional organizations, with the first category showing the least variation among scores. Majority of EFLM members have developed CPD programmes, regularly evaluated and accompanied by crediting systems. Programmes differ in accessibility for non-medical scientists and impact on relicensing eligibility. Continuing education, authorship and e-learning are mainly recognized as CPD activities, although the professional training is appreciated as the most important individual CPD category.

  19. Continuing professional development crediting system for specialists in laboratory medicine within 28 EFLM national societies

    PubMed Central

    Topic, Elizabeta; Beletic, Andjelo; Zima, Tomas

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Continuing professional development (CPD) with corresponding crediting system is recognized as essential for the laboratory medicine specialists to provide optimal service for the patients. Article presents results of the survey evaluating current CPD crediting practice among members of European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM). Materials and methods: A questionnaire had been forwarded to presidents/national representatives of all EFLM members, with invitation to provide information about CPD programmes and crediting policies, as well as feedback on individual CPD categories, through scoring their relevance. Results: Complete or partial answers were received from 28 of 38 members. In 23 countries, CPD programmes exist and earn credits, with 19 of them offering access to non-medical scientists. CPD activities are evaluated in all participating countries, regardless to the existence of an official CPD programme. Among participating members with mandatory specialists’ licensing (22/28), CPD is a prerequisite for relicensing in 13 countries. Main categories recognized as CPD are: continuing education (24 countries), article/book (17/14 countries) authorship and distance learning (14 countries). The highest median score of relevance (20) is allocated to professional training, editor/authorship and official activities in professional organizations, with the first category showing the least variation among scores. Conclusions: Majority of EFLM members have developed CPD programmes, regularly evaluated and accompanied by crediting systems. Programmes differ in accessibility for non-medical scientists and impact on relicensing eligibility. Continuing education, authorship and e-learning are mainly recognized as CPD activities, although the professional training is appreciated as the most important individual CPD category. PMID:24266304

  20. 34 CFR 200.60 - Expenditures for professional development.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Expenditures for professional development. 200.60... Paraprofessionals § 200.60 Expenditures for professional development. (a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2... professional development activities to ensure that teachers and paraprofessionals meet the requirements of...

  1. 34 CFR 200.60 - Expenditures for professional development.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Expenditures for professional development. 200.60... Paraprofessionals § 200.60 Expenditures for professional development. (a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2... professional development activities to ensure that teachers and paraprofessionals meet the requirements of...

  2. Knowledge and skills needed to improve as preceptor: development of a continuous professional development course - a qualitative study part I.

    PubMed

    Bengtsson, Mariette; Carlson, Elisabeth

    2015-01-01

    Preceptors are expected to have the skills to be able to form an effective learning environment and facilitate a constructive clinical learning experience for students and new employees. Internationally, access to education for preceptors varies, with preceptors worldwide requesting more education in preceptorship. This article is based on a two-part study focusing on both the development and evaluation of a continuous, credit-bearing professional development course. The aim of this part of the study was to investigate and include preceptors' requests and educational needs when developing a continuous professional development course on an advanced level. This study used a qualitative research approach. In total, 64 preceptors (62 women and two men) answered one single written, self-administered global question online. The participants were all interested in teaching and had completed an undergraduate training in preceptorship. The collected data was analysed by content analysis inspired by Burnard's description of the method. The participating preceptors illuminated two main themes: 'Tools for effective precepting of students and healthcare professionals' and 'in-depth knowledge and understanding of preceptorship in an academic setting'. The results suggest that vital components for preceptor preparation could be a) teaching and learning strategies, b) reflective and critical reasoning, c) communication models, d) the role of the preceptor, and e) preceptorship. Using the results from this study as a guide, a continuous professional development course was designed to assist preceptors in deepening their knowledge of preceptorship in regard to planning, leading and implementing educational activities directed at students, healthcare professionals, patients and their families. The course content focuses on skills needed for preceptorship and is based on adult learning principles. A continuous, credit-bearing professional development course must include an exam by

  3. Teachers' Self-Directed Professional Development: Science and Mathematics Teachers' Adoption of ICT as a Professional Development Strategy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mushayikwa, Emmanuel

    2013-01-01

    This paper is part of a larger study that was carried out to investigate the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the self-directed professional development on the self-directed professional development (SDPD) of mathematics and science teachers in Zimbabwe. The educational context provides an example of how teachers…

  4. Professional Development in a Reform Context: Understanding the Design and Enactment of Learning Experiences Created by Teacher Leaders for Science Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shafer, Laura

    Teacher in-service learning about education reforms like NGSS often begin with professional development (PD) as a foundational component (Supovitz & Turner, 2000). Teacher Leaders, who are early implementers of education reform, are positioned to play a contributing role to the design of PD. As early implementers of reforms, Teacher Leaders are responsible for interpreting the purposes of reform, enacting reforms with fidelity to meet those intended goals, and are positioned to share their expertise with others. However, Teacher Leader knowledge is rarely accessed as a resource for the design of professional development programs. This study is unique in that I analyze the knowledge Teacher Leaders, who are positioned as developers of PD, bring to the design of PD around science education reform. I use the extended interconnected model of professional growth (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002; Coenders & Terlouw, 2015) to analyze the knowledge pathways Teacher Leaders' access as PD developers. I found that Teacher Leaders accessed knowledge pathways that cycled through their personal domain, domain of practice and domain of consequence. Additionally the findings indicated when Teacher Leaders did not have access to these knowledge domains they were unwilling to continue with PD design. These findings point to how Teacher Leaders prioritize their classroom experience to ground PD design and use their perceptions of student learning outcomes as an indicator of the success of the reform. Because professional development (PD) is viewed as an important resource for influencing teachers' knowledge and beliefs around the implementation of education reform efforts (Garet, et al., 2001; Suppovitz & Turner, 2000), I offer that Teacher Leaders, who are early implementers of reform measures, can contribute to the professional development system. The second part of this dissertation documents the instantiation of the knowledge of Teacher Leaders, who are positioned as designers and

  5. Learning, Motivation, and Transfer: Successful Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDonald, Lex

    2012-01-01

    In this article, I am concerned with three key issues of teacher professional development--teacher learning, motivation, and transfer of learning. Each issue has received minimal attention in teacher professional development literature. The three issues are discussed, and a model of an integrative professional development approach is outlined,…

  6. Continuous professional development of Liberia's midwifery workforce-A coordinated multi-stakeholder approach.

    PubMed

    Michel-Schuldt, Michaela; Billy Dayon, Matilda; Toft Klar, Robin; Subah, Marion; King-Lincoln, Esther; Kpangbala-Flomo, Cecelia; Broniatowski, Raphaël

    2018-03-03

    Maternal and newborn mortality remains high in Liberia. There is a severe rural-urban gap in accessibility to health care services. A competent midwifery workforce is able to meet the needs of mothers and newborns. Evidence shows that competence can be assured through initial education along with continuous professional development (CPD). In the past, CPD was not regulated and coordinated in Liberia which is cpommon in the African region. To Support a competent regulated midwifery workforce through continuous professional development. A new CPD model was developed by the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery. With its establishment, all midwives and nurses are required to undertake CPD programmes consisting of certified training and mentoring in order to renew their practicing license. The new model is being piloted in one county in which regular mentoring visits that include skills training are being conducted combined with the use of mobile learning applications addressing maternity health issues. Quality control of the CPD pilot is assured by the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery. The mentoring visits are conducted on a clinical level but are coordinated on the national and county level. CPD using mobile learning on smartphones and regular mentoring visits not only improved knowledge and skills of midwives and nurses but also provided a solution to enhance accessibility in rural areas through improved communication and transportation, as well as improved career development of health personnel working in remote areas. Mentors were trained on a national, county, and health facility level in the pilot county with mentoring visits conducted regularly. The CPD programme of the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery, currently in pilot-testing by various partners, aims to highlight the positive impact of the coordinating role of both the regulatory body and health authorities. Using regular process and programme reviews to improve capacity, knowledge, and

  7. Effectiveness of distance learning strategies for continuing professional development (CPD) for rural allied health practitioners: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Berndt, Angela; Murray, Carolyn M; Kennedy, Kate; Stanley, Mandy J; Gilbert-Hunt, Susan

    2017-07-12

    Allied health professionals working in rural areas face unique challenges, often with limited access to resources. Accessing continuing professional development is one of those challenges and is related to retention of workforce. Effectiveness of distance learning strategies for continuing professional development in rural allied healthcare workers has not been evaluated. We searched 17 databases and the grey literature up to September 2016 following the PRISMA guidelines. Any primary studies were included that focussed on allied health and distance delivery regardless of education topic or study design. Two independent reviewers extracted data and critically appraised the selected studies. The search returned 5257 results. With removal of duplicate references, we reviewed 3964 article titles and abstracts; n = 206 appeared potentially eligible and were scrutinised via full text screening; n = 14 were included. Studies were published between 1997 and 2016, were of varied methodological quality and were predominantly from Australia, USA and Canada with a focus on satisfaction of learners with the delivery method or on measures of educational outcomes. Technologies used to deliver distance education included video conference, teleconference, web based platforms and virtual reality. Early papers tended to focus more on the technology characteristics than educational outcomes. Some studies compared technology based delivery to face to face modes and found satisfaction and learning outcomes to be on par. Only three studies reported on practice change following the educational intervention and, despite a suggestion there is a link between the constructs, none measured the relationship between access to continuing professional development and workforce retention. Technology based options of delivery have a high utility, however the complex inter-relatedness of time, use, travel, location, costs, interactivity, learning outcomes and educational design suggest a need

  8. Distance learning: the future of continuing professional development.

    PubMed

    Southernwood, Julie

    2008-10-01

    The recent development of a market economy in higher education has resulted in the need to tailor the product to the customers, namely students, employers and commissioning bodies. Distance learning is an opportunity for nurse educators and institutions to address marketing initiatives and develop a learning environment in order to enhance continuing professional development. It provides options for lifelong learning for healthcare professionals--including those working in community settings--that is effective and cost efficient. Development of continuing professional development programmes can contribute to widening the participation of community practitioners in lifelong learning, practice and role development. This paper considers the opportunities that web-based and online education programmes can provide community practitioners to promote professional skills while maintaining a work-life balance, and the role of the lecturer in successfully supporting professionals on web-based learning programmes.

  9. The Taxonomy of Professionalism: Reframing the Academic Pursuit of Professional Development

    PubMed Central

    Ferrill, Mary J.

    2009-01-01

    Student professionalism continues to be an elusive goal within colleges and schools of pharmacy. Several reports have described the nature of professionalism and enumerated the characteristic traits of a professional, but educational strategies for inculcating pharmacy students with attitudes of professionalism have not been reliably effective. Some authors have suggested the need for a standard definition. If the goal can be more clearly conceptualized by both faculty members and students, and the moral construct of the fiduciary relationship between pharmacist and patient better understood, the development of professional values and behaviors should be easier to achieve. This paper describes a new approach to defining professionalism that is patterned after Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. It includes the general concept of patient care advocacy as an underlying paradigm for a new pharmacy practice model, and defines 5 behavioral elements within each of the 3 domains of professionalism: competence, connection, and character. PMID:19657501

  10. A Model for Effective Professional Development of Formal Science Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bleacher, L.; Jones, A. P.; Farrell, W. M.

    2015-12-01

    The Lunar Workshops for Educators (LWE) series was developed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) education team in 2010 to provide professional development on lunar science and exploration concepts for grades 6-9 science teachers. Over 300 educators have been trained to date. The LWE model incorporates best practices from pedagogical research of science education, thoughtful integration of scientists and engineer subject matter experts for both content presentations and informal networking with educators, access to NASA-unique facilities, hands-on and data-rich activities aligned with education standards, exposure to the practice of science, tools for addressing common misconceptions, follow-up with participants, and extensive evaluation. Evaluation of the LWE model via pre- and post-assessments, daily workshop surveys, and follow-up surveys at 6-month and 1-year intervals indicate that the LWE are extremely effective in increasing educators' content knowledge, confidence in incorporating content into the classroom, understanding of the practice of science, and ability to address common student misconceptions. In order to address the efficacy of the LWE model for other science content areas, the Dynamic Response of Environments at Asteroids, the Moon, and moons of Mars (DREAM2) education team, funded by NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, developed and ran a pilot workshop called Dream2Explore at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in June, 2015. Dream2Explore utilized the LWE model, but incorporated content related to the science and exploration of asteroids and the moons of Mars. Evaluation results indicate that the LWE model was effectively used for educator professional development on non-lunar content. We will present more detail on the LWE model, evaluation results from the Dream2Explore pilot workshop, and suggestions for the application of the model with other science content for robust educator professional development.

  11. A Model for Effective Professional Development of Formal Science Educators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bleacher, L. V.; Jones, A. J. P.; Farrell, W. M.

    2015-01-01

    The Lunar Workshops for Educators (LWE) series was developed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) education team in 2010 to provide professional development on lunar science and exploration concepts for grades 6-9 science teachers. Over 300 educators have been trained to date. The LWE model incorporates best practices from pedagogical research of science education, thoughtful integration of scientists and engineer subject matter experts for both content presentations and informal networking with educators, access to NASA-unique facilities, hands-on and data-rich activities aligned with education standards, exposure to the practice of science, tools for addressing common misconceptions, follow-up with participants, and extensive evaluation. Evaluation of the LWE model via pre- and post-assessments, daily workshop surveys, and follow-up surveys at 6-month and 1-year intervals indicate that the LWE are extremely effective in increasing educators' content knowledge, confidence in incorporating content into the classroom, understanding of the practice of science, and ability to address common student misconceptions. In order to address the efficacy of the LWE model for other science content areas, the Dynamic Response of Environments at Asteroids, the Moon, and moons of Mars (DREAM2) education team, funded by NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, developed and ran a pilot workshop called Dream2Explore at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in June, 2015. Dream2Explore utilized the LWE model, but incorporated content related to the science and exploration of asteroids and the moons of Mars. Evaluation results indicate that the LWE model was effectively used for educator professional development on non-lunar content. We will present more detail on the LWE model, evaluation results from the Dream2Explore pilot workshop, and suggestions for the application of the model with other science content for robust educator professional development.

  12. Health care professionals from developing countries report educational benefits after an online diabetes course.

    PubMed

    Wewer Albrechtsen, Nicolai J; Poulsen, Kristina W; Svensson, Lærke Ø; Jensen, Lasse; Holst, Jens J; Torekov, Signe S

    2017-05-31

    developed regions (88%) (Mean of differences = 6%, P = 0.03. Based on self-reports from course participants, MOOC based medical education seems promising with respect to providing accessible and free research-based education to health professionals in both developing and developed countries. Course participants from developing countries report more benefits from course participation than their counterparts in the developed world.

  13. Inquiry identity and science teacher professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bryce, Nadine; Wilmes, Sara E. D.; Bellino, Marissa

    2016-06-01

    An effective inquiry-oriented science teacher possesses more than the skills of teaching through investigation. They must address philosophies, and ways of interacting as a member of a group of educators who value and practice science through inquiry. Professional development opportunities can support inquiry identity development, but most often they address teaching practices from limited cognitive perspectives, leaving unexplored the shifts in identity that may accompany teachers along their journey in becoming skilled in inquiry-oriented instruction. In this forum article, we envision Victoria Deneroff's argument that "professional development could be designed to facilitate reflexive transformation of identity within professional learning environments" (2013, p. 33). Instructional coaching, cogenerative dialogues, and online professional communities are discussed as ways to promote inquiry identity formation and collaboration in ways that empower and deepen science teachers' conversations related to personal and professional efficacy in the service of improved science teaching and learning.

  14. Profiles of Selected Promising Professional Development Initiatives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Carol; Gerber, Peter; Handley, Claire; Kronley, Robert; Parry, Megan

    In 2000, the Finance Project received a planning grant to launch a new initiative on financing professional development in education. This report represents efforts to identify and develop a database on promising new approaches to professional development in education, profiling 16 initiatives recommended by knowledge experts and representing a…

  15. Professional career development for male nurses.

    PubMed

    Yang, Cheng-I; Gau, Meei-Ling; Shiau, Shu-Jen; Hu, Wei-Herng; Shih, Fu-Jin

    2004-12-01

    The aim of this paper is to report a study to: (a) explore Taiwanese male nurses' motivations for becoming a nurse; (b) reveal their professional developmental process in nursing; (c) understand the difficulties hindering their professional development from both professional and gender aspects; and (d) identify the strategies they use to cope with these difficulties. Hindered by historical, cultural, economic and warfare factors, the proportion of male nurses in Taiwan remains low. Taiwanese male nurses' career development process has not been well investigated yet. A descriptive qualitative research design was used, with a convenience sample of 15 male nurses (mean age 30.8 years) with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing Science. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and analysed by content analysis. Taiwanese male nurses' entrance into the nursing profession involved three phases: pre-study, study and employment. The difficulties encountered during career development were related to the gender expectations of patients and the general public. The nurses received support more from superiors than from colleagues. The strategies they used included (a) improving their professional knowledge and skills to obtain higher levels of satisfaction and better opportunities for promotion; (b) thinking aggressively about job promotion; (c) choosing specialist departments as appropriate environments for graduate study and personal growth; and (d) changing their professional track for personal growth. Based on the nature of nursing work and clinical experiences, Taiwanese male nurses believed that nursing was a profession suitable for both men and women. Their preparation for career development started at the pre-study phase. The major strategies they used were related to a strong desire for personal growth and professional promotion. Finally, a conceptual framework was developed to depict this complex phenomenon.

  16. Online Resources to Support Professional Development for Managing and Preserving Geospatial Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downs, R. R.; Chen, R. S.

    2013-12-01

    Improved capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT) enable the development of new systems and applications for collecting, managing, disseminating, and using scientific data. New knowledge, skills, and techniques are also being developed to leverage these new ICT capabilities and improve scientific data management practices throughout the entire data lifecycle. In light of these developments and in response to increasing recognition of the wider value of scientific data for society, government agencies are requiring plans for the management, stewardship, and public dissemination of data and research products that are created by government-funded studies. Recognizing that data management and dissemination have not been part of traditional science education programs, new educational programs and learning resources are being developed to prepare new and practicing scientists, data scientists, data managers, and other data professionals with skills in data science and data management. Professional development and training programs also are being developed to address the need for scientists and professionals to improve their expertise in using the tools and techniques for managing and preserving scientific data. The Geospatial Data Preservation Resource Center offers an online catalog of various open access publications, open source tools, and freely available information for the management and stewardship of geospatial data and related resources, such as maps, GIS, and remote sensing data. Containing over 500 resources that can be found by type, topic, or search query, the geopreservation.org website enables discovery of various types of resources to improve capabilities for managing and preserving geospatial data. Applications and software tools can be found for use online or for download. Online journal articles, presentations, reports, blogs, and forums are also available through the website. Available education and training materials include

  17. Understanding Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs about Professional Learning Communities and Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garner, Arthur L., Jr.

    2011-01-01

    This ethnographic study utilized the theoretical frameworks of constructivism, cognitivism, and socio-cultural theories to examine how professional learning communities influenced the professional development of mathematics teacher knowledge and student achievement. This study sought to comprehend and interpret the behaviors, beliefs and values of…

  18. Professional Development and TransLink[R]. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuhn, Beverly T.; Jasek, Deborah

    This report covers one segment of a larger professional development program for transportation professionals that addresses the need to develop a larger cadre of transportation professionals capable of designing, planning, managing, operating, and maintaining the transportation infrastructure nationwide. Three specific tasks were undertaken and…

  19. An Investigation of Traditional Professional Development versus Reform Professional Development and the Implementation of Strategies, Curriculum and Classroom Environment by Prekindergarten Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliver-Brooks, Helen

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate differences between traditional conventional professional development and high quality reflective professional development and curriculum implementation of classroom practices. This study examined the extent to which professional development activities were associated with increased levels of curriculum…

  20. Case-oriented selection of investigation methods in direct access: A comparison between physiotherapy trainees at professional colleges and in bachelor's study courses.

    PubMed

    Konrad, Ralf; Geraedts, Max

    2018-01-01

    Objective: Direct access to physiotherapy services is currently discussed in Germany. Its introduction would mean that initial diagnoses must be made in physiotherapy practices as well. However, it was not yet investigated whether the current training in physiotherapy is sufficient for this, and whether there are differences between the training systems. This study aims to answer the question of whether trainees at the end of Bachelor's studies (BS) are more reliably able to assess the case-related suitability of examination methods than professional college students (FS). Methodology: Questionnaires were developed to assess the suitability of examination methods for diagnostic inquiries. All professional colleges and bachelor's study courses listed with the German Physiotherapy Association were asked to present the questionnaires to their final classes. Results: In 216 addressed professional colleges and 24 bachelor's study courses, the return rate was 9.26% for professional colleges and 33.33% for study courses. One hundred thirty-eight questionnaires from students in 8 study courses and 368 questionnaires from students at 20 professional colleges were evaluated. The mean of correct decisions in total (of max. 54) was 19.01 (BS) or 15.73 (FS); in structure-related and function-related examination methods (of max. 42), it was 17.22 (BS) and 14.8 (FS); in activity-related methods (of max. 12), it was 1.97 (BS) and 0.89 (FS). Out of a max. of 49 examination methods, 23.45 (BS) and 26.72 (FS) were stated as unknown. Conclusion: The university students made correct decisions on the suitability of examination methods significantly more frequently than the professional college students. However, the determined group difference is low. Overall, the results do not appear sufficient for direct access. Training would have to be adapted for this purpose.

  1. Teacher Professional Development Strategies in Australian Government and Professional Associations Documents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kostina, Ludmyla

    2015-01-01

    Teacher in Australia is determined as an active participant of professional community with high level of collaboration, professional development coherent activities and collaborative learning practice. Thus, teacher quality is one of critical factors affecting student outcomes. The article touches upon the issue of the potential to improve…

  2. Measuring Professional Identity Development among Counselor Trainees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prosek, Elizabeth A.; Hurt, Kara M.

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the differences in professional identity development between novice and advanced counselor trainees (N = 161). Multivariate analyses of variance indicated significant differences between groups. Specifically, advanced counselor trainees demonstrated greater professional development compared with novice counselor trainees. No…

  3. Career advancement and professional development in nursing.

    PubMed

    Adeniran, Rita K; Smith-Glasgow, Mary Ellen; Bhattacharya, Anand; Xu, Yu

    2013-01-01

    Excellence underscores the need for nurses to keep their skills and competencies current through participation in professional development and career advancement. Evidence suggests that internationally educated nurses (IENs) progress relatively slowly through the career ladder and participate less in professional development compared with nurses educated in the United States (UENs). Mentorship and self-efficacy are considered major determinants of career advancement. The aim of the study was to understand the differences in levels of mentorship function and self-efficacy as well as the differences in participation in professional development and career advancement between UENs and IENs. A descriptive survey design was implemented using a Web-based survey. Significant disparities were noted in the role model function of mentoring and some professional development and career advancement measures between UENs and IENs. Mentorship is essential for professional growth. Sociodemographic characteristics of mentors are important because mentors are role models. Standardized career advancement structures are needed to promote professional growth. Published by Mosby, Inc.

  4. Characteristics of Effective Professional Development: A Checklist

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunzicker, Jana

    2010-01-01

    This article summarizes current research on effective professional development and offers a checklist for school leaders to use when designing learning opportunities for teachers. Effective professional development engages teachers in learning opportunities that are supportive, job-embedded, instructionally-focused, collaborative, and ongoing.…

  5. Teacher Quality, Professionalism and Professional Development: Findings from a European Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilton, Gillian; Flores, Maria Assunção; Niklasson, Laila

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents and discusses findings from a European project concerning strengthening the teacher's voice in defining professional quality. In the project tools were developed and evaluated to help teachers reflect on their professional quality. Twelve countries participated and twelve tools were tested with help of student teachers,…

  6. Professional Standards for Physical Education Teachers' Professional Development: Technologies for Performance?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Macdonald, Doune; Mitchell, Jane; Mayer, Diane

    2006-01-01

    Background: The widespread and diverse models of professional standards for teaching raise questions with respect to the need to provide teachers with a pathway for continuing professional development balanced with the public nature of surveillance and accountability that may accompany standards. Ways of understanding technologies of power in…

  7. Instructional Technology Professional Development Evaluation: Developing a High Quality Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaytan, Jorge A.; McEwen, Beryl C.

    2010-01-01

    Background: The literature contains very few studies that focused on evaluating the impact of professional development activities on student learning. And, many of these studies failed to determine whether the professional development activities met their primary goal--to improve the learning process. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use…

  8. Development of the Professional Self-Care Scale.

    PubMed

    Dorociak, Katherine E; Rupert, Patricia A; Bryant, Fred B; Zahniser, Evan

    2017-04-01

    In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on the importance of self-care for psychologists and other mental health professionals. With the growth of positive psychology and preventive medicine, self-care is an emerging topic, promulgated as a means of avoiding the adverse effects of stress and promoting professional functioning and well-being. However, the research on self-care is limited because of the lack of an empirically based, psychometrically sound measure of this construct. Thus, the purpose of this project was to develop a measure of professional self-care. Professional psychologists were the focus of study, with the goal being to develop a measure that can be used in this population and similar groups of professionals. Based on expert feedback and a preliminary study of 422 licensed psychologists in Illinois, a 5-factor, 21-item scale was created. Factor analysis identified the following self-care factors: Professional Support, Professional Development, Life Balance, Cognitive Awareness, and Daily Balance. Preliminary analyses provided initial support for the validity of the 5 factors. A follow-up study was conducted with a second sample of clinical psychologists. The 5-factor structure provided a good fit to the data with the second sample. Thus, based on factor analysis and validity data, a 5-factor, 21-item Professional Self-Care Scale was established for further study and use in future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. The Development of Professional Learning Community in Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sompong, Samoot; Erawan, Prawit; Dharm-tad-sa-na-non, Sudharm

    2015-01-01

    The objectives of this research are: (1) To study the current situation and need for developing professional learning community in primary schools; (2) To develop the model for developing professional learning community, and (3) To study the findings of development for professional learning community based on developed model related to knowledge,…

  10. Professional Development in Education: New Paradigms and Practices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guskey, Thomas R., Ed.; Huberman, Michael, Ed.

    Professional development is a crucial component in nearly every modern proposal for educational improvement. This book contains a collection of essays by individuals well known for their work in the professional development of educators. Each essay is a systematic effort to illustrate the conceptual grounds from which each professional-development…

  11. 34 CFR 263.1 - What is the Professional Development program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is the Professional Development program? 263.1... Development Program § 263.1 What is the Professional Development program? (a) The Professional Development... Professional Development program requires individuals who receive training to— (1) Perform work related to the...

  12. Use of Social Media for Professional Development by Health Care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Background Social media can be used in health care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the use of social media networks for the purpose of professional development among health care professionals in Saudi Arabia using a purpose-designed Web-based survey. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was undertaken. A link to the survey was posted on the investigator’s personal social media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. Results A total of 231 health care professionals, who are generally social media users, participated in the study. Of these professionals, 70.6% (163/231) use social media for their professional development. The social media applications most frequently used, in the descending order, for professional development were Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The majority of respondents used social media for professional development irrespective of their age group, with the highest proportion seen in those aged 20-30 years. Social media were perceived as being most beneficial for professional development in terms of their impact on the domains of knowledge and problem solving and least helpful for enhancing clinical skills. Twitter was perceived as the most helpful type of social media for all domains listed. Respondents most frequently reported that social media were useful for professional development for the reasons of knowledge exchange and networking. Conclusions Social media are frequently used by health care professionals in Saudi Arabia for the purposes of professional development, with Twitter most frequently used for this purpose. These findings suggest that social media networks can be powerful tools for engaging health care professionals in their professional development. PMID:27731855

  13. Use of Social Media for Professional Development by Health Care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey.

    PubMed

    Alsobayel, Hana

    2016-09-12

    Social media can be used in health care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. The aim of this study was to explore the use of social media networks for the purpose of professional development among health care professionals in Saudi Arabia using a purpose-designed Web-based survey. A cross-sectional web-based survey was undertaken. A link to the survey was posted on the investigator's personal social media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. A total of 231 health care professionals, who are generally social media users, participated in the study. Of these professionals, 70.6% (163/231) use social media for their professional development. The social media applications most frequently used, in the descending order, for professional development were Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The majority of respondents used social media for professional development irrespective of their age group, with the highest proportion seen in those aged 20-30 years. Social media were perceived as being most beneficial for professional development in terms of their impact on the domains of knowledge and problem solving and least helpful for enhancing clinical skills. Twitter was perceived as the most helpful type of social media for all domains listed. Respondents most frequently reported that social media were useful for professional development for the reasons of knowledge exchange and networking. Social media are frequently used by health care professionals in Saudi Arabia for the purposes of professional development, with Twitter most frequently used for this purpose. These findings suggest that social media networks can be powerful tools for engaging health care professionals in their professional development.

  14. Defense Threat Reduction Agency > Careers > Professional Development

    Science.gov Websites

    Justifications & Approvals Careers Who We Are Our Values Strategic Recruiting Programs Professional Your Reporting Day Senior Executive Service Special Programs PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Our Training and some of the pitfalls that may derail a career or delay a promotion. Competitive Professional

  15. Sustainable Development, Systems Thinking and Professional Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Stephen

    2008-01-01

    This article explores the impact of the sustainable development (SD) agenda on the occupational and professional needs of those who have undergone educational and training programmes in the environmental field either at the undergraduate or the postgraduate level or through relevant professional institutions' continuing professional development…

  16. Design and Implementation of a Professional Development Course Series.

    PubMed

    Welch, Beth; Spooner, Joshua J; Tanzer, Kim; Dintzner, Matthew R

    2017-12-01

    Objective. To design and implement a longitudinal course series focused on professional development and professional identity formation in pharmacy students at Western New England University. Methods. A four-year, theme-based course series was designed to sequentially and longitudinally impart the values, attributes, and characteristics of a professional pharmacist. Requirements of the course include: goal planning and reflective assignments, submission of "Best Works," attendance at professional meetings, completion of service hours, annual completion of a Pharmacy Professionalism Instrument, attendance at Dean's Seminar, participation in roundtable discussions, and maintenance of an electronic portfolio. Though the Professional Development course series carries no credit, these courses are progression requirements and students are assessed on a pass/fail basis. Results. Course pass rates in the 2015-2016 academic year for all four classes were 99% to 100%, suggesting the majority of students take professional development seriously and are achieving the intended outcomes of the courses. Conclusion. A professional development course series was designed and implemented in the new Doctor of Pharmacy program at Western New England University to enhance the professional identity formation of students.

  17. #Digitalfaith: Using Social Media for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manson, Sable A.; Cordovés, Janett I.

    2018-01-01

    There is a need to identify and create spaces for professionals in higher education to engage religion, secularism, and spirituality in meaningful ways. #DigitalFaith resources are the digital platforms and communities supporting religious, secular, and spiritual development, and they offer potential avenues for professional development. This…

  18. Measuring the Quality of Professional Development Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaumer Erickson, Amy S.; Noonan, Patricia M.; Brussow, Jennifer; Supon Carter, Kayla

    2017-01-01

    High-quality, evidence-based professional development is essential to ensure that teachers obtain the knowledge, strategies and skills necessary to positively impact student learning. While the primary form of professional development, training has rarely been evaluated for quality beyond the satisfaction of those being trained. The Observation…

  19. Toward Understanding Business Student Professional Development Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blau, Gary; Blessley, Misty; Kunkle, Matthew; Schirmer, Michael; Regan, Laureen

    2017-01-01

    Professional development engagement (PDE) is defined as the level of perceived undergraduate engagement in professional development activities. An 11-item measure of PDE exhibited a good reliability. Using a complete data sample of 467 graduating business undergraduates, four variable sets (student background or precollege variables,…

  20. Professional "Development" and Professional "Learning": Bridging the Gap for Experienced Physical Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armour, Kathleen M.; Yelling, Martin

    2004-01-01

    This article analyses the career-long continuing professional development (CPD) of 85 experienced physical education (PE) teachers in England. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews (20 teachers) and open-ended profile questionnaires (a further 65 teachers) to find out what forms of professional development these teachers had…

  1. A countrywide programme of continuing professional development in Argentina

    PubMed Central

    Lejarraga, H; Ageitos, M; Galli, A; Castro, C; Paediatrics, A. S.; Education, S. o.; SHRIBMAN, S

    1998-01-01

    The Argentinean Society of Paediatrics introduced in 1993 a continuing professional development (CPD) programme to raise standards of clinical practice. The aims of the project were to introduce a structured, distance learning programme accessible to all paediatricians in the country, but especially for those working far from centres of paediatric excellence. The programme is planned on an annual basis. It includes four activities: a written manual designed by a team of medical experts and educationalists comprising 12topics; field work for participants; annual meetings in several locations in the country for discussion of the subjects; and an evaluation based on centrally designed multiple choice questions distributed by mail. In spite of a registration fee of £90 a year, participation in the programme increased from 3357 in 1993 to 4126 in 1996, from a membership of 10 216 paediatricians in Argentina. The popularity of the programme may result from an appropriate interpretation of professional needs of paediatricians in Argentina, adequate organisational arrangements that reach all colleagues, including those working in remote areas, and a genuine motivation of paediatricians for participating in a learning process. 

 PMID:9713017

  2. Teachers Know Best: Teachers' Views on Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2014

    2014-01-01

    To gain insights into the roadblocks to implementing effective professional development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contracted with the Boston Consulting Group in 2014 to reach more than 1,300 teachers, professional development leaders in district and state education agencies, principals, professional development providers, and…

  3. 34 CFR 263.3 - What definitions apply to the Professional Development program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... improve performance, (2) Access to research materials and information on teaching and learning, (3... collaboration, feedback, and peer networking and support. In-service training means professional activities and...

  4. Professional Development: Perceptions of Benefits for Principals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blaik Hourani, Rida; Stringer, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    Schools in Abu Dhabi are going through change and reform. Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has initiated professional development for principals to facilitate change and school improvement. This paper explores principals' perception on the benefits of professional development received in light of managing school change and reforms.…

  5. Professional Development for Water Quality Control Personnel.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepard, Clinton Lewis

    This study investigated the availability of professional development opportunities for water quality control personnel in the midwest. The major objective of the study was to establish a listing of educational opportunities for the professional development of water quality control personnel and to compare these with the opportunities technicians…

  6. Transformation and Framework of Teacher Professional Development in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Bo-Ruey

    2016-01-01

    This article describes the situation of teacher professional development in Taiwan, including the history and the framework of teacher professional development. With diversification of teacher education systems and institutions, teacher professional development in Taiwan is undergoing a gradual governance shift from the model of centralised state…

  7. From youth worker professional development to organizational change.

    PubMed

    Rana, Sheetal; Baumgardner, Briana; Germanic, Ofir; Graff, Randy; Korum, Kathy; Mueller, Megan; Randall, Steve; Simmons, Tim; Stokes, Gina; Xiong, Will; Peterson, Karen Kolb

    2013-01-01

    An ongoing, innovative youth worker professional development is described in this article. This initiative began as youth worker professional development and then transcended to personal and organizational development. It grew from a moral response of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation staff and two faculty members of Youth Studies, University of Minnesota to offer higher-quality services to youth for their healthy development. Its underlying philosophies and ethos included building and sustaining meaningful relationships, cocreating a space for learning and change, becoming a reflecting practitioner, and community organizing. This professional development responded to the participants' interests and needs or to local situations in that moment, that space, and the discussions, and took on different shapes at different times. There were many accomplishments of, challenges and barriers to, and lessons learned from this professional development. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  8. #TwitterforTeachers: The Implications of Twitter as a Self-Directed Professional Development Tool for K-12 Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Visser, Ryan D.; Evering, Lea Calvert; Barrett, David E.

    2014-01-01

    This mixed-methods study explores how K-12 teachers use Twitter. An online survey was disseminated via Twitter to gauge their usage of, access to, and perceptions of Twitter. The results indicated that teachers highly value Twitter as a means of self-directed professional development. Respondents who reported using Twitter multiple times a day…

  9. Professional development for teaching in higher education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wood, Leigh N.; Vu, Tori; Bower, Matt; Brown, Natalie; Skalicky, Jane; Donovan, Diane; Loch, Birgit; Joshi, Nalini; Bloom, Walter

    2011-10-01

    Due to the changing nature of learning and teaching in universities, there is a growing need for professional development for lecturers and tutors teaching in disciplines in the mathematical sciences. Mathematics teaching staff receive some training in learning and teaching but many of the courses running at university level are not tailored to the mathematical sciences. This article reports on a collaborative research project aimed at investigating the type of professional development that Australian tertiary mathematics teachers need and their preference for delivery modes. Effective teaching promotes effective learning in our students and discipline-specific professional development will enhance outcomes for teachers, students, and mathematics.

  10. Professional Development for Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerard, Libby F.; Varma, Keisha; Corliss, Stephanie B.; Linn, Marcia C.

    2011-01-01

    The knowledge integration framework is used to analyze studies on professional development in technology-enhanced science involving more than 2,350 teachers and 138,0000 students. The question of how professional development enhances teachers' support for students' inquiry science learning is the focus of the work. A literature search using the…

  11. Framing the Field: Professional Development in Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kronley, Robert A.; Handley, Claire

    In 2000, the Finance Project received a planning grant to launch a new initiative on financing professional development in education. This report examines key factors and conditions that contribute to or hinder the success of professional development initiatives, especially as those factors and conditions relate to the financing of these…

  12. Training Teachers to be Professional Development Leaders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leslie, Jessica B.

    1982-01-01

    A Teacher Corps project conducted by the Edgewood Independent School District and Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas) is described. A classroom teacher at each participating school is trained to lead professional development activities at his or her school. Teacher involvement in designing professional development at each school is emphasized.…

  13. Effective Professional Development Planning: The Wisconsin PDP

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fischer, John A.

    2010-01-01

    Designed to improve PK-12 professional learning and increase student achievement, Wisconsin's policymakers developed and implemented new educator licensing guidelines (PI 34) and a Professional Development Plan (PDP) system based on empirical research and national policy trends in 2004. As PI 34 and the PDP system are relatively new, the…

  14. Professional Development: Focusing on Transition. Issue Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Azúa, Ramón L.; Keleher, Julia

    2017-01-01

    In 2017, the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth (NDTAC) released its first in a series of professional development briefs that focus on the professional development needs and interests of Neglected or Delinquent (N or D) State coordinators, correctional educators, and providers of…

  15. The Makerspace Experience and Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paganelli, Andrea; Cribbs, Jennifer D.; Huang, Xiaoxia; Pereira, Nielsen; Huss, Jeanine; Chandler, Wanda; Paganelli, Anthony

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the use of makerspaces as a professional development activity when examined through the analysis of qualitative data reflecting participant experience. The data were gathered in the course of a professional development opportunity at a university during a conference held on campus. The researchers wanted to select an innovative…

  16. Work-Based Learning and Continuing Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sobiechowska, Paula; Maisch, Maire

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an evaluation of the key features of a work-based, competency-led curriculum model of continuing professional development for social workers and to present a revised model, which addresses the issues that arise for learners pursuing continuing professional and academic development (CPD) within a…

  17. Critical Issues in Early Childhood Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zaslow, Martha, Ed.; Martinez-Beck, Ivelisse, Ed.

    2005-01-01

    Effective teaching leads to positive student outcomes, and professional development for early childhood teachers is key to improving both. But what exactly is meant by "professional development"? What effect does it have on school readiness? Which models and approaches really work? This is the book the early childhood field needs to take the…

  18. Teacher Professional Development: Who Is the Learner?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petrie, Kirsten; McGee, Clive

    2012-01-01

    One of the challenges in in-service teacher education is how teachers can be given professional development (PD) that enables them to respond to national curriculum and policy change. In recent years primary teachers in New Zealand have been inundated with Ministry of Education-funded professional development programmes to help them implement a…

  19. The Investigation of Teachers' Metaphoric Perceptions about Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yurtseven, Nihal

    2017-01-01

    Professional development is an ongoing process in which teachers review their teaching practices and learn how to respond to their students' needs. To make the professional development process more effective, we need to define the identity of a teacher correctly and clarify the perspective about teachers' professional development. The purpose of…

  20. Professional Development Planning and Design. Issues in Science Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhoton, Jack; Bowers, Patricia

    This book focuses on the professional development of teachers and discusses issues related to the planning and design of professional development programs. The content of the book is divided into three parts. Part 1, Standards-Based Reform and Professional Development includes: (1) "National Science Education Standards as a Catalyst for…

  1. Continuous Professional Development of English Language Teachers: Perception and Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al Asmari, AbdulRahman

    2016-01-01

    Professional development is considered as an essential element in enhancing the teaching and learning process to ensure student learning. Professional development can also be deemed as a cornerstone of teacher professionalism and quality. The governments and educational institutions invest significantly in Continuous Professional Development (CPD)…

  2. The Development of Competent Marketing Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Ian; Tsarenko, Yelena; Wagstaff, Peter; Powell, Irene; Steel, Marion; Brace-Govan, Jan

    2009-01-01

    The process of transition from university undergraduate to business professional is a crucial stage in the development of a business career. This study examines both graduate and employer perspectives on the essential skills and knowledge needed by marketing professionals to successfully perform their roles. From in-depth interviews with 14…

  3. Professional Development in Secondary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haile, Brian

    1980-01-01

    Citing information gained in his study of professional development programs in industry, retailing, and banking, the author proposes a new model for staff development in England's secondary schools, one based on self-assessment of individual needs and diversified training strategies. (SJL)

  4. Professional development themes in strength and conditioning coaches.

    PubMed

    Tod, David A; Bond, Kath A; Lavallee, David

    2012-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore professional development themes in experienced strength and conditioning coaches. Strength and conditioning coaches (N = 15, mean age = 34.3 years, SD = 5.2 years) with 11.4 (SD = 4.9) years experience working with elite, professional, or talented athletes were interviewed about their professional development. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analyzed. Over time, subjects' service-delivery practices became more flexible and client driven. Their role understanding also broadened to include various dimensions, such as the need to consider various stakeholders and the value of good relationships with athletes. The subjects shifted from relying on external justification for professional decision making to their experience-based knowledge. The subjects believed athlete work experience, interactions with senior strength and conditioning coaches and other colleagues, the professional literature, and nonprofessional experiences, such as their own athletic experience and sales or managerial training, were the primary influences on their professional development. Typically, the subjects experienced anxiety about their competence, both early in their careers and when working in new contexts or with new athlete groups, but over time, they developed increased confidence. In addition, the subjects experienced reduced narcissism over time about the control they had over athletes and their competitive results. The current results provide information about the characteristics of effective strength and conditioning coaches, the ways they develop their competencies to help athletes, and the emotions they experience throughout their careers. These results may help strength and conditioning practitioners in planning and optimizing their professional development and effectiveness with athletes.

  5. Hospital chief executive officer perspective on professional development activities.

    PubMed

    Khaliq, Amir A; Walston, Stephen L

    2010-01-01

    A study was undertaken to develop understanding of hospital chief executive officers' (CEOs') perspectives concerning importance and impact of professional development activities in US hospitals. It was also intended to reveal CEO preferences for various modalities of professional development including membership in professional societies, attainment of credentials, and coaching by mentors. A mail survey of 582 hospital CEOs made use of a pilot-tested questionnaire with 30 close ended multipart questions. Results showed that most CEOs assigned a high level of importance to professional development and favored conferences, seminars, and networking opportunities, but low priority assigned to online activities such as webinars. They reported lending support to senior managers for participation in these activities by providing financial resources and by allowing time off to engage in these activities. The respondents indicated that the importance of various modalities of professional development has either increased or remained high over the recent 5 years. Conclusions suggest that verifiable quantitative data are needed for understanding of the frequency of participation and resource commitment of health care organizations toward the professional development of CEOs and senior managers. The results of this perceptual study reveal a high level of importance accorded to various forms of professional development activities by the participating CEOs.

  6. Online Professional Development for K-12 Educators: Benefits for School Districts with Applications for Community College Faculty Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenton, Celeste; Watkins, Brenda Ward

    2007-01-01

    Hillsborough Community College's IT3-Professional Development Services makes available to educators in the school district of Hillsborough County a series of online courses focused on professional development. The program boasts a retention rate exceeding 78%, with over 500 educators served. The program is self funded and pays for itself and an…

  7. Developing Research Capacity through Professional Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacobs, Lynette

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports on a planned, professional, postgraduate diploma that aims to develop educators and education officials professionally towards policy making and at the same time bring about transformation in the students' work environment. In order to focus particularly on this aim and also to instil reflexive practices, we will focus on two…

  8. Certified Health Education Specialists' Participation in Professional Associations: Implications for Marketing and Membership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thackeray, Rosemary; Neiger, Brad L.; Roe, Kathleen M.

    2005-01-01

    A number of health education professional associations exist to advance the profession through research, practice, and professional development. Benefits of individual membership may include continuing education, networking, leadership, professional recognition, advocacy, professional mobility, access to research findings, advances in the…

  9. Creating Professional Development School Partnerships. A Resource Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teitel, Lee; Del Prete, Tom

    This three-part guide presents information and recommendations from the Massachusetts Professional Development School Network Steering Committee on how to develop a professional development school (PDS) partnership. Part 1 defines the PDS concept, presents a brief background account of its evolution, and discusses its potential for simultaneously…

  10. Do less effective teachers choose professional development does it matter?

    PubMed

    Barrett, Nathan; Butler, J S; Toma, Eugenia F

    2012-10-01

    In an ongoing effort to improve teacher quality, most states require continuing education or professional development for their in-service teachers. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of various professional development programs have assumed a normal distribution of quality of teachers participating in the programs. Because participation in many professional development programs is either targeted or voluntary, this article suggests past evaluations of the effectiveness of professional development may be subject to selection bias and policy recommendations may be premature. This article presents an empirical framework for evaluating professional development programs where treatment is potentially nonrandom, and explicitly accounts for the teacher's prior effectiveness in the classroom as a factor that may influence participation in professional development. This article controls for the influence of selection bias on professional development outcomes by generating a matched sample based on propensity scores and then estimating the program's effect. In applying this framework to the professional development program examined in this article, less effective teachers are found to be more likely to participate in the program, and correcting for this selection leads to different conclusions regarding the program's effectiveness than when ignoring teacher selection patterns.

  11. Rural women and violence situation: access and accessibility limits to the healthcare network.

    PubMed

    Costa, Marta Cocco da; Silva, Ethel Bastos da; Soares, Joannie Dos Santos Fachinelli; Borth, Luana Cristina; Honnef, Fernanda

    2017-07-13

    To analyze the access and accessibility to the healthcare network of women dwelling in rural contexts undergoing violence situation, as seen from the professionals' speeches. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study with professionals from the healthcare network services about coping with violence in four municipalities in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul. The information derived from interviews, which have been analyzed by thematic modality. (Lack of) information of women, distance, restricted access to transportation, dependence on the partner and (lack of) attention by professionals to welcome women undergoing violence situation and (non)-articulation of the network are factors that limit the access and, as a consequence, they result in the lack of confrontation of this problem. To bring closer the services which integrate the confrontation network of violence against women and to qualify professionals to welcome these situations are factors that can facilitate the access and adhesion of rural women to the services.

  12. MS PHD'S Professional Development Program: A Scientific Renaissance in Cyberspace

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powell, J. M.; Williamson, V. A.; Griess, C. A.; Pyrtle, A. J.

    2004-12-01

    This study is a component of a four-year investigation of MS PHD'S Professional Development Program's virtual community through the lenses of underrepresented minority students in Earth system science and engineering fields. In this presentation, the development, assessment and projected utilization of the ongoing study will be discussed. The overall goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of virtual team building methods and understand how the development of a communal cyberinfrastructure acts as an integral part of the emergence of a Scientific Renaissance. The exemplar, Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S), provides professional development experiences to facilitate the advancement of students of color achieving outstanding Earth system careers. Undergraduate and graduate students are supported through access to scientific conferences, mentorship and virtual community building. Framed by critical theory, this ethnographic exploration uses a mixed methods research design to record, observe, and analyze both the processes and products of the website, listserv and synchronous web-based dialogue. First, key findings of the formative evaluation and annual reports of the successfully implemented 2003 MS PHD'S Pilot Project are presented. These findings inform future evaluations of the use of technological resources and illustrate how this public space provides peer support and enriched research opportunities. Quantitative methods such as statistical analysis, academic and professional tracking and evaluative tools for scientific content and competency are complimented by qualitative methods that include observations, heuristic case studies and focus group interviews. The findings of this ongoing investigation will provide insight on how national organizations, higher education practitioners, community-based support systems and underrepresented minorities in the sciences promote diversity by developing

  13. Developing a modern standard to define and assess professionalism in trainees.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Ann C; Kotwicki, Raymond J; McDonald, William M

    2009-01-01

    Assessing professionalism in medical education poses many challenges. The authors discuss common themes and principles in managing professionalism in medical education. The authors review the development of standards of professionalism in medical education. They define educational goals for professionalism and also discuss the practical problems with assessing professionalism and addressing it with the trainees. Strategies for remediation of unprofessional conduct are outlined. Given the importance of role models in the development of professional behavior, maintaining an environment that fosters professionalism is an implicit feature of teaching professionalism. Professionalism should be a part of the objectives for each course and clinical rotation, using clearly defined goals and objectives. Assessment of professionalism should begin early and be conducted frequently, giving trainees the opportunity to change. A formal mentoring system can be an effective mechanism to develop role models and teach professionalism. Teaching professionalism through formal curricula is paramount in helping develop new generations of compassionate and responsible physicians. Additional strategies such as consistent role modeling of professional behaviors are also needed to encourage the development of professional physicians.

  14. What is the veterinary professional identity? Preliminary findings from web-based continuing professional development in veterinary professionalism.

    PubMed

    Armitage-Chan, E; Maddison, J; May, S A

    2016-03-26

    Professionalism and professional skills are increasingly being incorporated into veterinary curricula; however, lack of clarity in defining veterinary professionalism presents a potential challenge for directing course outcomes that are of benefit to the veterinary professional. An online continuing education course in veterinary professionalism was designed to address a deficit in postgraduate support in this area; as part of this course, delegates of varying practice backgrounds participated in online discussions reflecting on the implications of professional skills for their clinical practice. The discussions surrounding the role of the veterinary professional and reflecting on strengths and weaknesses in professional skills were analysed using narrative methodology, which provided an understanding of the defining skills and attributes of the veterinary professional, from the perspectives of those involved (i.e. how vets understood their own career identity). The veterinary surgeon was understood to be an interprofessional team member, who makes clinical decisions in the face of competing stakeholder needs and works in a complex environment comprising multiple and diverse challenges (stress, high emotions, financial issues, work-life balance). It was identified that strategies for accepting fallibility, and those necessary for establishing reasonable expectations of professional behaviour and clinical ability, are poorly developed. British Veterinary Association.

  15. Experiences of Healthcare Professionals to the Introduction in Sweden of a Public eHealth Service: Patients' Online Access to their Electronic Health Records.

    PubMed

    Ålander, Ture; Scandurra, Isabella

    2015-01-01

    Patients' increasing demands for medical information, the digitization of health records and the fast spread of Internet access form a basis of introducing new eHealth services. An international trend is to provide access for patients to health information of various kind. In Sweden, access by patients to their proper electronic health record (EHR) has been provided in a pilot county since November 2012. This eHealth service is controversial and criticism has arised from the clinical professions, mainly physicians. Two web surveys were conducted to discover whether the opinions of healthcare professionals differ; between staff that have had experience with patients accessing their own EHR and those who have no such expericence. Experienced nurses found the EHR more important for the patients and a better reform, compared to unexperienced nurses in the rest of the country. Similarly, physicians with their own experience had a more positive attitude compared to non-experienced physicians. The conclusion of this study is that healthcare professionals must be involved in the implementation of public eHealth services such as EHRs and that real experiences of the professionals should be better disseminated to their inexperienced peers.

  16. Teachers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanders, Deborah

    2014-01-01

    Professional development is a recognized approach to improving the quality of instruction in schools. The goal of professional development is to increase teachers' knowledge and improve their practices, which lead to enhanced student learning. The problem with providing staff development is the high cost incurred by presenters' fees, and…

  17. Professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Jin Hee; Hartline, Beverly Karplus; Milner-Bolotin, Marina

    2013-03-01

    The three sessions of the professional development workshop series were each designed for a different audience. The purpose of the first session was to help mid-career physicists aspire for and achieve leadership roles. The second session brought together students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career physicists to help them plan their career goals and navigate the steps important to launching a successful career. The final session sought to increase awareness of the results of physics education research, and how to use them to help students-especially women-learn physics better. The presentations and discussions were valuable for both female and male physicists.

  18. Enterprise Professional Development--Evaluating Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Gerald A.; Calway, Bruce A.

    2010-01-01

    Whilst professional development (PD) is an activity required by many regulatory authorities, the value that enterprises obtain from PD is often unknown, particularly when it involves development of knowledge. This paper discusses measurement techniques and processes and provides a review of established evaluation techniques, highlighting…

  19. Online Professional Learning Networks: A Viable Solution to the Professional Development Dilemma

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Rebecca J.; Jones-Bromenshenkel, Melissa; Huisinga, Shawn; Mullins, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Quality professional development must meet the demands and needs of the person engaging in the activity. However, many opportunities for special educators are often less than optimal in terms of timeliness, expertise, or applicability. This article describes the idea of online professional learning networks (PLNs) which allow for collaboration and…

  20. From Youth Worker Professional Development to Organizational Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rana, Sheetal; Baumgardner, Briana; Germanic, Ofir; Graff, Randy; Korum, Kathy; Mueller, Megan; Randall, Steve; Simmons, Tim; Stokes, Gina; Xiong, Will; Peterson, Karen Kolb

    2013-01-01

    An ongoing, innovative youth worker professional development is described in this article. This initiative began as youth worker professional development and then transcended to personal and organizational development. It grew from a moral response of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation staff and two faculty members of Youth Studies, University of…

  1. A New Image: Online Communities to Facilitate Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lock, Jennifer V.

    2006-01-01

    Realizing the potential of online or virtual communities to facilitate teacher professional development requires educators to change their current perceptions of professional development. This calls for educators to develop new images of ongoing opportunities for professional development, based on their needs within an online community of learners…

  2. MOOCs for Teacher Professional Development: Reflections, and Suggested Actions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Misra, Pradeep Kumar

    2018-01-01

    Teacher Professional Development (TPD) has become a major policy priority within education systems worldwide. But keeping teachers professionally up-to-date and providing them professional development opportunities on continuing basis is a big challenge. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be a cost and resource effective means to complement…

  3. Codification and Validation of Professional Development Questionnaire of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ayyoobi, Fatemah; Pourshafei, Hadi; Asgari, Ali

    2016-01-01

    Teacher in the educational system and the teaching-learning process, as a main leading should need to knowledge and professional skills. Therefore, evaluation of professional development is important. This study aims to design and modify Construction and Validation of professional development questionnaire of teachers. This research based on…

  4. Professional Associations: Their Role in Promoting Sustainable Development in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Ian; Hegarty, Kathryn; Whitman, Stuart; MacGregor, Val

    2012-01-01

    Professional associations have a strong influence on what is covered in the curricula of universities, especially that of professional degrees. They also provide members with professional development throughout their careers. Professional associations have the potential to facilitate development of sustainability competency in the workforce in…

  5. Twitter and Public Health (Part 1): How Individual Public Health Professionals Use Twitter for Professional Development.

    PubMed

    Hart, Mark; Stetten, Nichole E; Islam, Sabrina; Pizarro, Katherine

    2017-09-20

    The use of social networking sites is increasingly being adopted in public health, in part, because of the barriers to funding and reduced resources. Public health professionals are using social media platforms, specifically Twitter, as a way to facilitate professional development. The objective of this study was to identify public health professionals using Twitter and to analyze how they use this platform to enhance their formal and informal professional development within the context of public health. Keyword searches were conducted to identify and invite potential participants to complete a survey related to their use of Twitter for public health and professional experiences. Data regarding demographic attributes, Twitter usage, and qualitative information were obtained through an anonymous Web-based survey. Open-response survey questions were analyzed using the constant comparison method. "Using Twitter makes it easier to expand my networking opportunities" and "I find Twitter useful for professional development" scored highest, with a mean score of 4.57 (standard deviation [SD] 0.74) and 4.43 (SD 0.76) on a 5-point Likert scale. Analysis of the qualitative data shows the emergence of the following themes for why public health professionals mostly use Twitter: (1) geography, (2) continuing education, (3) professional gain, and (4) communication. For public health professionals in this study, Twitter is a platform best used for their networking and professional development. Furthermore, the use of Twitter allows public health professionals to overcome a series of barriers and enhances opportunities for growth. ©Mark Hart, Nichole E Stetten, Sabrina Islam, Katherine Pizarro. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 20.09.2017.

  6. Teacher Professional Development to Support Teacher Professional Learning: Systemic Factors from Irish Case Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Fiona

    2016-01-01

    Teacher professional learning is widely accepted as a mediating factor for enhancing student outcomes. While many teachers across the world engage in professional development (PD) to enhance their professional learning, what is less evident is how to support that learning to result in change following teacher PD. Acknowledging that not all teacher…

  7. Critical Friends Group for EFL Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vo, Long Thanh; Nguyen, Hoa Thi Mai

    2010-01-01

    For the best student outcomes, teachers need to engage in continuous professional development. As a result, models of teacher professional development have been developed, among which is the Critical Friends Group (CFG) technique. However, whether it works well with EFL teachers in an Asian context like Vietnam, where EFL teachers in particular do…

  8. Fixing Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Heather C.

    2009-01-01

    The professional development "system" for teachers is, by all accounts, broken. Despite evidence that specific programs can improve teacher knowledge and practice and student outcomes, these programs seldom reach real teachers on a large scale. Typically, reformers address such perceptions of failure by discovering and celebrating new formats and…

  9. Changes in access to health care for immigrants in Catalonia during the economic crisis: Opinions of health professionals and immigrant users.

    PubMed

    Porthé, Victoria; Vargas, Ingrid; Sanz-Barbero, Belén; Plaza-Espuña, Isabel; Bosch, Lola; Vázquez, Maria Luisa

    2016-11-01

    Policy measures introduced in Spain during the economic crisis included a reduction in public health expenditure and in healthcare entitlements (RDL16/2012), which affected the general population as a whole, but especially immigrants. This paper analyzes changes in immigrants' access to health care during the economic crisis from the perspective of health professionals (medical and administrative) and immigrants. A qualitative descriptive-interpretative study was conducted in Catalonia through individual interviews with a theoretical sample of health professionals (n=34) and immigrant users (n=20). Thematic analysis was conducted and data quality was ensured through triangulation. Informants described barriers to enter the health system related to reduced healthcare entitlements and a stricter enforcement of administrative requirements: while medical professionals highlighted restrictions to accessing the healthcare continuum, immigrants accentuated barriers to obtaining the individual health card. With regard to use of services, an increase in waiting times due to cutbacks in human resources dominated the informants' discourse. Health professionals pointed out organizational changes to increase efficiency that may improve access to primary care. Informants related lower health services utilization to a deterioration in immigrants' living and working conditions. According to health professionals, these conditions limited the use of services during working hours and led to delays in seeking care and treatment interruptions. Results show an aggravation of pre-existing barriers to health services utilization and, simultaneously, the appearance of new barriers to enter the system. These changes in the healthcare services contradict the equity principles of the national health system (NHS), thus policy decisions are needed to address this problem. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Learning Outcomes of Teacher Professional Development Activities: A Meta-Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thurlings, Marieke; den Brok, Perry

    2017-01-01

    Former literature reviews suggested that if (student) teachers learn together in their professional development activities, professional development is enhanced. In the present literature review, we explored a variety of peer teacher professional development activities, conceptually divided into coaching, collaborating, and assessing activities.…

  11. Expanding the Professional Development School Model: Developing Collaborative Partnerships with School Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foust, Gretchen E.; Goslee, Patricia A.

    2014-01-01

    The Professional Development School (PDS) model, a successful collaborative partnership model between university teacher education programs and P-12 schools, focuses on ''preparing future educators, providing current educators with ongoing professional development, encouraging joint school-university faculty investigation of education-related…

  12. Bibliography for Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fehr, Helen, Comp.

    Information published between 1953 and 1970 on the American Indian is included in this annotated bibliography. The bibliography is designed to aid professional development in the field of education and attempts to categorize and separate fields of interest. Major topics are culture, education, ethnology, folklore, art, housing, history, language,…

  13. Understanding Undergraduate Professional Development Engagement and Its Impact

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blau, Gary; Snell, Corinne M.

    2013-01-01

    Professional Development Engagement (PDE) is defined as "the level of undergraduate engagement in professional development." It reflects career-related work preparation for "life after college" and is a distinct externally-focused component of student engagement (SE). The increased college retention and subsequent job placement…

  14. An analysis of zoo and aquarium provided teacher professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kubarek-Sandor, Joy

    Informal science institutions are a significant provider of science teacher professional development. As pressure continues to critically analyze the work of teachers and their effectiveness in the classroom, it is important to understand how informal science institutions contribute to effective change in teacher science content knowledge and pedagogy. This research study analyzed zoo and aquarium provided teacher professional development to respond to the research questions: How do zoos and aquaria determine and assess their goals for teacher professional development? How do these goals align with effective teacher change for science content knowledge and pedagogy? Theoretical frameworks for high quality teacher professional development, effective evaluation of teacher professional development, and learning in informal science settings guided the research. The sample for the study was AZA accredited zoos and aquariums providing teacher professional development (N=107). Data collection consisted of an online questionnaire, follow-up interviews, and content analysis of teacher professional development artifacts. Analysis revealed that by and large zoos and aquariums are lacking in their provision of science teacher professional development. Most professional development focuses on content or resources, neglecting pedagogy. Assessments mismatch the goals and rely heavily on self-report and satisfaction measures. The results demonstrate a marked difference between those zoos and aquariums that are larger in capacity versus those that are medium to small in size. This may be an area of research for the future, as well as analyzing the education resources produced by zoos and aquariums as these were emphasized heavily as a way they serve teachers.

  15. Mentoring as Professional Development: "Growth for Both" Mentor and Mentee

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Teachers need professional development to keep current with teaching practices, although costs for extensive professional development can be prohibitive across an education system. Mentoring provides one way for embedding cost-effective professional development. This mixed-method study includes surveying mentor teachers ("n" = 101) on a…

  16. Investigating Rural Teachers' Professional Development, Instructional Knowledge, and Classroom Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glover, Todd A.; Nugent, Gwen C.; Chumney, Frances L.; Ihlo, Tanya; Shapiro, Edward S.; Guard, Kirra; Koziol, Natalie; Bovaird, Jim

    2016-01-01

    Teachers Speak was a national survey study designed to investigate the characteristics of rural elementary school teachers' existing professional development; differences in professional development practices between rural and non-rural settings; and the potential influence of professional development characteristics on rural teachers' knowledge,…

  17. Development of scales relating to professional development of community college administrators.

    PubMed

    Wolfe, Edward W; Van Der Linden, Kim E

    2010-01-01

    This article reports the results of an application of the Multidimensional Random Coefficients Multinomial Logit Model (MRCMLM) to the measurement of professional development activities in which community college administrators participate. The analyses focus on confirmation of the factorial structure of the instrument, evaluation of the quality of the activities calibrations, examination of the internal structure of the instrument, and comparison of groups of administrators. The dimensionality analysis results suggest a five-dimensional model that is consistent with previous literature concerning career paths of community college administrators - education and specialized training, internal professional development and mentoring, external professional development, employer support, and seniority. The indicators of the quality of the activity calibrations suggest that measures of the five dimensions are adequately reliable, that the activities in each dimension are internally consistent, and that the observed responses to each activity are consistent with the expected values of the MRCMLM. The hierarchy of administrator measure means and of activity calibrations is consistent with substantive theory relating to professional development for community college administrators. For example, readily available activities that occur at the institution were most likely to be engaged in by administrators, while participation in selective specialized training institutes were the least likely activities. Finally, group differences with respect to age and title were consistent with substantive expectations - the greater the administrator's age and the higher the rank of the administrator's title, the greater the probability of having engaged in various types of professional development.

  18. Report to the Legislature: Professional Development Expenditures. Line-Item 7061-0008

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents the "Report to the Legislature: Professional Development Expenditures". All public school districts report professional development expenditures as part of the required End of Year Financial Report in four areas: professional development leadership, teacher/instructional staff professional days, substitute salaries…

  19. Reflection and Professional Identity Development in Design Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tracey, Monica W.; Hutchinson, Alisa

    2018-01-01

    Design thinking positions designers as the drivers of the design space yet academic discourse is largely silent on the topic of professional identity development in design. Professional identity, or the dynamic narratives that individuals construct and maintain to integrate their personal qualities with professional responsibilities, has not been…

  20. The Perceived Effectiveness of Christian School Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hicks, Kory G.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of professional development programs in Christian schools. This study compared the perceptions of Christian school and public schoolteachers towards their professional development to determine if any statistically significant differences existed among Learning Forward's 12 standards…

  1. Cost Framework for Teacher Preparation and Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rice, Jennifer King

    In 2000, the Finance Project received a planning grant to launch a new initiative on financing professional development in education. This report contributes to the understanding of resources required to successfully implement, replicate, or scale up professional development initiatives. The first section examines what preservice and inservice…

  2. The Professional Development of High School Chemistry Coordinators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hofstein, Avi; Carmeli, Miriam; Shore, Relly

    2004-01-01

    The implementation of new content and pedagogical standards in science education necessitates intensive, long-term professional development of science teachers. In this paper, we describe the rationale and structure of a comprehensive and intensive professional development program of school-based leaders, namely school chemistry coordinators. The…

  3. Professional Development for Teachers: What Two Rigorous Studies Tell Us

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quint, Janet

    2011-01-01

    Professional development--formal in-service training to upgrade the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of teachers--is widely viewed as an important means of improving teaching and learning. While many interventions "include" professional development, professional development was the central intervention of the two recent research and…

  4. Insights From the Development of an Environmental Science Professional Development Field Course for Undergraduates from Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, C. M.; Hall, S. R.; Walker, B.; Paul, J.

    2017-12-01

    Existing STEM retention and diversity programs have identified access to field and professional experiences as critical to helping students identify as scientists, form networks, and gain important skills necessary for employment. This program reimagines the traditional geology field course as a professional development experience for students at 2-year and 4-year institutions interested in environmental careers. Students participate in a summer field course in the Sierra Nevada of California, during which time they complete geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology field projects designed to compliment the curriculum of Environmental Geoscience, Environmental Science, and Environmental Studies programs. During the course students interact with local professionals in the environmental sector and work to earn badges based on the skills demonstrated during field projects. Badges create transparent documentation of skill mastery for students and provide a new way for students to understand and market their skills and competencies to potential employers. We will report on the curriculum development, implementation and assessment of the first cohort of students to participate in the program. Preliminary results of formative and summative assessments and their implications for student success and program design will be addressed.

  5. Development of a Suicidal Ideation Detection Tool for Primary Healthcare Settings: Using Open Access Online Psychosocial Data.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Denny; Abbott, Jo-Anne; Rehm, Imogen; Bhar, Sunil; Barak, Azy; Deng, Gary; Wallace, Klaire; Ogden, Edward; Klein, Britt

    2017-04-01

    Suicidal patients often visit healthcare professionals in their last month before suicide, but medical practitioners are unlikely to raise the issue of suicide with patients because of time constraints and uncertainty regarding an appropriate approach. A brief tool called the e-PASS Suicidal Ideation Detector (eSID) was developed for medical practitioners to help detect the presence of suicidal ideation (SI) in their clients. If SI is detected, the system alerts medical practitioners to address this issue with a client. The eSID tool was developed due to the absence of an easy-to-use, evidence-based SI detection tool for general practice. The tool was developed using binary logistic regression analyses of data provided by clients accessing an online psychological assessment function. Ten primary healthcare professionals provided advice regarding the use of the tool. The analysis identified eleven factors in addition to the Kessler-6 for inclusion in the model used to predict the probability of recent SI. The model performed well across gender and age groups 18-64 (AUR 0.834, 95% CI 0.828-0.841, N = 16,703). Healthcare professionals were interviewed; they recommended that the tool be incorporated into existing medical software systems and that additional resources be supplied, tailored to the level of risk identified. The eSID is expected to trigger risk assessments by healthcare professionals when this is necessary. Initial reactions of healthcare professionals to the tool were favorable, but further testing and in situ development are required.

  6. Professional Development Programs That Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shawl, William F.

    The professional development program at Golden West College has successfully maximized instructional change and innvovation for several years. The success of the program is due to factors such as support from the president; the appointment of a dean of educational development whose sole responsibility is to work with faculty on new developmental…

  7. Modeling Teacher Professional Development Through a Telescope Making Workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meredith, J. T.; Schleigh, S. P.; Lee, T. D.

    2010-08-01

    The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) provides a springboard to develop innovative enduring educational programming directed toward astronomy education. We examine current professional development models focusing on astronomy and discuss the need for improvement. We propose a professional development design that follows the medical field philosophy using a low cost telescope making workshop as a vehicle to test and modify the model. The workshop promotes teacher content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and develops skills and confidence in an inquiry, integrative lesson. This model can be shared with professional development leaders, coordinators and teachers in any topic or level of education. Professional development designs such as the proposed promote excitement and interest in astronomy and makes it possible for underserved and economically depressed regions to have opportunities to promote the values of scientific investigation, STEM education, and public awareness of astronomy.

  8. Further Research on an Undergraduate Measure of Professional Development Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blau, Gary; Pred, Robert; Andersson, Lynne; Lopez, Andrea B.

    2015-01-01

    Professional Development Engagement (PDE) refers to the level of undergraduate engagement in professional development. Professional Development (PD) involves activities designed to help students prepare for a successful college-to-work transition. This study tested a new 12-item measure of PDE for a complete-data sample of 246 undergraduate…

  9. "Shakespeare Reloaded": Teacher Professional Development within a Collaborative Learning Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brady, Linzy

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes an instance of continuing professional development and explores the contribution it might make to the ongoing international dialogue of professional development. It reviews the way features of the current debate on effective teaching, teacher learning and continuing professional development overlap and feed into each other and…

  10. Helping Teachers Help Themselves: Professional Development That Makes a Difference

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patton, Kevin; Parker, Melissa; Tannehill, Deborah

    2015-01-01

    For school administrators to facilitate impactful teacher professional development, a shift in thinking that goes beyond the acquisition of new skills and knowledge to helping teachers rethink their practice is required. Based on review of the professional development literature and our own continued observations of professional development, this…

  11. Multiple Perspective: When Child Development Professionals Raise Twins

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stark, Deborah Roderick; Harden, Brenda Jones; Chazan-Cohen, Rachel; Cohen, Daniel J.; Rice, Kathleen Fitzgerald

    2006-01-01

    Do child development professionals have expectations about what it will be like to parent twins based on their professional experiences? Does their professional knowledge influence their approach to caregiving? And do their personal experiences as parents of twins change their research interests or how they work with children and families? To…

  12. Teacher Perspectives on Literacy and Mathematics Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Christie; Polly, Drew; Mraz, Maryann; Algozzine, Robert

    2018-01-01

    This study examines teacher's perspectives of the most beneficial professional development they have participated in over the last three years in the content areas of literacy and mathematics. It also investigates teachers views on how professional development influences student learning. Specifically, this study is grounded in the following…

  13. Relational Restorative Justice Pedagogy in Educator Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaandering, Dorothy

    2014-01-01

    What would a professional development experience rooted in the philosophy, principles, and practices of restorative justice look and feel like? This article describes how such a professional development project was designed to implement restorative justice principles and practices into schools in a proactive, relational and sustainable manner by…

  14. Reforming Professional Development: Focusing on Teachers' Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leach, Laura M.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this position paper was to study professional development, specifically looking at teachers' practices. After problems with a recent charter renewal for a small charter school and conversations with teachers and administration, professional development arose as an area that needed improvement. A model for professional…

  15. Teacher Professional Learning: Developing with the Aid of Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyprianou, Marianna; Nikiforou, Eleni

    2016-01-01

    Education is a field that constantly changes, which dictates the need for continuing teacher professional learning and development. Teacher professional learning and development can be divided into two categories: formal learning/ development and informal learning/development. This paper focuses on the experience of the presenters as coordinators…

  16. Teamwork on Assessments Creates Powerful Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McTighe, Jay; Emberger, Marcella

    2006-01-01

    Teacher collaboration is a powerful form of professional learning. One focus for collaborative efforts is designing assessments. When teachers design assessments, give each other feedback through peer reviews, evaluate student work, and plan together for improvement, they are engaged in highly effective professional development. Assessments have…

  17. Mathematics Coaching: A New Kind of Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Obara, Samuel

    2010-01-01

    While millions of dollars are spent on traditional professional development each year in the USA, some school districts are trying other means to increase students' test scores. One strategy is hiring mathematics coaches as on-site professional developers. Whereas mathematics coaching is a newly investigated research area and many issues still…

  18. Collaboration and Self-Regulation in Teachers' Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butler, Deborah L.; Lauscher, Helen Novak; Jarvis-Selinger, Sandra; Beckingham, Beverly

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes a professional development model with promise for supporting meaningful shifts in practice. We begin by introducing the theoretical principles underlying our professional development model, with a focus on explicating the interface between collaborative inquiry in a learning community (Lave, 1991, In L.B. Resnick, J.M. Levine,…

  19. Factors Driving Learner Success in Online Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vu, Phu; Cao, Vien; Vu, Lan; Cepero, Jude

    2014-01-01

    This study examined factors that contributed to the success of online learners in an online professional development course. Research instruments included an online survey and learners' activity logs in an online professional development course for 512 in-service teachers. The findings showed that there were several factors affecting online…

  20. Teachers' Beliefs about Using a Professional Development Plan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Janssen, Sandra; Kreijns, Karel; Bastiaens, Theo J.; Stijnen, Sjef; Vermeulen, Marjan

    2013-01-01

    Professional development plans (PDPs) have recently been introduced in Dutch schools to support teachers' professional development. However, teachers' beliefs regarding the use of PDPs have not been systematically researched, whereas research on the use of PDPs indicates that the implementation is not always successful and depends on how use is…

  1. Development of a Professional Certification in Cancer Patient Education.

    PubMed

    Papadakos, Janet; D'souza, Anna; Masse, Adeline; Boyko, Susan; Clarke, Susan; Giuliani, Meredith; MacKinnon, Keira; McBain, Sarah; McCallum, Meg; MacVinnie, Jan; Papadakos, Tina

    2018-04-19

    Patient educators come into the field from diverse professional backgrounds and often lack training in how to teach and develop patient education resources since no formal patient education professional certification program exists. A professional certification program for patient educators would further define the professional scope of practice and reduce variability in performance. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the level of interest among Canadian cancer patient educators in a patient education professional certification program and (2) determine the competencies to be included in the professional certification program. A 12-item survey was designed by executive members of the Canadian Chapter of the Cancer Patient Education Network. The survey included a list of competencies associated with patient education, and a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "slightly important" to "very important" was used to determine the rank of each competency. The survey was sent to 53 patient educators across Canada. Ninety-two percent of the patient educators are interested in a professional certification program. Patient educators indicated that competencies related to developing patient resources, collaboration, plain language expertise, and health literacy were of most importance. Patient educators support the development of a patient education professional certification program and endorsed the competencies proposed. This information provides the foundation for the creation of a professional certification program for cancer patient educators.

  2. Storytellers as partners in developing a genetics education resource for health professionals

    PubMed Central

    Kirk, Maggie; Tonkin, Emma; Skirton, Heather; McDonald, Kevin; Cope, Buddug; Morgan, Rhian

    2013-01-01

    Summary Advances in genetics are bringing unprecedented opportunities for understanding health and disease, developing new therapies and changes in healthcare practice. Many nurses and midwives lack competence and confidence in integrating genetics into professional practice. One approach to enhance understanding of genetics is to simulate clinical exposure through storytelling. Stories are acknowledged as a powerful learning tool, being understandable and memorable, stimulating critical thinking, and linking theory to practice. Telling Stories, Understanding Real Life Genetics is a freely accessible website that sets people's stories within an education framework. The links between the stories and professional practice are made explicit and additional features support learning and teaching. Care of the storytellers within an ethical framework is of paramount importance. Storytellers are viewed as partners in the project. The challenges encountered include preserving the authentic voice and dignity of the storyteller. Project team members have also experienced ‘professional shame’ when negative experiences have been recounted, and the stories have had an impact on the team. The experience of working with storytellers has been positive. The storytellers want to be heard so that others will benefit from their stories. They serve as a reminder of why this work is important. PMID:22197414

  3. Professional and Creative Development of Natural Geographic Course Teachers within the Process of Professional Retraining

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samigullina, Galina Savelevna; Gilmanchina, Syriya Irekovna; Gaisin, Ilgisar Timergalievich; Gilmanshin, Iskander Rafailevich; Rafailevna, Akchurina Ilsia

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to analyse the professional and creative development of natural geographic course teachers of the Republic of Tatarstan in the process of professional retraining. The method for work performing is a retrospective analysis of professional retraining of natural geographic course teachers within the higher professional…

  4. Applying Constructionist Principles to Online Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ostashewski, Nathaniel; Moisey, Susan; Reid, Doug

    2011-01-01

    This report explores the first iteration of a teacher professional development courselet grounded in constructionist theory and activities. This online teacher professional development (oTPD) courselet provided opportunities for teachers to engage in just-in-time, ongoing TPD within a social networking site for educators. The topic of the oTPD was…

  5. Professional Development for Teachers of English Language Learners: Discursive Norms, Learning Processes, and Professional Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molle, Daniella

    2010-01-01

    The lack of empirical scholarship on professional development initiatives for teachers of English language learners (ELLs) in US schools has been repeatedly documented in educational research. The present dissertation project examines a professional development course specifically designed for K-12 teachers of ELLs. The course aims to foster the…

  6. The Factors that Affect Science Teachers' Participation in Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roux, Judi Ann

    Scientific literacy for our students and the possibilities for careers available in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are important topics for economic growth as well as global competitiveness. The achievement of students in science learning is dependent upon the science teachers' effectiveness and experienced science teachers depend upon relevant professional development experiences to support their learning. In order to understand how to improve student learning in science, the learning of science teachers must also be understood. Previous research studies on teacher professional development have been conducted in other states, but Minnesota science teachers comprised a new and different population from those previously studied. The purpose of this two-phase mixed methods study was to identify the current types of professional development in which experienced, Minnesota secondary science teachers participated and the factors that affect their participation in professional development activities. The mixed-methods approach s utilized an initial online survey followed by qualitative interviews with five survey respondents. The results of the quantitative survey and the qualitative interviews indicated the quality of professional development experiences and the factors which affected the science teachers' participation in professional development activities. The supporting and inhibiting factors involved the availability of resources such as time and money, external relationships with school administrators, teacher colleagues, and family members, and personal intrinsic attributes such as desires to learn and help students. This study also describes implications for science teachers, school administrators, policymakers, and professional development providers. Recommendations for future research include the following areas: relationships between and among intrinsic and extrinsic factors, science-related professional development activities

  7. An Examination of the Relationship between Professional Development Providers' Epistemological and Nature of Science Beliefs and Their Professional Development Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia Arriola, Alfonso

    2017-01-01

    In the last twenty years in US science education, professional development has emphasized the need to change science instruction from a direct instruction model to a more participatory and constructivist learning model. The result of these reform efforts has seen an increase in science education professional development that is focused on…

  8. Professional development in college science teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Aimee Kathryn

    Graduate students earning a doctorate in the sciences historically focus their work on research and not professional development in college science teaching. However, for those who go on to a career in academia, a majority of their time will be dedicated to teaching. During the past few years, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) have been prepared to teach by attending a daylong workshop that included logistical information, but left pedagogy largely unexplored. Since that time, a seminar has been added to provide an introduction to pedagogical theory and practices and to provide practice teaching in the biological sciences laboratory course. Yet, more pedagogical preparation is needed. This study was conducted to determine if there was a need for a teaching certificate program for doctoral students in the College of Science and Technology (CoST) at The University of Southern Mississippi. The GTA respondents studied set teaching goals that were consistent with faculty members across the country; however, this research went further by finding out how competent the GTAs perceived they were and how much support they perceived they needed with respect to teaching and professional development. The GTAs did not differ in their perceived level of competence based on experience level; however, the less experienced GTAs did perceive they needed more support than the experienced GTAs. To help GTAs develop a skill set that many CoST graduates currently lack, it is recommended that the University provide ample training and supervision. Establishing a certificate program can potentially impact the community in the following ways: (1) the training of GTAs contributes to the academic preparation of future academic professionals who will be teaching in various institutions; (2) GTA training provides professional development and awareness that teaching requires life long professional development; (3) ensuring competent academicians, not only in content but also in pedagogy; (4

  9. A Teacher Professional Development Model for Teaching Socioscientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carson, Katherine; Dawson, Vaille

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes the development and implementation of a three-pillared model for teaching socioscientific issues: teacher professional development; curriculum resources; and classroom support. A professional development program and curriculum resource based on the socioscientific issue of climate change was trialled with 75 Western Australian…

  10. Professional Development Design: Embedding Educational Reform in New Zealand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Starkey, Louise; Yates, Anne; Meyer, Luanna H.; Hall, Cedric; Taylor, Mike; Stevens, Susan; Toia, Rawiri

    2009-01-01

    Teacher professional development variously supports ongoing skill development, new knowledge, and systems change. In New Zealand, the implementation of major assessment reforms in senior secondary schools provided opportunity to investigate teacher professional development as a function of the particular stage of an educational reform.…

  11. STEM professional development: What's going on from the presenters' and participants' perspectives?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Randi

    This study was designed to explore elementary STEM professional development viewed from the presenters' and participants' perspectives. Numerous committees and educational organizations recommend investing in STEM professional development at the local, state, and national level. This investment must begin with research that inquires how STEM professional development is structured and what is needed for teacher and student success. Since there is a recent STEM education push in schools, elementary teachers need effective professional development in order to gain the necessary content, skills, confidence, and pedagogy required for those changing demands. This qualitative study embraced. Yin's case study methodology by observing short-duration STEM professional development for elementary teachers within a large metropolitan school system and an educational professional development agency. The study discussed the analysis and findings in the context of Bandura's sources of efficacy and Desimone's critical features of professional development. Data were gathered form professional development observations, presenter interviews, and participant interviews. The research questions for this study included: (a) based on Desimone's (2009) framework for professional development, what does content focused, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation look like in initial STEM professional development for elementary teachers? (b) are Bandura's (1997) four sources of self- efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and affective states evidenced within the short duration professional development? and (c) how do these two frameworks align between presenter and participant thoughts and actions? This study uncovered additional sources of efficacy are present in short-duration STEM professional development. These found sources include coherence, content, and active learning delivered in a definitive order. The findings of this study

  12. How primary health care staff working in rural and remote areas access skill development and expertise to support health promotion practice.

    PubMed

    McFarlane, Kathryn A; Judd, Jenni; Wapau, Hylda; Nichols, Nina; Watt, Kerrianne; Devine, Sue

    2018-05-01

    Health promotion is a key component of comprehensive primary health care. Health promotion approaches complement healthcare management by enabling individuals to increase control over their health. Many primary healthcare staff have a role to play in health promotion practice, but their ability to integrate health promotion into practice is influenced by their previous training and experience. For primary healthcare staff working in rural and remote locations, access to professional development can be limited by what is locally available and prohibitive in terms of cost for travel and accommodation. This study provides insight into how staff at a large north Queensland Aboriginal community controlled health service access skill development and health promotion expertise to support their work. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted. Small group and individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff at Apunipima Cape York Health Council (n=9). A purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants from a number of primary healthcare teams that were more likely to be involved in health promotion work. Both on-the-ground staff and managers were interviewed. All participants were asked how they access skill development and expertise in health promotion practice and what approaches they prefer for ongoing health promotion support. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. All participants valued access to skill development, advice and support that would assist their health promotion practice. Skill development and expertise in health promotion was accessed from a variety of sources: conferences, workshops, mentoring or shared learning from internal and external colleagues, and access to online information and resources. With limited funds and limited access to professional development locally, participants fostered external and internal organisational relationships to seek in-kind advice and support. Irrespective of

  13. School Culture and Postgraduate Professional Development: Delineating the "Enabling School"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arthur, Linet; Marland, Harriet; Pill, Amanda; Rea, Tony

    2010-01-01

    The culture of the "enabling school" is investigated within the context of the government's policy of continuing professional development and postgraduate professional development for teachers in England. This context is problematised by considering teachers' conceptualisations of their professional autonomy, status and personal…

  14. Networked Teacher Professional Development: The Case of Globaloria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitehouse, Pamela

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore a teacher professional development program embedded in a networked learning environment, and to offer an emerging model and analytic matrix of 21st century teacher professional development. The Globaloria program is based on theories of learning by design and facilitates teachers and students as they create…

  15. Pacific CRYSTAL Teacher Professional Development Models: Lessons Learned

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Flier-Keller, E.; Yore, L.

    2010-12-01

    From 2005 to 2010 Pacific CRYSTAL (Centre for Research in Youth Science Teaching and Learning) has been engaged in community-based research fostering teacher leadership in innovative science education through a variety of approaches to teacher professional development. Pacific CRYSTAL is a University of Victoria based, NSERC funded project founded on a collaborative research model involving scentists, science educators and community members including schools, teachers, community groups and government. Pacific CRYSTAL professional development approaches embrace both in-service teachers and pre-service teachers, and include Lighthouse schools, workshops (ongoing as well as one-time), community-based partnerships in Pacific CRYSTAL research projects, teachers as researchers, and university science courses and workshops for pre-education and education students. A number of common themes, identified through these approaches, should be considered in the development and implementation of future science professional development initiatives. They include; teacher turnover, expanding and adding schools and participating teachers, teacher apprehension, building leadership capacity, further engagement of 'tourist' teachers, continuing professional support for teachers, as well as on-going mentoring.

  16. Workshop IV: Professional Development and Leadership

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sui, Man-Ling; Yoon, Jin-Hee

    2015-12-01

    The Professional Development and Leadership workshop of the 5th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics was aimed at identifying and overcoming the personal and professional roadblocks that female physicists experience while pursuing their careers and obtaining leadership positions. Participants shared their thoughts and experiences related to the workshop's three sessions—Leadership, Education, and Inspiration—and concluded by formulating resolutions and recommendations to present to the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).

  17. Foreign Language Teachers' Professional Development in Information Age

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Xiying; Wu, Gang

    Cultivation of students' learning autonomy has raised new challenges to teachers' professional development, dynamic, continuous, lifelong full-scale development, with emphasis on the creativity and constancy of the teachers' quality development. The teachers' professional development can take the following approaches: studying theories about foreign language teaching with the aid of modern information technology; organizing online teaching research activities supported by information technology and carrying peer observation and dialogue -teaching reflection in internet environment and fostering scholarly teachers.

  18. Technology Professional Developer Conceptions and Misconceptions of Knowledge Required for the Educational Technology Specialist Certification, and Their Use of the Elements of Effective Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marr, John P.

    2011-01-01

    Professional development has been a focus of public education since World War II, yet, it was not until the passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act in 1994 that professional development became federally mandated. The infusion of educational technology at the start of Goals 2000 created a natural connection with professional development. In…

  19. Mathematics Professional Development: Critical Features for Developing Leadership Skills and Building Teachers' Capacity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koellner, Karen; Jacobs, Jennifer; Borko, Hilda

    2011-01-01

    This article focuses on three features of professional development (PD) programs that play an important role in developing leadership skills and building teachers' capacity: (1) fostering a professional learning community, (2) developing teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching, and (3) adapting PD to support local needs and interests. We…

  20. Identifying and Applying for Professional Development Funding.

    PubMed

    Hyden, Christel; Escoffery, Cam; Kenzig, Melissa

    2015-07-01

    Participation in ongoing professional development can be critical for maintaining up-to-date knowledge in your field, as well as preparing for promotions and job changes. Career development activities may include formal classroom education, web-based courses, on-the-job training, workshops and seminars, professional conferences, and self-study programs. Developing a career development plan, cultivating a team to support your goals, and actively pursuing continuing education and skill-building opportunities are important across all career stages. However, the financial cost of these opportunities can often place them beyond reach. In this commentary, we summarize several potential sources for career development funding as well as best practices for completing the application process. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  1. Open access behaviours and perceptions of health sciences faculty and roles of information professionals.

    PubMed

    Lwoga, Edda T; Questier, Frederik

    2015-03-01

    This study sought to investigate the faculty's awareness, attitudes and use of open access, and the role of information professionals in supporting open access (OA) scholarly communication in Tanzanian health sciences universities. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 librarians, while questionnaires were physically distributed to 415 faculty members in all eight Tanzanian health sciences universities, with a response rate of 71.1%. The study found that most faculty members were aware about OA issues. However, the high level of OA awareness among faculty members did not translate into actual dissemination of faculty's research outputs through OA web avenues. A small proportion of faculty's research materials was made available as OA. Faculty were more engaged with OA journal publishing than with self-archiving practices. Senior faculty with proficient technical skills were more likely to use open access than junior faculty. Major barriers to OA usage were related to ICT infrastructure, awareness, skills, author-pay model, and copyright and plagiarism concerns. Interviews with librarians revealed that there was a strong support for promoting OA issues on campus; however, this positive support with various open access-related tasks did not translate into actual action. It is thus important for librarians and OA administrators to consider all these factors for effective implementation of OA projects in research and academic institutions. This is the first comprehensive and detailed study focusing on the health sciences faculty's and librarians' behaviours and perceptions of open access initiatives in Tanzania and reveals findings that are useful for planning and implementing open access initiatives in other institutions with similar conditions. © 2015 Health Libraries Journal.

  2. Designing Continuous Professional Development Programmes for Teachers: A Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luneta, K.

    2012-01-01

    Continuous professional development is essential for upgrading and updating teachers because the rate of social and educational change makes pre-service training an inadequate basis for long term professional competence. The design of these continuous professional development programmes must be informed by an effective needs analysis that…

  3. Profits or Professionalism: Issues Facing the Professionalization of TESL in Canada

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacPherson, Seonaigh; Kouritzin, Sandra; Kim, Sohee

    2005-01-01

    TESL is a field in the process of professionalization. As TESL organizations in Canada struggle to gain professional stature for the field, market demands for ESL teachers in Canada and around the world increase exponentially. This creates a dilemma; whereas professionalization require making the field more difficult to access without specialized…

  4. 34 CFR 263.3 - What definitions apply to the Professional Development program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What definitions apply to the Professional Development... Professional Development Program § 263.3 What definitions apply to the Professional Development program? The following definitions apply to the Professional Development program: Bureau-funded school means a Bureau...

  5. Flipped ESL Teacher Professional Development: Embracing Change to Remain Relevant

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Razak, Rafiza Abdul; Kaur, Dalwinder; Halili, Siti Hajar; Ramlan, Zahri

    2016-01-01

    Many traditional professional development programs that are initiated to equip ESL teachers with knowledge and skills have been futile for numerous reasons. This paper addresses a gap in the recent research of ESL teachers' professional development. Literature has revealed many shortcomings of the traditional and online professional development…

  6. Benchmarking Professional Development Practices across Youth-Serving Organizations: Implications for Extension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garst, Barry A.; Baughman, Sarah; Franz, Nancy

    2014-01-01

    Examining traditional and contemporary professional development practices of youth-serving organizations can inform practices across Extension, particularly in light of the barriers that have been noted for effectively developing the professional competencies of Extension educators. With professional development systems changing quickly,…

  7. Process Improvement Education with Professionals in the Addiction Treatment Field

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pulvermacher, Alice

    2006-01-01

    Continuing education is being provided to professionals in the addiction treatment field to help them develop skills in process improvement and better meet the needs and requests they encounter. Access and retention of individuals seeking addiction treatment have been two of the greatest challenges addiction treatment professionals face.…

  8. Continuing Professional Development in Context: Teachers' Continuing Professional Development Culture in Germany and Sweden

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wermke, Wieland

    2011-01-01

    This article investigates the continuing professional development (CPD) culture of teachers, and asks how it is influenced by properties of the school system. It reports the results of a questionnaire study with 418 secondary teachers from Sweden and Germany. The results show highly significant differences between Swedish and German teachers'…

  9. How to set up and use a Twitter account professionally.

    PubMed

    Chudleigh, Meriel; Jones, Ray

    2016-11-02

    Rationale and key points This article encourages nurses to use Twitter to engage in professional discussions, share information and raise awareness of alternative views to enhance practice and patient care. Twitter is an online social media service that enables users to send and read 140-character messages called tweets. » Twitter is free and accessible across multiple platforms and devices, providing immediate contact with professionals, organisations and the public worldwide. » Many healthcare professionals use Twitter to share ideas and information. » Responsible use of Twitter creates opportunities to access information, discuss issues and challenge misconceptions to support professional nursing behaviours. Reflective activity 'How to' articles can help update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: 1. How you could develop your use of Twitter for professional learning and interaction with healthcare professionals and others. 2. How you could support a colleague to use Twitter for the first time.

  10. Team-Based Professional Development Interventions in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Gast, Inken; Schildkamp, Kim; van der Veen, Jan T.

    2017-01-01

    Most professional development activities focus on individual teachers, such as mentoring or the use of portfolios. However, new developments in higher education require teachers to work together in teams more often. Due to these changes, there is a growing need for professional development activities focusing on teams. Therefore, this review study was conducted to provide an overview of what is known about professional development in teams in the context of higher education. A total of 18 articles were reviewed that describe the effects of professional development in teams on teacher attitudes and teacher learning. Furthermore, several factors that can either hinder or support professional development in teams are identified at the individual teacher level, at the team level, and also at the organizational level. PMID:28989192

  11. Team-Based Professional Development Interventions in Higher Education: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Gast, Inken; Schildkamp, Kim; van der Veen, Jan T

    2017-08-01

    Most professional development activities focus on individual teachers, such as mentoring or the use of portfolios. However, new developments in higher education require teachers to work together in teams more often. Due to these changes, there is a growing need for professional development activities focusing on teams. Therefore, this review study was conducted to provide an overview of what is known about professional development in teams in the context of higher education. A total of 18 articles were reviewed that describe the effects of professional development in teams on teacher attitudes and teacher learning. Furthermore, several factors that can either hinder or support professional development in teams are identified at the individual teacher level, at the team level, and also at the organizational level.

  12. Vocational Teacher Professional Development. Practice Application Brief No. 11.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Bettina Lankard

    Teacher shortages, new technologies, and vocational certification demands are directing attention to the need for professional development of vocational education (VE) teachers. VE teachers can use various strategies to enhance their performance and effectiveness through professional development. Worksite experiences give VE teachers opportunities…

  13. Development of Professional Teacher Competences for Cooperation with Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Viskovic, Ivana; Višnjic Jevtic, Adrijana

    2017-01-01

    Based on the belief that professional competences can partially be developed through professional training a cycle of ten educational workshops was designed. Combining theoretical knowledge, quality practice examples and discussions, the workshops strived to improve professional teacher competences. The assumed outcome was determined by difference…

  14. Continuous Professional Development along the Continuum of Lifelong Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Jane

    2003-01-01

    Of 300 surveyed, responses from 94 nurses, 38 occupational therapists, and 50 physical therapists indicated that professional knowledge was a prime motivation for continuing professional development, followed by updating qualifications, increasing the status of the profession, and demonstrating professional competence. No differences were observed…

  15. Professional identity development: Learning and journeying together.

    PubMed

    Bridges, Stephanie J

    2018-03-01

    Pharmacy students start to develop their professional values through engagement with the course, practice exposure, staff and fellow students. Group working is an element of pedagogy which draws on the social aspects of learning to facilitate knowledge and skills development, but its potential role in facilitating professional identity formation has as yet been under researched. This study aimed to explore the potential of mutual learning through group work to contribute not only to academic knowledge and understanding, but also to the development of students' professional values and selves. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 home and international first year undergraduate pharmacy students in a UK School of Pharmacy, to explore their experiences of interacting for learning with other students on the course. Thematic analysis of the interview data highlighted four main benefits of mutual learning, which are that it: promotes friendly interactions; aids learning about the subject and the profession; opens the mind through different opinions and ways of thinking; and enables learning about other people. Through working together students developed their communication skills and confidence; reflectively considered their own stance in the light of others' experiences and healthcare perspectives; and started to gain a wider worldview, potentially informing their future interactions with patients and colleagues. Some difficulties arose when group interactions functioned less well. Opportunity for collaboration and exchange can positively influence development of students' professional outlook and values. However, careful management of group working is required, in order to create a mutually supportive environment wherein students feel able to interact, share and develop together. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Making the Most of Mobility: Virtual Mentoring and Education Practitioner Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owen, Hazel D.

    2015-01-01

    Learning provision, including professional learning, needs to embrace mobility (of knowledge, cultures and contexts--physical and cerebral) to enable education practitioners to interact locally and globally, engage with new literacies, access rich contexts, and to question, co-construct and collaborate. Virtual mentoring, also known as distance,…

  17. Interdisciplinary Professional Development: Astrolabes for Medievalists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsen, Kristine

    2014-06-01

    Astronomers and astronomy educators have significantly broadened the intended audience for their outreach activities, from the traditional venues of public schools, libraries and planetariums to national parks, coffee houses, and concert halls. At the same time, significant attention has been paid to improving the quality and relevance of professional development directed toward preservice and inservice science teachers. Many of our outreach and professional development programs have also become increasingly creative in their use of interdisciplinary connections to astronomy, such as cultural astronomy and the history of astronomy. This poster describes a specific example of interdisciplinary professional development directed at a different audience, humanities faculty and researchers, through hands-on workshops on the basic astronomical background and usage of an astrolabe conducted at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in 2013 and 2014. The goal was to explain the basic astronomy behind astrolabes (as well as their cultural relevance) to medieval scholars in history, literature, and other disciplines. The intention was to increase their comfort with manipulating and explaining astrolabes to a basic level where they could share their knowledge with their own college classes. In this way the relevance of astronomy to myriad human endeavors could be reinforced by humanities faculty within their own courses.

  18. Enhancing Teacher Competency through Co-Teaching and Embedded Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaffer, LaShorage; Thomas-Brown, Karen

    2015-01-01

    The ongoing professional development of general education and special education teachers is vital to the success of students with disabilities. As more classrooms transition to a co-teaching model, the professional development that teachers engage in must transition to meet the needs of both groups of professionals. This study used a qualitative…

  19. Professionalism in Broadcasting in Developing Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, Rita Cruise

    1977-01-01

    Examines the modes of professionalism and organizational structure in broadcasting and investigates how these modes transfer from industrialized nations to developing countries such as Algeria and Senegal. (MH)

  20. Development and Integration of Professional Core Values Among Practicing Clinicians.

    PubMed

    McGinnis, Patricia Quinn; Guenther, Lee Ann; Wainwright, Susan F

    2016-09-01

    The physical therapy profession has adopted professional core values, which define expected values for its members, and developed a self-assessment tool with sample behaviors for each of the 7 core values. However, evidence related to the integration of these core values into practice is limited. The aims of this study were: (1) to gain insight into physical therapists' development of professional core values and (2) to gain insight into participants' integration of professional core values into clinical practice. A qualitative design permitted in-depth exploration of the development and integration of the American Physical Therapy Association's professional core values into physical therapist practice. Twenty practicing physical therapists were purposefully selected to explore the role of varied professional, postprofessional, and continuing education experiences related to exposure to professional values. The Core Values Self-Assessment and résumé sort served as prompts for reflection via semistructured interviews. Three themes were identified: (1) personal values were the foundation for developing professional values, which were further shaped by academic and clinical experiences, (2) core values were integrated into practice independent of practice setting and varied career paths, and (3) participants described the following professional core values as well integrated into their practice: integrity, compassion/caring, and accountability. Social responsibility was an area consistently identified as not being integrated into their practice. The Core Values Self-Assessment tool is a consensus-based document developed through a Delphi process. Future studies to establish reliability and construct validity of the tool may be warranted. Gaining an in-depth understanding of how practicing clinicians incorporate professional core values into clinical practice may shed light on the relationship between core values mastery and its impact on patient care. Findings may

  1. Providing Effective Professional Development: Lessons from the Eisenhower Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.; Desimone, Laura M.; Birman, Beatrice F.

    2003-01-01

    Reports on two studies evaluating the effectiveness of the federal government's Eisenhower Professional Development Program. Describes high quality professional development of in-service teachers, changes in teaching practice, six key practices identified in literature, and the relationship between district policies and the quality of professional…

  2. Working with soils: soil science continuing professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hannam, Jacqueline; Thompson, Dick

    2017-04-01

    The British Society of Soil Science launched the Working with Soils professional competency programme in 2011. This was in response to concerns from practitioners and professionals of a significant skills gap in various sectors that require soil science skills. The programme includes one and two day courses that cover the qualifications, knowledge and skills required of a professional scientist or engineer conducting a range of contract work. All courses qualify for continuing professional development points with various professional practice schemes. Three courses cover the foundations of soil science namely; describing a soil profile, soil classification and understanding soil variability in the field and landscape. Other tailored courses relate to specific skills required from consultants particularly in the planning process where land is assessed for agricultural quality (agricultural land classification). New courses this year include soil handling and restoration that provides practitioners with knowledge of the appropriate management of large volumes of soil that are disturbed during development projects. The courses have so far successfully trained over 100 delegates ranging from PhD students, environmental consultants and government policy advisors.

  3. Interdisciplinary Professional Development Needs of Cooperative Extension Field Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sondgerath, Travis

    2016-01-01

    The study discussed in this article sought to identify cross-program professional development needs of county-based Extension professionals (field educators). The study instrument was completed by 105 county-based Extension professionals. Interdisciplinary topics, such as program evaluation and volunteer management, were identified as subjects of…

  4. Turning into Teachers before Our Eyes: The Development of Professional Identity through Professional Dialogue

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mantei, Jessica; Kervin, Lisa

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines the development of professional identity in early career teachers enrolled in an "add-on year" of an undergraduate teacher education degree. Through a series of readings focused on reflection and pedagogy, participants engaged in professional dialogue as they made connections between the themes in their professional…

  5. Health information needs of professional nurses required at the point of care.

    PubMed

    Ricks, Esmeralda; ten Ham, Wilma

    2015-06-11

    Professional nurses work in dynamic environments and need to keep up to date with relevant information for practice in nursing to render quality patient care. Keeping up to date with current information is often challenging because of heavy workload, diverse information needs and the accessibility of the required information at the point of care. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the information needs of professional nurses at the point of care in order to make recommendations to stakeholders to develop a mobile library accessible by means of smart phones when needed. The researcher utilised a quantitative, descriptive survey design to conduct this study. The target population comprised 757 professional nurses employed at a state hospital. Simple random sampling was used to select a sample of the wards, units and departments for inclusion in the study. A convenience sample of 250 participants was selected. Two hundred and fifty structured self-administered questionnaires were distributed amongst the participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. A total of 136 completed questionnaires were returned. The findings highlighted the types and accessible sources of information. Information needs of professional nurses were identified such as: extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis, multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, HIV, antiretrovirals and all chronic lifestyle diseases. This study has enabled the researcher to identify the information needs required by professional nurses at the point of care to enhance the delivery of patient care. The research results were used to develop a mobile library that could be accessed by professional nurses.

  6. Literacy Achievement through Sustained Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Douglas; Frey, Nancy; Nelson, John

    2012-01-01

    Development efforts, the 44 schools in this study increased students' reading proficiency. Over the years, teams of teachers from each school were provided professional development and opportunities to lead their colleagues in implementation of the instructional framework. The teachers used their instructional materials as resources to plan…

  7. Professional Development Seen as Employment Capital

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mackay, Margaret

    2017-01-01

    Practitioners need to invest in professional development to enhance credibility, job security and employment prospects. Employer expectations of continuing development as a performance measure link to the notion of career capital; namely that knowledge competence influences job advancement. This study uses an interpretivist approach to explore…

  8. Leading Learning: The Role of School Leaders in Supporting Continuous Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stevenson, Michael; Hedberg, John G.; O'Sullivan, Kerry-Ann; Howe, Cathie

    2016-01-01

    In contemporary school settings, leaders seeking to support professional development are faced with many challenges. These challenges call for educators who can undertake professional learning that is continuous and adaptive to change. As a term, continuous professional development (CPD) reflects many different forms of professional development in…

  9. Large-Scale Teacher Professional Development Endeavor: The Lincoln Tri-State Institute

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murley, Lisa D.; Gandy, S. Kay; Sublett, Michael D.; Kruger, Darrell P.

    2014-01-01

    This article explores a two-year professional development initiative with four state geographic alliances. Professional development planners, whether planning for a large- or small-scale initiative or one with unlimited or limited funding, will benefit from learning about this successful professional development activity and how the impact in the…

  10. Graduate Student-Run Course Framework for Comprehensive Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Needelman, Brian A.; Ruppert, David E.

    2006-01-01

    Comprehensive professional development is rarely offered to graduate students, yet would assist students to obtain employment and prosper in their careers. Our objective was to design a course framework to provide professional development training to graduate students that is comprehensive, minimizes faculty workload, and provides enculturation…

  11. A Design Framework for Online Teacher Professional Development Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Katrina Yan

    2012-01-01

    This paper provides a design framework for building online teacher professional development communities for preservice and inservice teachers. The framework is based on a comprehensive literature review on the latest technology and epistemology of online community and teacher professional development, comprising four major design factors and three…

  12. Teachers' Perceptions of Online Professional Development in Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garbe, Amber Yudchitz

    2012-01-01

    This study sought to describe perceptions of teachers regarding the influence of online professional development (oPD) in literacy on their instruction and students' learning. The following features of effective professional development were analyzed: content-focus; collectivity; coherence; duration; and active learning. As well, the study…

  13. Standards for Reporting Mathematics Professional Development in Research Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sztajn, Paola

    2011-01-01

    This Research Commentary addresses the need for standards for describing mathematics professional development in mathematics education research reports. Considering that mathematics professional development is an emerging research field, it is timely to set expectations for what constitutes high-quality reporting in this field. (Contains 2 tables.)

  14. How we developed a role-based portfolio for teachers' professional development.

    PubMed

    Pyörälä, Eeva

    2014-09-01

    Faculty development requires practical tools for supporting teachers' professional development. In a modern medical education context, teachers need to adapt to various educational roles. This article describes how a role-based portfolio with a qualitative self-assessment scale was developed. It strives to encourage and support teachers' growth in different educational roles. The portfolio was developed between 2009 and 2012 at the University of Helsinki in dialogue with teachers involved in faculty development. It is based on the role framework presented by Harden and Crosby. Today, it also involves the educational premises of constructive alignment, reflection and a scholarly approach to teaching. The role-based portfolio has led the teachers to discover new educational roles and set goals in their professional development.

  15. 21st Century Learning Skills Embedded in Climate Literacy Teacher Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Myers, R. J.; Schwerin, T. G.; Blaney, L.

    2011-12-01

    Trilling and Fadel's "21st Century Learning Skills" defines a vision of how to infuse an expanded set of skills, competencies and flexibilities into the classroom. Among these skills are global awareness, health and environmental literacy. The authors contend that in order for our students to compete, they will need critical thinking and problem solving skills, communication and collaboration, and creativity and innovation. Students will also need to be digital savvy. This poster outlines a program of preparing teachers to implement inquiry-based modules that allow students to exercise hypothetical deductive reasoning to address climate literacy issues such as: the Dust Bowl, thermohaline circulation, droughts, the North Atlantic Oscillation, climate variability and energy challenges. This program is implemented through the Earth System Science Education Alliance. ESSEA supports the educational goal of "attracting and retaining students in science careers" and the associated goal of "attracting and retaining students in science through a progression of educational opportunities for students, teachers and faculty." ESSEA provides long-duration educator professional development that results in deeper content understanding and confidence in teaching global climate change and science disciplines. The target audience for this effort is pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers. The ESSEA program develops shared educational resources - including modules and courses - that are based on NASA and NOAA climate science and data. The program is disseminated through the ESSEA Web site: http://essea.courses.strategies.org. ESSEA increases teachers' access to high-quality materials, standards-based instructional methods and content knowledge. Started in 2000 and based on online courses for K-12 teachers, ESSEA includes the participation of faculty at 45 universities and science centers. Over 3,500 pre- and in-service K-12 teachers have completed ESSEA courses. In addition to 21st

  16. Establishing an online continuing and professional development library for nurses and midwives in east, central, and southern Africa

    PubMed Central

    Hosey, Kristen N.; Kalula, Alphonce; Voss, Joachim

    2016-01-01

    Over the previous 4 years, the African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative for nurses and midwives has supported 12 countries to establish national continuing and professional development frameworks and programs, linking continuing education to nursing and midwifery re-licensure through technical assistance and improvement grants. However, lack of electronic media and rural practice sites, differences in priority content, and varying legal frameworks make providing accessible, certifiable, and up-to-date online continuing education content for the more than 300,000 nurses and midwives in the 17 member countries of the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing a major challenge. We report here on how the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing, with technical assistance from an Afya Bora Fellow, developed an online continuing professional development library hosted on their Website using data collected in a survey of nursing and midwifery leaders in the region. PMID:27086190

  17. Accountability or Authenticity? The Alignment of Professional Development and Teacher Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Su, Yahui; Feng, Liyia; Hsu, Chang-Hui

    2017-01-01

    The alignment of professional development and teacher evaluation has been a growing concern in teacher professional development practices. The issue of how teacher evaluation can help authentic professional development is important in that teachers only learn what is real, useful and valuable to them. Based on our reflections on current…

  18. Learning from Teaching in Literacy Education: New Perspectives on Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodgers, Emily M., Ed.; Pinnell, Gay Su, Ed.

    This collection of papers describes what is known about the effective professional development of literacy educators. The 11 papers are: (1) "Professional Development Scenarios: What Is and Might Be" (Emily Rodgers and Gay Su Pinnell); (2) "A National Overview of Professional Development Programs in Reading" (Marie Tejero Hughes, Michele Mits…

  19. Professionalism, Portfolios and the Development of School Leaders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wildy, Helen; Wallace, John

    1998-01-01

    Describes how two reforms--portfolio culture and teacher professionalism--converge in a systemwide program for school leaders' professional development. Investigates use of portfolios to help (Australian) principals, deputy principals, and department heads improve their performance and accountability. Participants used portfolios as evidence of…

  20. Professional Development of Teacher-Educators towards Transformative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meijer, Marie-Jeanne; Kuijpers, Marinka; Boei, Fer; Vrieling, Emmy; Geijsel, Femke

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the specific characteristics of teacher-educator professional development interventions that enhance their transformative learning towards stimulating the inquiry-based attitude of students. An educational design research method was followed. Firstly, in partnership with five experienced educators, a professional development…

  1. The Professional Development of Kosovan Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goddard, J. T.

    2004-01-01

    In this article the author provides a discussion around issues related to the professional development of educational leaders in a resource-free, post-conflict environment. Drawing upon the author's ongoing experiences (2001-present) in Kosovo, the author presents a series of vignettes concerning leadership development in the Balkans. Lessons…

  2. The Negative and Positive Characteristics of Teacher Technology Professional Development Programs in Relation to Efficient Classroom Integration and Knowledge of Interactive Whiteboards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bey, Marie A.

    2012-01-01

    The key to educational reform is the well-prepared teacher. Giving the teacher continuous, immediate, and supported access to interactive whiteboard (IWB) professional development programs (PDPs) is necessary for creating the potential for deep and sustained changes of the educational programs. This qualitative case study explored the negative and…

  3. Designing Online Conferences to Promote Professional Development in Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carr, Tony

    2016-01-01

    This article considers how online conferences can support professional development across Africa and reviews elements of the literatures of social learning, online professional development and online conferences. The e/merge online conference is then described in terms of design features and participation metrics. This sets context for discussion…

  4. Delivering Online Professional Development in Mathematics to Rural Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cady, Jo; Rearden, Kristin

    2009-01-01

    Rural school districts struggle to attract, retain, and support highly qualified mathematics teachers. A series of four online professional development courses in the form of integrated mathematics content and pedagogy courses was designed to meet the professional development needs of rural middle school mathematics teachers. Changes in teachers'…

  5. Participatory Research in an Arts Integration Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cawthon, Stephanie W.; Dawson, Kathryn M.; Judd-Glossy, Laura; Ihorn, Shasta

    2012-01-01

    Drama for Schools (DFS) is an arts integration professional development program rooted in critical pedagogy and constructivism that emphasizes partnerships between school districts and a major research university. As a part of the research initiative embedded in this professional development program, DFS began an Arts integration Research Teacher…

  6. EFL Professional Development: Discussion of Effective Models in Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Almuhammadi, Anas

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the professional development literature in the educational setting. The different literature pieces are aligned to a framework that requires effective professional development to focus on three concepts: content, context, and process. The content focuses on the "what" question in the programs while the context aims to…

  7. Professional Development and Teacher Change: The Missing Leadership Link

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitworth, Brooke A.; Chiu, Jennifer L.

    2015-01-01

    Professional development in science education aims to support teacher learning with the ultimate goal of improving student achievement. A multitude of factors influence teacher change and the effectiveness of professional development. This review of the literature explores these factors and identifies school and district science leaders as a…

  8. Professional Development: Catalyst for Change?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niederhauser, Dale; Wessling, Sarah

    2011-01-01

    Difficulty securing adequate professional development (PD) has long been a barrier to the effective implementation of educational technology. Concerns about the dearth of PD for helping teachers integrate technology into their instructional practices raised nearly 25 years ago appear to still hold true despite repeated calls for increased…

  9. Adoption, adaptation, and abandonment: Appropriation of science education professional development learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Longhurst, Max L.

    Understanding factors that impact teacher utilization of learning from professional development is critical in order maximize the educational and financial investment in teacher professional learning. This study used a multicase mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology to investigate the factors that influence teacher adoption, adaption, or abandonment of learning from science teacher professional development. The theoretical framework of activity theory was identified as a useful way to investigate the phenomenon of teacher appropriation of pedagogical practices from professional development. This framework has the capacity to account for a multitude of elements in the context of a learning experience. In this study educational appropriation is understood through a continuum of how an educator acquires and implements both practical and conceptual aspects of learning from professional development within localized context. The variability associated with instructional changes made from professional development drives this inquiry to search for better understandings of the appropriation of pedagogical practices. Purposeful sampling was used to identify two participants from a group of eighth-grade science teachers engaged in professional development designed to investigate how cyber-enabled technologies might enhance instruction and learning in integrated science classrooms. The data from this investigation add to the literature of appropriation of instructional practices by connecting eight factors that influence conceptual and practical tools with the development of ownership of pedagogical practices in the appropriation hierarchy. Recommendations are shared with professional development developers, providers, and participants in anticipation that future science teaching experiences might be informed by findings from this study.

  10. Implementation of a professional portfolio: a tool to demonstrate professional development for advanced practice.

    PubMed

    Chamblee, Tracy B; Dale, Juanita Conkin; Drews, Barbie; Spahis, Joanna; Hardin, Teri

    2015-01-01

    The literature has a gap related to professional development for APRNs. In the United States, many health care organizations use clinical advancement programs for registered nurses, but APRNs are not often included in these programs. If APRNs are included, advancement opportunities are very limited. At CMC, implementation of a professional portfolio resulted in increased satisfaction among APPs regarding their ability to showcase professional growth and expertise, as well as the uniqueness of their advanced practice. Use of the professional portfolio led to improved recognition by APS and organizational leaders of APP performance excellence during the annual performance evaluation, as well as improved recognition among APP colleagues in terms of nominations for honors and awards.

  11. Classroom Effects of an Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Algozzine, Bob; Babb, Julie; Algozzine, Kate; Mraz, Maryann; Kissel, Brian; Spano, Sedra; Foxworth, Kimberly

    2011-01-01

    We evaluated an Early Childhood Educator Professional Development (ECEPD) project that provided high-quality, sustained, and intensive professional development designed to support developmentally appropriate instruction for preschool-age children based on the best available research on early childhood pedagogy, child development, and preschool…

  12. Seven Steps to Flipped Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conley, Laura

    2013-01-01

    Professional development generally follows a pattern of presentation and review, but flipping the sessions has garnered a positive response from staff members and prompted greater collaboration and engagement. In this article the author describes the seven following steps to follow in order to prepare for a successful staff development meeting:…

  13. Issues and Challenges in Financing Professional Development in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Carol E.

    In 2000, the Finance Project received a planning grant to launch a new initiative on financing professional development in education. This report reflects and summarizes what the Finance Project learned during the planning year about both traditional systems of professional development and reform efforts and how they are financed, focusing on…

  14. Professional Development: A Skills Approach to a Writing Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levitt, Roberta; Kramer-Vida, Louisa; Palumbo, Anthony; Kelly, Susan P.

    2014-01-01

    In this era of globalization, students need to know how to write well. Faculty development needs to focus on assisting primary teachers as they prepare students for a twenty-first-century world. Strategic curriculum reform and professional development can be achieved by partnerships between district administrators and professional consultants. Two…

  15. Including Teachers in the Design of Collaborative Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jensen, Christopher M.

    2014-01-01

    Improving instruction has been shown to be among the best means of improving student achievement, and professional development has, in turn, been shown to be integral to improving instruction. Moreover, to be effective, professional development programs should be based on adult learning principles and incorporate teacher input. The problem serving…

  16. Professional Development Needs of English Language Teachers in Malaysia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khandehroo, Koroush; Mukundan, Jayakaran; Alavi, Zhinoos Kamal

    2011-01-01

    This study surveyed the professional development (PD) needs of school English language teachers at Melaka State in Malaysia. With close cooperation with the Department of Language at the Ministry of Education, the whole population of English language teachers had been studied on their types of professional development needs in instructional…

  17. Facilitating Professional Development for Teachers of English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molle, Daniella

    2013-01-01

    The study explores the process of facilitation in professional development for educators. The study relies on discourse analysis of interaction among K-12 teachers and administrators in a Midwestern U.S. state during a semester-long professional development program especially designed for educators working with English language learners (ELLs).…

  18. School Nurse Summer Institute: A Model for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neighbors, Marianne; Barta, Kathleen

    2004-01-01

    The components of a professional development model designed to empower school nurses to become leaders in school health services is described. The model was implemented during a 3-day professional development institute that included clinical and leadership components, especially coalition building, with two follow-up sessions in the fall and…

  19. The Role of University Science Faculty in Promoting Meaningful Educational Change Through Inservice Teacher Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuster, D. A.

    2005-12-01

    certain amount of responsibility for their own learning. The work of science teaching cannot be accomplished without teacher learning, and teachers of science learn about scientific communities when scientists invite them to engage in the context of scientific practice. Unfortunately, numerous state and federal policies do not support science teachers as they seek to achieve these ends. Many of these policies push schools and universities to design professional development offerings that attempt to generate social capital in order to improve the school as an organization and do not the enrich the individual science teacher. However, these systems of professional development do not acknowledge that scientific knowledge is rapidly changing and K - 12 science teachers and curricula require continual renewal if they are to be accessible and relevant to students' lives. The university is uniquely situated to provide contexts through which inservice teachers can realize the "social and cultural embeddedness of scientific knowledge" (Lederman et. al., 2002).

  20. The ERESE project: Bridging the gap between Digital Science Libraries and Education through Professional Development of Teachers and Database Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staudigel, H.; Helly, M.; Helly, J.; Koppers, A.; Massel-Symons, C.; Miller, S.

    2004-12-01

    The ERESE (Enduring Resources in Earth Science Education) project involves a close collaboration between teachers, librarians, educators, data archive managers and scientists in Earth sciences and information technology, to create a digital library environment for Earth science education. We report here on an ongoing (NSF-NSDL) project involving teachers' professional development in the pedagogy of plate tectonics in middle and high schools. This work included efforts in scientific database development in terms of contents and search tools, the development of an inquiry based learning approach, a two week professional development workshop attended by 15 teachers from across the nation, a classroom implementation of lesson plans developed by the teachers at the workshop and an evaluation/validation process for the success of their pedagogic approaches. This ERESE project offers a novel path for both science teaching and professional outreach for scientists, and includes four key components: (1) A true, long-term research partnership between educators and scientists, guiding each other with respect to the authenticity of the science taught and the educational soundness of a scientists' elaborations on science concepts. (2) Expansion of existing scientific databases through the use of metadata that tie scientific materials to a particular expert level and teaching goal. (3) The design of interfaces that make data accessible to the educational community. (4) The use of an inquiry based teaching approach that integrates the scientist-educator collaboration and the data base developments. Our pedagogic approach includes the development of a central hypotheses by the student in response to an initial general orientation and presentation of a well chosen central provocative phenomenon by the teacher. Then, the student develops a research plan that is devoted to address this hypothesis through the use of the materials provided by a scientific database allowing a students

  1. Tanzanian midwives' perception of their professional role and implications for continuing professional development education.

    PubMed

    Jones, Brooke; Michael, Rene; Butt, Janice; Hauck, Yvonne

    2016-03-01

    This study explored Tanzanian midwives' perceptions of their professional role within their local context. Findings were to inform recommendations for continuing professional development education programs by Western midwifery educators. Using focus group interviews with sixteen Tanzanian midwives, the findings revealed that the midwives' overwhelming focus was on saving lives of women and newborns. The fundamental elements of saving lives involved prioritising care through receiving handover and undertaking physical assessment. Midwives were challenged by the poor working conditions, perceived lack of knowledge and associated low status within the local community. Based upon these findings, recommendations for continuing professional development education for Tanzanian midwives must ensure that saving lives is a major focus and that strategies taught must be relevant to the low-resource context of this developing country. In recognition of the high-risk women being cared for, there needs to be a focus on the prevention and management of maternity emergencies, in collaboration with medical practitioners. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Research Reports into Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Australian National Training Authority, Brisbane.

    Five reports present findings of research into professional development (PD) issues in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. "Lessons Learnt: An Analysis of Findings of Recent Evaluation Reports on PD in VET" (Kate Perkins) provides an overview of issues, insights, and ideas emerging from past PD experience that may be…

  3. Professional Development for Bermudian Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bohrer, George F., Jr.; Colbert, Ronald; Zide, Michele Moran

    This paper presents a case study of distance education and professional development in Bermuda, British West Indies. In 1996, the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education at Fitchburg State College (FSC), Massachusetts, entered into a program to provide a Master's of Education program to Bermuda's teachers. The Bermudian Ministry of Education…

  4. Factor Analysis of Teacher Professional Development in Chinese Military Medical Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yue, Juan-Juan; Chen, Gang; Wang, Zhen-Wei; Liu, Wei-Dong

    2017-01-01

    Background and purpose: Teacher professional development potentially enhances teachers' professional morale, knowledge, skills and autonomy, which helps improve the quality of education. The military medical university is an important medical education institution in China; however, studies of teacher professional development within military…

  5. Governing Teachers by Professional Development: State Programmes for Continuing Professional Development in Sweden since 1991

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirsten, Nils; Wermke, Wieland

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this article was to analyse how teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) contributes to the government of the teaching profession. This is done by examining the CPD initiatives organized by two Swedish national educational agencies since 1991 involving the school subjects of Swedish (standard language education) and…

  6. The development of the Professional Values Model in Nursing.

    PubMed

    Kaya, Ayla; Boz, İlkay

    2017-01-01

    One of the most important criteria for professionalism is accumulation of knowledge that is usable in professional practice. Nursing models and theories are important elements of accumulating nursing knowledge and have a chance to guarantee the ethical professional practice. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of models in nursing research and newly created terminology has started to be used in nursing. In this study, a new model, termed as the Professional Values Model, developed by the authors was described. Concepts comprising the conceptual framework of the model and relations between the concepts were explained. It is assumed that awareness about concepts of the model will increase not only the patients' satisfaction with nursing care, but also the nurses' job satisfaction and quality of nursing care. Contemporary literature has been reviewed and synthesized to develop this theoretical paper on the Professional Values Model in nursing. Having high values in nursing increases job satisfaction, which results in the improvement of patient care and satisfaction. Also, individual characteristics are effective in the determination of individual needs, priorities, and values. This relation, proved through research about the Professional Values Model, has been explained. With development of these concepts, individuals' satisfaction with care and nurses' job satisfaction will be enhanced, which will increase the quality of nursing care. Most importantly, nurses can take proper decisions about ethical dilemmas and take ethical action when they take these values into consideration when giving care. The Professional Values Model seems suitable for nurse managers and it is expected that testing will improve it. Implementation of the Professional Values Model by nurse managers may increase motivation of nurses they work with. It is suggested that guidance by the Professional Values Model may help in enhancement of motivation efforts of the nurse managers

  7. Enabling Adaptive System Leadership: Teachers Leading Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boylan, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Internationally, there is increasing emphasis on teacher leadership of professional development. This provides opportunities for teachers to initiate and facilitate professional learning activities beyond their own schools. There is a need for theoretical tools to analyse their leadership activity and how to support it. Constructs from complexity…

  8. Generating a Professional Portfolio in the Writing Center: A Hypertext Tutor.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cullen, Roxanne; Balkema, Sandra

    1995-01-01

    Notes that Ferris State University's writing center uses HyperCard software in the Macintosh environment to assist students in technical/professional programs to develop professional portfolios. Suggests that this approach offers consistent instruction and equal access to content information as approved by faculty in specified disciplines in a…

  9. Living Educational Theory Research as Transformational Continuing Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitehead, Jack; Huxtable, Marie

    2013-01-01

    Continuing professional development (CPD) living educational theory offers an approach to CPD that enables educators to enhance their own professional practice and enable them to offer as gifts the knowledge, expertise and talents they develop to extend the knowledge base of the profession. In this paper we briefly introduce living theory research…

  10. Recommendations for Professional Development Necessary for iPad Integration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenton, Diana

    2017-01-01

    With the recent adoptions of 1:1 technology initiatives, such as the iPads in schools, it is urgent to provide appropriate professional development opportunities for teachers to maximize student use of the technology. This study provides vital information on the professional development needs of teachers for initial integration of technology with…

  11. From professional development for science teachers to student learning in science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tinoca, Luis Fonseca

    This study investigates the effects of professional development for science teachers on student learning. It is usually expected that professional development programs positively impact student learning, however this dimension is not commonly incorporated in the programs evaluation. It is simply assumed that students will be indirectly impacted through their participating teachers in the work with their students. Two main research questions are addressed: (1) Are professional development programs effective in enhancing student learning in science? (2) What are the characteristics of the most and least effective programs? To answer these questions a meta-analysis of 37 professional development programs reporting their impact on student learning was performed. Program characteristics have been defined according to the categories defined by Loucks-Horsley et al (1998), the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996), as well as new categories developed by us analyzing other variables such as the programs length. A significant impact of professional development for science teachers on student learning has been found in the form of an overall correlation effect size of r = 0.22 (p < 0.001). Moreover, a Fixed Effects Model was used to differentiate between the impacts of the different characteristics of professional development programs for science teachers. In particular, programs emphasizing work on curriculum development, replacement, or implementation, scientific inquiry, pedagogical content knowledge, lasting over 6 month and with a total duration of at least 100 hours have been identified as having a larger impact on student learning. To enhance the findings vignettes have been developed based on the attained effect sizes describing possible professional development programs. Recommendations for present and future professional development programs are made based on what works best in order to maximize their impact on student learning.

  12. 34 CFR 263.4 - What training costs may a Professional Development program include?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What training costs may a Professional Development... GRANT PROGRAMS Professional Development Program § 263.4 What training costs may a Professional Development program include? (a) A Professional Development program may include, as training costs, assistance...

  13. 34 CFR 263.4 - What training costs may a Professional Development program include?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What training costs may a Professional Development... GRANT PROGRAMS Professional Development Program § 263.4 What training costs may a Professional Development program include? (a) A Professional Development program may include, as training costs, assistance...

  14. Business Educators' Perceptions of the Impact of Their Professional Development on Classroom Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shumack, Kellie A.; Forde, Connie M.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: This research investigated teachers' perceptions of the impact of professional development on the classroom instruction of secondary business teachers and the relationship between the impact of professional development and the number of hours spent in professional development. Background: Quality professional development for teachers…

  15. The Development and Structure of Professional Examinations Planned for National Use.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hecht, James T.

    The process typically employed by testing services in developing professional tests for national use is described: (1) determination of professional standards; (2) development of test specifications; (3) test construction; (4) test registration and administration; and (5) scoring, analysis, and reporting. To determine professional standards, input…

  16. Action Research and Collaborative Research: Their Specific Contributions to Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savoie-Zajc, Lorraine; Descamps-Bednarz, Nadine

    2007-01-01

    The increasing complexity of the teaching profession calls for engaged professionals in their professional development. This article claims that participative types of research contribute differently to professional development. Its intent is to explore the different contributions action research and collaborative research bring. One action…

  17. Exploring English-Language Teachers' Professional Development in Developing Countries: Cases from Syria and Pakistan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dayoub, Ruba; Bashiruddin, Ayesha

    2012-01-01

    This paper attempts to present the findings of a study carried out in Pakistan that explored English-language teachers' professional development in developing countries. The main guiding question for the study was: How do English-language teachers at secondary schools learn to teach and develop professionally in Syria and Pakistan? Two cases were…

  18. Professional Counseling in Romania: An Introduction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szilagyi, Andreea; Paredes, Daniel M.

    2010-01-01

    The formalization and professionalization processes in Romania resemble the early history of counseling in the United States, where development initially took place in the educational and career/vocational sectors. Brief accounts of the relationship between select periods in Romanian history and access to education and career/vocational support…

  19. Building leadership skills and promoting workforce development: evaluation data collected from public health professionals in the field of maternal and child health.

    PubMed

    Kroelinger, Charlan D; Kasehagen, Laurin; Barradas, Danielle T; 'Ali, Zarinah

    2012-12-01

    Professional development, including training and leadership skill building, is important for maternal and child health (MCH) epidemiologists. Current workforce development and training opportunities vary, but lack an emphasis on linking leadership competencies with MCH epidemiology. This paper describes efforts at the annual MCH Epidemiology Conference (the "Conference") to promote leadership activities and workforce development, and recommendations to enhance professional development. An evaluation of attendee opinions on Conference workforce development activities was conducted during the 2009 and 2010 Conferences (70 and 66 % response rates, respectively). Frequencies and percentages were calculated overall and by attendee profession. Qualitative responses to questions regarding workforce and professional development were classified by theme in 2009, and a categorical question was developed for the 2010 evaluation. A combined 38 % of Conference attendees in 2009 and 2010 were MCH epidemiologists and 62 % were other MCH professionals. Attendees recommended more support and access to training, mentoring, and resources including job opportunities. Continuing education (41 %), special knowledge and skills-building training (51 %), and development of online resources for training (57 %) were highly recommended by attendees. Career (47 %) and leadership (49 %) mentoring by senior-level professionals in the field were also highly recommended. Promotion of leadership can be achieved by integrating the concept of leadership into the Conference itself; by publishing and disseminating MCH epidemiologic research in scientific, program, and policy settings; and by communicating the importance of epidemiologic findings to stakeholders and other non-scientific audiences.

  20. Building Leadership Skills and Promoting Workforce Development: Evaluation Data Collected from Public Health Professionals in the Field of Maternal and Child Health

    PubMed Central

    Kasehagen, Laurin; Barradas, Danielle T.; ‘Ali, Zarinah

    2015-01-01

    Professional development, including training and leadership skill building, is important for maternal and child health (MCH) epidemiologists. Current workforce development and training opportunities vary, but lack an emphasis on linking leadership competencies with MCH epidemiology. This paper describes efforts at the annual MCH Epidemiology Conference (the “Conference”) to promote leadership activities and workforce development, and recommendations to enhance professional development. An evaluation of attendee opinions on Conference workforce development activities was conducted during the 2009 and 2010 Conferences (70 and 66 % response rates, respectively). Frequencies and percentages were calculated overall and by attendee profession. Qualitative responses to questions regarding workforce and professional development were classified by theme in 2009, and a categorical question was developed for the 2010 evaluation. A combined 38 % of Conference attendees in 2009 and 2010 were MCH epidemiologists and 62 % were other MCH professionals. Attendees recommended more support and access to training, mentoring, and resources including job opportunities. Continuing education (41 %), special knowledge and skills-building training (51 %), and development of online resources for training (57 %) were highly recommended by attendees. Career (47 %) and leadership (49 %) mentoring by senior-level professionals in the field were also highly recommended. Promotion of leadership can be achieved by integrating the concept of leadership into the Conference itself; by publishing and disseminating MCH epidemiologic research in scientific, program, and policy settings; and by communicating the importance of epidemiologic findings to stakeholders and other non-scientific audiences. PMID:22923283

  1. Peer-professional workgroups in palliative care: a strategy for advancing professional discourse and practice.

    PubMed

    Byock, Ira; Twohig, Jeanne Sheils; Merriman, Melanie; Collins, Karyn

    2006-08-01

    As part of a comprehensive national effort to improve care at the end of life, the Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation convened "national peer-professional workgroups" of recognized authorities or leaders to advance palliative aspects of practice in their respective specialties or fields. The conveners' goals were to establish research and practice agendas to integrate palliative care within selected fields and health care settings, and to expand delivery of palliative care to special patient populations that have been underserved by palliative care. We hypothesized that leading professionals within specific fields, chartered to achieve clear goals, and then provided with sufficient administrative and logistical support, could develop recommendations for expanding access to, quality of and financing for palliative care within their disciplines. Staff at the national program office of Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care convened eight disease-based, specialty-based or issue-based workgroups (the selected workgroup topics were amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cost accounting, critical care, end-stage renal disease, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome [HIV/AIDS] disease, Huntington's disease, pediatric care, and surgical palliative care). The national program office implemented a small group process design in convening the groups, and provided coordination, oversight and administrative support, along with funds to support meetings (telephone and in-person). A workgroup "charter" guided groups in determining the scope of efforts and set specific, time-limited goals. From the outset, the workgroups developed plans for dissemination of workgroup recommendations to defined stakeholder audiences, including health care providers, policy-makers, payers, researchers, funders, educators, professional organizations and patient advocacy groups. Groups averaged 25 members and met for an average of

  2. From Novice to Seasoned Practitioner: a Qualitative Investigation of Genetic Counselor Professional Development.

    PubMed

    Zahm, Kimberly Wehner; Veach, Patricia McCarthy; Martyr, Meredith A; LeRoy, Bonnie S

    2016-08-01

    Research on genetic counselor professional development would characterize typical developmental processes, inform training and supervision, and promote life-long development opportunities. To date, however no studies have comprehensively examined this phenomenon. The aims of this study were to investigate the nature of professional development for genetic counselors (processes, influences, and outcomes) and whether professional development varies across experience levels. Thirty-four genetic counselors participated in semi-structured telephone interviews exploring their perspectives on their professional development. Participants were sampled from three levels of post-degree genetic counseling experience: novice (0-5 years), experienced (6-14 years), and seasoned (>15 years). Using modified Consensual Qualitative Research and grounded theory methods, themes, domains, and categories were extracted from the data. The themes reflect genetic counselors' evolving perceptions of their professional development and its relationship to: (a) being a clinician, (b) their professional identity, and (c) the field itself. Across experience levels, prevalent influences on professional development were interpersonal (e.g., experiences with patients, genetic counseling colleagues) and involved professional and personal life events. Common developmental experiences included greater confidence and less anxiety over time, being less information-driven and more emotion-focused with patients, delivering "bad news" to patients remains challenging, and individuals' professional development experiences parallel genetic counseling's development as a field. With a few noteworthy exceptions, professional development was similar across experience levels. A preliminary model of genetic counselor professional development is proposed suggesting development occurs in a non-linear fashion throughout the professional lifespan. Each component of the model mutually influences the others, and there

  3. Climate Literacy: Supporting Teacher Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haddad, N.; Ledley, T. S.; Dunlap, C.; Bardar, E.; Youngman, B.; Ellins, K. K.; McNeal, K. S.; Libarkin, J.

    2012-12-01

    Confronting the Challenges of Climate Literacy (CCCL) is an NSF-funded (DRK-12) project that includes curriculum development, teacher professional development, teacher leadership development, and research on student learning, all directed at high school teachers and students. The project's evaluation efforts inform and guide all major components of the project. The research effort addresses the question of what interventions are most effective in helping high school students grasp the complexities of the Earth system and climate processes, which occur over a range of spatial and temporal scales. The curriculum unit includes three distinct but related modules: Climate and the Cryosphere; Climate, Weather, and the Biosphere; and Climate and the Carbon Cycle. Climate-related themes that cut across all three modules include the Earth system, with the complexities of its positive and negative feedback loops; the range of temporal and spatial scales at which climate, weather, and other Earth system processes occur; and the recurring question, "How do we know what we know about Earth's past and present climate?" which addresses proxy data and scientific instrumentation. The professional development component of the project includes online science resources to support the teaching of the curriculum modules, summer workshops for high school teachers, and a support system for developing the teacher leaders who plan and implement those summer workshops. When completed, the project will provide a model high school curriculum with online support for implementing teachers and a cadre of leaders who can continue to introduce new teachers to the resource. This presentation will introduce the curriculum and the university partnerships that are key to the project's success, and describe how the project addresses the challenge of helping teachers develop their understanding of climate science and their ability to convey climate-related concepts articulated in the Next Generation

  4. Professional transitions towards sustainable farming systems: The development of farmers' professional worlds.

    PubMed

    Coquil, Xavier; Dedieu, Benoît; Béguin, Pascal

    2017-01-01

    While farming in France and generally in Europe is continuing to intensify, at the expense of its environmental sustainability, promising alternatives are emerging. The processes whereby farmers change and transform their own work, to shift from an intensive mode of production to a self-sufficient and autonomous one, need to be formalized if we are to further our understanding of why and how these forms of sustainable farming activity emerge. We use the development of professional worlds theory, a systemic representation of workers' activity, whereby their experience is formalized. This can be explained as the praxis1, conceptual and axiological underpinnings form a system with the object of the action. The development of a professional world is analyzed according to the evolution of its components and the search for pragmatic coherence within it. We analyzed professional transitions towards self-sufficient and autonomous mixed farming through a case study. Our findings showed that the transition is initiated by the discovery of the unthinkable, awareness of a discrepancy between what the farmers think and what they do, the appearance of problems, and the response to external constraints. Professional transition is a non-teleological and non-incremental process; it corresponds to a comparison with reality, and a resolution of difficulties. This process is stimulated by the use of artifacts instrumented by the farmers. New perspectives are opened up by this formalization of transitions, in terms of (i) support towards sustainable farming and (ii) the design of sustainable farming systems.

  5. Santa Fe Community College Part-Time Faculty Professional Development Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santa Fe Community Coll., NM.

    Developed for faculty employed on a part-time basis at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), this booklet explains the required and optional activities comprising the college's professional development program. Introductory sections reveal that part-time faculty members are required to participate in a number of professional development activities,…

  6. Engaging Beginning Teachers as Experts in Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleming, Jane

    2014-01-01

    Beginning teachers most often are viewed as needing significant support in all areas of teaching. As a result, professional development (PD) associated with induction programs typically is presented by experienced professionals. This article describes one induction program's attempt to draw on the strengths within its network, engaging new…

  7. Proposal for Professional Development Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rajuan, Maureen

    This paper discusses the reluctance of Israeli inservice teachers to assume the role of mentor to student teachers in their classrooms, proposing an alternative Professional Development School (PDS) model as a starting point for rethinking ways to recruit teachers into this role. In this model, two student teachers assume full responsibility for 1…

  8. Do-It-Yourself Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Sonja; Henderson-Rosser, Aleigha

    2010-01-01

    A widespread irony in education is that many districts look at technology only in relation to what the students need. As a result, they often neglect to provide teachers with technology-based learning, even though they expect them to support their students with instructional technology. And when they do offer professional development (PD), they…

  9. Master Teachers as Professional Developers: Managing Conflicting Versions of Professionalism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montecinos, Carmen; Pino, Mauricio; Campos-Martinez, Javier; Domínguez, Rosario; Carreño, Claudia

    2014-01-01

    As education's main workforce, teachers have been the target of policies designed to shape and affirm new versions of professionalism. This paper examines this issue as it is exemplified by the Teachers of Teachers Network (TTN), a program developed by Chile's Ministry of Education. As a program designed to identify and reward high quality…

  10. Reflective Engagement as Professional Development in the Lives of University Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lyons, Nona

    2006-01-01

    This paper takes up two important issues in the professional development of university teachers: the controversy surrounding reflective inquiry and its purported benefits for professional development and the lack of research on what teachers learn from reflective inquiry and how that affects and/or changes their professional practice.…

  11. The Vital Program: Transforming ICT Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradshaw, Pete; Twining, Peter; Walsh, Christopher S.

    2012-01-01

    Developing a model for effective large-scale continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers remains a significant obstacle for many governments worldwide. This article describes the development and evolution of Vital--a CPD program designed to enhance the teaching of information communication technology in state-funded primary and…

  12. Measuring Return on Investment for Professional Development Activities: Implications for Practice.

    PubMed

    Opperman, Cathleen; Liebig, Debra; Bowling, Judith; Johnson, Carol Susan; Harper, Mary

    2016-01-01

    What is the return on investment (ROI) for the time and resources spent for professional development activities? This is Part 2 of a two-part series to report findings and demonstrate how financial analysis of educational activities can drive decision-making. The resources consumed for professional development activities need to be identified and quantified to be able to determine the worth of such activities. This article defines terms and formulas for financial analysis for nursing professional development practitioners to use in analysis of their own programs. Three fictitious examples of common nursing professional development learning activities are provided with financial analysis. This article presents the "how to" for the busy practitioner.

  13. The Interaction between Group Processes and Personal Professional Trajectories in a Professional Development Community for Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hadar, Linor L.; Brody, David L.

    2013-01-01

    This study explores the interaction between transformative processes in which a group of teacher educators became a professional development community (PDC) and the individual progress of these instructors through the professional development course on the topic of thinking education. Twelve teacher educators who participated in one of three…

  14. Developing Electronic Performance Support Systems for Professionals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Law, Michael P.; And Others

    This paper discusses a variety of development strategies and issues involved in the development of electronic performance support systems (EPSS) for professionals. The topics of front-end analysis, development, and evaluation are explored in the context of a case study involving the development of an EPSS to support teachers in the use of…

  15. High engagement, high quality: A guiding framework for developing empirically informed asynchronous e-learning programs for health professional educators.

    PubMed

    Sinclair, Peter M; Levett-Jones, Tracey; Morris, Amanda; Carter, Ben; Bennett, Paul N; Kable, Ashley

    2017-03-01

    E-learning involves the transfer of skills and knowledge via technology so that learners can access meaningful and authentic educational materials. While learner engagement is important, in the context of healthcare education, pedagogy must not be sacrificed for edu-tainment style instructional design. Consequently, health professional educators need to be competent in the use of current web-based educational technologies so that learners are able to access relevant and engaging e-learning materials without restriction. The increasing popularity of asynchronous e-learning programs developed for use outside of formal education institutions has made this need more relevant. In these contexts, educators must balance design and functionality to deliver relevant, cost-effective, sustainable, and accessible programs that overcome scheduling and geographic barriers for learners. This paper presents 10 guiding design principles and their application in the development of an e-learning program for general practice nurses focused on behavior change. Consideration of these principles will assist educators to develop high quality, pedagogically sound, engaging, and interactive e-learning resources. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  16. Developing a Professional Learning Community among Preservice Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bond, Nathan

    2013-01-01

    This action research study examined the development of a professional learning community (PLC) among 20 preservice secondary teachers as they met regularly during a semester-long, field-based education course to share artifacts of learning from their professional portfolios. The PLC model described by Hord and Tobia (2012) served as a framework…

  17. Professional Socialisation: An Influence on Professional Development and Role Definition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornelissen, J. J.; van Wyk, A. S.

    2007-01-01

    Professional socialisation refers to the acquisition of values, attitudes, skills and knowledge pertaining to a profession. This article reviews the definition and conceptualisation of professional socialisation through anticipatory and formal professional socialisation processes. It describes the core elements of professional socialisation such…

  18. Self-Discovery and Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Margolin, Edythe

    This paper explores the role of self discovery in the early stages of caregiver professional development, with a focus on the array of choices available to university students. The assumption is that many people do not know their repertoire of skills until asked to complete a project requiring those skills; thus, "the heart of becoming a…

  19. Professional Development. New Opportunities for Partnering, CAUSE94. Track VII.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    CAUSE, Boulder, CO.

    Eight papers are presented from the 1994 CAUSE conference track on professional development for information professionals in higher education institutions. The papers include: (1) "New Opportunities in Training for Information Systems Professionals," which discusses staff training at Miami-Dade Community College (Florida) (Desiree…

  20. Professional development by scientists and teachers' understanding of the nature of science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuster, Dwight A.

    The educational literature suggests that the success of professional development is contingent upon both a professional developer's presentation of the curriculum and his/her comprehension of the complex interactions that occur between instructor and the adult learner. While these suggestions appear forthright and logical, very little research has been conducted to demarcate how professional development approaches defined by these notions impact teacher knowledge. This study investigates the effects of scientist-delivered teacher professional development on teachers' understanding of the nature of science. Using a mixed-method comparative case study, my goal was to build theory focusing specifically on two dimensions of professional development: the pedagogical approaches used by the scientist-instructors and their views/treatment of teachers as professionals or as technicians. Seven credit-bearing summer courses from multiple scientific disciplines were studied, and each course shared a number of important features (duration, general format, teacher recruitment and admission, location, number of participants, etc.); consequently, they comprise a unique dataset for comparative research on science teacher professional development. A wide variety of data collection approaches were used, including interviews, questionnaires, a VNOS instrument, and systematic classroom observation by ten trained observers (each course was continuously observed by at least two observers). Analysis shows that teachers were more likely to experience change in their views about the nature of science in courses in which they were treated as professionals, compared to courses in which they were treated as technicians. It also shows that syllabi and participant reports tend to overstate the use of inquiry methods when reviewed in the light of close classroom observation. By recognizing and defining professional development contexts that build teachers' knowledge, this study suggests how

  1. More than "Continuing Professional Development": A Proposed New Learning Framework for Professional Accountants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindsay, Hilary

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores literature relating to continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning to develop an understanding of how the learning landscape has evolved in recent years, both in the accountancy profession and more widely. Three different perspectives on learning are drawn together and this synthesis is used to develop a…

  2. Does Professional Development Change Teaching Practice? Results from a Three-Year Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.; Desimone, Laura; Yoon, Kwang Suk; Birman, Beatrice F.

    This report, the third in a series of reports from the longitudinal evaluation of the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, examines the effects of professional development on improving classroom teaching practice. The Eisenhower Professional Development Program, Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is the federal…

  3. Shaping Professional Development to Promote the Diffusion of Instructional Expertise among Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Min; Penuel, William R.; Frank, Kenneth A.; Gallagher, H. Alix; Youngs, Peter

    2013-01-01

    This study examines how high-quality professional development can promote the diffusion of effective teaching strategies among teachers through collaboration. Drawing on longitudinal and sociometric data from a study of writing professional development in 39 schools, this study shows that teachers' participation in professional development is…

  4. A Research Agenda for Online Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dede, Chris; Ketelhut, Diane Jass; Whitehouse, Pamela; Breit, Lisa; McCloskey, Erin M.

    2009-01-01

    This article highlights key online teacher professional development (oTPD) areas in need of research based on a review of current oTPD research conducted in conjunction with an oTPD conference held at Harvard University in fall 2005. The literature review of this field documents much work that is anecdotal, describing professional development…

  5. Science Teachers' Conceptualizations and Implications for the Development of the Professional Development Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaymakamoglu, Sibel Ersel

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the two primary school science teachers' conceptions of professional development, their perceptions of self-improvement and the factors influencing their professional development. In this investigation, a case study approach was adopted. The participant teachers were given a semi-structured interview and the data…

  6. Utilisation of an electronic portfolio to engage rehabilitation professionals in continuing professional development: results of a provincial survey.

    PubMed

    Foucault, Marie-Lyse; Vachon, Brigitte; Thomas, Aliki; Rochette, Annie; Giguère, Charles-Édouard

    2018-06-01

    ePortfolios are frequently used to support continuing professional development (CPD) of rehabilitation professionals. Though this tool is now widely implemented in many professions by regulatory organisations, very few studies have investigated the use and impact among rehabilitation professionals. Implementation of comprehensive ePortfolios that are centred on the needs of rehabilitation professionals requires documenting their level of use and perceived outcomes. The objectives were to describe how occupational therapists use a mandatory ePortfolio that has been recently implemented by a regulatory organisation in Quebec (Canada) and the perceived outcomes of this requirement on continuing professional development and practice change. An online survey was sent to all registered occupational therapists in Quebec using the ePortfolio. The survey content was developed based on a literature review and expert consultation. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics. A total of 546 respondents completed the survey. Results show relatively high levels of ease and satisfaction with the tool, but a limited perception of the tool's impacts on the improvement of professional competencies and change in practices. Occupational therapists reported that use of the ePortfolio supports their engagement in CPD but has limited impact on practice. Promotion of work-based learning, team use and mentor support could increase its meaningfulness for professionals. Implications for Rehabilitation To improve attitudes and beliefs about benefits related to portfolio use, rehabilitation practitioners need a very clear understanding of the purpose and usefulness of a portfolio in clinical practice. Most of the respondents saw the ePortfolio as helping them develop and implement a continuing professional development plan and reflect on the changes needed in their practice. Portfolio use in teams and productive reflection should be promoted in order to target shared objectives for

  7. School Leaders as Participants in Teachers' Professional Development: The Impact on Teachers' and School Leaders' Professional Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilton, Annette; Hilton, Geoff; Dole, Shelley; Goos, Merrilyn

    2015-01-01

    Over a two-year period, approximately 70 teachers from 18 schools participated in an on-going professional development program as part of a study to promote the teaching and learning of numeracy. Principals and other school leaders were invited to participate in the professional development program alongside their teachers, which 20 leaders from…

  8. Professional Training of Social Workers: Development of Professionally Significant Qualities in the Future Social Workers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minzhanov, Nurlan A.; Ertysbaeva, Gaukhar N.; Abdakimova, Madina K.; Ishanov, Pirmagambet Z.

    2016-01-01

    Today, the traditional approach to professional training is obsolete. This problem has determined the need to create new didactic forms related to the organization of training in the modern education system. The purpose of this study was to analyze possible development of professionally important qualities and abilities in the future social care…

  9. Professional Development for Secondary Science Teachers in a Contextual Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, C. Riley; Hanegan, Nikki L.

    This paper discusses an intensive professional development program designed by a science education specialist in conjunction with university science research professors demonstrating quality science teaching practices for secondary teachers in a contextual setting. The intensive professional development model was designed using research based,…

  10. The Virtual Extension Annual Conference: Addressing Contemporary Professional Development Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Franz, Nancy K.; Brekke, Robin; Coates, Deb; Kress, Cathann; Hlas, Julie

    2014-01-01

    Extension systems are experimenting with new models for conducting professional development to enhance staff competence and other returns on professional development investments. The ISUEO virtual annual conference provides a successful flipped classroom model of asynchronous and synchronous learning events for conducting an Extension annual…

  11. Teachers Learning: Professional Development and Education. Cambridge Education Research Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLaughlin, Colleen, Ed.

    2012-01-01

    "Teachers Learning: Professional Development and Education" is part of The Cambridge Education Research series, edited by senior colleagues at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education, which has a longstanding tradition of involvement in high quality, innovative teacher education and continuing professional development.…

  12. The PKRC's Value as a Professional Development Model Validated

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, Dale

    2013-01-01

    After a brief review of the 4-H professional development standards, a new model for determining the value of continuing professional development is introduced and applied to the 4-H standards. The validity of the 4-H standards is affirmed. 4-H Extension professionals are encouraged to celebrate the strength of their standards and to engage the…

  13. Modern Trends of Additional Professional Education Development for Mineral Resource Extracting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borisova, Olga; Frolova, Victoria; Merzlikina, Elena

    2017-11-01

    The article contains the results of development of additional professional education research, including the field of mineral resource extracting in Russia. The paper describes the levels of education received in Russian Federation and determines the place and role of additional professional education among them. Key factors influencing the development of additional professional education are identified. As a result of the research, the authors proved the necessity of introducing additional professional education programs on educational Internet platforms for mineral resource extracting.

  14. Encouraging Faculty Attendance at Professional Development Events

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burdick, Dakin; Doherty, Tim; Schoenfeld, Naomi

    2015-01-01

    For faculty development events to have the greatest impact on campus practice, faculty developers need to attract and include as many faculty members as possible at their events. This article describes the testing of a checklist regarding faculty attendance at professional development events through a survey of 238 faculty members at small…

  15. Professional Development Schools and Transformative Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polly, Drew, Ed.; Heafner, Tina, Ed.; Chapman, Marvin, Ed.; Spooner, Melba, Ed.

    2015-01-01

    School-university partnerships have the potential to greatly benefit teaching and learning in PK-12 environments, as well as educator preparation programs. This collaboration is advantageous to teachers, counselors, and administrators. "Professional Development Schools and Transformative Partnerships" provides a comprehensive look at the…

  16. Integrating Professional Development across the Curriculum: An Effectiveness Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ciarocco, Natalie J.; Dinella, Lisa M.; Hatchard, Christine J.; Valosin, Jayde

    2016-01-01

    The current study empirically tested the effectiveness of a modular approach to integrating professional development across an undergraduate psychology curriculum. Researchers conducted a two-group, between-subjects experiment on 269 undergraduate psychology students assessing perceptions of professional preparedness and learning. Analysis…

  17. Academic Professional Development Strategies to Facilitate Educational Changes in Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonzalez Alonso, Gloria Amparo

    2009-01-01

    This qualitative within-case study explored how planned educational change in universities can be facilitated through academic professional development strategies. Thus this study attempted to shed some light on the dynamics of educational planned change in universities and their implications for academic professional development of faculty. The…

  18. Micro-Cycle Teaching Experiments as a Vehicle for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Billings, Esther M. H.; Kasmer, Lisa

    2015-01-01

    This study used design experiments, specifically micro-cycle teaching experiments (MTE) as a catalyst for practice-based professional development. The MTE incorporated research-based characteristics of effective professional development: it was embedded in the teachers' daily work of planning and enacting lessons, co-constructed with the…

  19. Interactive and Collaborative Professional Development for In-Service History Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Callahan, Cory; Saye, John; Brush, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    This article advances a continuing line of inquiry into an innovative teacher-support program intended to help in-service history teachers develop professional teaching knowledge for inquiry-based history instruction. Two prior iterations informed our design and use of professional development materials; they also informed the implementation…

  20. Professional Development for Rural and Remote Teachers Using Video Conferencing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maher, Damian; Prescott, Anne

    2017-01-01

    Teachers in rural and remote schools face many challenges including those relating to distance, isolation and lack of professional development opportunities. This article examines a project where mathematics and science teachers were provided with professional development opportunities via video conferencing to help them use syllabus documents to…

  1. Professional Identity Development: A Review of the Higher Education Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trede, Franziska; Macklin, Rob; Bridges, Donna

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the extant higher education literature on the development of professional identities. Through a systematic review approach 20 articles were identified that discussed in some way professional identity development in higher education journals. These articles drew on varied theories, pedagogies and learning strategies; however,…

  2. Professional Development Workshops for Student Teachers: An Issue of Concern

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Amy; Malkin, Fran

    2013-01-01

    Professional development programs are critical in addressing the needs of teacher education students and graduates. In an effort to best meet the desired needs and wants of these new educators, professional development opportunities must target essential issues. This study examines topics including classroom management, exceptional children,…

  3. Teachers as Learners: Implications of Adult Education for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beavers, Amy

    2009-01-01

    Effective communication with teachers is a critical element of any successful professional development. Teachers are the foundational component of any educational system. It is vital that adequate attention is focused on appropriate and effective training of these teachers. Ideally, professional development offers a means of collaborative support…

  4. Implementing a Process to Measure Return on Investment for Nursing Professional Development.

    PubMed

    Garrison, Elisabeth; Beverage, Jodie

    Return on investment (ROI) is one way to quantify the value that nursing professional development brings to the organization. This article describes a process to begin tracking ROI for nursing professional development. Implementing a process of tracking nursing professional development practitioners' ROI increased awareness of the financial impact and effectiveness of the department.

  5. Attitudes towards continuous professional development: a study of pharmacists in Lebanon.

    PubMed

    Saade, Sylvia; Ghazala, Fatima; Farhat, Ali; Hallit, Souheil

    2018-01-01

    To investigate the views and assess motivation, attitudes of pharmacists in Lebanon towards mandatory continuous education (CE), its transition to Continuous Professional Development (CPD), and identify barriers to participation in CPD. A cross-sectional observational study, conducted between February and May 2017, enrolled 591 pharmacists. The questionnaire used in this study was developed after an extensive literature review and based on previous similar studies in different countries. Half of the pharmacists who completed the questionnaire agreed that all the factors that were mentioned in the questionnaire motivated completing CPD, whereas 55.4% felt confident that CPD meets their needs. 78.4% felt confident in their abilities to assess what they have learned. 71.6% felt confident in their abilities to assess what additional CPD activity may be necessary. The majority of the pharmacists agreed that accessibility of group learning activities (location/distance) (69.6%), job restrictions (76.3%) and lack of time (80.6%) were the most essential barriers against participation in CPD. Motivation was significantly and positively correlated with attitude (r= 0.718), but negatively correlated with barriers (r= -0.243). Attitude was significantly and negatively correlated with barriers (r= -0.120). Our findings contribute to informing the forward pathway for the profession. Attitude and motivation to CPD were positive in this study. Accessibility of group learning activities due to distance and location, job restrictions and lack of time were the major barriers to participation in CPD. Potential solutions can be sought to address these issues.

  6. Professional Development for Rural School Assistant Principals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Enomoto, Ernestine K.

    2012-01-01

    Given rural school administrators' challenges and the need to support their leadership development, this qualitative study describes how one rural school district delivered professional development through a university-school partnership to prepare its assistant principals for their work. Methods: Eight assistant principals from nine schools…

  7. Essential Elements in a Professional Learning and Development Programme: A New Zealand Case Study of Autism Professional Development to Promote Collaborative Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bevan-Brown, Jill; Bourke, Roseanna; Butler, Philippa; Carroll-Lind, Janis; Kearney, Alison; Mentis, Mandia

    2012-01-01

    Professional learning and development (PD) programmes play an important role in improving professionals' ability to teach and provide for the children and young people they work with. This article reviews literature relating to components considered important to successful general and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-focused PD. It then describes…

  8. Evaluation of the first open-access hepatitis B and safe injection online training course for health professionals in China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jing; Feng, Qiming; Tam, Andrew; Sun, Tong; Zhou, Peijing; So, Samuel

    2016-03-08

    Despite the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in China, HBV infection prevention and long-term care knowledge of health professionals is inadequate. To address this knowledge gap, we developed an open-access evidence-based online training course, "KnowHBV", to train health professionals on prevention of HBV transmission and safe injections. We conducted an evaluation of the course with health professionals in China to examine its effectiveness in improving knowledge and learner's satisfaction of the course. Between July and December 2011, 1015 health professionals from selected hospitals and disease control institutions of Shandong province registered for the course and 932 (92 %) completed the three-module course. Participants' demographic information, pre- and post-course knowledge test results and learner's feedback were collected through the course website. Pre-course knowledge assessment confirmed gaps in HBV transmission routes, prevention and long-term care knowledge. Only 50.4 % of participants correctly identified all of the transmission routes of HBV, and only 40.7 % recognized all of the recommended tests to monitor chronically infected persons. The number of participants that answered all six multi-part multiple-choice knowledge questions correctly increased from 183 (19.7 %) before taking the course to 395 (42.4 %) on their first attempt upon completion of the course. Over 90 % of the 898 participants who completed the learner-feedback questionnaire rated the course as 'good' or 'very good'; over 94 % found the course instructional design helpful; 57.5 %, 65.7 % and 68.5 % reported that half or more than half of the course content in modules 1, 2 and 3 respectively provided new information; and 93.2 % of the participants indicated they preferred the online learning over traditional face-to-face classroom learning. The "KnowHBV" online training course appears to be an effective online training tool to improve HBV

  9. Professional School Counselors' Career Development Practices and Continuing Education Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anctil, Tina M.; Smith, Carol Klose; Schenck, Paulette; Dahir, Carol

    2012-01-01

    This study explored the practices of professional school counselors in their delivery of career counseling. School counselors were found to spend significantly less time on career development than on personal-social and academic development. In addition, new professionals placed more priority on career counseling compared with their more…

  10. Professional Development Which Provides an Icing on the Pedagogical Cake.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, Jenny

    Because the quality of teachers determines the quality of the school system, teachers must be provided with high-caliber inservice programs. During the 1980s, responsibility for the provision of professional development in Australia shifted to local schools. Under the current National Professional Development Program (NPDP), the Australian…

  11. All Together Now: Authentic University-School Partnerships for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Patricia A.; Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth; Hickman, Rosemary

    2008-01-01

    Opportunities for professional development can benefit the practice of teaching, the learning of students, and the culture of schooling. Thus, considerable attention has been given to effective professional development programs and many reform agendas have made such initiatives a priority (No Child Left Behind, 2002; National Board for…

  12. Continuing Professional Development for Science Teachers: What Does Research Say?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGregor, Deb; Woodhouse, Fiona

    2010-01-01

    Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can take many forms. It may arise through individual endeavours, collaborative working with others within a school or professional network, or it may be supported by external expertise. In science, there has been development of CPD that "enthuses, inspires" and illustrates "impact", through expansion of…

  13. Beyond "Job-Embedded": Ensuring That Good Professional Development Gets Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, 2012

    2012-01-01

    Two recent studies by Biancarosa et al. and by Saunders et al. have finally demonstrated that "job-embedded, sustained professional development" can significantly improve student achievement. But there's a catch. In both studies, effective professional development (PD) strategies were successful only under certain circumstances or only in some…

  14. Content Area Literacy: Relationship between Lesson Design and Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owens-Kristenson, Jodi

    2013-01-01

    Despite Minnesota's investment in professional development in content area literacy, secondary students are not showing expected literacy gains. A lack of literacy proficiency limits future options for students. The purpose of this study was to examine content-area literacy strategy inclusion and its relationship to professional development in the…

  15. Train-the-Trainer for Adult Education. Quality Professional Development Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida Community Coll., Jacksonville.

    This manual aids professional development adult education (AE) facilitators in conducting AE workshops using Quality Professional Development (QPD) Project materials. A workshop outline is provided. Six sections correspond to the six manuals in the training package. Section components are as follows: objectives for five or six units; activities;…

  16. Saudi Arabian Science Teachers and Supervisors' Views of Professional Development Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mansour, Nasser; Alshamrani, Saeed M.; Aldahmash, Abdulwali H.; Alqudah, Basil M.

    2013-01-01

    Problem Statement: Teacher professional development is a prominent feature in the educational landscapes of both developed and developing countries. Teacher development can be conceptualised as a mechanism for driving change in educational systems and/or as a strategy for empowering teachers to improve their professional knowledge and pedagogy. To…

  17. Prosthetist/orthotist educational experience & professional development in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Magnusson, Lina; Ramstrand, Nerrolyn

    2009-11-01

    To explore areas in which the education at the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic & Orthotic Science (PIPOS) could be improved or supplemented to facilitate clinical practice of graduates. To describe educational opportunities PIPOS graduates have had since their graduation and explore their further educational needs. 15 graduates from PIPOS participated in semi-structured interviews. A qualitative content analysis was applied to the transcripts. Respondents indicated a need to upgrade the education at PIPOS. This should include upgrading of resources such as literature and internet access as well as providing staff with the opportunity to further their own education. Females experienced inequality throughout their education but were supported by management. Upon entering the workforce graduates reported that they were supported by senior staff but experienced difficulties in determining appropriate prescriptions. They further indicated that a multidisciplinary approach to patient care is lacking. Graduates knowledge of workshop management was identified as a problem when entering the workforce. Limited awareness of the prosthetics and orthotics profession by both the general community and the medical community was also identified as a problem. If offered the opportunity to continue their studies the respondents would like to specialize. "Brain drain" was noted as a risk associated with post graduate education. Interaction from international collaborators and networking within the country was desired. The education at PIPOS meets a need in the country. Graduates indicated that P&O services for Pakistan can be better provided by modifying program content, upgrading teachers' knowledge, improving access to information and addressing issues of gender equality. PIPOS graduates have had limited opportunities for professional development and have a desire for further education.

  18. Promoting professional development through poster presentations.

    PubMed

    Durkin, Gregory

    2011-01-01

    Poster presentations are commonplace at regional and national nursing conferences, although the development of a poster remains an intimidating task for many staff nurses. The author describes the staff development department's role in implementing in-house poster presentation sessions. Nursing staff are provided support and assistance in presenting posters to their colleagues at yearly sessions. The result has been increased comfort and experience with poster creation, participation in professional development activities, and dissemination of nursing practice innovation.

  19. Developing Moral Responsibleness through Professional Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strom, Sharon M.; Tennyson, W. Wesley

    1989-01-01

    Argues that more attention must be given in counselor preparation and practice to developing critical reflectiveness about valued ends when making professional judgments. Describes and evaluates an instructional model designed to further students' capacities and motivations for making rational moral judgments in counseling. (Author/TE)

  20. Infusing Neuroscience into Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dubinsky, Janet M.; Roehrig, Gillian; Varma, Sashank

    2013-01-01

    Bruer advocated connecting neuroscience and education indirectly through the intermediate discipline of psychology. We argue for a parallel route: The neurobiology of learning, and in particular the core concept of "plasticity," have the potential to directly transform teacher preparation and professional development, and ultimately to…

  1. Professional Development to Promote Teacher Adaptability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parsons, Allison Ward; Ankrum, Julie Winneur; Morewood, Aimee

    2016-01-01

    Effective professional development (PD) follows adaptive teaching principles; it increases teacher understanding and instructional purpose, which ultimately supports and extends adaptive teaching. Through this article, we compare and contrast training models with educative models of PD (Duffy, 2004). We discuss characteristics of effective PD that…

  2. Sea-change or change challenge? Health information access in developing countries: The U.S. National Library of Medicine experience.

    PubMed

    Royall, J; Lyon, B

    2011-09-01

    Health professionals in developing countries want access to information to help them make changes in health care and contribute to medical research. However, they face challenges of technology limitations, lack of training, and, on the village level, culture and language. This report focuses on the U.S. National Library of Medicine experience with access: for the international medical/scientific community to health information which has been published by researchers in developing countries; for scientists and clinicians in developing countries to their own literature and to that of their colleagues around the world; for medical librarians who are a critical conduit for students, faculty, researchers, and, increasingly, the general public; and for the front line workers at the health center in the village at the end of the line. The fundamental question of whether or not information communication technology can make a difference in access and subsequently in health is illustrated by an anecdote regarding an early intervention in Africa in 1992. From that point, we examine programs to improve access involving malaria researchers, medical journal editors, librarians, and medical students working with local health center staff in the village. Although access is a reality, the positive change in health that the information technology intervention might produce often remains a mirage. Information and technology are not static elements in the equation for better access. They must function together, creating a dialectic in which they transform and inform one another and those whom their combination touches.

  3. Quality professional development for secondary science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mchazlett, Dwight Henry, Jr.

    This record of study (ROS) explores the perceptions of three high school biology teachers who implemented a form of the Japanese originated Lesson Study Professional Development (LS PD) model. Additionally, this ROS reports on the perceptions of the internal stakeholders with regard to the model's viability as a potential solution to a proposed problem of practice where there was a lack of quality professional development for secondary biology teachers. The audience of internal stakeholders includes district administrators, high school teachers, and science teachers from the elementary and middle school grade levels. Participants of this study collaboratively explored the problem of practice in the fall semester of 2015, then implemented the LS PD model in the spring semester. The participants completed three cycles of LS that focused on collaboratively designing research-based lessons, teaching the lessons with peer observations, revising and re-teaching the lessons with peer observations, and reflecting on the participants' growth experiences. Four research questions were addressed: (a) What are the perceptions of the participants in regard to their own professional growth as a result of participating in the LS initiative? (b) What improvements to the LS PD model might facilitate future implementation? and (c) What are the perceptions of the LS dissemination audience toward LS as a viable solution to a lack of quality PD for secondary biology teachers? Results of the study suggested that LS PD may be a viable solution to the proposed problem of practice where there is a lack of quality professional development for secondary biology teachers. Long-term implications posit that LS PD can be adapted and scaled up to benefit all content areas and grade levels.

  4. ERESE Professional Development in Science Education: A collaboration of scientists, teachers, and information technologists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staudigel, H.; Helly, M.; Massel Symons, C.; Koppers, A.; Helly, J.; Miller, S.

    2005-12-01

    The Enduring Resources in Earth Science Education (ERESE) project promotes inquiry based teaching of plate tectonics through professional development and distribution of digital library objects in the National Science Digital Library network. The overall ERESE goal is to bridge the gap between the scientists and educators, and our experience has shown that much can be gained by establishing a close collaboration between all parties involved in earth science education, from high school student to teacher -educator, and scientist. These collaborations yield substantial gains in terms of effective educational approaches, contents selection, and to produce an authentic class room research experience. ERESE professional development workshops promote a model of inquiry-based teaching that keeps the educator as far in the background as possible, while empowering the student to carry out a maximally independent inquiry. Key components in this process are: (1) use of a well selected provocative phenomenon to promote student's curiosity and to start the inquiry process, (2) care in the student guidance towards selection and formulation of a researchable question, (3) the involvement of teachers and scientists, in a close collaboration (4) teaching resource development with a strong feed-back from professional development workshops and classroom practice, (5) integration of science inquiry resources on all expert levels providing an environment that allows continuous access to science information from the most basic to the full scale science level. We expanded ERESE resource development into a volcanology field class on Hawaii to produce a website and digital library contents including field reports, exercises and images and field data. We further expanded our resource development through the participation of three high school students in a three-week seagoing expedition to the Samoan Archipelago. The high school seniors maintained a live expedition website and they

  5. Reflections on a Professional Development Course for Educational Developers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Popovic, Celia; Fisher, Elaine

    2016-01-01

    Entry into the Fellowship of Staff and Educational Development Association is through the production of a professional portfolio which evidences the applicant's achievement of the Fellowship requirements. Supporting and Leading Educational Change takes participants through the Fellowship process. The 12-week online course combines theory of…

  6. The Professional Development of High School Chemistry Coordinators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hofstein, Avi; Carmeli, Miriam; Shore, Relly

    2004-02-01

    The implementation of new content and pedagogical standards in science education necessitates intensive, long-term professional development of science teachers. In this paper, we describe the rationale and structure of a comprehensive and intensive professional development program of school-based leaders, namely school chemistry coordinators. The year-long program was designed so that the chemistry teachers who enrolled in the program were able to develop in three interrelated aspects: content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and leadership ability. Several strategies for the development of these aspects were adopted from Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles (1998). The evaluation of the program focused on the changes that participating teachers underwent regarding their personal beliefs and their functioning as school chemistry coordinators in their schools.

  7. Evaluation of the clinical supervision and professional development of student nurses.

    PubMed

    Severinsson, Elisabeth; Sand, Ase

    2010-09-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical supervision and professional development of student nurses during their undergraduate education. Nursing education has undergone radical changes as a result of improvements in the academic-based clinical education required for the Bachelor's degree. The sample consisted of student nurses (n = 147) and data were collected by means of questionnaires. The results demonstrated that the frequency of sessions and the supervision model employed influence the student nurses' professional development. Several significant correlations were found, most of which were related to the development of the student nurses' professional relationships with their supervisors and reflection on the development of their skills. From the patients' perspective, a high correlation was found between the factors 'preserving integrity' and 'protecting participation by patients and family members'. Clinical supervision strongly influences the student nurses' development of a professional identity, enhancing decision-making ability and personal growth. However, development of documentation skills should include a greater level of user involvement. The findings highlight the need for management and staff nurses to engage in on-going professional development. Transformative leadership, which is value driven, can facilitate and enhance the supervision and development of student nurses. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. A Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) and access to oral health status and service use in the United States.

    PubMed

    Wing, Paul; Langelier, Margaret H; Continelli, Tracey A; Battrell, Ann

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to summarize a larger study that developed a statistical index that defines the professional practice environment of dental hygienists (DHs) in the United States, and to determine the extent to which the index scores are related to the number of DHs and dentists, the utilization of dental services, and selected oral health outcomes across the 50 states. A Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) defines the professional status, supervision requirements, tasks permitted, and reimbursement options for DHs in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as of December 31, 2001. Spearman rank order correlations between the DHPPI and numbers of oral health professionals, utilization of oral health services, and oral health outcomes in the 50 states are also presented. The analyses revealed that: There are significant differences in the legal practice environments (as reflected in the DHPPI) across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of DHs per capita increased by 46% in the United States, while the number of dentists per 100,000 population increased by only 10%. The DHPPI was not significantly correlated with the number of DHs or dentists in the 50 states in 2001. The DHPPI was significantly positively correlated with the salaries of DHs in 2001. The DHPPI was also significantly and positively correlated with a number of indicators of utilization of oral health services and oral health outcomes. Both access to oral health services and oral health outcomes are positively correlated with the DHPPI. This suggests that states with low DHPPI scores would be logical candidates for revised DH practice statutes and regulations to accomplish these objectives.

  9. Growing on the Job: Professional Development for the School Librarian.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boardman, Edna M.

    This guide presents a series of articles which give pointers, hints, and examples of day-to-day development activities school librarians can use to hone their professionalism. The first of five sections describes ways in which librarians can provide professional service and lists some markers of professionalism. The second section presents one…

  10. A Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network: The role of formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooke-Nieves, Natasha Anika

    Science education research has consistently shown that elementary teachers have a low self-efficacy and background knowledge to teach science. When they teach science, there is a lack of field experiences and inquiry-based instruction at the elementary level due to limited resources, both material and pedagogical. This study focused on an analysis of a professional development (PD) model designed by the author known as the Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network (CDLN). The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school teacher participants pedagogical content knowledge related to their experiences in a CDLN model. The CDLN model taught formal and informal instruction using a science coach and an informal educational institution. Another purpose for this research included a theoretical analysis of the CDLN model to see if its design enabled teachers to expand their resource knowledge of available science education materials. The four-month-long study used qualitative data obtained during an in-service professional development program facilitated by a science coach and educators from a large natural history museum. Using case study as the research design, four elementary school teachers were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their science coach and museum educator workshop sessions. During the duration of this study, semi-structured individual/group interviews and open-ended pre/post PD questionnaires were used. Other data sources included researcher field notes from lesson observations, museum field trips, audio-recorded workshop sessions, email correspondence, and teacher-created artifacts. The data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged included increased self-efficacy; increased pedagogical content knowledge; increased knowledge of museum education resources and access; creation of a professional learning community; and increased knowledge of science notebooking. Implications for formal and informal

  11. Putting the PLE into PLD: Virtual Professional Learning and Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owen, Hazel

    2014-01-01

    The range of affordances that a virtual environment offers can provide opportunities for more formal Professional Learning and Development (PLD) that has flexibility of choice, time and approach for educators. It was this potential that inspired the design of the Virtual Professional Learning and Development (VPLD) program that was instigated in…

  12. Philosophy of Education Subscales: Predictors of EFL Teachers' Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashraf, Hamid; Kafi, Zahra H.

    2017-01-01

    The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between Iranian EFL, English as a foreign language, male and female instructors' philosophy of education and their professional development to see whether there is any significant relation between the type of philosophy of education that teachers hold and their professional development. It…

  13. Professional Development: Implications for Illinois Career and Technical Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drage, Karen

    2010-01-01

    Teacher turnover inhibits student achievement, and professional development can reduce the onset of teachers leaving the profession (The Center for Comprehensive School, 2007). No Child Left Behind and the new Perkins Act have redefined teacher professional development. In Illinois, according to the Illinois State Board of Education (n.d.),…

  14. Professional Competencies Development of Competitive Bachelors in Machine Engineering

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dorozhkin, Evgenij M.; Tarasyuk, Olga V.; Sinkina, Elena A.; Deryabina, Ekaterina ?.; Sisimbaeva, Valeria S.

    2016-01-01

    The significance of the problem being investigated is conditioned by the need of introduction of considerable amendments to academic discipline content with the objective of ensuring effective education process and professional competencies development level increase of bachelors in machine engineering necessary in their professional activities…

  15. EAL Teacher Agency: Implications for Participation in Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gurney, Laura; Liyanage, Indika

    2016-01-01

    Teachers construct their practice, education and professional development within two domains of professionalism: sponsored and independent. The association between these two domains, however, is complex; it is overlapping, inseparable and sometimes uneasy. The complexity is further exacerbated by the codependent nature of association between the…

  16. Creating a culture of professional development: a milestone pathway tool for registered nurses.

    PubMed

    Cooper, Elizabeth

    2009-11-01

    The nursing shortage continues to be a significant threat to health care. Creating a culture of professional development in health care institutions is one way to combat this shortage. Professional development refers to a constant commitment to maintain one's knowledge and skill base. Increasing professional development opportunities in the health care setting has been shown to affect nurse retention and satisfaction. Several approaches have been developed to increase professional development among nurses. However, for the most part, these are "one size fits all" approaches that direct nurses to progress in lock step fashion in skill and knowledge acquisition within a specialty. This article introduces a milestone pathway tool for registered nurses designed to enhance professional development that is unique to the individual nurse and the specific nursing unit. This tool provides a unit-specific concept map, a milestone pathway template, and a personal professional development plan. Copyright 2009, SLACK Incorporated.

  17. Survey of Distance Learning Provision in Continuing Health Professional Education in Canada

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curran, Vernon; Kirby, Fran; Fleet, Lisa

    2003-01-01

    In Canada, the trend is towards greater use of distance learning technologies in the provision of continuing professional education in the health professions. Lack of access to professional development is a common deterrent to practice in rural and remote areas. Distance learning technologies have an important role to play in addressing the…

  18. Developing design principles for a Virtual Hospice: improving access to care.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Andrea; French, Tara; Raman, Sneha

    2018-03-01

    Providing access to hospice services will become increasingly difficult due to the pressures of an ageing population and limited resources. To help address this challenge, a small number of services called Virtual Hospice have been established. This paper presents early-stage design work on a Virtual Hospice to improve access to services provided by a hospice (Highland Hospice) serving a largely remote and rural population in Scotland, UK. The study was structured as a series of Experience Labs with Highland Hospice staff, healthcare professionals and patients. Experience Labs employ a participatory design approach where participants are placed at the centre of the design process, helping to ensure that the resultant service meets their needs. Data from the Experience Labs were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis and design analysis. A number of themes and barriers to accessing Highland Hospice services were identified. In response, an initial set of seven design principles was developed. Design principles are high-level guidelines that are used to improve prioritisation and decision making during the design process by ensuring alignment with research insights. The design principles were piloted with a group of stakeholders and gained positive feedback. The design principles are intended to guide the ongoing development of the Highland Hospice Virtual Hospice. However, the challenges faced by Highland Hospice in delivering services in a largely remote and rural setting are not unique. The design principles, encompassing digital and non-digital guidelines, or the design approach could be applied by other hospices in the UK or overseas. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  19. Professional Development of Principals. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenwick, Leslie T.; Pierce, Mildred C.

    Contemporary models of school reform acknowledge the principal as the passport to school success and the manager of an increasingly complex organization. This digest asserts that principals benefit from professional development that examines best practices, provides coaching support, encourages risk taking designed to improve student learning,…

  20. Relational Dynamics in Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finkelstein, Carla

    2013-01-01

    Teacher professional development (PD) is considered essential to improving student achievement toward high standards. I argue that while current notions of high quality PD foreground cognitive aspects of learning, they undertheorize the influence of relational dynamics in teacher learning interactions. That is, current conceptions of high quality…

  1. Lessons Learned from Transformational Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miranda, Twyla T.

    2012-01-01

    What is transformative professional development for educators? Ideally, teachers and school leaders are given multiple opportunities to revisit schemas about themselves and their learning communities, with the intent to transform practice, the school environment, and even themselves. In practice, three cohorts of teachers and school leaders…

  2. Measuring Characteristics of Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soine, Karen M.; Lumpe, Andrew

    2014-01-01

    The primary purpose of the study was to create and psychometrically test an instrument which measured teachers' perceptions of characteristics of professional development. The sample consisted of elementary teachers from five school districts in Washington State participating in a district improvement initiative. Results of exploratory factor…

  3. Situating Technology Professional Development in Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meier, Ellen B.

    2005-01-01

    The Center for Technology and School Change (CTSC) is a research and development center specializing in professional development, evaluation and technology integration research. The goal of the qualitative research reported in this article was to identify factors that strengthen the integration of technology in classrooms in ways that are…

  4. Inquiry Identity and Science Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryce, Nadine; Wilmes, Sara E. D.; Bellino, Marissa

    2016-01-01

    An effective inquiry-oriented science teacher possesses more than the skills of teaching through investigation. They must address philosophies, and ways of interacting as a member of a group of educators who value and practice science through inquiry. Professional development opportunities can support inquiry identity development, but most often…

  5. Assessing the IRIS Professional Development Model: Impact Beyond the Workshops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hubenthal, M.; Braile, L. W.; Taber, J. J.

    2003-12-01

    The IRIS Education and Outreach (E&O) Program has developed a highly effective, one-day professional development experience for formal educators. Leveraging the expertise of its consortium, IRIS delivers content including: plate tectonics, propagation of seismic waves, seismographs, Earth's interior structure. At the core of the IRIS professional development model is the philosophy that changes in teacher behavior can be affected by increasing teacher comfort in the classroom. Science and research organizations such as IRIS are able to increase teachers' comfort in the classroom by providing professional development which: increases an educator's knowledge of scientific content, provides educators with a variety of high-quality, scientifically accurate activities to deliver content to students, and provides educators with experiences involving both the content and the educational activities as the primary means of knowledge transfer. As reflected in a 2002-2003 academic year assessment program, this model has proven to be effective at reaching beyond participants and extending into the educators' classrooms. 76% of respondents report increasing the amount of time they spend teaching seismology or related topics in their classroom as a result of participating in IRIS professional development experience. This increase can be directly attributed to the workshop as 90% of participants report using at least one activity modeled during the workshop upon returning to their classrooms. The reported mean activity usage by teachers upon was 4.5 activities per teacher. Since the inception of the professional development model in 1999, IRIS E&O has been committed to evaluation. Data derived from assessment is utilized as a key decision making tool, driving a continuous improvement process. As a result, both the model and the assessment methods have become increasingly refined and sophisticated. The alignment of the professional development model within the IRIS E&O Program

  6. The impact of telecommunications on science teacher professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatton, Mary E.

    National education reform places emphasis on teachers moving towards empowering themselves and accepting responsibility for their own professional growth. Successful teacher in-service programs foster professional development by providing support in the school context (Baird, Ellis and Kuerbis, 1989; Lieberman, 1990). Research on national reform indicates that many teachers rely on communities of networks to sustain the assistance they need (McLaughlin & Talbert, 1993). Communities of teachers develop relationships with one another to enhance their personal and professional development while collaborating with colleagues (Lieberman, 1990). However, teachers within a school or the same district rarely have opportunities for collegial interactions because of schedules, lack of support for such interactions, or lack of interest among colleagues. This research study evaluates teachers interacting as a community via the Internet. Internet technology overcomes geographic barriers and time constraints, which limit the effectiveness of professional development programs (Gal, 1993). The communication opportunities in a network, together with the coordination of program staff, create an environment that provides teachers with support following a summer program (Gal, 1993). This case study examines the structure and change in three groups of science teachers who attended summer institutes and maintained interactions through a commercial network. The activities and interactions among members in the group, and the ways in which the members interacted with one another to create a community were studied. The network provided opportunities to interact with colleagues, both privately and publicly. Dialogue from these interactions were analyzed to determine patterns of teacher discourse that evolved following an in-service program. Teachers requested support for using program materials, shared experiences, shared resources, interacted socially, and reflected on their practice. This

  7. Professional development needs of nurse managers.

    PubMed

    Miltner, Rebecca S; Jukkala, Angela; Dawson, Martha A; Patrician, Patricia A

    2015-06-01

    Nurse managers have a key role in creating positive work environments where safe, high-quality care is consistently provided. This requires a broad range of skills to be successful within today's complex health care environment; however, managers are frequently selected based on their clinical expertise and are offered little formal preparation for this leadership role. We conducted three focus groups with 20 nurse managers to understand their professional development needs. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Three themes emerged: Managing Versus Leading, Gaining a Voice, and Garnering Support. Managers focused on daily tasks, such as matching staffing to patient needs. However, the data suggested gaps in foundational management skills, such as understanding organizational behavior, use of data to make decisions, and refined problem-solving skills. Professional development activities focusing on higher level leadership competencies could assist managers to be more successful in this challenging, but critical, role. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  8. The Evolution from Traditional to Online Professional Development: A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elliott, Joshua C.

    2017-01-01

    Online professional development offers opportunities for growth to teachers who may not be able to participate otherwise due to constraints. These constraints include, but are not limited to, time and travel distance. This document is a narrative review of relevant literature as it relates to the evolution of teacher professional development. This…

  9. Prevalent Approaches to Professional Development in State 4-H Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Martin H.; Worker, Steven M.; Schmitt-McQuitty, Lynn; Meehan, Cheryl L.; Lewis, Kendra M.; Schoenfelder, Emily; Brian, Kelley

    2017-01-01

    High-quality 4-H programming requires effective professional development of educators. Through a mixed methods study, we explored professional development offered through state 4-H programs. Survey results revealed that both in-person and online delivery modes were used commonly for 4-H staff and adult volunteers; for teen volunteers, in-person…

  10. Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development: Instructional Implications and Teachers' Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shabani, Karim; Khatib, Mohamad; Ebadi, Saman

    2010-01-01

    The current paper examines the instructional implications of Vygotsky's (1978) seminal notion of Zone of Proximal Development, originally developed to account for the learning potential of children, and investigates ZPD applications to the concept of teacher professional development. Specific attempt has been made to see how a number of assets at…

  11. Everyone Learns from Everyone: Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Professional Development in Digital Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hobbs, Renee; Coiro, Julie

    2016-01-01

    Hobbs and Coiro describe a new approach to the professional development of educators, librarians, and media professionals that emphasizes the value of collaborative, interdisciplinary relationships. The authors explore why creative collaboration using digital media texts, tools, and technologies is vital to support the professional development of…

  12. Evaluating a Graduate Professional Development Program for Informal Science Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lake, Jeremy Paul

    This study is an examination and evaluation of the outcomes of a series of courses that I helped build to create a graduate certificate. Specifically, I wanted to evaluate whether or not the online iteration of the Informal Science Institutions Environmental Education Graduate Certificate Program truly provided the long term professional development needed to enhance the skills of the formal and informal educators participating so that they could contribute meaningfully to the improvement of science literacy in their respective communities. My role as an internal evaluator provided an extraordinary opportunity to know the intent of the learning opportunities and why they were constructed in a particular fashion. Through the combination of my skills, personal experiences both within the certificate's predecessor and as an educator, I was uniquely qualified to explore the outcomes of this program and evaluate its effectiveness in providing a long-term professional development for participants. After conducting a literature review that emphasized a need for greater scientific literacy in communities across America, it was evident that the formal education enterprise needs the support of informal educators working on the ground in myriad different settings in ways that provide science as both content and process, learning science facts and doing real science. Through a bridging of informal science educators with formal teachers, it was thought each could learn the culture of the other, making each more fluent in accessing community resources to help make these educators more collaborative and able to bridge the classroom with the outside world. This bridge promotes ongoing, lifelong learning, which in turn can help the national goal of greater scientific literacy. This study provided insight into the thinking involved in the learners' growth as they converted theory presented in course materials into practice. Through an iterative process of reviewing the course

  13. Professional development workshops for physics education research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sayre, Eleanor C.; Franklin, Scott V.; Kustusch, Mary Bridget

    2017-01-01

    Physics education research holds the promise of satisfying expectations of both scholarship, which is increasing at teaching-centric institutions, and teaching effectiveness, a concern at all institutions. Additionally, junior physics education researchers seek more diverse training in research methods and theories. Emerging education researchers need support as they develop their research programs and expand their theoretical and methodological expertise, and they benefit from the guidance of knowledgable peers and near-peers. Our two-part professional development model combines intensive in-person workshops with long-term remote activities. During a two-week in-person workshop, emerging and established education researchers work closely together to develop research questions, learn appropriate analytic techniques, and collect a corpus of data appropriate to their research questions. Afterwards, they meet biweekly in a distributed, mentored research group to share analyses and develop their ideas into publishable papers. In this talk, we discuss this model for professional development and show results from one three-year implementation in the IMPRESS program at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Partially funded by the PERTG of the AAPT.

  14. Developing professionalism in Italian medical students: an educational framework

    PubMed Central

    Consorti, Fabrizio; Notarangelo, Mariagiovanna; Potasso, Laura; Toscano, Emanuele

    2012-01-01

    Developing and assessing professionalism in medical students is an international challenge. This paper, based on preliminary research at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of the University Sapienza of Rome, Italy, briefly summarizes the main issues and experiences in developing professionalism among Italian undergraduate medical students. It concludes with a proposed framework suited to the Italian medical curricula. In our educational system, professionalism is defined as the context of medical expertise, the combination of rules, conditions, and meanings in which the act of health care occurs, as well as the ability of critical reflection on technical expertise. It is a multidimensional construct of ethical, sociocultural, relational, and epistemological competencies, requiring a wide range of tools for assessment. With reference to Italian versions of validated tools of measure, vignettes, videos, and a student’s portfolio of reflective writings, this paper outlines the manner in which education for professionalism is embedded in the existing curriculum and overall framework of assessment. PMID:23762002

  15. Epistemology, development, and integrity in a science education professional development program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hancock, Elizabeth St. Petery

    This research involved interpretive inquiry to understand changes in the notion of "self" as expressed by teachers recently enrolled as graduate students in an advanced degree program in science education at Florida State University. Teachers work in a context that integrates behavior, social structure, culture, and intention. Within this context, this study focused on the intentional realm that involves interior understandings, including self-epistemology, professional self-identity, and integrity. Scholarship in adult and teacher development, especially ways of knowing theory, guided my efforts to understand change in these notions of self. The five participants in this study were interviewed in depth to explore their "self"-related understandings in detail. The other primary data sources were portfolios and work the participants submitted as part of the program. Guided by a constructivist methodology, I used narrative inquiry and grounded theory to conduct data analysis. As learners and teachers, these individuals drew upon epistemological orientations emphasizing a procedural orientation to knowledge. They experienced varying degrees of interior and exterior development in self and epistemology. They created integrity in their efforts to align their intentions with their actions with a dynamic relationship to context. This study suggests that professional development experiences in science education include consideration of the personal and the professional, recognize and honor differing perspectives, facilitate development, and assist individuals to recognize and articulate their integrity.

  16. Professional Competence Development at the Cooper Union School of Engineering. Course Development and Course Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bussard, Ellen

    A 3-year project was developed to increase students' abilities to perform competently as professional engineers. The project sought to infuse into existing courses concern for, practice with, and development of three competencies critical to professional success: problem-solving, communication, and value clarification. Eight elementary and…

  17. Open Access: A User Information System. Professional Paper Series, #6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gleason, Bernard W.

    Focusing on the need for information systems that provide faculty, staff, and students with open access to all necessary information resources, this paper begins by discussing the issues involved in developing such systems. A review of the traditional environment looks at the traditional centralized resources versus the current trend toward…

  18. Critical Care Nurses' Reasons for Poor Attendance at a Continuous Professional Development Program.

    PubMed

    Viljoen, Myra; Coetzee, Isabel; Heyns, Tanya

    2016-12-01

    Society demands competent and safe health care, which obligates professionals to deliver quality patient care using current knowledge and skills. Participation in continuous professional development programs is a way to ensure quality nursing care. Despite the importance of continuous professional development, however, critical care nurse practitioners' attendance rates at these programs is low. To explore critical care nurses' reasons for their unsatisfactory attendance at a continuous professional development program. A nominal group technique was used as a consensus method to involve the critical care nurses and provide them the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and challenges related to the current continuous professional development program for the critical care units. Participants were 14 critical care nurses from 3 critical care units in 1 private hospital. The consensus was that the central theme relating to the unsatisfactory attendance at the continuous professional development program was attitude. In order of importance, the 4 contributing priorities influencing attitude were communication, continuous professional development, time constraints, and financial implications. Attitude relating to attending a continuous professional development program can be changed if critical care nurses are aware of the program's importance and are involved in the planning and implementation of a program that focuses on the nurses' individual learning needs. ©2016 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

  19. Vocational Education and Training Teacher Professional Development: Tensions and Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bound, Helen

    2011-01-01

    Planning and implementing teacher professional development is a process of engaging in organisational learning and change. Yet our planning and implementation of professional development is at times a series of one-off sessions and can be quite ad hoc. This paper argues that teacher learning takes place not only through formal sessions but also…

  20. Using Learning Trajectories for Teacher Learning to Structure Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bargagliotti, Anna E.; Anderson, Celia Rousseau

    2017-01-01

    As a result of the increased focus on data literacy and data science across the world, there has been a large demand for professional development in statistics. However, exactly how these professional development opportunities should be structured remains an open question. The purpose of this paper is to describe the first iteration of a design…

  1. The Development of Professional Counseling in Botswana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stockton, Rex; Nitza, Amy; Bhusumane, Dan-Bush

    2010-01-01

    Among African countries, Botswana stands out for achieving lasting political and economic stability, which has enabled the government to develop a strong system of educational and social services for its people. Development of professional counseling in the country has occurred both through targeted efforts to provide a strong system of guidance…

  2. A New Vision for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eley, Peter M.; Charles, Kelly J.; Leeks, Latonya L.

    2013-01-01

    High-quality professional development for public school teachers is directly tied to student achievement, teacher quality and retention, and national education priorities (Kroeger et al. 2000). To stay current with the knowledge, skills, and expertise that students need to succeed in the twenty-first century, educators must increasingly retool…

  3. Professional Development through Faculty Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glowacki-Dudka, Michelle; Brown, Michael P.

    2007-01-01

    Faculty learning communities (FLC) provide opportunities for professional development and personal growth within university settings. Some FLC are structured; others are unstructured. Faculty at a mid-sized Midwestern state university were asked a series of close- and open-ended questions that examined the reasons for and benefits from their…

  4. Teachers' Cognitions Regarding Continuing Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyatt, Mark; Oncevska Ager, Elena

    2017-01-01

    It is increasingly recognized that opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) are needed to support teaching as lifelong learning, and that if these incorporate a nurturing bottom-up approach, this is more likely to lead to teacher empowerment. However, top-down approaches, including formal courses and workshops on predetermined…

  5. Preparing School Leaders: The Professional Development Needs of Newly Appointed Principals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng, Shun-wing; Szeto, Sing-ying Elson

    2016-01-01

    In Hong Kong, there is an acute need to provide newly appointed principals with opportunities for continuous professional development so that they could face the impact of reforms and globalization on school development. The Education Bureau has commissioned the tertiary institutions to provide structured professional development courses to cater…

  6. The Legal Past, Present and Future of Prenatal Genetic Testing: Professional Liability and Other Legal Challenges Affecting Patient Access to Services.

    PubMed

    Pergament, Deborah; Ilijic, Katie

    2014-12-15

    This chapter is an overview of the current status of the law in the United States regarding prenatal genetic testing with an emphasis on issues related to professional liability and other challenges affecting patient access to prenatal genetic testing. The chapter discusses the roles that federal regulations, promulgated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), play in the regulation of prenatal genetic tests. The chapter discusses tort litigation based on allegations of malpractice in the provision of prenatal genetic testing and how courts have analyzed issues related to causation, damages and mitigation of damages. The chapter provides reference information regarding how individual states address causes of action under the tort theories of wrongful birth and wrongful life. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future legal issues that may affect clinical prenatal genetic testing services arising from the continued expansion of prenatal genetic testing, legal restrictions on access to abortion and the potential development of embryonic treatments.

  7. The Legal Past, Present and Future of Prenatal Genetic Testing: Professional Liability and Other Legal Challenges Affecting Patient Access to Services

    PubMed Central

    Pergament, Deborah; Ilijic, Katie

    2014-01-01

    This chapter is an overview of the current status of the law in the United States regarding prenatal genetic testing with an emphasis on issues related to professional liability and other challenges affecting patient access to prenatal genetic testing. The chapter discusses the roles that federal regulations, promulgated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), play in the regulation of prenatal genetic tests. The chapter discusses tort litigation based on allegations of malpractice in the provision of prenatal genetic testing and how courts have analyzed issues related to causation, damages and mitigation of damages. The chapter provides reference information regarding how individual states address causes of action under the tort theories of wrongful birth and wrongful life. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future legal issues that may affect clinical prenatal genetic testing services arising from the continued expansion of prenatal genetic testing, legal restrictions on access to abortion and the potential development of embryonic treatments. PMID:26237611

  8. The effects of a STEM professional development intervention on elementary teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dailey, Deborah D.

    To improve and sustain science teaching and learning in the elementary grades, experts recommended school districts afford time in the day for science instruction, secure the necessary resources for an investigative classroom, and provide teachers with increased professional development opportunities that target content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and confidence in teaching science (e.g. Buczynski & Hansen, 2010; Brand & Moore, 2011; NSB, 2010). In particular, researchers recommended teachers receive quality professional development that is sustained over time and embedded in the real world of the classroom (e.g. Buczynski & Hansen, 2010; Cotabish & Robinson, 2012). The purpose of this dissertation was to examine changes in elementary teachers' science teaching perceptions, concerns, and science process skills during and after participation in a STEM-focused professional development intervention involving embedded support using peer coaching. The positive effects of sustained, embedded professional development programs on science instruction have been documented by multiple research studies (e.g. Buczynski & Hansen, 2010; Cotabish, Dailey, Hughes, & Robinson, 2011; Duran & Duran, 2005; Levitt, 2011); however, few studies have investigated the effects after removal of the professional development support (Johnson, Kahle, & Fargo, 2007; Shymansky, Yore, & Anderson, 2004). By examining the changes across three years (including one year after the conclusion of the professional development intervention), the researcher in the present study considered the dosage of intervention needed to bring about and preserve significant changes in the participant teachers. To measure the impact of the intervention on teachers, the researcher used quantitative data supported by qualitative interviews. Results indicated that changes in science teaching perceptions were realized after one year or 60 hours of intervention; however, it took two years or 120 hours of intervention to see

  9. Teachers' Continuing Professional Development: Contested Concepts, Understandings and Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraser, Christine; Kennedy, Aileen; Reid, Lesley; Mckinney, Stephen

    2007-01-01

    Teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) is being given increasing importance in countries throughout the world. In Scotland, the changing professional and political context has resulted in unprecedented investment in CPD. However, analysis and evaluation of CPD policies, practice and impact is complex. In seeking to understand some of…

  10. Reviewing a Reading Program: Professional Development Module. Facilitator's Guide

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kosanovich, Marcia; Jordan, Georgia; Arndt, Elissa; VanSciver, Mary; Wahl, Michelle; Rissman, Lila

    2008-01-01

    This "Facilitator's Guide" has been prepared for presenters of the Reviewing a Reading Program professional development training. It is one of three pieces comprising a suite of materials on reviewing reading programs: this "Guide", the "Reviewing a Reading Program Participant's Guide" and the "Reviewing a Reading Program" Professional Development…

  11. Learning, assessment and professional identity development in public health training.

    PubMed

    Wood, Annette

    2016-06-01

    Professional identity formation is important for new recruits to training programmes. The integration of the accumulation of knowledge and assessment is a key aspect in its acquisition. This study assessed this interaction in Public Health Training in one English region. Semi-structured interviews were held with 15 registrars from the West Midlands Public Health Training Programme. Pre-interview questionnaires gathered background information. A thematic content analysis approach was taken. There was a lack of integration between academic and workplace learning, the professional examination process and professional identity development. Registrars considered sitting the examination and their workplace learning as two parallel processes. Passing the examination was considered a key part in the early development of a professional identity but this was replaced by the opinions of others by the third year of training. Having a Masters' in Public Health was less important but played a different role in their perceived acceptance by the wider Public Health workforce. The lack of integration between assessment and learning seemed to have a detrimental effect on professional identity development. A review of how these two aspects might combine in a more positive manner is needed.

  12. Teachers' professional development needs and current practices at the Alexander Science Center School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gargus, Gerald Vincent

    This investigation represents an in-depth understanding of teacher professional development at the Alexander Science Center School, a dependent charter museum school established through a partnership between the California Science Center and Los Angeles Unified School District. Three methods of data collection were used. A survey was distributed and collected from the school's teachers, resulting in a prioritized list of teacher professional development needs, as well as a summary of teachers' opinions about the school's existing professional development program. In addition, six key stakeholders in the school's professional development program were interviewed for the study. Finally, documents related to the school's professional development program were analyzed. Data collected from the interviews and documents were used to develop an understand various components of the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program. Teachers identified seven areas that had a high-priority for future professional development including developing skills far working with below-grade-level students, improving the analytical skills of student in mathematics, working with English Language Learners, improving students' overall reading ability levels, developing teachers' content-area knowledge for science, integrating science across the curriculum, and incorporating hands-on activity-based learning strategies to teach science. Professional development needs identified by Alexander Science Center School teachers were categorized based on their focus on content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, or curricular knowledge. Analysis of data collected through interviews and documents revealed that the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program consisted of six venues for providing professional development for teachers including weekly "banked time" sessions taking place within the standard school day, grade-level meetings, teacher support

  13. Teachers' Perceptions of the Quantity and Quality of Professional Development Activities in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bellibas, Mehmet Sukru; Gumus, Emine

    2016-01-01

    Professional development for teachers has been a substantial issue in contemporary educational research and policy. Yet, opportunities for professional development activities have been very limited in Turkey. In this study, we examined Turkish teachers' involvement in professional development activities by comparing their participation with the…

  14. Influence of Recent Developments in Computer Technology on Professional Development in Vocational Education. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Passmore, David Lynn

    Intended for developers of vocational education professionals and for educators making decisions about the usefulness of personal computers in education, this report deals with the effects of the personal computing revolution on professional development of vocational educators. The two major papers and published opinion pieces that make up this…

  15. Self-Directed Professional Development--Hope for Teachers Working in Deprived Environments?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mushayikwa, Emmanuel; Lubben, Fred

    2009-01-01

    Self-direction has been identified as a potential key to the success of professional development of teachers, especially those working in deprived environments. This paper develops a model for self-directed professional development using interview data from 55 Zimbabwean A-level Science and Mathematics teachers. It focuses on teachers' decisions…

  16. Team-Based Professional Development Interventions in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gast, Inken; Schildkamp, Kim; van der Veen, Jan T.

    2017-01-01

    Most professional development activities focus on individual teachers, such as mentoring or the use of portfolios. However, new developments in higher education require teachers to work together in teams more often. Due to these changes, there is a growing need for professional development activities focusing on teams. Therefore, this review study…

  17. Secondary science teachers' view toward and classroom translation of sustained professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewis, Elizabeth Blake

    This study concerns the phenomenon of secondary science teacher learning and enacting instructional strategies learned at the Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) teacher professional development events, as well as teacher perception of, and relationship to, this year-long professional development program. The CISIP program teaches science teachers how to build scientific classroom discourse communities with their students. Some of the science teachers were previous participants in the professional development, and acted as mentor teachers. The research design employed an integrated conceptual framework of situated learning theory with an analytical lens of teachers' professional, institutional and affinity, identities. A multi-method approach was used to generate data. Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, the teachers' fidelity to the professional development model was measured using a classroom observation instrument aligned with the professional development model. From these observation data a longitudinal model, using hierarchical linear modeling, was constructed. In addition, surveys and interview data were used to construct both whole group and case studies of two high school science teachers who taught biology at the same school. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between previous and new participants; specifically, the longer teachers had participated in the professional development, and adopted a mentorship role, the greater their fidelity of classroom instruction to the CISIP model. Additionally, the case study teacher who developed a CISIP model-aligned affinity identity implemented more of the instructional strategies than the teacher who maintained his school-based institutional identity.

  18. Develop a Professional Learning Plan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Journal of Staff Development, 2013

    2013-01-01

    A professional learning plan establishes short-and long-term plans for professional learning and implementation of the learning. Such plans guide individuals, schools, districts, and states in coordinating learning experiences designed to achieve outcomes for educators and students. Professional learning plans focus on the program of educator…

  19. Professional Development in Tough Financial Times

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gandel, Paul B.; Golden, Cynthia

    2004-01-01

    The authors asked a diverse cross-section of their colleagues how they were addressing professional development in tight economic times, when they are all being asked to work more effectively across organizational boundaries. While the survey was informal and not scientific, the authors found that many organizations have maintained strong…

  20. Development of Professional Identity in SMEs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Puurula, Arja; Lofstrom, Erika

    This paper describes a study of the development of professional identity among employees in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) participating in large-scale company-wide training programs. Managers and employees in 175 SMEs in Finland participated. These two research questions were posed: (1) are there differences in the perceptions of…

  1. How Does Professional Development Improve Teaching?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kennedy, Mary M.

    2016-01-01

    Professional development programs are based on different theories of how students learn and different theories of how teachers learn. Reviewers often sort programs according to design features such as program duration, intensity, or the use of specific techniques such as coaches or online lessons, but these categories do not illuminate the…

  2. The Impact of Adapting a General Professional Development Framework to the Constraints of In-Service Professional Development on the Next Generation Science Standards in Urban Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGee, Steven; Nutakki, Nivedita

    2017-01-01

    Urban school districts face a dilemma in providing professional development support for teachers in transition to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Districts need to maximize the quality and amount of professional development within practical funding constraints. In this paper, we discuss preliminary results from a…

  3. Examining the design features of a communication-rich, problem-centred mathematics professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Araujo, Zandra; Orrill, Chandra Hawley; Jacobson, Erik

    2018-04-01

    While there is considerable scholarship describing principles for effective professional development, there have been few attempts to examine these principles in practice. In this paper, we identify and examine the particular design features of a mathematics professional development experience provided for middle grades teachers over 14 weeks. The professional development was grounded in a set of mathematical tasks that each had one right answer, but multiple solution paths. The facilitator engaged participants in problem solving and encouraged participants to work collaboratively to explore different solution paths. Through analysis of this collaborative learning environment, we identified five design features for supporting teacher learning of important mathematics and pedagogy in a problem-solving setting. We discuss these design features in depth and illustrate them by presenting an elaborated example from the professional development. This study extends the existing guidance for the design of professional development by examining and operationalizing the relationships among research-based features of effective professional development and the enacted features of a particular design.

  4. International Handbook on the Continuing Professional Development of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Day, Christopher; Sachs, Judyth

    2005-01-01

    This Handbook brings together theoretical and empirical research on purposes, policies and practices of teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) over the last twenty years. It provides a unique collection of regional writing from key professionals in different regions of the world, featuring: (1) A review of current CPD literature; (2)…

  5. Professional Development. State Implementation of Common Core State Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Kimberly; Mira, Mary Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    The following profiles address how the state departments of education are helping educators prepare for and implement the Common Core and aligned assessments through professional learning. The major professional development efforts around the Common Core were examined in order to understand the overall efforts of each state. An exhaustive list of…

  6. Professional Development Activities of Medical Technologists: Management Implications for Allied Health.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Summers, Stephanie H.; Blau, Gary; Ward-Cook, Kory

    2000-01-01

    Early career medical technologists (n=392) were surveyed in 1994 and 1997. They participated in both scholarly and administrative types of professional development; both types increased over time. Distinct types of professional development opportunities were recommended. (Contains 32 references.) (SK)

  7. Effective Professional Development of Teachers: A Guide to Actualizing Inclusive Schooling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nishimura, Trisha

    2014-01-01

    This article examines how inclusive education activities can be facilitated through coaching as a means of professional development. A review of literature on effective professional development practices is discussed, and a recent study focused on individualized peer coaching is examined.

  8. The ePortfolio: A Tool for Professional Development, Engagement, and Lifelong Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guder, Christopher

    2013-01-01

    Professional development is, in essence, a form of lifelong learning, and as such, can be viewed within the context of pedagogical concepts. More specifically, professional development is a process that builds on the experiences of the professional through assessment and reflection. The library as an organization acts like a teacher or instructor…

  9. Factors affecting the views and attitudes of Scottish pharmacists to continuing professional development.

    PubMed

    Power, Ailsa; Grammatiki, Aikaterini; Bates, Ian; Mc Kellar, Susan; Johnson, B Julienne; Diack, H Lesley; Stewart, Derek; Hudson, Steve A

    2011-12-01

    To explore factors associated with Scottish pharmacists' views and attitudes to continuing professional development (CPD). A retrospective principal component analysis of 552 (22.8%) questionnaires returned from a sample of 2420 Scottish pharmacists randomly selected from the 4300 pharmacists registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and with a Scottish address. Principal component analysis of questionnaire items (n = 19) revealed four factors associated with Scottish pharmacists' views and attitudes to CPD: having positive support in the workplace, having access to resources and meeting learning needs, having confidence in the CPD process and motivation to participate in the CPD process. Community pharmacists were identified as the subgroup of pharmacists that needed most support for CPD regarding all four factors, while pharmacists working in primary care felt that they had most support in the workplace in comparison to other sectors (P < 0.05) and better access to resources and meeting learning needs when compared to community (P < 0.001) and hospital (P = 0.008) colleagues. Pharmacists working in primary care also felt more motivated to participate in the CPD process than those in the community (P < 0.001), and hospital pharmacists reported having more confidence in the CPD process compared to community pharmacists (P < 0.05). Using principal component analysis has identified four factors associated with Scottish pharmacists' views and attitudes to CPD. This may provide an approach to facilitate comparison of CPD views and attitudes with intra and inter professional groupings. Further study may allow identification of good practice and solutions to common CPD issues. © 2011 The Authors. IJPP © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  10. The University Scientist's Role in Promoting Collaborative K-12 Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuster, D.; Brown, L. L.; Carlsen, W. S.

    2004-12-01

    Comprehensive K-12 science teacher professional development is dependent upon the successful interaction between the university and K-12 communities (National Research Council, 2001), which can be realized through partnerships between university scientists and K-12 science teachers. This paper will identify some best practices of university scientists in the professional development of science teachers, first by citing the professional development and science education literature (Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1998; National Research Council, 1996a, 1996b), and then by highlighting how these best practices were actualized in summer workshops for science educators offered at Penn State. Each summer the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports seven one-week courses for secondary science teachers taught by university scientists from disciplines representative of NASA's research interests. Approximately 100 teachers enroll in these two-credit, graduate-level workshops from a variety of locations and contexts throughout the United States. These summer courses share a number of important features (duration, general format, teacher recruitment and admission, location, number of participants, etc.), making them a unique dataset for comparative research on science teacher professional development. By recognizing the role of university scientists relating to both practice and standards of professional development, we identify areas in which teachers could be empowered to lead and, alternatively, where scientists and administrators should improve and continue to direct-- both supporting a culture of collaboration that builds K-12 science teacher capacity (Fullan, 2001, 2003; Hawley & Valli, 1999). In our observations and analysis of the evaluations, three best practices, as defined by the literature, appeared to distinguish the exceptional workshops: First, teachers give high marks and make affirmative comments about workshops with clearly presented curricular

  11. Professional development and teacher impacts: The NSF GK-12 experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Camasta, Susan Fullett

    Professional development is a central piece in the continuing education of teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine professional development for teachers, in particular, the impact of one program that has the potential to positively influence educators as their careers evolve. Twenty-seven teachers who served as participants in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Fellows in K-12 Education Program (GK-12) volunteered to be interviewed about their experiences as teacher partners with graduate student Fellows who were considered experts in their content area and research methods. The teachers taught 1st through 12th grades in 22 different schools, and represented nine GK-12 programs in six states. The data collected in this qualitative study indicate enduring impacts on teachers and those included: affective impacts, as well as impacts on their practice, their colleagues and their professional involvement. In addition, Fellow and student impacts were reported. The teacher reports indicate that the design and goals of the GK-12 program---which is meant to impact graduate student Fellows, teachers and students---are consistent with the literature on best-practice professional development including facilitating teacher change. Thus, this program can serve as a model for designing effective professional development. A limitation of this study is that most of the data collected were from teacher reports.

  12. Preparing culturally responsive teachers of science, technology, engineering, and math using the Geophysical Institute Framework for Professional Development in Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berry Bertram, Kathryn

    2011-12-01

    The Geophysical Institute (GI) Framework for Professional Development was designed to prepare culturally responsive teachers of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Professional development programs based on the framework are created for rural Alaskan teachers who instruct diverse classrooms that include indigenous students. This dissertation was written in response to the question, "Under what circumstances is the GI Framework for Professional Development effective in preparing culturally responsive teachers of science, technology, engineering, and math?" Research was conducted on two professional development programs based on the GI Framework: the Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) and the Science Teacher Education Program (STEP). Both programs were created by backward design to student learning goals aligned with Alaska standards and rooted in principles of indigenous ideology. Both were created with input from Alaska Native cultural knowledge bearers, Arctic scientists, education researchers, school administrators, and master teachers with extensive instructional experience. Both provide integrated instruction reflective of authentic Arctic research practices, and training in diverse methods shown to increase indigenous student STEM engagement. While based on the same framework, these programs were chosen for research because they offer distinctly different training venues for K-12 teachers. STEP offered two-week summer institutes on the UAF campus for more than 175 teachers from 33 Alaska school districts. By contrast, ACMP served 165 teachers from one rural Alaska school district along the Bering Strait. Due to challenges in making professional development opportunities accessible to all teachers in this geographically isolated district, ACMP offered a year-round mix of in-person, long-distance, online, and local training. Discussion centers on a comparison of the strategies used by each program to address GI Framework cornerstones, on

  13. Noncommissioned Officer Education and Professional Development Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1971-01-01

    34 , _ L -I NOCMISSIO.-iED OFFICER EDUCATION K ND . PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT S T U , P ’-) , !, HEIDQUARTE RS UNITED STATES CONTINENTAL ARMY...I Section C - Assumptions .............. .............. 2 PART II - NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER EDUCATION SYSTEM . . . 5 Figures 1 - 3...48 Section L - Assignment Patterns ........... 42 Section M - NCOS Attendance. ............ 50 Section N - keneral Educational Development . ..... 52

  14. WikiBuild: A New Application to Support Patient and Health Care Professional Involvement in the Development of Patient Support Tools

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Active patient and public involvement as partners in their own health care and in the development of health services is key to achieving a health care system that is responsive to patients’ needs and values. It promotes better use of the health care system, and improves health outcomes, quality of life and patient satisfaction. By involving patients and health care professionals as partners in the creation and updating of patient health support tools, wikis—highly accessible, interactive vehicles of communication—have the potential to empower users to implement these support tools in daily life. Acknowledging the potential of wikis, and recognizing that they capitalize on the free and open access to information, scientists, opinion leaders and patient advocates have suggested that wikis could help decision-making constituencies improve the delivery of health care. They might also decrease its cost and improve access to knowledge within developing countries. However, little is known about the efficacy of wikis in helping to attain these goals. There is also a need to know more about the intention of patients and health care workers to use wikis, in what circumstances and what factors will influence their use of wikis. In this issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Gupta et al describe how they developed and tested a new wiki-inspired application to improve asthma care. The researchers involved patients with asthma, primary care physicians, pulmonologists and certified asthma educators in the construction of an asthma action plan. Their paper—entitled “WikiBuild: a new online collaboration process for multistakeholder tool development and consensus building”—is the first description of a wiki-inspired technology built to involve patients and health care professionals in the development of a patient support tool. This innovative study has made important contributions toward how wikis could be generalized to involve multiple stakeholders in

  15. Teachers' Goal Orientation Profiles and Participation in Professional Development Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kunst, Eva M.; van Woerkom, Marianne; Poell, Rob F.

    2018-01-01

    Participation in professional development activities is important for teachers to continuously improve their knowledge and skills. However, teachers differ in their attitude towards learning activities. This paper examined how different goal orientation profiles are related to participation in professional development activities (acquiring…

  16. Preschool Teachers' Attitudes toward Internet Applications for Professional Development in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Ru-Si

    2016-01-01

    This study focuses on preschool teachers' attitudes toward integrated Internet applications for professional development by a survey in Taiwan. The researcher developed a survey questionnaire consisting of five factors: usefulness, effectiveness, behavioral intention, Internet connection, and professional competence. This study analyzed the survey…

  17. Teacher Activist Organizations and the Development of Professional Agency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quinn, Rand; Carl, Nicole Mittenfelner

    2015-01-01

    Teacher professional agency refers to the ability of teachers to control their work within structural constraints. In this paper, we show how teacher activist organizations can assist in the development of professional agency. We focus on a teacher activist organization in a large urban district in the United States and identify three…

  18. The Importance of Process-Oriented Accessibility Guidelines for Web Developers.

    PubMed

    Steen-Hansen, Linn; Fagernes, Siri

    2016-01-01

    Current accessibility research shows that in the web development, the process itself may lead to inaccessible web sites and applications. Common practices typically do not allow sufficient testing. The focus is mainly on complying with minimum standards, and treating accessibility compliance as a sort of bug-fixing process, missing the user perspective. In addition, there is an alarming lack of knowledge and experience with accessibility issues. It has also been argued that bringing accessibility into the development process at all stages is the only way to achieve the highest possible level of accessibility. The work presented in this paper is based on a previous project focusing on guidelines for developing accessible rich Internet applications. The guidelines were classified as either process-oriented or technology-oriented. In this paper, we examine the process-oriented guidelines and give a practical perspective on how these guidelines will make the development process more accessibility-friendly.

  19. Professional Development in Elementary School Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scoggins, C.

    2010-01-01

    This study was an investigation of mathematics instruction and professional development at a rural elementary school. The Department of Education in a southern U.S. state implemented a new curriculum in 2007 that required major changes in mathematics instruction. The problems were that teachers engaged in different levels of training and many…

  20. Meaningful Professional Development: A Personal Journey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shore, Rebecca Ann

    2012-01-01

    This article shares a personal story of the evolution of professional development in practice in K-12 schools from three states over a 30 year period. The article begins with reference to general subject area life awarded teaching credentials and concludes with the addition of language addressing prekindergarten, specifically the inclusion of…